Oddbean

Falcon 9 program grounded as FCC, SpaceX investigate launch failure ========== SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket was grounded after a failed satellite mission in California. The rocket experienced an issue during the launch of 20 Starlink satellites, causing them to be deployed into a lower than desirable orbit. The missions are halted as the FCC and SpaceX investigate. SpaceX found that the upper stage of the booster suffered a "liquid oxygen depletion." The company is trying to bring 10 of the 20 satellites up to target orbit using their ion thrusters. The remaining satellites will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Falcon 9 has completed over 350 missions since its debut in 2010. It experienced one catastrophic failure in 2015 and another explosion in 2016. The recent failure puts SpaceX up against the clock as it is scheduled to run two more crewed missions in the next couple of months. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said they are updating satellite software to run the ion thrusters at their equivalent of warp 9. SpaceX likely won't reach the target date for the upcoming missions, but they are confident in resolving the issue quickly. The Falcon 9 rocket was also slated to launch a vital resupply mission to the ISS next month. NASA is working with SpaceX to understand the issue and ensure crew safety. The failure is a setback for Falcon 9, which has had a stellar record since its debut. #Spacex #Falcon9 #RocketLaunch #SatelliteMission #Investigation https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/07/13/spacex-faclon9-rocket-failure/7631720901298/