US FAA approves SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight after mishap probe


FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is prepared to launch NASA's astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov on the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., September 27, 2024. Launch is scheduled for September 28. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it had approved the return to flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle after it reviewed and accepted the SpaceX-led investigation findings and corrective actions for the mishap that occurred Sept. 28.

The FAA on Sept. 30 said SpaceX had to investigate why the second stage of its Falcon 9 malfunctioned after a NASA astronaut mission, grounding the launch vehicle for the third time in three months.

The malfunction caused the booster to fall into a region of the Pacific Ocean outside of the designated safety zone the FAA approved.

The FAA also said Friday it closed the SpaceX-led investigations for the Falcon 9 mishaps that occurred with Starlink missions in July and August.

On Sunday, the FAA said SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket could return to flight solely for a mission on Monday for the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft from Florida.

Separately, Reuters reported this week the FAA could approve a license for the launch of SpaceX's Starship 5 as soon as this month. Starship 5 is the fifth test launch of the company's rocket which it calls Starship.

The Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket are a fully reusable system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon and beyond.

Last month, the FAA said it did not expect a determination on a license before late November. SpaceX said Monday Starship's fifth flight test could launch as soon as Sunday, pending regulatory approval.

The FAA has repeatedly said it did not expect to decide on a license until late November. On Tuesday it said only that it was still reviewing the proposed mission and would make a decision "once SpaceX has met all licensing requirements."

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has harshly criticized the FAA, including for proposing a $633,000 fine against SpaceX over launch issues and for the delay in approving the license for Starship 5, which the company says has been ready to launch since August. Musk has called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker and threatened to sue the agency.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Seven arrest warrants issued in global swoop on suspected Russia-linked hackers
Trendyol, Baykar CEO, ADQ and Ant International to develop fintech platform in Turkey
US FAA not considering replacing L3Harris, Verizon contracts with Musk's Starlink
Reddit looks into errors after Downdetector reports of vast global outage
Ex-UK National Crime Agency officer jailed for stealing bitcoin from dark web drug dealer
XAI in talks to lease data center capacity in Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg News reports
OpenAI working on payment checkout system within ChatGPT, FT reports
Bank of America expects to launch stablecoin, Morgan Stanley weighs use
Microsoft, US national lab tap AI to speed up nuclear power permitting process
Bitmine shares soar as billionaire Thiel reveals 9.1% stake

Others Also Read