SpaceX Rocket Faces Rare Malfunction During Starlink Mission

A second-stage engine malfunction on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket jeopardized the deployment of 20 Starlink satellites. This incident marks the company's first rocket failure in over seven years. CEO Elon Musk stated the satellites might not reach their intended orbit and could be pulled back into the atmosphere.

A second-stage engine on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket suffered a rare malfunction in space during a routine Starlink mission on Thursday night, putting the satellites' mission in jeopardy. This is the company's first rocket failure in more than seven years.

The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:35 PM local time (02:35 GMT), aiming to send 20 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. However, the rocket's second-stage engine, carrying the payload, failed its second attempt to reignite and push the satellites to their planned orbit.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk noted that the satellites were deployed into a lower orbit, where they might not manage to reach their intended altitude and could potentially be pulled back into the atmosphere.