The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to return to flight.
The Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded since September 28, when the rocket experienced a problem in its upper stage during the launch of the Crew-9 astronaut mission for NASA. (A Falcon 9 launched Europe’s Hera probe to inspect asteroids on October 7, but that was a one-time exception granted by the FAA.)
“The FAA notified SpaceX on October 11 that the Falcon 9 vehicle is cleared to return to regular flight operations,” agency officials said in an emailed statement Friday afternoon. “The FAA has reviewed and accepts the findings of SpaceX’s investigation and corrective actions for the mishap that occurred on the Crew-9 mission (September 28).”
The Crew-9 accident—which did not affect the success of the mission but resulted in the upper stage falling back to Earth outside the planned disposal area—was the third release of the Falcon 9 in less than three months.
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The first occurred on July 11, when an upper stage propellant leak led to the loss of 20 SpaceX Starlink internet satellites. As a result, the Falcon 9 was grounded for approximately two weeks. Then, on August 28, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage failed to land safely after a successful Starlink launch. The missile returned to flight again after only three days.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in its statement on Friday that it had “closed SpaceX’s investigations into the Falcon 9 accidents that occurred” on these two missions.
SpaceX is still waiting for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for the fifth test flight of its Starship rocket, the giant vehicle the company is developing to help humanity settle on the Moon and Mars.
Elon Musk’s company hopes to launch the Starship mission on Sunday (October 13) and is confident that it will happen. “We expect to receive regulatory approval in time to fly on October 13,” SpaceX said in a statement. Friday post On X.
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