LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A Space X Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites exploded after takeoff from Vandenburg Space Force Base and Friday efforts are being made to deploy the satellites into proper places in orbit around Earth.
The Falcon 9 rockets made by Space X, based in Hawthorne, carry satellites and NASA astronauts into space. The launch on Thursday night, which originated from the US Space Force Base in California, failed in the second stage around 10:30 p.m. It was carrying 20 satellites for Space X’s Starlink network, which already operates through more than 6,000 satellites that are in orbit.
The first stage of the mission completed successfully, but the Falcon 9 rocket, which is designed to fire in the second stage, failed. The cause was not immediately known, according to reports from Space X.
“During tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink, the second stage engine did not complete its second burn. As a result, the Starlink satellites were deployed into a lower than intended orbit,” according to a statement from Space X.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Space X, posted on social media that the second stage did not just fail — it experienced what his company tends to call an “RUD” or “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” which typically refers to an explosion.
“Reasons unknown,” Musk’s post reads.
In a later update, posted after 10:30 p.m., Space X said it had made contact with five of the 20 satellites and was attempting to raise their orbit.
“We’re updating satellite software to run the ion thrusters at their equivalent of warp 9,” Musk said. “Unlike a Star Trek episode, this will probably not work, but it’s worth a shot.”
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