SpaceX火箭事故导致公司Starlink卫星进入错误轨道

SpaceX's recent rocket failure, the first in nearly a decade, has resulted in leaving the company's internet satellites in a low orbit that will cause them to burn up upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites experienced an upper stage engine malfunction due to a liquid oxygen leak shortly after launch from California. Despite attempts to boost the satellites to a higher orbit using onboard ion thrusters, the low orbit of only 84 miles above Earth makes it unlikely for the satellites to be successfully raised.

While more than 6,000 orbiting Starlinks currently provide internet service to remote areas, the Federal Aviation Administration has mandated that the problem must be fixed before Falcon rockets can fly again. It remains uncertain how this incident might affect SpaceX's upcoming crew flights, including a scheduled private spaceflight and an astronaut flight to the International Space Station for NASA. Jared Isaacman, the tech entrepreneur leading the private flight, expressed confidence in SpaceX's track record and emergency escape system, emphasizing the company's commitment to identifying and addressing the issue. This setback comes after previous launch failures in 2015 and 2016, but SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk remains optimistic that a high flight rate will facilitate the identification and resolution of the issue.