SpaceX scrubs test of its Mars-bound Starship rocket – follow live

Cameron County has just updated its website, cancelling the road closures that were in place today.

No reason has been given, and there’s been no official word from SpaceX, but that signals that today’s Starship SN15 launch is off.

Cameron County does not authorise launches over the weekend, so the next opportunity will likely be on Monday.

We’ll bring you any updates if the situation changes, but otherwise we’ll be back on Monday. Thanks for joining us, and hopefully see you then!

Starship SN15 launch scrubbed.

All four high-altitude flight tests of Starship craft have ended in explosions, with only one – Starship SN10 – actually managing to stick the landing (before exploding on the landing pad eight minutes later).

The tests last roughly six minutes from lift off to landing, and according to SpaceX Starship should be “powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude.”

Starship SN15 should then perform “a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent”.

This looks something like a belly-flop in practice, and should be followed by a complex landing flip manoeuvre powered by one or two of the Raptor engines that will take the craft steadily to the ground.

Hopefully it won’t look like this:

But instead more like this:

One of the main fundamentals for the launch to proceed is the evacuation of Boca Chica Village, which is yet to happen.

These can be issued at very late notice, and are necessary to protect residents from falling debris, or even broken windows caused by explosions.

The final factor potentially holding back today’s attempt is the weather. It’s looking very overcast at the moment, and there is a storm front not too far away.

Poor visibility is not enough to hold back the launch – as evidenced by the fog-shrouded Starship SN11 test – however lightning or heavy wind and rain could scupper plans for the launch.

It is currently forecast to be dry over Boca Chica, Texas for the next six hours, but that could change. Here’s the current weather radar:

There are numerous variables that need to line up for a Starship flight test to go ahead.

These include airspace clearance and flight approval with the FAA, local road closures in place with Cameron County, evacuation of the nearby Boca Chica Village, a marine hazard notice posting – as well as all the technical preparations for the actual rocket itself.

It’s for this reason that SpaceX doesn’t actually publicise its launch attempt times until just a few minutes to go, but we know it could be anytime between now and 5pm local time (11pm BST), as per the road closures in place.

The FAA has also authorised the launch, releasing a statement yesterday. The good news is, it appears to cover launches for Starship SN16 and Starship SN17. Here’s what the agency said:

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of SpaceX’s latest attempt to launch and land a Starship rocket.

It’s been an entire month since the last major test, but hopefully it will be worth the wait.