CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX was poised for liftoff moments before the clock ran out Thursday evening as critical hydraulic failure halted the maiden test flight of its giant Starship rocket. The 407-foot-tall spacecraft was minutes away from beginning a high-speed journey around Earth when engineers discovered the launch tower's arm-retracting mechanism jammed, triggering a full scrub of the 9:30 p.m. ET launch window.

The hydraulic pin holding the launch tower’s arm in place did not retract, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed in a live update. If we can fix this quickly, we’ll attempt launch on Friday. The delay marks the first setback for the company's newest rocket since November's test flight, with engineers scrambling to address the mechanical issue at Starbase near the Mexico border.

The planned hour-long flight would have released 20 mock Starlink satellites before Starship's controlled ocean splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This 12th test flight was particularly significant as NASA relies on Starship's capabilities for the Artemis program—delivering astronauts to the moon by the mid-2020s. The scrub occurs just one day after Musk announced SpaceX's upcoming public stock offering, heightening market anticipation.

Live updates continue below — PulseWire reporters are on scene at Starbase. Share eyewitness footage or reports using #PulseWireLive. Real-time map showing pad status: [Interactive Map Link].

*Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the hydraulic pin issue specifically affecting the launch tower, not the rocket itself.*

*PulseWire Fact-Check: Verified with SpaceX engineering documents and live tracking data from NASA's Artemis program portal.*}