After a temporary grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to a failed landing earlier in the week, SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket has been cleared for flight once again. The FAA announced its decision on Friday, allowing SpaceX to resume launches following the investigation of the landing incident.
Since obtaining clearance from the FAA, SpaceX has successfully completed two launches. The company announced that it placed an additional 42 Starlink satellites into orbit in a recent post on X. Despite ongoing investigation, the FAA has deemed it permissible for flights to proceed as long as all other license requirements are met.
In addition to regular Starlink flights, SpaceX is gearing up for several significant missions. One of these missions is Polaris Dawn, a private venture involving billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others traversing the Van Allen radiation belts to conduct the first private astronaut spacewalk. Moreover, SpaceX is slated to send two astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, scheduled for as early as September 24th.
NASA recently made adjustments to its Crew-9 mission, bumping two astronauts in favor of Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore. This decision stems from the detection of issues with the Boeing spacecraft originally designated for the crewed return flight in February. As a result, NASA opted to prioritize the return of Williams and Wilmore instead, leading to the reshuffling of the mission’s crew members.
Overall, while the initial setback of the failed landing prompted a brief grounding of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the subsequent clearance from the FAA has allowed the company to resume its launch operations. With successful missions already completed post-FAA decision and several significant launches on the horizon, SpaceX continues to make strides in the realm of space exploration and private space travel.