The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that it has approved the return to flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This decision follows the agency’s review and acceptance of the findings and corrective actions from a SpaceX-led investigation into a malfunction that occurred on September 28.
The FAA had previously grounded the Falcon 9 for the third time in three months after the second stage malfunctioned following a NASA astronaut mission. The incident caused the booster to land outside of the designated safety zone in the Pacific Ocean, prompting the FAA’s intervention.
In its latest statement, the FAA also closed investigations into two other Falcon 9 mishaps related to Starlink missions that took place in July and August.
As part of the return to flight approval, the FAA indicated that the Falcon 9 rocket could resume operations with a scheduled mission on Monday to launch the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft from Florida.
Additionally, Reuters reported this week that the FAA may approve a launch license for SpaceX’s Starship 5 as early as this month. Starship 5 represents the fifth test launch of SpaceX’s fully reusable rocket system, designed to transport crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond.
While the FAA previously suggested that a license decision for Starship would not come until late November, it stated on Tuesday that it is still reviewing the proposed mission and will provide a decision once all licensing requirements are met.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has openly criticized the FAA, particularly regarding a proposed $633,000 fine against the company for launch-related issues and the delays in approving the Starship 5 launch license. Musk has called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker and threatened legal action against the agency.
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