CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX launches are no longer on hold after a booster rocket toppled over in flames while landing Wednesday off the Florida coast.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the company’s Falcon 9 rockets and ordered an investigation following the predawn accident. No injuries or public damage were reported.
In a statement to Florida Today, the FAA said, “The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met. SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30.”
It’s not yet known how the grounding -- or reinstatement -- will impact SpaceX’s upcoming crewed flights, one private and the other for NASA. A billionaire’s chartered flight was delayed just a few hours earlier because of a poor weather forecast.
The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and got all 21 Starlink internet satellites into orbit. But the first-stage booster fell over in a fireball moments after landing on an ocean platform, the first such accident in years. It was the 23rd time this particular booster had launched, a recycling record for SpaceX.
SpaceX’s Jon Edwards, a vice president, said the company is working “ASAP” to understand what went wrong.
“Losing a booster is always sad. Each one of them has a unique history and character. Thankfully this doesn’t happen often,” Edwards posted on X.
Besides the private spaceflight awaiting liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX is due to launch a pair of astronauts for NASA late next month. Two seats will be set aside for the two astronauts who launched in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, deemed unsafe by NASA for their return.