HomeBusinessSpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffers rare inflight failure, is grounded during investigation

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffers rare inflight failure, is grounded during investigation

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Grounded After Inflight Failure

Introduction

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the company’s workhorse vehicle, has experienced an inflight failure, leaving the rocket grounded pending an incident investigation. The mission, known as "Starlink Group 9-3," launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday evening and was carrying 20 satellites bound for low Earth orbit. In this article, we will explore the details of the incident and its implications for SpaceX’s future launches.

The Incident

The rocket’s lower first stage, or booster, operated as expected before returning to land. However, the rocket’s upper second stage failed to reignite its engine as planned and was destroyed. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the incident on social media, stating that the engine failure came after a leak of liquid oxygen in the second stage. Musk also used the term "rapid unscheduled disassembly" (RUD) to describe the event, which is a term used by SpaceX to refer to an explosive or destructive event.

Investigation and Grounding

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that it will be involved in every step of the investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions. The FAA will also need to sign off on SpaceX’s plan to resume launches. Until the investigation is complete, the Falcon 9 rocket will remain grounded.

Impact on Future Launches

The incident is likely to delay launches planned in the weeks ahead, including two crewed missions: The private Polaris Dawn and NASA’s Crew-9. The Starlink mission was the 69th Falcon 9 launch of the year, and the company had been averaging a launch every two to three days in 2024. However, the investigation will likely put a temporary halt to this pace.

Recovery Efforts

Despite the incident, SpaceX still deployed the 20 Starlink satellites, but noted that the second stage engine failure means the satellites were in "a lower than intended orbit." The company attempted to use the satellites’ onboard thrusters to climb higher in orbit, but confirmed that the "enormously high-drag environment" from being in the wrong, lower orbit means the satellites will not be recovered. The 20 satellites will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, posing no threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety.

Falcon 9’s Track Record

Falcon 9 has been on an unrivaled run of success for nearly a decade, chocking up more than 300 consecutive successful orbital launches since its previous inflight failure in June 2015, during the NASA cargo mission CRS-7. In total, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has launched 354 missions to orbit, with more than 300 of those featuring successful landings and resulting in the reuse of rocket boosters more than 280 times.

Conclusion

The incident is a rare setback for SpaceX, but the company has a strong track record of reliability and has quickly responded to the situation. The investigation will help identify the cause of the failure and ensure that corrective actions are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. Until then, the Falcon 9 rocket will remain grounded, and future launches will be delayed.

FAQs

Q: What caused the Falcon 9 rocket to fail?
A: The exact cause of the failure is still under investigation, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the engine failure came after a leak of liquid oxygen in the second stage.

Q: How many satellites were lost in the incident?
A: The 20 Starlink satellites deployed by the rocket will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, posing no threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety.

Q: Will the incident delay future launches?
A: Yes, the incident is likely to delay launches planned in the weeks ahead, including two crewed missions: The private Polaris Dawn and NASA’s Crew-9.

Q: What is the track record of the Falcon 9 rocket?
A: Falcon 9 has been on an unrivaled run of success for nearly a decade, chocking up more than 300 consecutive successful orbital launches since its previous inflight failure in June 2015.

Q: What is the role of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the investigation?
A: The FAA will be involved in every step of the investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions. The FAA will also need to sign off on SpaceX’s plan to resume launches.

Author: www.cnbc.com

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