Starlink Group 9-3

20 v2 mini satellites - 13 with direct-to-cell capability - were deployed into the 53° shell but lost: a liquid oxygen leak in the second stage caused engine failure during the circularization burn, stranding the satellites at a perigee of roughly 135 km where atmospheric drag made the orbit unrecoverable.

The failure was the first in-flight Falcon 9 loss since CRS-7 in June 2015 - and the first ever for the Block 5 variant - ending a streak of 325 consecutive successful Falcon 9 launches. The FAA opened a mishap investigation and grounded Falcon 9 flights; SpaceX received clearance to resume on 26 July 2024, though the overall investigation remained open after flights resumed.