SpaceX is currently investigating an issue that arose with the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage during a Saturday launch that carried two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The malfunction caused the upper stage to reenter Earth’s atmosphere and fall into the ocean, but it did so outside its designated disposal area. This is the latest in a series of challenges SpaceX has faced in recent months.
The mission, called Crew-9, saw the Falcon 9 successfully deploy the Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Despite the upper stage problem, Hague and Gorbunov safely reached the ISS on Sunday, where they are scheduled to spend five months conducting research aboard the orbiting laboratory. The issue, however, occurred after their spacecraft had already separated from the Falcon 9 rocket and was on its way to the ISS.
The upper stage malfunction occurred when it was supposed to make a controlled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and fall into a remote part of the South Pacific Ocean. This process is part of SpaceX’s routine disposal procedures designed to prevent space debris from cluttering Earth’s orbit. While most of the upper stage burns up upon reentry, certain parts can survive and fall into the ocean, which is why SpaceX targets remote areas for disposal. However, the malfunction meant that the upper stage fell into the ocean outside of its intended disposal zone.
SpaceX’s Response to the Malfunction
Late on Saturday night, SpaceX acknowledged the issue on its social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), confirming that while the upper stage was safely disposed of in the ocean, the deorbit burn – the maneuver meant to guide the upper stage to its designated location – was “off-nominal,” meaning it did not go as planned. The result was that the upper stage landed in the ocean but outside the targeted area. SpaceX has stated that it is investigating the root cause of the issue before resuming Falcon 9 launches.
Safety advisories issued to pilots and mariners before the launch indicated that the upper stage was supposed to fall somewhere in a narrow stretch of the South Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand. The area is regularly used for disposing of rocket stages because of its remoteness and the low likelihood of debris causing harm. Most of the rocket is expected to burn up during reentry, but SpaceX still ensures it targets these remote regions in case any pieces survive and reach the ocean.
Although SpaceX has not released further technical details about the malfunction, spaceflight expert and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell shared his thoughts on X. According to McDowell, the most likely explanation for the malfunction is a “slight underburn” of the upper stage’s Merlin vacuum engine. An underburn would mean that the engine didn’t fire for the necessary amount of time or didn’t produce enough thrust, which could cause the rocket stage to go off-course and reenter the atmosphere farther downrange than expected, possibly landing in a different part of the Pacific Ocean.
A Series of Falcon 9 Setbacks
This upper stage issue marks the third time in less than three months that SpaceX has grounded its Falcon 9 rocket following a launch problem. SpaceX has been known for its unprecedented streak of successful launches, with the Falcon 9 rocket becoming the workhorse of the global space launch industry. However, recent months have presented a string of challenges that SpaceX is working to address.
The first notable issue occurred on July 11, 2024, when SpaceX experienced an upper stage failure during a mission to launch 20 Starlink Internet satellites. The failure left the satellites in a lower-than-planned orbit, causing them to reenter Earth’s atmosphere prematurely and burn up. This was the first failure of a Falcon 9 mission in 335 consecutive launches, a record unmatched by any other space launch vehicle in history.
Following the July 11 failure, SpaceX engineers quickly identified the problem, which was traced to a crack in a “sense line” connected to a pressure sensor within the rocket’s liquid oxygen system. The crack allowed liquid oxygen to leak, which in turn prevented the upper stage’s engine from completing its second burn, leading to the mission’s failure. SpaceX responded by removing the problematic sense line, a redundant component in the system, and after a 15-day investigation, resumed its Falcon 9 launches.
Another issue arose on August 28, 2024, when a reusable Falcon 9 booster tipped over shortly after landing on one of SpaceX’s drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the first time SpaceX had lost a booster following a successful landing in 267 attempts. The August 28 mission itself was a success, with the primary goal of launching another batch of Starlink satellites being achieved, but the booster loss was a rare setback for the company.
FAA Involvement and Public Safety Concerns
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the regulatory body responsible for licensing and overseeing commercial rocket launches, required SpaceX to investigate both the July 11 and August 28 incidents. The FAA’s primary concern is public safety, ensuring that spaceflight operations do not pose a risk to the public or violate safety protocols. After reviewing the incidents, the FAA determined that neither posed a danger to public safety and allowed SpaceX to resume launches, issuing what it referred to as “public safety determinations” that cleared the Falcon 9 rocket for flight.
However, following the latest malfunction of the Falcon 9 upper stage during the Crew-9 launch, SpaceX has voluntarily paused all Falcon 9 flights while it investigates the cause of the issue. The FAA has not yet indicated whether it will require a formal investigation into the upper stage malfunction, but such an investigation could lead to a temporary halt in SpaceX’s aggressive launch schedule. As of Monday, the FAA had not responded to questions from space news outlets regarding its position on the latest malfunction.
Despite these challenges, it is unlikely that Falcon 9 operations will be paused for long, as the rocket has become a reliable and frequent launcher. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has an impressive launch cadence, flying nearly once every three days on average, making it one of the most productive launch vehicles in the world.
Upcoming High-Stakes Missions in Jeopardy
While SpaceX is confident it will resolve the upper stage issue quickly, there are some high-profile and time-sensitive missions that could be affected by any delay. Two critical interplanetary science missions, in particular, are hanging in the balance, both of which rely on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
One of these missions is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch on October 7, 2024. Hera is headed to the binary asteroid system Didymos and Dimorphos, where it will investigate the aftermath of NASA’s 2022 DART mission. DART, which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, successfully demonstrated a planetary defense technique by altering the trajectory of an asteroid. Hera will study the impact crater created by DART and gather important data about asteroid deflection strategies that could be used to protect Earth in the future. Hera’s launch window extends from October 7 to October 27, so any prolonged delays in Falcon 9 operations could impact the mission’s ability to launch on time.
Just a few days later, on October 10, 2024, SpaceX is scheduled to launch NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. This $5.2 billion mission will explore Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to investigate whether it could harbor life. Europa Clipper is a flagship mission for NASA, and its six-year journey to Jupiter is highly dependent on precise launch timing. Like Hera, the Europa Clipper mission requires a two-burn sequence of the Falcon Heavy’s upper stage to propel it on its journey through the Solar System. The Falcon Heavy uses essentially the same upper stage design as the Falcon 9, meaning the outcome of the investigation into the recent malfunction could directly impact the Clipper mission. The launch window for Europa Clipper extends from October 10 to November 6, so a prolonged pause could delay the mission significantly.
Both of these missions are critical to advancing scientific knowledge of our Solar System, and their success depends on SpaceX resolving the upper stage issue swiftly and ensuring the reliability of its launch vehicles.
The Falcon 9 rocket has become a cornerstone of modern space exploration, providing reliable and frequent access to space for both government and commercial customers. However, the recent upper stage malfunction during the Crew-9 mission is a reminder that even the most reliable systems can experience setbacks. As SpaceX works to resolve the issue, the company faces mounting pressure with several high-profile missions on the horizon. With upcoming launches like the Hera and Europa Clipper missions depending on the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, the world will be watching to see how quickly SpaceX can resolve the problem and return to its rapid launch cadence.
