Moment SpaceX halts Starship rocket launch minutes before anticipated lift-off

SpaceX halted the launch of its Starship rocket minutes before the anticipated lift-off on Monday 17 April.

Preparations continued as a “wet dress rehearsal” and the countdown clock went all the way down to T-40 seconds before being stopped.

“A pressurant valve appears to be frozen, so unless it starts operating soon, no launch today,” owner Elon Musk tweeted, sharing the reason for the scrubbed launch.

SpaceX is expecting a “minimum of 48 hours” before the rocket can be tested again, pushing a new launch date close to 20 April, one of Mr Musk’s favourite dates (4/20).

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