The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket after a rocket booster malfunctioned during a Starlink mission on Wednesday, August 28th. The incident occurred after the booster, responsible for supporting the launch of 21 Starlink satellites, failed to land upright on a droneship at sea, resulting in an explosion upon returning to Earth.
The launch, which took place from Florida at 3:48 a.m. ET, successfully deployed the Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. However, the first stage booster tipped over following touchdown on the droneship. SpaceX stated that teams are currently assessing the booster’s flight data and status, noting that this was the booster’s 23rd launch.
In response to the incident, the FAA has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the anomaly and ensure public safety. The agency has stated that the Falcon 9 rocket will remain grounded until the investigation concludes and it is determined that the anomaly does not pose a threat to public safety. No injuries to people or property have been reported.
This is not the first time SpaceX has faced launch delays due to technical issues. In July, the company halted launch operations for two weeks after identifying a problem with a Falcon 9 rocket’s second-stage engine. The issue was discovered during a Starlink mission launch on July 11th, and operations resumed on July 27th after an investigation and necessary design changes were implemented.
The current grounding of the Falcon 9 rocket is likely to impact future launches, including the highly anticipated all-civilian Polaris Dawn mission. This mission, originally scheduled to launch earlier this week, has been postponed indefinitely due to unfavorable weather conditions. Polaris Dawn aims to carry out the first-ever spacewalk by a commercial company and will be launched using the Falcon 9 rocket.
The extent of the delay in resuming Falcon 9 operations remains unclear. The FAA investigation will be crucial in determining the cause of the booster explosion and any necessary corrective actions to be taken by SpaceX.
