During inspection, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has an uncommon in-flight malfunction and is grounded
A unusual misfire for the company's workhorse rocket, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, occurred in mid-flight, leading to the rocket being halted while an incident investigation is conducted. Twenty satellites were being carried by the mission, called "Starlink Group 9-3," which took out on Thursday night from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base and was destined for low Earth orbit.
Before landing again, the rocket's lower first stage, or booster, performed as planned. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated that the rocket's upper second stage was destroyed after it was unable to restart its engine as intended.
Related : The 10 Most Reliable Ways to Fund a Startup
Musk posted on social media, saying, "Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown." Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly, or RUD, is the phrase that SpaceX employs to describe an explosive or damaging incident. A subsequent statement from the business stated that a liquid oxygen leak in the second stage was the cause of the engine failure.
Related : 7 Laws of Success in Both Your Personal and Business Life as an Entrepreneur
The federal regulator stated that Falcon 9 is grounded until the Federal Aviation Administration approves SpaceX's inquiry into the event.
The 20 Starlink satellites were still launched by SpaceX, albeit they were in "a lower than intended orbit" due to a second stage engine failure. The business claimed in an update on Friday afternoon that it had made contact with ten of the satellites in an attempt to use their inbuilt thrusters to raise their orbit.
Related : The Schengen Area Countries - Updated (2024)
The satellites will not be recovered, according to SpaceX, despite its best efforts. This is due to the "enormously high-drag environment" caused by their incorrect, lower orbit. The twenty satellites will burn up as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
The corporation posted a statement on its website stating that "they do not pose a threat to public safety or other satellites in orbit."
Start your startup with Klacify
Over the course of its last inflight failure in June 2015 on the NASA cargo mission CRS-7, Falcon 9 has achieved over 300 straight successful orbital launches, setting a record for success that has lasted over a decade.
Over 300 of SpaceX's Falcon 9's orbital missions have resulted in successful landings, reusing rocket boosters over 280 times. The company has flown 354 missions to orbit altogether.
What's Your Reaction?
