The Falcon 9 failed to deliver the satellites to their intended orbit, spoiling an impressive streak for the hard-working, freakishly reliable launch vehicle.
© SpaceX The Falcon 9 rocket has pulled off 68 launches this year alone, but its last flight didn't go as planned.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, carrying a batch of 20 Starlink satellites. Things were going according to plan until it came time for the rocket’s second stage to perform an engine burn, which it failed to do, thereby deploying the satellites to a lower orbit than intended, SpaceXon X.
Starlink satellites were deployed, but the perigee may be too low for them to raise orbit. Will know more in a few hours.During the live broadcast of the launch, observers noticed an unusual buildup of ice on the engine’s cover. “Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X. “Team is reviewing data tonight to understand root cause.” Musk’s comment suggests the vehicle broke apart after reaching space.
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