SpaceX didn't end up launching its gigantic Starship spacecraft on schedule, but Elon Musk's rocket company isn't waiting long to try again.

The 400-foot Starship rocket, which SpaceX is developing for crewed travel to Mars, was vertical on the launch pad and being fueled up for an imminent takeoff from South Texas before the commercial spaceflight company opted to scrub the launch. In a post on social media site X, which Musk owns, SpaceX attributed the decision to "an issue with ground systems."

Fortunately for the billionaire tech mogul, whose company has faced a series of explosive setbacks in Starship's development in 2025, the delay doesn't appear to be lasting long. SpaceX will soon attempt to launch the vehicle for the 10th time in more than two years on an uncrewed test mission, which it simply refers to as flight 10.

Here's everything to know about the Starship scrub, and when SpaceX could attempt to launch the spacecraft again:

What happened with the Starship launch? SpaceX postpones test in Texas

Starship was scheduled to get off the ground at 6:30 p.m. CT on Aug. 24 at SpaceX's Starbase headquarters near the U.S.-Mexico border, which Texas voters in Cameron County approved in May to become a city.

Everything appeared to be on track for Starship to launch on time as SpaceX began fueling up the massive spacecraft before the company announced that it had called off the mission nearly 15 minutes before liftoff.

SpaceX had a number of objectives for flight 10, including the first attempt at safely returning and landing the vehicle's upper stage – known as Starship, or Ship – where a crew of astronauts would one day ride to space.

The booster, known as Super Heavy, was intended to attempt several in-flight experiments before making a water landing off the Gulf of Mexico, renamed by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico.

When could SpaceX launch Starship on flight 10?

SpaceX's website indicates the company is working toward a Starship launch as early as 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 25.

A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory confirms the launch window and also indicates that backup opportunities remain available the next day if the mission is scrubbed again.

What is Starship? SpaceX develops rocket for missions to moon, Mars

SpaceX is developing Starship to be a fully reusable transportation system, meaning the rocket and vehicle can return to the ground for additional missions.

In the years ahead, Starship is set to serve a pivotal role in future U.S. spaceflight. Starship is the centerpiece of Musk's vision of sending the first humans to Mars, and is also critical in NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon's surface.

Musk aims to send the first uncrewed Starship to Mars in 2026. NASA, meanwhile, has designs on using Starship to ferry Artemis III astronauts from orbit to the lunar surface as early as 2027.

Trump, FAA hand SpaceX big wins

While Starship has struggled in 2025 to replicate the successes of previous test flights, the U.S government has handed SpaceX a few key wins.

Most recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier in August aimed at rolling back federal regulations on commercial spaceflight companies – a sign that private sector rocket companies like SpaceX remain crucial to U.S. spaceflight ambitions, even after a public falling out between Trump and Musk.

The move came a few months after the FAA, which licenses commercial rocket launches, approved in May for SpaceX to conduct as many as 25 Starship test flights a year. Starship launched just four times in 2024.

How big is Starship?

Starship, standing 403 feet tall when fully stacked, is regarded as the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. When fully integrated, the launch system is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage Starship itself, the spacecraft where crew and cargo would ride.

Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor engines that give the initial burst of thrust at liftoff. The upper stage Starship section is powered by six Raptor engines that will ultimately travel in orbit.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SpaceX scrubs Starship flight test. When could megarocket launch now?

Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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