U.S. officials prohibit the takeoff of SpaceX's rocket
The Falcon 9, a cornerstone of global space travel, had a streak of 367 consecutive successful launches from September 2016 until recently. However, a hiccup with an engine in July prompted the U.S. aviation administration to stop authorizations for takeoffs again.
There was a mishap during the landing of a Falcon 9 this Wednesday, leading the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to call for an investigation. Prior to this incident, an uncrewed Falcon 9, owned by Elon Musk's space corporation, successfully put Starlink satellites for an internet service into orbit. Unfortunately, the reusable first stage veered off course during its attempt to touch down on a drone ship.
The Falcon 9 is often dependable. But in July, a 15-day temporary halt on launches for the rocket was implemented due to engine issues that surfaced around an hour post-launch. The glitch left 20 Starlink satellites from Musk's space internet venture stranded in their initial trajectory and later disintegrating upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Post-investigation, Musk pinned the fault on a leak of liquid oxygen caused by a crack in the line connected to a pressure sensor.
Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the Falcon 9 plays a pivotal role in SpaceX's operations and is frequently employed by NASA. Before the July mishap, the last incident dates back to September 2016, when the Falcon 9 suffered an explosion on the launchpad. However, this was followed by a streak of 367 successful launches, boosting SpaceX's prominence in the industry. As Tom Mueller, the former vice president for propulsion systems and engine innovator, pointed out, "we knew this unbroken run had to eventually come to an end." Nevertheless, he remained hopeful that the team would address the issue and resume operations.
Countless nations and space corporations rely on the privately-owned SpaceX to haul their satellites and astronauts into space. NASA consistently uses SpaceX's services to transport astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) and is expected to ferry two ISS-stranded astronauts back to Earth in 2023, following their launch in early June on a malfunctioning Boeing spacecraft. Industry experts place SpaceX's worth at around $200 billion.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, was responsible for an uncrewed Falcon 9 that successfully deployed Starlink satellites for an internet service into orbit before the recent incident. Despite Musk's SpaceX being a crucial player in space travel, with NASA regularly using its services, the Falcon 9 encountered a problem during its landing attempt last Wednesday.
