SpaceX on Thursday suffered a rare failure during its launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a series of Starlink satellites.
The aerospace company was planning to launch 20 satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. But a few hours after launch, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the rocket had suffered a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or RUD, while in orbit.
In a statement on social media SpaceX said the rocket’s second stage did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed into a lower than intended orbit. The company noted that it has made contact with five of the satellites and is attempting to raise them into higher orbit.
“We’re updating satellite software to run the ion thrusters at their equivalent of warp 9,” Musk said in reply. “Unlike a Star Trek episode, this will probably not work, but it’s worth a shot. “
It’s a rare incident for the Falcon 9, which was launched by SpaceX almost 100 times last year. Its last failure was in 2016, when a rocket exploded on the launchpad while being fueled ahead of an engine test. Before Thursday’s launch, SpaceX had launched 6,720 Starlinks through 180 Falcon 9 flights, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and space statistician.
In a statement to Nasa Space Flight on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was aware of the incident, noting that no injuries or public property damage have been reported. The agency said it was requiring an investigation into the incident.
The incident also comes as the FAA prepares to hold public meetings for input on SpaceX’s proposal to increase the number of launches of its Starship and Super Heavy booster from Texas.
SpaceX is looking to launch and land Starship and the booster up to 25 times each year. It’s currently allowed five launches and 10 landings of the Starship megarocket. It can also land the Super Heavy booster up to 10 times a year from SpaceX’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
The FAA will hold four public meetings next month, one of which will be virtual, to allow for public input on the environmental impact of the launches. The meetings will also address SpaceX’s plans to upgrade its megarocket.