SpaceX pauses further Falcon 9 rocket launches after problem on return
The Crew 9 mission takes astronauts to the ISS, but the Falcon 9 rocket crashes into the ocean in the wrong place. The investigation postpones further launches.
Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX at launch in Cape Canaveral on 28.9.2024
(Image: NASA)
SpaceX has successfully launched two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew 9 mission, who are to take the two Starliner astronauts stranded there with them when they return in five months' time. However, Elon Musk's space company has reported problems with the Falcon 9 rocket used for the launch. It crashed into the ocean as planned, but at a different location than intended. SpaceX is therefore pausing further launches to find the reason for this.
Everything seemed to go well at first. After the launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 landed back on Earth as planned and can be reused. The second stage carried the Crew Dragon space capsule "Freedom" with its two astronauts into space and on its way to the ISS. On the return of the upper stage, however, there was an unplanned rocket ignition, causing it to veer off course and crash into the ocean somewhere else.
Second problem with the second rocket stage
This is the second problem with this rocket in three months. At the beginning of July, the FAA shut down the Falcon 9 after problems in space. The journey to the destination did not go smoothly, meaning that a number of Starlink satellites were not brought to the planned altitude. Although they were deployed, they were unable to reach the required altitude using their own engines, which caused them to descend and burn up in the atmosphere.
SpaceX explained that there was a leak in the oxygen tank. The engine finally shut down as if at the end of a mission and was therefore unable to reach the required altitude. The space company does not yet know the reason for the problem that has now occurred with the Falcon 9 during the Crew 9 mission, as SpaceX explains on X (formerly Twitter), but wants to get to the bottom of the matter and has therefore suspended further launches for the time being.
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Eutelsat is directly affected by this. This company had already planned to launch 20 broadband satellites for its own satellite internet service OneWeb into orbit on Sunday evening using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This launch was canceled, as Eutelsat writes on X. The company is now waiting for the next launch opportunity.
Return mission of the Starliner astronauts
The Crew 9 mission can nevertheless be considered a success, as NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov arrived at the ISS as planned. However, there were two fewer team members on board than originally planned. Astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson had to give up their seats in order to bring Starliner astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore, who were stranded on the ISS, back to Earth.
Williams and Wilmore were only supposed to spend around a week on board the ISS. However, due to technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft in which they had flown to the ISS in June, NASA then decided to bring the spacecraft back to Earth empty, which was accomplished without any problems at the beginning of September. Williams and Wilmore, together with Hague and Gorbunov, are now due to return to Earth in February.
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