CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into an anomaly experienced by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the recent Crew-9 astronaut mission on September 28. The mission successfully sent a Crew Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the International Space Station, but the Falcon 9’s upper stage encountered an issue following the deployment of the capsule.
SpaceX disclosed on September 29 that the anomaly was an “off-nominal deorbit burn,” causing the upper stage to land in the ocean outside of its intended disposal area. As a result, SpaceX has decided to pause all launches while they conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, overseen by the FAA.
This incident marks the third issue with a Falcon 9 rocket in less than three months for SpaceX. In July, a liquid-oxygen leak led to the loss of 20 Starlink internet satellites, grounding the rocket for two weeks. Then in August, a Falcon 9 first stage failed to land successfully after a Starlink launch. Despite these challenges, SpaceX resumed flights shortly after each incident.
The current hiatus raises questions about the impact on SpaceX’s upcoming launch schedule, especially with high-profile missions on the horizon such as NASA’s Europa Clipper. Scheduled to launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket, the mission is set to take place within a 21-day window opening on October 10. It remains uncertain how long the pause in launches will last and how it will affect SpaceX’s busy agenda.
The FAA’s involvement in overseeing the investigation highlights the importance of ensuring safety and compliance in the aerospace industry. With SpaceX’s dedication to addressing issues and improving their processes, the company aims to resume launches efficiently and safely in the near future, pending the outcome of the investigation.