SpaceX requests public safety determination for early return to flight for its Falcon 9 rocket – Spaceflight Now
An unusual build up of ice on the second stage of the Falcon 9 that launched the Starlink 9-3 mission. Image: SpaceX.
SpaceX is seeking to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket soon. In a statement to Spaceflight Now, the Federal Aviation Administration said the company was seeking a public safety determination.
That request was submitted to the FAA on July 15, according to the agency. If approved, it would allow SpaceX to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket while the mishap investigation into the Starlink 9-3 anomaly continues.
“The FAA is reviewing the request and will be guided by data and safety at every step of the process,” the FAA said in a statement.
Following liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 11, the Falcon 9’s second stage experienced a liquid oxygen leak, which pr...