SpaceX Rocket’s First Failure in Nearly a Decade Jeopardizes 20 Starlink Satellites
In a rare setback for SpaceX, a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night encountered its first failure in nearly a decade. This malfunction has left the company’s 20 Starlink internet satellites in dangerously low orbit, destined to reenter the atmosphere and burn up.
The mishap occurred roughly an hour into the flight when the rocket’s upper stage engine malfunctioned due to a liquid oxygen leak, as reported by SpaceX. On Friday, the company announced that flight controllers had managed to establish contact with half of the satellites and were trying to elevate them to a higher orbit using onboard ion thrusters. Despite these efforts, SpaceX admitted in a post on X that the thrust available might not be enough to save the satellites, given their perilously low orbit of just 84 miles (135 kilometers) above Earth—less than half the intended altitude.
While Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder, offered a detailed explanation of ion thrusters and their current efforts to boost the satellites’ orbits, he acknowledged the slim chances of success. “We’re updating satellite software to run the ion thrusters at their equivalent of warp 9. Unlike a Star Trek episode, this will probably not work, but it’s worth a shot,” Musk stated.
The Federal Aviation Administration has mandated that the issue be resolved before any further Falcon rocket flights. The potential implications for SpaceX’s schedule are significant, with a billionaire’s spaceflight set for July 31 and an astronaut mission to the International Space Station for NASA planned for mid-August.
Jared Isaacman, the tech entrepreneur leading the upcoming private flight, remains optimistic about the Falcon 9’s reliability, citing its strong track record and the presence of an emergency escape system.
This incident marks SpaceX’s first launch failure since 2015, when a cargo run to the space station failed, followed by a rocket explosion during ground testing the following year. The company currently operates over 6,000 Starlink satellites, providing global internet service.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd, original report uploaded on 13-07-2024 at 01:36 IST.
Original Story https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/spacex-rocket-failure-leaves-starlink-satellites-in-wrong-orbit-9450177/lite/
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