Anomaly of the Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX. There is an investigation

Late last week, an astronaut NASA Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov successfully arrived on board the International Space Station (ISS)thanks to the Crew-9 capsule from SpaceX and the Falcon 9 rocket.

However, as the company revealed, the rocket's upper stage suffered a failure after the capsule was deployed. The problem was called “abnormal deorbital burn.” The rocket's upper stage landed in the ocean outside the target area. It is worth noting that the lower stage of the Falcon 9 rocket is reusable, but its upper stage is not.

SpaceX has suspended further rocket launches. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) called on the company to conduct an investigation.

“The FAA is aware of the anomaly. … It involved the landing of the Falcon 9 upper stage outside the designated danger area. No injuries or property damage were reported. The FAA requires an investigation,” agency officials said.

SpaceX assured on social media that flights would resume once the company had a better understanding of the cause of the problem.

The Crew-9 anomaly was the third Falcon 9 failure the company had experienced in less than three months. On July 11, the rocket's upper stage suffered a liquid oxygen leak, resulting in the loss of 20 of the company's Starlink internet-providing satellites.

It is not known how long the break will last and how it will affect the SpaceX flight schedule. This month is scheduled for, among other things, the launch of the NASA Europa Clipper mission, the aim of which is to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa. In this case, the Falcon Heavy rocket will be used. The 21-day window, i.e. the moment when an object can be launched into space, opens on October 10. Both rockets – Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy – use the same upper stage mechanism.