SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Grounded Amid Upcoming Human Spaceflight Missions

The FAA opens a mishap investigation into the company’s workhorse booster after it tipped over while attempting to land on a droneship.

Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 03:56 PM ET

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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster is a key component of the company’s crewed and uncrewed spaceflight missions. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster was grounded by the FAA after tipping over during a landing attempt following a Starlink launch, marking its second grounding in two months.
The incident, attributed by SpaceX to a recovery issue (collapsed landing leg) with no threat to the primary mission or public safety, is under FAA investigation.
This grounding could delay critical upcoming crewed missions, including NASA's Crew-9 (which will also return Starliner astronauts) and the private Polaris Dawn mission.
SpaceX plans to seek a public safety determination to potentially allow launches to continue during the investigation, aiming for a swift return to flight.

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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster, a key piece of the company’s crewed and uncrewed spaceflight efforts, is grounded for the second time in as many months.

The FAA on Wednesday announced it will require an investigation into Falcon 9’s launch of 21 Starlink satellites that morning, which concluded with the booster tipping over into the Atlantic Ocean. Depending on the length of the investigation, two crewed SpaceX missions that will rely on the rocket—one for NASA, the other for a billionaire entrepreneur—could face setbacks.

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.