A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch complex-40 carrying the European Space Agency Hera spacecraft on a mission to the asteroid Dimorphos, at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., October 7, 2024.
Steve Nesius | Reuters
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it had approved the return to flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle after it reviewed and accepted the SpaceX-led investigation findings and corrective actions for the mishap that occurred Sept. 28.
The FAA on Sept. 30 said SpaceX had to investigate why the second stage of its Falcon 9 malfunctioned after a NASA astronaut mission, grounding the launch vehicle for the third time in three months. The malfunction caused the booster to fall into a region of the Pacific Ocean outside of the designated safety zone the FAA approved.
The FAA also said Friday it closed the SpaceX-led investigations for the Falcon 9 mishaps that occurred with Starlink missions in July and August.
