A critical engine malfunction during SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight has raised concerns over NASA’s timeline for returning astronauts to the moon. The failure of a Raptor engine threatens to push back the agency’s planned 2028 lunar landing, relying as it does on Starship for crewed missions. With no immediate fixes in sight, the setback underscores the technical hurdles still facing both SpaceX and NASA’s Artemis program. The delay could reshape expectations for human spaceflight in the coming years.
A Raptor engine failure on SpaceX's 14th Starship test flight could delay NASA's goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2028.
