FAA approves SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight after accident probe

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex-40, carrying the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft on a mission to asteroid Dimorphos, at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., October 7, 2024.

Steve Nesius | Reuters

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it has approved the return to flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle after reviewing and accepting the results of a SpaceX-led investigation and corrective actions into the incident that occurred on September 28.

The FAA on Sept. 30 said SpaceX must investigate why its Falcon 9’s second stage failed after a NASA astronaut mission landed the launch vehicle for the third time in three months. The malfunction caused the booster to crash in an area of ​​the Pacific Ocean outside the designated FAA-approved safety zone.

The FAA also said Friday that it had concluded investigations led by SpaceX into the Falcon 9 mishaps that occurred on Starlink missions in July and August.

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