SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets are grounded after an in-flight failure
by Jay Peters from The Verge - All Posts on (#6P617)
Image: SpaceX SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket experienced an engine failure after it launched late Thursday night from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, Starlink Group 9-3, was carrying Starlink satellites and failed to reignite its upper second stage after developing a leak. Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown," Elon Musk said overnight, confirming that the engine experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly."
Falcon 9's second stage performed its first burn nominally, however a liquid oxygen leak developed on the second stage. After a planned relight of the upper stage engine to raise perigee - or the lowest point of orbit - the Merlin Vacuum engine experienced an...