SpaceX's 13th Starship flight test was aborted at the launchpad on 16 July 2026 after four Raptor engines on the booster failed to ignite, triggering the vehicle's automated abort system moments before liftoff. The incident is embarrassing for a rocket that must fly repeatedly and reliably to meet NASA's Artemis Moon-landing timeline, and it comes as SpaceX's stock has been sliding since a recent surge briefly made Elon Musk a paper trillionaire.

Musk said engines would be removed and replaced, with launch "most probable" early the following week, though it remains unclear whether the booster will need to be de-stacked to carry out repairs. This was the second test of Starship's new V3 configuration, and a successful flight demonstrating in-space engine reignition would let SpaceX progress beyond suborbital tests, something needed urgently given Artemis III is due to launch in 2027 and NASA plans to use Starlink to relay Artemis III imagery from Orion. Following the abort, SpaceX shares fell to just over $131, below the $135 IPO price that had valued the loss-making company at around $1.78 trillion; SpaceX has since said it will attempt another launch "as early as Thursday, July 23."