FAA Clears SpaceX for Falcon 9 Relaunch Following July Mishap
- The FAA has given the green light for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to resume flights after a recent explosive incident.
- The rocket was grounded for two weeks following this mishap, leading to regulatory scrutiny.
- SpaceX is now set to return to its space launch schedule.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that there were “no public safety issues” related to the Falcon 9 rocket's failure in orbit on July 11, allowing SpaceX to resume operations swiftly. The company plans to relaunch the Falcon 9 as early as Saturday, deploying a new batch of Starlink internet satellites. This marks the 10th mission for SpaceX under NASA's contract, with another significant launch, the Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission, scheduled for August. The Falcon 9, recognized as the smallest rocket in SpaceX's fleet, plays a crucial role in the U.S. rocket industry, having completed over 60 missions in 2024 alone. The recent mishap occurred shortly after a successful launch of Starlink satellites from California, when the rocket's second stage failed to ignite, leading to what CEO Elon Musk referred to as an “RUD” or “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” a term used by SpaceX to describe an explosion. In response to the incident, SpaceX requested the FAA's assessment of public safety risks on July 15, enabling the company to return to flight operations even as investigations into the root cause of the failure continue. SpaceX emphasized its extensive flight history and the wealth of data collected, which positions the company to address the issue and resume launches promptly. The Falcon 9's reliability and frequency of missions underscore its significance in the commercial space sector.