During SpaceX’s 14th uncrewed Starship test flight on Monday from Texas, one of
three Raptor main engines on the upper-stage unexpectedly shut down after stage
separation, forcing the mission to end several hours early. Flight controllers
nevertheless pushed Starship into orbit and completed its first commercial
satellite deployment. The engine fault introduces uncertainty for NASA’s
timetable: Starship is one of two vehicles selected as a lunar lander and is
slated as early as 2028 for a crewed Moon mission; identifying the fault’s cause
is material for both SpaceX operations and NASA’s lunar-lander plans, which rely
on the same engine suite.
