SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Grounded Following Failed Landing Attempt – Reuters

By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded following a failed landing attempt during a routine Starlink mission. This marks the company’s second grounding this year.

Early Wednesday morning, Falcon 9 successfully launched a batch of Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Florida. However, upon returning, the rocket’s first stage booster attempted to land on a sea-going barge but toppled into the ocean after a fiery landing, as shown in a SpaceX live stream.

“The incident involved the failure of the Falcon 9 booster rocket while landing on a droneship at sea. Fortunately, no public injuries or damage to property have been reported. The FAA is mandating an investigation,” stated an FAA spokesperson.

Groundings of Falcon 9, a critical rocket for launching satellites and transporting humans to space, are uncommon. The rocket last experienced grounding in July, following a second-stage failure in space that resulted in the loss of a batch of Starlink satellites.

Although no satellites or crew were at risk during Wednesday’s flight, the landing failure suggests a problem with the rocket that could lead to greater risks in future missions if not thoroughly examined.

This grounding may delay SpaceX’s upcoming Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to feature four private astronauts attempting the first-ever private spacewalk. The launch had already faced postponements due to launchpad issues and inclement weather.

Following the July grounding, Falcon 9 returned to flight just 15 days later after the FAA granted SpaceX an expedited return.

Falcon 9 is also set to launch two NASA astronauts in late September on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will bring back the astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station after a ride on Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft.

NASA oversees Falcon 9 for its own missions, but it is currently uncertain how this latest grounding will impact that operation. The space agency has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Since its first launch in 2010, SpaceX has built a substantial fleet of reusable Falcon boosters, giving the company a significant edge over its competitors in terms of launch frequency. The booster that failed on Wednesday was on its 23rd flight.

“After a successful ascent, Falcon 9’s first stage booster tipped over following touchdown on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship,” SpaceX reported.

A subsequent Starlink mission planned shortly after Wednesday’s flight from SpaceX’s California launch site was also called off following the landing failure.

The FAA regulates the safety of private rockets and launch sites concerning potential impacts on public safety. On Wednesday, the agency required SpaceX to conduct an investigation, which will be overseen by the FAA.

“The decision to return the Falcon 9 booster to flight will depend on the FAA’s assessment that all systems, processes, or procedures related to the anomaly do not pose a risk to public safety,” the FAA added.