The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Elon Musk-led SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket following a failed landing attempt during a recent Starlink mission.
The FAA on Wednesday said that it would launch an investigation into the incident after a Falcon 9 rocket failed an attempt to land properly on Earth after its satellite launch.
The development could severe blow to two crucial crewed SpaceX missions.
Falcon 9, the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket, has been grounded for the second time due to its failed landing attempt.
The rocket's reusable first stage booster returned to Earth after the Starlink mission and tried to land in the ocean. However, the rocket toppled into the ocean after the touchdown, as per Reuters.
The overall mission, however, was completed without a hitch, safely delivering a batch of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
"The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX Starlink Group 8-6 mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on August 28. The incident involved the failure of the Falcon 9 booster rocket while landing on a droneship at sea. No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation," an FAA spokesperson reportedly said.
Elon Musk's startup is looking forward to launching four private astronauts into orbit on the Polaris Dawn mission, in a bid to become the first commercial spacefarers to conduct a spacewalk.
Last week, NASA determined that the Starliner is unsafe to transport astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth.
NASA astronauts Williams and Wilmore have been stuck on the orbiting laboratory since their Starliner flight in early June.
Moreover, two NASA astronauts were scheduled to travel to the International Space Station on SpaceX Crew-9 next month.