SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer and satellite company founded by Elon Musk, experienced a setback on July 12, 2024, when one of its Falcon 9 rockets suffered an engine failure during the deployment of Starlink internet satellites. The incident marked the first failure for SpaceX since 2016 and ended a streak of over 300 successful launches.
According to reports from various sources, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket experienced a liquid oxygen leak that prevented it from completing a necessary engine burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites could not be placed in their intended orbit and were predicted to fall back down to Earth.
SpaceX reported that there was a “R.U.D.” or rapid unscheduled disassembly of the second stage while it was in orbit, but later stated that it had survived and deployed the satellites before shutting down. However, no information was provided on the extent of damage to the second stage.
The 20 Starlink satellites were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The failure is expected to delay upcoming human spaceflight launches while SpaceX investigates the root cause of the engine failure. NASA relies on SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rockets to launch people and cargo to the International Space Station.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident, which is designed to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to prevent it from happening again. No public injuries or property damage have been reported as a result of the failure.
The Falcon 9 rocket has been a reliable workhorse in the industry since its first launch in 2010. It is reusable, flying back to a landing pad on the coast or to a ship at sea after separating from the second stage. However, it has had problems in the past, including an explosion on its launchpad during an engine test in 2016 and another failure while carrying cargo and supplies to the space station in 2015. The FAA cleared SpaceX to continue flying following these incidents.
The Starlink satellites are part of a constellation that provides internet service to customers in remote areas around the world. It is not yet known if or how the failure will impact this service.
