SpaceX Delays Starship Rocket Launch Due to Fueling Issues

SpaceX's Starship didn't go to orbit today.

The space company announced it is delaying the launch of its Starship rocket to a later date to address the issue that prevented the rocket's launch on Apr. 17.

This delay is the first that SpaceX directly initiated; Starship's launches previously got delayed due to the company still acquiring regulatory approval at the time.

SpaceX Starship Launch Delay Details

SpaceX's Starship finally got the approval it needed from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) almost two days ago - something the company was hoping to get earlier in 2023. However, an unexpected issue with the rocket made the company stop the countdown to what was supposed to be its maiden launch.

Space.com reported that SpaceX announced an issue with the rocket's pressurization system on its first stage at the 9-minute mark on the countdown. As a result, mission controllers decided to stop the launch and do a wet-dress rehearsal instead, allowing them to work through Starship's pre-flight procedures and learn more about it and its systems.

"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. So the countdown did its job today," said Kate Tice, SpaceX's manager for its Quality Systems Engineering.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mentioned on his official Twitter account that the cause of the issue was a pressurant valve that seemed frozen, preventing the Starship rocket from going to orbit until SpaceX can solve the matter soon.

While the launch's delay probably disappointed the many onlookers who gathered to watch the company's rocket roar into life and go to orbit, SpaceX then announced something that could give them a chuckle; it is moving Starship's launch to Apr. 20 - 4/20.

The announcement may seem like a joke, but SpaceX is sincere when it comes to this announcement. You may recall that Musk has a penchant for making 4/20 references and jokes, according to Business Insider. The SpaceX CEO even mentioned that the final date for Twitter to remove its legacy checkmarks would be on 4/20 due to it being a holiday for cannabis culture. Regardless, it seems Musk is getting his way, after all, despite the delays with the FAA.

"Perhaps inevitable," Musk tweeted in response to SpaceX's announcement.

Starship Details

SpaceX's Starship is a fully reusable transportation system allegedly designed to be the most powerful launch system ever developed. According to SpaceX's official website, it is capable of carrying up to 100 people on "long-duration, interplanetary flights" and help enable satellite delivery, the development of a moon base, and point-to-point transport on Earth.

The rocket's design is a major boon to NASA since it can also carry cargo and people beyond Earth - a crucial detail for the space agency's Artemis mission, per CNBC. You may recall that NASA wants to put humanity back on the moon by 2025 and that it wants to build a Gateway lunar base to serve as a staging ground for deep space travel and as a base on the moon.