SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Grounded After Failed Landing

The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket after it failed to land on a sea-faring barge during a Starlink mission, marking its second grounding this year. The reusable first stage toppled into the ocean with no reported injuries or damage. An investigation is underway.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket after a failed landing attempt during a routine Starlink mission early Wednesday. The rocket, which successfully launched a batch of internet satellites, toppled into the ocean after missing its landing on a sea-faring barge, as seen on a SpaceX live stream.

"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 spokesman stated. This marks the second grounding of the Falcon 9 this year, following a similar incident in July.

The grounding may delay SpaceX's high-profile Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to conduct the first private spacewalk. The failure could also impact a NASA mission scheduled for late September. The FAA stressed that a return to flight will depend on verifying the safety of all related systems, processes, and procedures.

(With inputs from agencies.)