SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket encountered a rare setback during Thursday's launch of 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Approximately an hour after lift-off, the rocket's second stage failed to reignite, resulting in the deployment of the satellites into a dangerously low orbit.
The misplacement puts the satellites at risk of burning up in Earth's atmosphere, prompting the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground the Falcon 9 rockets pending a thorough investigation. Thankfully, the FAA reported no public injuries or property damage from the incident.
In a statement on social media platform X, SpaceX acknowledged the malfunction, stating that \"the second stage engine did not complete its second burn.\" Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, added, \"the engine failed for reasons currently unknown. Team is reviewing data tonight to understand root cause.\"
This marks Falcon 9's first failure since 2015's launch debacle in Florida. As SpaceX works to resolve the issue, the delay underscores the challenges of maintaining reliable rocket performance in the quest to expand global satellite internet coverage.
Reference(s):
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket leaves Starlink satellites in wrong orbit
cgtn.com
