SpaceX Falcon 9 Grounded After Failed Landing During Starlink Mission

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket following a failed landing during a Starlink mission. The rocket successfully launched satellites but failed to land on a sea-faring barge. The grounding may delay upcoming missions, including Polaris Dawn and a NASA mission.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded after it failed to land during a routine Starlink mission. The incident marks the second grounding of Falcon 9 this year.

The rocket successfully deployed a batch of Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Florida. However, the first stage booster failed to land on a sea-faring barge and instead toppled into the ocean, as shown on a live SpaceX stream.

FAA spokesperson clarified that there were no public injuries or property damage reported. An investigation has been mandated by the FAA. The grounding could delay the launch of several high-profile missions, including the private Polaris Dawn mission and a NASA mission scheduled for late September.