Elon Musk has been making headlines for mass layoffs and funding cuts at US federal agencies under his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. But on Monday, his towering Starship rocket will return to the spotlight with its next test flight.

SpaceX has delayed the eighth uncrewed test flight of its Starship rocket system. The launch was due to take place within a one-hour window starting at 5:30pm CT (5:00am IST) from SpaceX's South Texas facilities.

SpaceX on Monday called off its eighth Starship test flight from Texas over an unspecified issue on the rocket system's core, delaying for at least 24 hours the company's attempt to deploy mock Starlink satellites in space for the first time.

SpaceX's flight will be Starship's eighth orbital mission overall and first since a dramatic mid-air explosion over the Caribbean during its last trial.