SpaceX Starship Prototype Rocket Stop After Engines Fire

The SpaceX rocket’s engine started for a short flight test on Wednesday, but the prototype did not move and an enduring flame shot skywards near the top of the rocket. 

SpaceX had two launches planned for Wednesday, but unfortunately neither got off the ground. The first was to resupply mission to the ISS aboard a Falcon 9, but it was delay due to inclement weather. The second was a test of the Starship prototype, which then abort shortly after its scheduled launch. According to SpaceX’s livestream, the “team is assessing next test attempt opportunity.”

“It appears as though we have had an abort on today’s test. As you can see, the vehicle did not lift off today,” explained Kate Tice, a certification engineer narrating the stream. “This is a development program. Today was a test flight design to test the boundaries of the vehicle.”

An ignition sequence appeared to begin, blowing fire and smoke from the Starhopper’s single Raptor engine. Within three seconds, the test was aborte and began venting.

As the sun set, SpaceX announced it was switching the livestream off. We’ll have to wait a little longer for the first hop of the prototype

Starship is a fully reusable system that is design to provide cost effective and reliable launch services to our customers and serve as an interplanetary launch system.

The main mission of  Starship, with an enormous booster called “Super Heavy,” is being built to achieve founder Elon Musk’s dream of transporting up to 100 people to destinations including the moon and Mars.