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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket apparently plunged into the ocean after failing to land on a platform at sea.
The two-stage rocket, also known as the Falcon 9 booster, launched 60 Starlink satellites into space just before 11pm at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, which was the company’s 19th Starlink mission.
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It was also the company’s fifth launch in 2021, SpaceX production chief Jessica Anderson said during the live commentary.
Starlink, a constellation of multiple satellites orbiting the planet, was developed to offer high-speed, low-latency broadband Internet, domestically and internationally, “and according to SpaceX will expand further into global coverage in 2021. populated world. “
To date, more than 18 million people live in areas without high-speed Internet access, Anderson added.
SPACEX LAUNCHES TWO FALCON 9 ROCKETS AT THE BEGINNING OF ONE HUNDRED STARLINK SATELLITE
During the mission, however, Falcon 9’s first phase pulled away from the rest of the rocket and attempted to land on the company’s drone “Of course I still love you,” which floats in the Atlantic Ocean, Anderson said.
After about nine minutes, Anderson confirmed that the rocket had missed its target while showing a glance at the empty ship.
“It looks like we did not land our booster tonight, of course I still love you,” Anderson said. “It’s a shame we did not recover the booster, but our second phase is still on a nominal track.”
If successful, the mission would be the sixth recovery for the booster, Anderson said.
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The Falcon 9 booster has previously supported Dragon’s 19th and 20th cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, SAOCOM-1B, NROL-108 and a Starlink mission, according to SpaceX.