In a surprising turn of events, SpaceX’s renowned Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a mission failure that led to the loss of 20 Starlink satellites. The incident marks the first significant setback for the Falcon 9 in over seven years, raising concerns within the global space community.
The Falcon 9 launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night, carrying a payload of Starlink satellites intended to expand SpaceX’s global internet coverage. Approximately an hour into the flight, the rocket’s second stage failed to reignite, a critical maneuver for deploying satellites into their designated orbit.
As a result of the malfunction, the satellites were released on a shallow orbital path, making reentry into Earth’s atmosphere inevitable. They are expected to burn up upon reentry, leading to a complete loss of the payload.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk addressed the issue on his social media platform X early Friday, stating that the attempt to reignite the engine resulted in a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD), a term often used in the aerospace industry to describe an explosion. “The engine RUD occurred for reasons currently unknown,” Musk wrote.
In response to the failure, Musk indicated that SpaceX is updating the satellite software to increase the thrust of their onboard engines in a last-ditch effort to prevent atmospheric reentry. “Unlike a Star Trek episode, this will probably not work, but it’s worth a shot,” he remarked.
The FAA has confirmed that the Falcon 9 will remain grounded pending an investigation into the cause of the failure. “SpaceX must identify the root cause, implement corrective actions, and receive approval from the FAA before returning the Falcon 9 to flight,” the agency stated. The duration of the grounding will depend on the complexity of the issue and the effectiveness of SpaceX’s proposed solutions.
NASA, a frequent collaborator with SpaceX, acknowledged the situation in a statement on Friday. “SpaceX has been forthcoming with information and is including NASA in the company’s ongoing anomaly investigation to understand the issue and path forward,” a NASA spokesperson said.
The grounding of the Falcon 9 is anticipated to have ripple effects on upcoming missions, potentially impacting both SpaceX’s in-house projects and those of its commercial clients. The Falcon 9 has been a workhorse for SpaceX, known for its reliability and reusability, serving as a backbone for satellite deployments and cargo deliveries to the International Space Station.
This incident underscores the inherent risks of space exploration and the challenges of rocket technology. As the investigation unfolds, industry analysts and stakeholders will be closely monitoring SpaceX’s efforts to resolve the issue and return to its launch schedule.
Reference(s):
SpaceX rocket grounded after failure dooms some Starlink satellites
cgtn.com
