FAA Clears SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket for Return to Flight

The regulator on Thursday said the vehicle is safe to return to action, including upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 and Polaris Dawn missions in August.

Friday, July 26, 2024 at 04:26 PM ET

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The four-person crew of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, (from left) Stephanie Wilson, Aleksandr Gorbunov, Nick Hague, and Zena Cardman, will fly no earlier than August 18. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has granted approval for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to return to flight following a rare July 11 in-flight mishap.
The grounding was due to a cracked sense line causing a liquid oxygen leak in the second stage, leading to the loss of 20 Starlink satellites; SpaceX resolved the issue by removing the redundant line and agreeing to corrective actions.
This decision allows the Crew-9 mission to the ISS to proceed as planned for August 18, though ongoing issues with Boeing's Starliner are causing greater disruptions to NASA's mission manifest, including the postponement of Starliner-1 until 2025.

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In a major boon for SpaceX, the FAA on Thursday gave the green light for the company’s Falcon 9 rocket—a workhorse for NASA and other clients—to safely return to flight.

The approval will allow SpaceX to stay on schedule with its Crew-9 mission to rotate astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS), which NASA officials on Friday said is planned for no earlier than August 18.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.