20 Starlink Satellites Burn Up After SpaceX Falcon 9 Failure, Triggering Investigation

Twenty Starlink satellites, prematurely released during a failed Falcon 9 rocket launch, have burned up in the upper atmosphere. Experts are investigating the incident.
The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites failed to fire properly after separating from the first stage, leaving its payload in a low orbit. The launch occurred on July 11 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The first stage detached successfully and landed on a drone ship, but the second stage experienced a liquid oxygen leak, stranding it in a low orbit.
Despite releasing the payload, the satellites were stuck in an elliptical orbit with a minimum altitude of 84 miles, causing them to fall back to Earth. SpaceX representatives confirmed that atmospheric drag slowed the satellites, and they eventually re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up.
Efforts to save the satellites, including performing burns at maximum thrust, were unsuccessful. Observations confirmed all 20 satellites met a fiery end on July 12.
SpaceX is investigating the failure under the supervision of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company cannot launch any more Falcon 9 rockets until the investigation is complete. This was the first Falcon 9 launch failure since 2016 and the biggest loss of Starlink satellites since February 2022.

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