On Thursday, July 11, the second stage engine of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failed to ignite and apparently exploded about an hour after liftoff. The rocket was lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, carrying 20 Starlink satellites. What was meant to be a routine launch ended catastrophically when the satellites were released too low on the ground.
“Tonight’s Falcon 9 Starlink launch did not complete the second burn of the second stage engine. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed in a lower orbit than planned.” Post to X According to a statement from SpaceX, the company tried to launch the satellite using onboard ion thrusters, but they had difficulty countering the drag in orbit.
The lowest point of the orbit is 135 kilometers (84 miles) above Earth, and with each orbit it loses 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) in altitude. Attempts to go higher were bold but ultimately unsuccessful. Rocket science is hard.
This failure resulted in SpaceX’s Falcon 9This was 354Number It was the first failed Falcon 9 launch since 2016, when a rocket exploded on the launch pad, destroying a customer’s payload.
The Falcon 9 has been temporarily grounded while an investigation is conducted to determine the cause, which requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, especially if the malfunction requires modifications to the rocket.
“The FAA is aware of an anomaly during the SpaceX Starlink Group 9-3 mission, which launched from Vandenberg Space Command Base in California on July 11. The incident was the result of an upper stage rocket failure in space. No public injuries or damage to public property have been reported. The FAA has requested an investigation,” the FAA said in a statement. Note From each state of the FAA.
“Return to flight will only be permitted if the FAA determines that the systems, processes and procedures related to the accident no longer affect public safety. Additionally, SpaceX may need to apply for and receive approval from the FAA for license modifications incorporating the corrective actions and to satisfy all other licensing requirements.”
SpaceX rockets are currently the most prolific launch vehicles in the world, and are used for commercial launches and to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station. Most of the launches, including this failed one, are for SpaceX itself to continue building Starlink. A controversial constellation of giant satellites.
