WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - SpaceX called off a Starship rocket launch at the last minute after some of its 33 engines failed to ignite, and CEO Elon Musk predicted another attempt would likely be made early next week.

The launch attempt took place as part of the thirteenth test flight from the US state of Texas yesterday, Thursday.

Shares of the company, which went public last month, fell nearly 3 percent in over-the-counter trading following the launch cancellation. The stock closed at $131.11 on Thursday, closing below its initial public offering price of $135 for the first time since its listing.

Musk said in a post on X, "Some engines failed, automatically aborting the launch," without disclosing how many engines on the rocket failed. He added, "To ensure a successful flight, two Raptor engines will be removed and replaced. The launch is likely to take place early next week."

The cancellation came less than a second before the scheduled launch of the Starship rocket from the Starbay launch site in South Texas at 5:45 p.m. local time (22:45 GMT). The rocket's engines ignited but then shut down shortly afterward.