SpaceX Rocket Crash Leaves Company’s Starlink Satellites in Wrong Orbit
The satellites will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and disappear completely. According to the company, they pose no threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety.
US authorities and SpaceX are investigating the failure of one of their Falcon 9 rockets during a Starlink internet network flight launched from California, which ended with the explosion of its second stage and the dispersal of its cargo.
The failure occurred Thursday evening during the launch of one of the Starlink internet network missions, Starlink Group 9-3, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission sent 20 satellites into low Earth orbit, but after the failure they reached only half the desired height.
According to SpaceX, the rocket’s lower stage, or booster, worked as expected before returning to Earth. The Falcon 9’s second stage apparently completed its first launch, but it evolved. liquid oxygen leak.
After a planned engine restart to raise the perigee, or lowest point of the orbit, the Merlin Vacuum engine developed an anomaly and was unable to complete the second burn. Although the stage survived and Still deploying satellites, it failed to successfully complete its orbit.
This left the satellites in an eccentric orbit with a very low perigee The company specified that the flight altitude is 135 kilometers, which is less than half the expected perigee altitude.
According to the company, the team worked all night to establish contact with satellites and send early power-on commands, but the satellites were left in an environment of enormous resistance just 135 kilometers above the Earth.
“Thus, the satellites will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and disappear completely. They do not pose a threat to other satellites in orbit or security. “to the public,” SpaceX said.
He confirmed that because the rocket’s upper stage failed to restart its engine, it was destroyed. Elon Musk. “The restart of the booster block to raise the perigee resulted in a RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) of the engine on the reasons are currently unknown,” Musk wrote on social media. RUD is a term SpaceX uses to describe a controlled explosive or destructive event.
According to SpaceX, the second stage engine did not complete its second burn, and the Starlink satellites “entered a lower orbit than planned.” “This event is a reminder of how technically difficult is space flight? the company noted.