SpaceX Falcon 9 Returns to Flight Approval

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the return to flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 on Friday after reviewing the investigation findings and corrective actions from the mishap on September 28.

On September 30, the FAA stated that SpaceX needed to investigate the malfunction of the Falcon 9's second stage after a NASA astronaut mission, which grounded the vehicle for the third time in three months. The issue caused the booster to fall into an area of the Pacific Ocean outside the FAA-approved safety zone.

On Friday, the FAA also announced the closure of SpaceX-led investigations into the Falcon 9 mishaps during Starlink missions in July and August.

The FAA confirmed on Sunday that the Falcon 9 rocket could resume flights for a mission scheduled for Monday, deploying the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft from Florida.

In a separate report, Reuters mentioned that the FAA might approve a launch license for SpaceX's Starship 5 this month, which is the fifth test launch of the Starship rocket system designed for reusable crew and cargo missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond.

The FAA previously indicated that a decision on this license would not be made before late November. SpaceX stated that Starship's fifth flight test could happen as soon as Sunday, pending regulatory approval.

Despite the FAA’s timeline, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has criticized the agency for proposing a $633,000 fine related to launch issues and delaying the approval of the Starship 5 license, which the company claims has been ready since August. Musk has also called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker and threatened legal action against the agency.