(HorizonPost.com) – SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket experienced a failure as it attempted to deliver a batch of satellites into orbit last Thursday, prompting federal regulators to ground the rocket that has become a vital part of the US and global launch industries for the last ten years.
Last Thursday’s incident was the first time in nearly a decade that the Falcon 9 failed to launch.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the following day that it had ordered an investigation into the failure and would work with SpaceX to take corrective measures and determine when the Falcon 9 rocket could return to service.
Grounding the Falcon 9 for an extended period could result in setbacks for SpaceX’s orbital space tourism and the deployment of its StarLink internet satellites, as well as NASA’s planned astronaut launches and other satellite launches from the global industry that has come to heavily rely on the Falcon 9.
Last Thursday’s launch carried 20 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink network, which already has more than 6,000 satellites in orbit.
The launch appeared to be running smoothly during the first stage, with Falcon 9’s first-stage booster providing the initial blast at liftoff. The booster then detached as designed and landed safely back on the platform at sea so SpaceX could refurbish it for future use.
But the second stage booster, which is supposed to fire up after the first stage detaches, abruptly failed to complete its second burn, according to a statement from SpaceX. As a result, the satellites on board were deployed in an orbit that was “lower than intended,” the statement said.
In a follow-up statement the following day, SpaceX said a liquid oxygen leak was the cause of the failure.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X that the second state engine experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly – a phrase that typically means an explosion. In a follow-up, Musk said SpaceX would investigate the problem “and look for any other potential near misses.”
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