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SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket experienced an engine failure after it launched late Thursday night from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, Starlink Group 9-3, was carrying Starlink satellites and failed to reignite its upper second stage after developing a leak. \u201cUpper stage restart to raise perigee resulted in an engine RUD for reasons currently unknown,\u201d Elon Musk said overnight<\/a>, confirming that the engine experienced a \u201crapid unscheduled disassembly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Falcon 9\u2019s second stage performed its first burn nominally, however a liquid oxygen leak developed on the second stage. After a planned relight of the upper stage engine to raise perigee \u2013 or the lowest point of orbit \u2013 the Merlin Vacuum engine experienced an anomaly and was unable to complete its second burn.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The company\u2019s statement says it will do a full investigation into the incident in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the company said on its website<\/a>. The Falcon 9 has been grounded by the FAA pending the results of the investigation, reports CNBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Friday afternoon, the company said<\/a> it had made contact with 10 satellites of the 20 that had been onboard but noted that the satellites are \u201cin an enormously high-drag environment with their perigee, or lowest point of their elliptical orbit.\u201d The maximum available thrust is \u201cunlikely to be enough to successfully raise the satellites,\u201d SpaceX said<\/a>, meaning that they will reenter the atmosphere and \u201cfully demise.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n