Produced by: Tarun Mishra
SpaceX submitted a detailed mishap report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following the failure of a Falcon-9 rocket on July 11, 2024, which led to the crash of 20 Starlink satellites.
The anomaly occurred during the deployment of Starlink satellites, causing them to enter an unstable orbit and eventually crash back to Earth.
SpaceX’s investigation team, overseen by the FAA, identified the cause of the mishap and recommended corrective actions to prevent future issues.
The Falcon-9’s first stage booster performed nominally, successfully ascending, separating, and landing on a droneship.
A leak developed during the first burn of the second stage engine due to a crack in a sense line for a pressure sensor in the vehicle’s oxygen system, caused by high engine vibration and a loose clamp.
The leak caused excessive cooling of engine components, leading to a hard start instead of a controlled burn during the second burn, which damaged the engine hardware and caused the upper stage to lose attitude control.
Despite these issues, the second stage deployed the Starlink satellites and performed stage passivation. However, all 20 satellites re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere due to high drag and a low perigee of 135 km.
SpaceX reviewed all vehicles and ground systems, deciding to remove the failed sense line and sensor from future Falcon-9 launches. This sensor will be replaced by alternate sensors that are already present and critical to flight safety.
SpaceX emphasized its commitment to safety and reliability, highlighting its ability to gather extensive flight data through frequent launches, enabling rapid and safe returns to flight. The company remains dedicated to safely transporting astronauts, payloads, and Starlink satellites to orbit using the Falcon family of rockets.