--- title: "SpaceX Starship Testing Shut Down by Huge Snowstorm" description: "The SpaceX Starship SN10 test launch was delayed due to an extreme snowstorm hitting the Texas facility. Learn about the new launch date." date: "2021-02-16" modified: "2021-02-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starship-testing-snowstorm" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "texas" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Starship Testing Shut Down by Huge Snowstorm ![As if launching a 165-foot rocket wasn't complicated enough, SpaceX now has to contend itself with extreme winter weather hitting its Texas facilities.]() *\Image: Tesla\* ## Frosty the Starship As if launching a 165-foot spacecraft prototype wasn't complicated enough, SpaceX now has to contend itself with extreme winter weather hitting its Texas testing facilities. Development of its Starship program has slowed to a crawl as a result of freezing temperatures and high winds, [*Teslarati* reports]() — though it'll probably be back to business as usual once the weather clears. ## Deep Freeze The space company's facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, weren't immune to a historic deep freeze. Power demand skyrocketed as home owners attempted to stay warm using electricity. More than four million Texans were left in the dark following several blackouts, [*CNN* reports](). SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who recently moved to Austin, Texas, didn't fare much better. "Covered in snow and ice, roads mostly closed and no power in Austin," [Musk tweeted]() Tuesday morning. And as it turns out, freezing rain and sustained winds aren't ideal conditions for launching rockets, either. In fact, high winds alone would've been enough to force SpaceX to push back the date of its next Starship prototype launch. Temperature differentials also likely make cryogenic liquid methane and oxygen fuel tests a nightmare for SpaceX's engineers, as *Teslarati* points out. ## SN10 Later Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin, Texas was also blanketed in a fresh layer of snow, a highly unusual sight for the area. SpaceX is still holding out to launch its SN10 prototype, following two highly dramatic launches in [December]() and [early February](). Luckily, Texas is in for some far more predictable — and [warmer]() — weather starting as soon as tomorrow. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX Starship testing slows to a crawl amid high winds and freezing rain]() \[*Teslarati*\] **More on SpaceX:** *[SpaceX Rocket Crashes Into Ocean When Landing Fails]()* ## 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]()