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

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.