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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which is used to launch satellites and carry astronauts into orbit, suffered a rare and disruptive failure Thursday night while trying to deliver 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 industry over the past decade.
This incident is the first time that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket – which also plays an important 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 it was ordering an investigation into the incident, though “no public injuries or damage to public property” had been reported.
The FAA, which routinely launches such investigations in the name of public safety after rocket or spacecraft failures, said it would be involved in issuing corrective actions that SpaceX must take, as well as determining when the Falcon 9 can return to the launch pad.
If the Falcon 9 rocket is out of service for an extended period of time, it could mean cascading setbacks for NASA’s astronaut launch schedule, SpaceX’s orbital space tourism efforts, the company’s satellite internet service, and the global commercial satellite industry, which relies heavily on the Falcon 9 rocket.
The Falcon 9 spacecraft launched from Vandenberg Spaceport in California on Thursday evening, at around 10:30 p.m. local time.
The launch vehicle carried 20 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink network, which is already operating across more than 6000 satellites Which have been deployed across dozens of launches, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
Most of these flights have gone off without any apparent problems, but Thursday was different.
The first stage of the mission appeared to go smoothly, as the Falcon 9 used its first-stage booster — the lower part of the rocket that contains nine engines that provide the initial burst of power at liftoff — to propel itself into space.
The booster rocket then separated and landed safely on a sea platform so SpaceX could refurbish it and use it again.
But the rocket’s second stage, which is designed to ignite after the first stage falls and power the satellites to their final destination in orbit, suddenly failed. The reason wasn’t immediately clear.
“During last night’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink, the second-stage engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed to a lower orbit than intended,” according to a press release. statement From SpaceX.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, added in mail The CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, said that the second phase not only failed — it experienced what his company tends to call a “RUD,” or “rapid unscheduled disintegration,” which usually refers to an explosion.
“The reasons are unknown,” Musk’s post read.
Thursday’s accident raises questions about whether the Falcon 9 rocket will have to be retired at a crucial time for SpaceX and the U.S. space industry.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 spacecraft plays a key role in NASA’s human spaceflight program – carrying astronauts on routine trips to orbit.
It is worth noting that the SpaceX accident comes after the Boeing accident. Starliner vehicleThe S-300 spacecraft, which is set to join SpaceX in providing astronaut launches, has encountered several problems during its ongoing first crewed mission.
The Starliner spacecraft has already extended its mission for weeks longer than expected as engineers work to figure out what caused a helium leak and propulsion problems on the spacecraft’s first stage.
While NASA and Boeing officials say they are confident Starliner will be able to bring its crew home, Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, indicated Wednesday that SpaceX is a backup option.
“The nice thing about the Commercial Crew Program is that we have two vehicles,” Stich said, referring to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, which routinely launches on a Falcon 9 rocket, and the Starliner.
“We have more time to look at the data and then decide if we need to do anything different,” Stich said, referring to the flexibility SpaceX could give to the ISS schedule and the Starliner test flight.
SpaceX’s most successful launch vehicle, the Falcon 9, and the company’s Crew Dragon capsule also have some high-profile astronaut missions on the horizon, including plans to send tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates into orbit, a mission that is expected to include the first-ever spacewalk by private astronauts.
SpaceX is also expected to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in August as part of a long-term contract with the space agency.
Musk said the Starlink satellites launched Thursday have been deployed, but may be too close to Earth to stay there for long.
Of the 20 Starlink satellites on board the Falcon 9 rocket, 13 were Direct cellular connectivity capabilitiesAccording to SpaceX.
In an update, posted just after 1:30 a.m. ET, SpaceX said: He said The spacecraft has made contact with five satellites and is trying to raise its orbit. It is not clear how many of the five satellites may have cellular capabilities.
“We’re working on updating the satellite’s software to run the ion thrusters at warp speed 9,” Musk said. “Unlike an episode of Star Trek, this probably won’t work, but it’s worth a shot.”
SpaceX says Starlink satellites are designed to disintegrate when they re-enter the atmosphere, so satellites falling out of orbit should not pose a risk to people on Earth.
However, recent incidents have shown that space trash cans Surviving an unexpected return.
It’s not yet clear what the incident means for the future of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Rockets typically remain grounded for months after a failure while engineers work to determine the root cause and verify the safety of the vehicle.
NASA did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment Friday morning. SpaceX did not respond, but it does not typically respond to news inquiries.
The last time a Falcon 9 rocket failed during flight was in June 2015When the rocket was carrying cargo 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 2016When a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a satellite exploded on the launch pad before liftoff. The rocket did not fly for four and a half months after the incident.
SpaceX has launched its Falcon 9 rocket more than 350 missions In total, according to the company’s website.
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