Starship Flight 10: SpaceX Reschedules Launch After Ground System Setback

By; Tobias Mutunga

The Common Pulse | August 2025

After yet another dramatic countdown pause, SpaceX has confirmed that its much-anticipated Starship Flight 10 test will get another chance tonight, Monday, August 25, 2025.

The launch, originally scheduled for Sunday evening, was scrubbed less than 30 minutes before liftoff after engineers detected a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak in the ground support system. Elon Musk quickly acknowledged the issue on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a “ground-side oxygen leak” and assuring followers that SpaceX teams were working around the clock to fix it.

Why This Test Matters

Flight 10 is not just another test hop. It is expected to validate a host of upgrades to both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. Key improvements include:

Higher thrust from upgraded Raptor engines.
Stronger heat shield tiles designed to survive atmospheric reentry.
More robust steering flaps to improve controlled descent.

These upgrades are essential if SpaceX is to move beyond the string of fiery setbacks that have marred 2025, with multiple Starship prototypes lost in explosions or test stand failures.

What’s at Stake

The stakes for tonight’s attempt are enormous. NASA is depending on a reliable Starship for the planned Artemis 3 lunar mission in 2027, which will return astronauts to the Moon. Investors and competitors are also watching closely, especially as SpaceX pushes regulators for permission to expand launch operations at both Boca Chica and Cape Canaveral.

Failure tonight could intensify scrutiny from federal agencies and rivals like Blue Origin and ULA, who argue that Starship’s massive methane-fueled launches pose both environmental and operational risks. Success, however, could mark a turning point, proving that Starship is finally edging toward routine operations.

Countdown to Liftoff

The new launch attempt is scheduled during the same one-hour evening window as Sunday’s scrubbed effort. Weather conditions appear favorable, but all eyes are on whether SpaceX has truly solved the ground-side oxygen leak.

For Musk, who has always insisted that “failure is an option, but giving up is not,” tonight’s countdown is more than just another test. It’s a chance to prove that Starship is no longer just a dream, it’s a rocket inching closer to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

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