--- title: "SpaceX Fails to Launch Mighty Starship" description: "Earlier today, SpaceX loaded its gigantic, 400-foot Starship rocket stack with propellant — only to scrub its first-ever orbital launch attempt." date: "2023-04-17" modified: "2023-04-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-fails-launch-starship-orbit" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Fails to Launch Mighty Starship ![Earlier today, SpaceX loaded its gigantic, 400-foot Starship rocket stack with propellant — only to scrub its first-ever orbital launch attempt.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Frozen Valve It wasn't meant to be. Earlier today, SpaceX loaded its gigantic, 400-foot Starship rocket stack with propellant — only to scrub its first-ever orbital launch attempt. According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a [frozen pressure valve]() was the culprit. Fortunately, this morning's events weren't a total write-off for the company. Far from it, Musk said. "Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few days," [tweeted]() the mercurial CEO. That means we might see the next attempt on April 20, which could come [to the sheer delight]() of the billionaire CEO, given the [date's significance](). The stakes are incredibly high for the company. SpaceX's super-heavy launch platform could set the stage for the next generation of reusable rockets, potentially carrying the first astronauts to the [surface of the Moon]() in more than 50 years — and eventually the first ones to Mars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5QXreqOrTA ## Going Orbital The company has already launched over half a dozen Starship prototypes over the last few years, many of which have [ended in huge explosions](). This morning's attempt, however, was different as it involved a Starship prototype stacked on top of an equally massive Super Heavy booster, which alone features a whopping 33 Raptor engines. SpaceX still ran down the clock, regardless of the scrubbed attempt, and treated it as a wet dress rehearsal instead. "The point of the countdown is to allow the teams to progress that T-zero time in a coordinated fashion and really to unveil any issues prior to the ignition sequence," SpaceX's Kate Tice said during the company's live stream. "So the countdown did its job today." Will April 20 really be the day we get to see the most powerful rocket in history ignite its dozens of engines? All we can do right now is wait and find out. *Updated to clarify that astronauts have previously landed on the Moon.* **More on Starship:** *[Here's a Video of Every Time Starship Has Exploded So Far]()* ## 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]()