SpaceX’s robust Falcon 9 rocket, which powers satellite launches as well as orbital travel for astronauts, suffered a rare and troubling failure Thursday night while trying to carry a batch of internet satellites into orbit. The ordeal prompted federal regulators to ground the rocket, which has become a cornerstone of the U.S. and global launch industries over the past decade.
The incident marks the first time a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket – which also plays a critical role in NASA’s human spaceflight program – has failed in nearly a decade.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, said Friday morning that it is demanding an investigation into the incident, although no “public injuries or damage to public property have been reported.”
The FAA, which routinely launches such investigations in the name of public safety following rocket or spacecraft failures, noted that it will be involved in issuing corrective actions for SpaceX to take, as well as determining when the Falcon 9 can return to the launch pad. launch.
If the Falcon 9 is out of service for an extended period of time, it could mean setbacks for NASA’s astronaut launch schedule, SpaceX’s orbital space tourism efforts, the company’s satellite internet service and the global communications industry. commercial satellites, which heavily depends on Falcão 9.
Anomaly after takeoff
The Falcon 9 in question took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night around 10:30 p.m. local time.
The launch vehicle carried 20 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink network, which already operates through more than 6,000 satellites that have been deployed through dozens of launches, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
Most of these flights went without obvious problems, but Thursday was different.
The first stage of the mission appeared to proceed smoothly, with the Falcon 9 using its first stage booster – the lower part of the rocket with nine engines that provide the initial burst of power at liftoff – to propel itself toward space.
That booster then broke loose and landed safely on a sea platform so SpaceX could refurbish and use it again.
But the rocket’s second stage, which was designed to fire after the first stage crashes and carry the satellites to their final destination in orbit, abruptly failed. The cause was not immediately clear.
“During Falcon 9’s Starlink launch this evening, the second stage engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed in a lower orbit than intended,” according to a declaration from SpaceX.
Later on Friday, SpaceX added in a statement that the rocket’s upper stage suffered a “liquid oxygen leak.” Liquid oxygen, or LOX, is used as an oxidizer for the fuel aboard the Falcon 9.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, added in a publish at X, formerly known as Twitter, that the second stage not only failed – it experienced what his company tends to call a “RUD” or “unscheduled rapid disassembly,” which typically refers to an explosion.
And although the rocket deployed all the satellites that were on board, they ended up in an unstable orbit that drags them much closer to Earth than intended. This leaves devices at the mercy of the strong pull of Earth’s gravity.
Musk added separately publish on X that SpaceX would “investigate the issue and look for any other possible near misses.”
“We intend to do more Falcon flights this year than the Shuttle has done in 30 years,” Musk said. (SpaceX has launched more than 60 Falcon 9 flights so far in 2024, while NASA’s space shuttle program has flown 135 missions in its three-decade history.)
A pivotal moment for SpaceX
Thursday’s accident raises questions about how long the Falcon 9 rocket will have to be out of service at a crucial time for SpaceX and the U.S. space industry.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 plays a key role in NASA’s human spaceflight program – carrying astronauts on routine trips to orbit.
Notably, the SpaceX accident comes after the Boeing one Starliner vehiclewhich will join SpaceX in providing astronaut launches, has faced several problems during its debut crewed mission underway.
Starliner has already extended its mission weeks longer than expected as engineers work to figure out what caused helium leaks and thruster problems on the first leg of the spacecraft’s journey.
And while NASA and Boeing officials say they are confident that the Starliner will be able to bring its crew members home, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted on 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 routinely launches on the Falcon 9, and the Starliner.
“We have a little more time to analyze the data and then make a decision whether we need to do something different,” Stich said, referring to the flexibility SpaceX could grant to the International Space Station schedule and the Starliner test flight. .
Crucially, the Falcon 9 was also scheduled to launch the next cargo resupply mission to the ISS, providing new capabilities for the Starliner test crew and other astronauts aboard the space station. The two Starliner astronauts went into space without two suitcases they were carrying with clothes and toiletries because NASA needed to squeeze a toilet bomb on board the flight. It is not yet clear whether NASA will be forced to delay the resupply mission.
The Falcon 9, SpaceX’s most prolific launch vehicle, and the company’s Crew Dragon capsule also have some notable astronaut missions on the horizon. That includes plans to fly tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates into orbit on a mission called Polaris Dawn, which is expected to include the first spacewalk conducted by private astronauts.
“SpaceX has an incredible track record with Falcon 9,” Isaacman he said Friday at X. “As for Polaris Dawn, we will fly whenever SpaceX is ready and with full confidence in the rocket, spacecraft and operations.”
In August, SpaceX is also expected to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station as part of a long-term contract with the space agency.
Fate of Starlink satellites
Musk said the Starlink satellites deployed Thursday may be too close to Earth to remain in orbit for long.
Of the 20 Starlink satellites launched on the Falcon 9 rocket, 13 had direct-to-mobile capabilitiesaccording to EspaçoX.
In an update published Friday, SpaceX he said it had made contact with 10 of the satellites and was trying to raise their orbit – but they were unlikely to survive.
“We are updating the satellite’s software to operate the ion thrusters at their warp 9 equivalent,” Musk said. “Unlike a Star Trek episode, this probably won’t work, but it’s worth a try.”
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are designed to disintegrate as they re-enter the atmosphere, according to the company, so satellites that fall out of orbit should not pose a risk to people on the ground, SpaceX said in a statement. publish on X Friday.
However, recent incidents have shown that space trash cans unexpectedly survive reentry.
Some of the Starlink satellites, however, may have already re-entered the atmosphere, according to McDowell, who specializes in orbital mechanics. He pointed to a video circulating on social media that appears to show some of the Starlink devices falling through the sky near Chile and noted that its models show that, given the low altitude where the satellites were deployed, they should all be deorbited within a week or so.
It’s unclear what this accident will mean for the future of SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Typically, rockets remain grounded for months after a failure while engineers work to determine the root cause and verify the vehicle’s safety.
NASA did not provide immediate comment to CNN Friday morning. When asked for additional information on Friday, SpaceX pointed to updates shared on its X account.
The last time a Falcon 9 rocket failed mid-flight was in June 2015, when the launch vehicle powered 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, when a Falcon 9 rocket holding a satellite exploded on the launch pad before liftoff. The rocket only flew four and a half months after the incident.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has launched more than 350 missions in total, according to the company’s website.
That’s the main reason SpaceX’s Falcon 9 can recover quickly, staying on the ground for weeks instead of months, McDowell noted. The abundance of flight data can help the company quickly identify what went wrong. But this failure, he added, was also a reminder of a broader issue.
“This shows the danger of a monopoly,” McDowell said, highlighting the soundness of NASA’s decision to pursue two different astronaut transportation providers. “And it’s probably a good thing for (SpaceX) too, because the danger for a vehicle that’s so successful is overconfidence — and that will remind the team that, as you said, space is still difficult, even for the Falcon 9.”
For more news and newsletters from CNN, create an account at CNN.com
