SpaceX has announced an anomaly occurred during the successful launch of the Crew-9 mission on Saturday. While the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage successfully landed back on Earth, the second stage, intended for disposal after delivering the Crew Dragon Freedom into orbit, experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn. This resulted in the second stage landing in the ocean but outside of its targeted area.
SpaceX has stated that it will thoroughly investigate the root cause of this incident before resuming launches. The company is committed to understanding the anomaly to ensure the safety and reliability of future missions.
The Crew-9 mission itself was a success, with the Dragon spacecraft successfully separating from the Falcon 9 second stage and beginning its journey to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are onboard the Dragon spacecraft, continuing their mission to the ISS.
This incident marks the second time this year that the FAA has grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9. In August, a Falcon 9 rocket failed to land on a sea-faring barge after launching a batch of Starlink internet satellites. The rocket’s first stage booster toppled into the ocean following a fiery touchdown. These incidents highlight the challenges and complexities of space exploration, even for a seasoned and experienced company like SpaceX. As SpaceX investigates this latest anomaly, the company remains committed to ensuring the safety and reliability of its rockets and spacecraft for future missions.
