CNN
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SpaceX’s stalwart Falcon 9 rocket, which powers satellite launches and trips to orbit for astronauts, suffered a rare and troubling failure Thursday night. The test prompted federal regulators to ground the rocket, which plays a major role in the U.S. and global launch industries.
The incident marks the first failure in nearly a decade of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which plays a key role in NASA’s human spaceflight program.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, said Friday morning that “although no public injuries or public property damage were reported, the incident warrants an investigation.”
The FAA noted that it routinely initiates such investigations in the name of public safety when rockets or spacecraft fail, providing SpaceX with corrective actions and determining when the Falcon 9 can return to the launch pad.
The Falcon 9 in question took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday evening around 10:30pm local time.
The launch vehicle carried 20 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink network, several of which are already operational. 6,000 satellites According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, they have been used by dozens of launches.
Most of those flights have gone without apparent problems, but Thursday was different.
The first leg of the journey went smoothly, with the Falcon 9 using its first-stage booster — the nine engines at the bottom of the rocket that provide the initial blast at liftoff — to hurtle toward space.
That booster was then disassembled and safely landed back on an ocean cruise platform so that SpaceX could refurbish it and reuse it.
But the rocket’s second stage, fired after the first stage fell off and designed to send satellites into orbit to their final destination, suddenly failed. The cause was not immediately apparent.
“During Starlink’s Falcon 9 launch tonight, the secondary engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were placed in a lower orbit than planned, Report From SpaceX.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, a Mail At X, formerly known as Twitter, the second phase didn’t fail — it experienced what his company called “RUD,” or “rapid unplanned divestment,” which usually refers to an explosion.
“Reasons unknown,” Musk’s post reads.
Thursday’s crash raises questions about whether the Falcon 9 rocket should be taken out of service at a critical time for SpaceX and the US space agency.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 plays a key role in NASA’s human spaceflight program — flying astronauts on routine missions to orbit.
Notably, SpaceX’s crash came after Boeing Starliner vehicleSpaceX, which is set to partner in delivering astronaut launches, has encountered several problems during its current launch crew.
Starliner has already extended its mission weeks longer than expected as engineers work to determine what caused helium leaks and propulsion problems during the first phase of the shuttle’s journey.
While NASA and Boeing officials say they hope the Starliner can bring its crew home, Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, noted Wednesday that SpaceX is a backup option.
“The beautiful thing about the commercial crew program is that we have two vehicles,” Stich said, referring to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which usually starts with the Falcon 9 and the Starliner.
“We still have some time to look at the data and decide if we want to do something else,” Stich said, noting the International Space Station schedule and the flexibility SpaceX can offer the Starliner test flight. .
Falcon 9, SpaceX’s flagship launch vehicle, and the company’s Crew Dragon capsule also have some notable astronauts on the horizon. It also includes plans to fly tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates into orbit, which is expected to include the first manned space mission by private astronauts.
In August, NASA is also expected to fly astronauts to the International Space Station as part of a long-term contract with space agency SpaceX.
The Starlink satellites launched on Thursday were used, but Musk said they could not stay too close to Earth for long.
The Falcon 9 rocket carried 13 of the 20 Starlink satellites Direct-cellular capabilitiesAccording to SpaceX.
In an update, released just after 1:30 a.m. ET, SpaceX said It attempted to communicate with five satellites and raise their orbits. It is not clear how many of the five may have had cellular capabilities.
“We are updating the satellite software to operate the ion thrusters at their Warp 9 equivalent,” Musk said. “Unlike a Star Trek episode, it might not work, but it’s worth a shot.”
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are designed to disintegrate upon re-entry into the atmosphere, so de-orbiting satellites shouldn’t pose a danger to people on the ground.
However, recent incidents have shown that space is a garbage can Survive when unexpectedly re-entered.
It’s unclear what the crash will mean for the future of SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Typically, rockets land months after a failure before engineers can identify the root cause and verify the vehicle’s safety.
NASA did not immediately comment to CNN on Friday morning. SpaceX also did not respond, but usually does not respond to news inquiries.
The last Falcon 9 rocket failed during flight June 2015, when the launch vehicle launches a cargo mission to the International Space Station. The rocket was grounded for about six months after the accident before resuming flight in December 2015.
Another problem occurred in September 2016, a Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad while carrying a satellite. The rocket did not fly for another four and a half months after that incident.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is launched 352 assignments In total, according to the company’s website.
