SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch to Friday After Technical Issues

SpaceX delayed its scheduled Starship V3 launch from Texas on Thursday after the countdown was halted multiple times for pressure and fuel temperature issues. The hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract, prompting the company to schedule another attempt for Friday at 5:30 CT.

The uncrewed rocket has undergone months of testing and redesign for NASA moon missions and Starlink satellite launches. SpaceX has spent over $15 billion developing the fully reusable Starship, which the company described in its IPO filing as the most powerful launch system ever developed.

SpaceX revealed plans for its stock market debut one day before the delayed launch. 75 trillion valuation and will list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol SPCX on 12 June. The confidential filing was submitted on 1 April 2026, with the public S-1 prospectus released in mid-May.

Musk will retain more than 85 percent of the combined voting power through a dual-class share structure. The company stated that Starship V3 will be able to carry a payload of 100 metric tons, with future generations designed to double that capacity.

Musk said failure of the test flight would delay future launches by about a month because several other V3 ships and boosters are available.