The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday that SpaceX must conduct an investigation into the malfunction of the second stage of its Falcon 9 rocket, which has led to its grounding for the third time in three months.
The grounding follows the successful launch of two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday. After the launch, the rocket’s second stage failed to re-light its engine for the routine “deorbit burn,” which is necessary to discard the booster into the ocean post-flight. While the astronaut crew successfully docked at the ISS as planned, the malfunction caused the booster to land outside the FAA-approved safety zone in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX acknowledged that the booster “experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn,” resulting in its safe landing but outside the targeted area. In a statement, SpaceX indicated that they would resume launches only after determining the root cause of the malfunction.
This incident marks the third FAA grounding in recent months, following a July failure that resulted in the destruction of Starlink satellites and an August incident involving a first stage that failed to land. SpaceX has averaged two to three rocket launches per week in 2024, significantly outpacing its competitors.
The ongoing grounding adds tension to the relationship between SpaceX and the FAA, which has faced criticism for the pace of launch licensing and regulatory approvals.
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