SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket grounded after mid-flight failure

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure after launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California late Thursday night. The mission, Starlink Group 9-3, was carrying Starlink satellites and failed to re-ignite its upper second stage after a leak. “Restarting the upper stage to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD, the causes of which are as yet unknown,” Elon Musk said at nightWhich confirmed that a “rapid unscheduled disintegration” had occurred in the engine.

The Falcon 9’s second stage performed its first burn nominally, however the second stage developed a liquid oxygen leak. After the upper stage engine was re-lit as planned to raise the perigee – or lowest point of the orbit – the Merlin vacuum engine experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn.

The company said in a statement that it would conduct a full investigation of the incident in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company said on its website. The FAA has grounded the Falcon 9 from flying pending the results of the investigation. CNBC report,

on Friday afternoon, The company said It had established contact with 10 of the 20 satellites, but also noted that the satellites were “in an extremely high-repulsion environment with their perigee, or the lowest point of their elliptical orbit.” The maximum available thrust “is unlikely to be sufficient to successfully lift the satellites,” SpaceX saidThis means they will re-enter the atmosphere and “Absolute death.”

According to the company, these satellites “pose no threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety.”