Falcon 9 Rocket The OG2 satellite, a prototype communications platform built by Orbcomm, that made up the secondary cargo of SpaceX...
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| Falcon 9 Rocket |
The OG2 satellite, a prototype communications platform built by Orbcomm, that made up the secondary cargo of SpaceX's latest orbital mission on Oct 7 has burnt up in the Earth's atmosphere after failing to make it into the correct orbit.
The OG2 satellite, was carried by the Falcon9 rocket as a secondary payload and was due to be boosted up into a higher orbit once the primary payload, SpaceX's Dragon capsule containing supplies for the International Space Station, had been orbited.
The Falcon 9 rocket was on its first cargo resupply mission to International Space Station(ISS) placed the OG2 satellite into a lower orbit than planned as a result of the engine failure.
The nine-engined Falcon first stage suffered an engine failure as it rocketed, with launch video clearly showing one of Merlin rockets losing its nozzle.
The Falcon9 rocket is designed to carry out its mission even having lost an engine, and the flight path was duly adjusted.
SpaceX spokeswoman Katherine Nelson told Reuters that NASA prohibited the company from"restarting the rocket's second stage- needed to deliver Orbcomm's satellite to its proper orbit-if there was not at least a 99 percent chance that the rocket had enough fuel to complete the burn."
The Dragon capsule with supplies to the ISS was successfully orbited and it reached ISS on Oct 9.
The Orbcomm plans to launch a 17-member communications satellite network aboard two Falcon 9 rockets in 2013 and 2014, Reuters reported. Orbcomm will launch eight satellites in 2013 and the remaining nine satellites in 2014.
The prototype satellite aboard Sunday's launch was declared a total loss, Reuters reported. The loss forced Orbcomm to claim an insurance policy worth close to $10 million, "which would largely offset the expected cost of the OG2 prototype and associated launch services and launch insurance,"the company said in a statement.
Reuters reported that the company planned for the prototype to reach 466 miles of altitude above the Earth. However, the satellite fell short after one of the rocket's nine Merlin engines shut down earlier than expected.
SpaceX is under a $1.6 billion NASA contract to send 12 flights to the space station.
