On Thursday, July 11, the second stage engine of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failed to ignite and likely exploded about one hour after launch. It took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, carrying 20 Starlink satellites. This was supposed to be a routine launch but it led to the satellites being released too low, with dire consequences for them.
“During tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink, the second stage engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed into a lower than intended orbit,” a post on X from SpaceX reads. The company attempted to raise the satellites by using the ion thrusters they are equipped with, but it was difficult to counteract the drag in their orbit.
The lowest point in the orbit was 135 kilometers (84 miles) above Earth, and 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) is lost with each orbit. The attempt to raise them was bold, but ultimately failed. Rocket science is hard.
The failure ends an impressive streak of success for SpaceX’s Falcon 9. This was the 354th launch of Falcon 9 and it was its first failure since 2016, when it exploded on the launchpad, destroying its customer payload.
Falcon 9 is temporarily grounded as an investigation takes place to understand the cause. This will require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, especially if the failure requires modifications to the rocket.
“The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX Starlink Group 9-3 mission that launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 11. The incident involved the failure of the upper stage rocket while it was in space. No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation,” a note from the FAA states.
“A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. In addition, SpaceX may need to request and receive approval from the FAA to modify its license that incorporates any corrective actions and meet all other licensing requirements.”
SpaceX’s rockets are the most launched rockets in the world at the moment, used for commercial launches as well as to bring crew and cargo to the International Space Station. Most of the launches, such as this failed one, are for SpaceX itself to continue to build Starlink, its controversial megaconstellation.
Source Link: Rare SpaceX Falcon 9 Failure Leads To Grounding And Investigation