SpaceX cancels Starship rocket test launch at the last minute

The rocket is scheduled to launch from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 6:45 p.m. local time. This is considered the eighth orbital mission of Starship and the first flight since the mid-air explosion in the Caribbean during the most recent test.

SpaceX has yet to provide information on a new launch date, although it is expected to do so within 24 hours.

The 123-meter-tall Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket. It is designed to be fully reusable and is a key part of billionaire Elon Musk's plans to send humans to Mars. NASA is also waiting for a modified version of Starship for its Artemis mission, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon.

Previously, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had banned the launch of the Starship rocket after a failed test on January 16, when the rocket's upper stage caught fire and exploded in mid-air before falling to the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, on February 28, the FAA allowed SpaceX to resume the Starship test launch after the company completed an investigation into the previous incident.

SpaceX has ambitious space exploration goals and must ensure that its Starship rockets can be launched safely for future manned flights. The company also needs to demonstrate sophisticated orbital refueling capabilities—using other spacecraft as fuel tankers—to enable long-distance space travel.