20 Starlink Satellites were released prematurely during a SpaceX rocket launch failure last week, but observations now confirm that all of the satellites fell to Earth and burned up in the upper atmosphere. Experts are currently investigating what happened, and the rocket that caused the incident will remain on the ground until the investigation is complete.
On July 11, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:35 p.m. ET from Vandenberg Space Command Center in California. One day later than originally plannedThe launch initially went as expected, with the first stage of the rocket separating from the second stage carrying the satellite and landing on an unmanned ship in the Pacific Ocean. Failed to complete second burn It was left in low Earth orbit due to a liquid oxygen leak (it is not yet clear whether the leak was the cause of the launch delay).
The rocket’s second stage was able to release its payload, but the satellite remained in an elliptical orbit around Earth, reaching a minimum altitude of 84 miles (135 kilometers), about half its normal operating altitude. At that altitude, atmospheric drag slowed the satellite down and it began to fall to Earth about 3 miles (5 kilometers) with each revolution, a SpaceX representative said in a statement. statement July 11th.
“With this level of drag, even maximum thrust would likely not be sufficient to successfully launch the satellite,” SpaceX representatives wrote, “so the satellite would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and be completely destroyed.”
The company gained control of most of the satellites and ordered them to perform a maximum thrust burn, known as “warp 9,” as a last resort to regain altitude. Space News reported:But this was not enough to save the satellite.
In subsequent observations Jonathan McDowellAstrophysicists at Harvard University confirmed that all 20 satellites disappeared in a fire on July 12. Spaceweather.com reported:.
The re-entering spacecraft “poses no threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety,” SpaceX representatives wrote, and there have been no reports so far of the craft reaching the Earth’s surface, according to Spaceweather.com.
This is the first Falcon 9 launch failure since 2016 and the largest loss of Starlink satellites since February 2022. Geomagnetic storm causes 40 satellites to fall from sky Shortly after the satellite is placed into Earth’s orbit.
SpaceX is currently investigating what happened under the supervision of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a Live Science sister site. Space.com reported:The company will not be able to launch any more Falcon 9 rockets until this investigation is complete.
SpaceX’s interplanetary spacecraft, the Starship rocket The plane will also be grounded by the FAA in 2023. after that An explosion occurred minutes after takeoff. During its first test flight on April 20th last year.
It’s not yet clear how long the Falcon 9 rocket will remain on the ground, but an anonymous industry expert told Space News that the spacecraft could remain grounded for several months, which, if correct, would force significant changes to the company’s launch schedule for the rest of the year.
