SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets are grounded after an in-flight failure
![A screenshot from SpaceX’s video of the Falcon 9 launch.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5392QWba2GOQN2q1pMkjCB2U86w=/294x0:2186x1261/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73457752/spacex_falcon_9_jul11.0.jpg)
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket experienced an engine failure after it launched late Thursday night from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, Starlink Group 9-3, was carrying Starlink satellites and failed to reignite its upper second stage after developing a leak. “Upper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown,” Elon Musk said overnight, confirming that the engine experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”
Falcon 9’s second stage performed its first burn nominally, however a liquid oxygen leak developed on the second stage. After a planned relight of the upper stage engine to raise perigee – or the lowest point of orbit – the Merlin Vacuum engine experienced an...