SPACE-AXE

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Scrubs Test Flight Moments Before Launch

A string of testing failures and lofty NASA expectations are increasing pressure on SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s latest Starship launch was postponed at the eleventh hour on Sunday. The latest in a growing list of SpaceX failures was to be the model’s 10th mission, and it was fully fueled ahead of a launch time of 7:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 24. However, problems with the ground systems nixed lift-off 30 minutes prior—an issue that Reuters reported was signaled when a placeholder screen appeared on the company’s livestream. SpaceX has been on a troubling run amid growing pressure for results, with NASA keen to use its ships to put people on the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions. Musk and Co.’s test-to-failure approach to development has been dogged by hiccups. These issues have culminated in dramatic scenes, with one mission lost in space, and another exploding on the stand with such violence that debris was fired over the Mexican border. Previous failures have often been dealt with speedily by SpaceX, and a do-over of mission 10 is expected as soon as Monday, Aug.25. The Daily Beast has contacted SpaceX for more information.