SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rockets Grounded After Booster Explosion

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets following a mishap during Wednesday’s launch of Starlink satellites. The incident occurred when a Falcon 9 booster failed to land upright on a drone ship at sea and subsequently exploded.

The FAA’s decision to ground the rockets comes as SpaceX prepares for its highly anticipated Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to feature four private astronauts attempting the first-ever spacewalk by non-professional space travelers. SpaceX had hoped to launch Polaris Dawn this week, but adverse weather conditions have pushed back the schedule, with the next possible launch opportunity not available until at least Friday, according to an update from the company.

A look at FAA's statement 

“The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX Starlink Group 8-6 mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on August 28,” the FAA stated in a media release. “The incident involved the failure of the Falcon 9 booster rocket while landing on a droneship at sea. No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation.”

Here is what else you need to know

NASA also commented on the situation, stating that it "will be included in the investigation to understand the issue and path forward" and will "provide updates on agency missions including potential schedule impacts, if any, as more information becomes available."

The length of the investigation is currently unknown, but past incidents suggest it could take a few weeks. For context, SpaceX resumed missions about two weeks after a previous Falcon 9 rocket engine failure was investigated.

As the investigation proceeds, the space community and space enthusiasts are closely watching the situation, eager to see how it might impact the planned Polaris Dawn mission and other future SpaceX launches.