// 11:02 UTC SpaceX has paused flights of its workhorse Falcon 9 after a second stage failure resulted in the spent rocket tumbling uncontrollably back to Earth. According to SpaceX: "The second stage experienced an off-nominal condition during preparation for the deorbit burn." The mission, which launched from California on February 2 at 1547 UTC, deployed another 25 Starlink satellites. The first stage was on its 31st flight and made a successful landing on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. The first two second stage engine burns were successful, and the satellites were deployed successfully. However, the deorbit burn did not happen, and the stage was instead passivated. Falcon 9 second stage firing above Earth In this instance, passivation is the disposal of unused propellant to prevent an unexpected explosion during reentry. The deorbit burn ensures the re-entry can be targeted; in its absence, the stage re-entered the following morning. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell noted it was between 0130 UTC and 0330 UTC. In its update, SpaceX said: "Teams are reviewing data to determine root cause and corrective actions before returning to flight." It is not the first time the second stage has posed problems for SpaceX. An explosion in July 2024 resulted in the loss of a payload of Starship satellites, and in February 2025, the company showered debris over Poland after an uncontrolled re-entry following a failed deorbit burn attempt.