Starship Launch Scrub Caused by Pressurization Issue
SpaceX was forced to scrub its Starship launch attempt this morning due to a pressurization issue on the first stage of the Super Heavy rocket.
"It's unfortunate. Of course, we all wanted to see fire today."
SpaceX commentator and quality systems engineer Kate Tice.
The team at SpaceX announced at about T-17 minutes that engineers were working on the pressurization issue on the first stage of the rocket, with the Starship launch scrub coming officially at about 9:12 am EDT.
The team proceeded to fuel the first and second stages of the Super Heavy booster as a "wet dress rehearsal" before the countdown was held at T-40 seconds and recycled. A second launch attempt would come not less than 48 hours from this morning's try.
"It's unfortunate. Of course, we all wanted to see fire today," said SpaceX commentator and quality systems engineer Kate Tice. "But that's OK. The point of the countdown is to allow the teams to progress to that T-0 time in a coordinated fashion and really to unveil any issues prior to the ignition sequence."
SpaceX was given the official go-ahead for launch by the FAA late Friday afternoon. "After a comprehensive license evaluation process, the FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements," the agency said in a brief statement.
Starship Launch Scrub Only as Setback
Starship is a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond. With a test such as this, success is measured by how much can be learned, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship, the company said.
To date, the SpaceX team has completed multiple sub-orbital flight tests of Starship’s upper stage from Starbase, successfully demonstrating an unprecedented approach to controlled flight. These flight tests helped validate the vehicle’s design, proving Starship can fly through the subsonic phase of entry before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing.
In addition to the testing of Starship’s upper stage, the team has conducted numerous tests of the Super Heavy rocket, which include the increasingly complex static fires that led to a full-duration 31 Raptor engine test – the largest number of simultaneous rocket engine ignitions in history. The team has also constructed the world’s tallest rocket launch and catch tower. At 146 meters, or nearly 500 feet tall, the launch and catch tower is designed to support vehicle integration, launch, and catch of the Super Heavy rocket booster. For the first flight test, the team will not attempt a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the Super Heavy booster.
(Source: SpaceX. Images from YouTube live stream)