SpaceX delayed the 13th flight test of its Starship rocket to July 24 after a July 16 engine abort and a July 23 weather scrub. The July 16 failure occurred when several Raptor engines on Booster 20 did not ignite in the final countdown second, triggering an automatic launch abort described by Musk on X. Engineers replaced two Raptor engines before clearing the vehicle for another attempt. The July 23 launch slipped due to weather conditions affecting ground-based camera visibility required to capture heat shield tile data during ascent. Since the company's June 12 Nasdaq IPO at $135 per share, SPCX stocks have traded below the IPO price since July 17, currently at $118—down nearly 23% from debut and over 40% below the $202 all-time high.
SpaceX Reschedules Starship Flight 13 to July 24 After Technical and Weather Delays
SpaceX rescheduled the 13th flight test of its Starship rocket to July 24, marking the third disruption in just over a week. The initial July 16 attempt ended when several Raptor engines on Booster 20 failed to ignite in the final second of the countdown. Musk described the failure on X as an automatic launch abort triggered when some engines did not start. Engineers swapped out two of the booster's Raptor engines before clearing the vehicle for another attempt.
The follow-up try on July 23 slipped due to weather conditions. Ground-based cameras needed clear skies to capture detailed images of Starship's heat shield tiles during ascent, data SpaceX considers essential to proving the vehicle can be reused.
Friday's rescheduled attempt opens a 90-minute window at 6:45 p.m. ET (5:45 p.m. local time) from the company's Starbase facility in South Texas. The Super Heavy booster is expected to separate, perform a boostback burn and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. The Starship upper stage will deploy 20 Starlink V3 satellites—its first delivery of an operational payload—before attempting a controlled entry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
SPCX Stocks Trade at $118, Down 23% Since June 12 IPO
SpaceX priced its June 12 IPO at $135 per share, valuing the company at roughly $1.75 trillion. SPCX shares slipped below the IPO price for the first time on July 17, the day after the failed launch attempt, and have stayed underwater since. The stock is down nearly 23% since debut and currently trades at $118, over 40% lower than its all-time high of nearly $202.
SPCX shares joined the Nasdaq-100 following the IPO. The stock's performance has proven turbulent alongside the company's test flight disruptions.
SpaceX Holds 18,712 BTC Treasury Disclosed in IPO Filings
Regulatory filings ahead of SpaceX's Nasdaq debut showed the company holding 18,712 BTC, a position valued at roughly $1.29 billion in a May 20 filing tied to the IPO paperwork. The holding ranks SpaceX among the largest corporate bitcoin holders on U.S. markets and as the eighth-largest public company bitcoin holder at the time of filing, well behind Strategy's treasury of more than 840,000 BTC.
Sister company Tesla carries its own bitcoin treasury of 11,509 BTC, which held steady through the second quarter alongside a $112 million impairment loss booked under standard accounting rules. Unlike Tesla, which has held its bitcoin since 2021 and books it under standard corporate accounting rules, SpaceX's position only became public knowledge through IPO disclosure requirements.
FAQ
What caused SpaceX to delay Starship Flight 13 to July 24?
SpaceX delayed Starship's 13th flight test to July 24 after a July 16 engine abort when several Raptor engines on Booster 20 failed to ignite in the final countdown second, triggering an automatic launch abort. A follow-up attempt on July 23 slipped due to weather conditions affecting ground-based camera visibility needed to capture heat shield tile data during ascent.
How has SPCX stock performed since the June 12 IPO?
SPCX stocks priced at $135 per share on June 12 and slipped below the IPO price for the first time on July 17. The stock currently trades at $118, down nearly 23% since debut and over 40% below its all-time high of nearly $202.
How much bitcoin does SpaceX hold according to IPO filings?
Regulatory filings ahead of SpaceX's Nasdaq debut showed the company holding 18,712 BTC, valued at roughly $1.29 billion in a May 20 filing tied to IPO paperwork. The position ranks SpaceX as the eighth-largest public company bitcoin holder at the time of filing.
