The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just gave SpaceX's Falcon 9 the thumbs up to soar again! 🚀 After a mishap on September 28, SpaceX led an investigation, and the FAA has accepted their findings and corrective actions.
Back on September 30, the FAA announced that SpaceX needed to figure out why the second stage of their Falcon 9 malfunctioned after a NASA astronaut mission, grounding the rocket for the third time in just three months. 😲 The glitch caused the booster to splash down outside the designated safety zone in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, the FAA has also closed investigations into previous Falcon 9 mishaps that happened during Starlink missions in July and August. Looks like SpaceX is back on track! 🎯
On October 6, the FAA said SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 could return to flight for a mission the following day, launching the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft from Florida. Talk about a quick turnaround! ⏱️
In other news, Reuters reports that the FAA might approve a license for SpaceX's Starship 5 launch as soon as this month. Starship 5 will be the fifth test flight of their massive Starship rocket—designed to take crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, and beyond! 🌖✨
SpaceX mentioned on Monday that the Starship's fifth flight test could launch as soon as Sunday, but they're still waiting on the FAA's regulatory approval. \"Starship stacked ahead of its fifth flight test. We expect regulatory approval in time to fly on October 13,\" the company posted on X.
Space enthusiasts, get ready! SpaceX is gearing up for some exciting launches, and the sky's not the limit anymore! 🌌
Reference(s):
FAA approves SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight after mishap probe
cgtn.com
