The Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX has been placed on indefinite hold following an incident that impacted a series of missions associated with this launch system.
On the afternoon of August 28 (Vietnam time), SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. This launch set a new record for SpaceX, marking the 23rd reuse of the rocket’s first stage.
The goal of the launch was to deploy a Starlink satellite into low Earth orbit. As planned, the upper stage of the rocket was supposed to separate from the structure and land on a barge at sea approximately 8 minutes after liftoff.
However, an incident occurred that prevented the rocket’s first stage from landing as expected. In a video shared on social media platform X, it can be seen that although the rocket booster landed on the barge, it caught fire violently after landing. Subsequently, an explosion occurred, causing the rocket to lose balance and fall directly into the sea.
SpaceX has not yet declared the status of the booster following the incident. In a post on social media X, SpaceX stated that expert teams are evaluating flight data and the status of the booster before reaching a final conclusion.
Of the 23 previous launches, the booster successfully completed 16 Starlink missions and 2 crewed missions, including Inspiration4 and Ax-1.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident did not result in any injuries or damage to public property. However, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has been immediately suspended indefinitely as it failed to land on Earth during a regular Starlink mission.
The moment the rocket bursts into flames, loses balance, and plunges into the sea (Photo: SpaceX).
According to the FAA’s explanation, although there was almost no damage, the failed landing indicates that something is wrong with the rocket, which the agency believes could pose a greater risk in future missions if not thoroughly investigated.
This is seen as a shocking failure for SpaceX, as the Falcon 9 launch and landing system has been remarkably reliable until now.
Previously, in July, this rocket was also briefly suspended, but that was the first time since 2016, following an incident with the second stage in space.
According to Reuters, this incident could delay a series of upcoming plans by SpaceX, notably the Polaris Dawn mission, which includes 4 astronauts undertaking the first private spacewalk.
The Polaris mission was scheduled to launch this week but was delayed due to issues with the launch pad and then a second delay due to bad weather.
In addition to SpaceX, NASA also uses the Falcon 9 for its own missions. It is currently unclear how the suspension of this rocket will impact NASA’s missions.
The nearest NASA mission using Falcon 9 is expected to take place at the end of September, involving the launch of 2 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. This mission aims to bring back 2 astronauts from the stranded Boeing Starliner mission on the ISS in 2025.
However, with the latest developments, this mission is likely to be delayed, meaning the stay duration of the 2 Boeing Starliner astronauts on the ISS will continue to be extended.
