SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure after launching Thursday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, Starlink Group 9-3, was carrying Starlink satellites and failed to re-ignite its upper second stage after developing a leak. “The upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine failure for reasons currently unknown,” x.com/elonmusk/status/1811620381590966321″>Elon Musk said overnightconfirming that the engine suffered an “unscheduled quick teardown.”
The Falcon 9 second stage nominally completed its first burn, but a liquid oxygen leak occurred in the second stage. After a planned re-ignition of the upper stage engine to raise perigee (or the lowest point in orbit), the Merlin vacuum engine experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn.
The company's statement said it will conduct a full investigation into the incident in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company said on its websiteThe FAA has grounded the Falcon 9 pending the results of the investigation. CNBC reports.
On Friday afternoon, the x.com/SpaceX/status/1811804948675617115″>The company said It had made contact with 10 of the 20 satellites on board, but noted that the satellites are “in an extremely high-drag environment at their perigee, or lowest point in their elliptical orbit.” The maximum thrust available is unlikely to be sufficient to successfully lift the satellites off the ground. x.com/SpaceX/status/1811805147833729260″>SpaceX saidwhich means they will re-enter the atmosphere and x.com/SpaceX/status/1811805238699131093″>”Global death.”
The satellites “do not pose a threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety,” the company said.
