SpaceX Seeks FAA Permission To Resume Launching Falcon 9 Amid Mishap Investigation

SpaceX submitted a public safety determination request to the FAA on July 15. If approved, it would allow SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 launches while the SpaceX-led investigation continues regarding the upper stage anomaly that occurred during the Starlink 9-3 mission. SpaceX has been requesting NOTAMs and other hazard notices for up to 4 Starlink missions to be performed between July 19th and July 22nd.
It is unclear if this public safety determination will come in time but if it does, Falcon 9 may return to flight this weekend. Notably, SpaceX's last mission that too place few days ago ended in a disaster which led to the loss of starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket's second stage engine suffered a catastrophic failure, known as a "Rapid Unplanned Disassembly" (RUD), during a final burn to raise the orbit's low point. The incident occurred on July 11, 2024, at approximately 10:35 PM EDT.

The Falcon 9 rocket, using a first stage making its 19th flight, lifted off from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 20 Starlink satellites into space. The first stage performed nominally, separating from the second stage as expected and returning to Earth for a successful droneship landing, marking SpaceX's 329th recovery of an orbital-class rocket.

However, according to the information provided by SpaceX, a liquid oxygen leak developed on the second stage, leading to an anomaly in the Merlin Vacuum engine during its second burn. Although the stage survived and deployed the satellites, it did not successfully circularize its orbit, leaving the satellites in an eccentric orbit with a very low perigee of 135 km. Despite efforts to contact the satellites and send early burn commands, they will re-enter Earth's atmosphere and fully demise due to the high-drag environment.

SpaceX has completed 364 successful Falcon launches to date, carrying astronauts, customer payloads, and thousands of Starlink satellites to orbit, making the Falcon family of rockets one of the most reliable in the world. The company will perform a full investigation in coordination with the FAA, determine the root cause, and make corrective actions to ensure the success of future missions.

The FAA in its previous remarks said that they're aware of the anomaly and has announced that it will require an investigation into the incident. No public injuries or property damage have been reported, and the satellites do not pose a threat to other satellites in orbit or to public safety.

By Azhar