FAA decommissions Falcon 9 after problems in space

Because the last launch did not go smoothly, SpaceX's successful rocket is no longer allowed to take off for the moment.

Heavy ice formation on the second stage of the Falcon 9, on the left in the picture the first stage approaching back to earth.

(Image: SpaceX / Screenshot und Bearbeitung: heise online)

Jul 13, 2024 at 9:09 pm CEST

3 min. read

By

Nico Ernst

This article was originally published in German and has been automatically translated.

The success story of SpaceX's "Falcon 9" came to an end last Thursday. With 20 satellites for the Starlink network on board, the rocket was initially launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California easily. The first stage also separated as planned and landed safely on a ship, as is intended for the Falcon 9.

However, there were problems during the second ignition of the second stage, which was supposed to bring the rocket to the required altitude of around 300 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The SpaceX launch video shows that from 4:40 minutes after the launch, a lot of ice formed on the engine, which gradually fell off. The company confirmed that this was due to a leak in the oxygen tank. According to SpaceX, the engine finally shut down as if at the end of a mission.

A second-stage RUD

Whether this was a precautionary measure or simply the fuel had run out is not clear from the information provided so far. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Platform X, which he also operates, that a "RUD" had occurred, which stands for "rapid unscheduled disassembly". This is a euphemism made famous by SpaceX in particular, which stands for the disassembly or even explosion of a device. What happened to the defective Falcon 9 remains a mystery for now, as there are no images of any explosion. The SpaceX video only shows the first stage landing towards the end, after the second stage with an active engine and ice could be seen beforehand.

SpaceX reports that the satellites on board were deployed after the error, but are unable to reach the necessary altitude to maintain orbit using their own engines. As a result, they are now expected to descend and burn up in the atmosphere. There should be no danger from space debris or debris that could reach the Earth's surface. This is a setback for SpaceX, as over 360 launches, including 140 in 2024 alone, went off without any major difficulties.

FAA launches investigation

All further plans, including flights for NASA, are also being disrupted by the breakdown. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has informed SpaceX that it will investigate the incident. According to several US media outlets, including Bloomberg, this means that the Falcon 9 will not be allowed to take off again for now. An FAA investigation is therefore implicitly tantamount to decommissioning the system, even if the authority itself has not yet indicated this.

Neither the FAA nor SpaceX have yet commented on the duration of the flight ban. However, this is crucial for the entire space industry, as the Falcon 9 is considered the workhorse of the sector. Numerous satellite companies use the system for their launches, and it is also largely responsible for supplying the International Space Station (ISS).