--- title: "SpaceX Delays Starhopper’s Final Test Flight Once Again" description: "With not even a single second left before takeoff, SpaceX scrubbed Monday's final test flight of its 20 meters-tall Starship prototype called \"Starhopper.\"" date: "2019-08-27" modified: "2019-08-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-delays-starhopper-test" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "starhopper" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Delays Starhopper’s Final Test Flight Once Again ![With not even a single second left before takeoff, SpaceX scrubbed Monday's final test flight of its 20 meters-tall Starship prototype called "Starhopper."]() *\Image: Daniel Oberhaus\* ## Embarrassing With not even a single second left before takeoff, SpaceX scrubbed Monday's final test flight of its 20 meters-tall Starship prototype called "Starhopper." The plan had been to fly to an altitude of almost 500 feet. Shortly after the aborted attempt, Musk [confirmed]() on Twitter that a "wiring/connector issue" may have caused the issue. "Igniters need to be inspected," Musk [added](). "We will try again tomorrow same time." "Rather embarrassing \[to be honest\]," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [tweeted]() early Tuesday morning in response to tech blogger Pranay Pathole, who [wondered why]() a simple miswiring could've caused such a large issue. ## Finicky Igniters According to [an analysis]() by *Teslarati* — deemed ["impressively accurate"]() by Musk himself — the ignition system for SpaceX's new Raptor engine was redesigned from the ground up prior to its announcement in 2013. The ignition process requires extremely high pressure gases are are notoriously difficult to ignite. But the new system has a key advantage, especially when it comes to space flight to the Moon and Beyond. "Avoiding \[...\] other complex chemical igniters also means that Starship will technically be able to launch to Mars or the Moon, perform injection and landing burns, maybe even hop around the surface, and still be able to return to Earth — all without resupply," *Teslarati* wrote. We'll have to see if tonight's Starhopper test flight will be a success, before SpaceX can continue testing its pair of full-scale Starship prototypes that are currently in development. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX scrubs Starhopper’s final Raptor-powered flight as Elon Musk talks “finicky” igniters]() \[*Teslarati*\] **More on Starhopper:** [SpaceX Starhopper Will Fly for the Last Time Tonight]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()