SpaceX Scrubs Starship SN6 150-Meter Hop Test at Boca Chica
SpaceX calls off the highly anticipated 150-meter hop test of Starship SN6 at its South Texas facility. The prototype vehicle remains on the pad pending a new launch attempt.
SpaceX stands down from the planned 150-meter hop test flight of its Starship SN6 prototype at Boca Chica, Texas. The test article, which features a single Raptor engine, scrubs before it takes to the sky, leaving the massive silver vehicle grounded on the launch pad.
The flight profile calls for SN6 to ascend to an altitude of 150 meters and translate downrange to a designated landing pad over the course of about one minute. Because the Raptor engine sits slightly off-center, the vehicle exhibits unusual motion as it shifts the thrust beneath its center of mass, a maneuver successfully demonstrated by the previous SN5 prototype.
Ground crews at the South Texas development site follow strict protocols for these brief test flights, relying on local sirens to warn the area just ten minutes before an exact launch time is publicly confirmed. Observers and space fans now wait for SpaceX to reschedule this critical uncrewed milestone, which serves as a key stepping stone toward orbital flights.