FAA Grounds SpaceX Falcon 9 Rockets After Rare Launch Failure from Vandenberg Space Force Base

KSC, CAPE CANAVERAL LAUNCHES NOW ON HOLD

 

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket suffered a rare failure from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday night as the rocket’s upper stage, which was launching 20 Starlink spacecraft to low Earth orbit, suffered a liquid oxygen leak, which had serious repercussions for the mission.

As a result of the launch anomaly, all SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches have been immediately grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.

According to SpaceX, the workhorse Falcon 9 performed well initially as its two stages separated on time, and the first stage landed on a drone ship about eight minutes after liftoff.

“After a planned relight of the upper-stage engine to raise perigee — or the lowest point of orbit — the Merlin Vacuum engine experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn,” SpaceX  officials said.

“Although the stage survived and still deployed the satellites, it did not successfully circularize its orbit, but it did passivate itself as normally performed at the end of each mission. This left the satellites in an eccentric orbit with a very low perigee of 135 km (84 miles), which is less than half the expected perigee altitude.”

The Falcon 9 is the most successful rockets flying, with 69 launches so far this year. Before Thursday’s launch, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket had suffered only one full in-flight failure in its history in June 2015 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

“SpaceX will perform a full investigation in coordination with the FAA, determine root cause, and make corrective actions to ensure the success of future missions,” said SpaceX officials.

“With a robust satellite and rocket production capability, and a high launch cadence, we’re positioned to rapidly recover and continue our pace as the world’s most active launch services provider.”

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