SPACE/COSMOLOGY
Tom Carter
Updated Wed, October 2, 2024
SpaceX launched its mission to rescue two Starliner astronauts — but it didn't go according to plan.
The company's Falcon 9 rocket has been grounded after a booster landed in the wrong place.
It's the third time in three months that the Falcon 9 has been grounded.
SpaceX's workhorse rocket has been grounded for the third time in three months after malfunctioning during a mission to rescue two astronauts stuck in space.
The Crew-9 mission successfully reached the International Space Station on Sunday as it prepares to bring home the astronauts left stranded by Boeing's Starliner — but the launch didn't go entirely to plan.
In a post on X on Sunday, SpaceX wrote that its Falcon 9 rocket's second-stage booster experienced an "off-nominal deorbit burn" that caused it to land outside the targeted area.
SpaceX said it would resume launches once it had got to the bottom of the issue, with the Federal Aviation Administration requesting an investigation. The regulator said no public injuries or property damage had occurred because of the landing.
It's the third time SpaceX's reusable rocket has been grounded in the past three months.
The Falcon 9 was grounded in July after a mishap with the booster caused a batch of Starlink satellites to burn up in orbit. This was the company's first mission failure in more than seven years.
The rocket was also briefly grounded by the FAA in August after failing an attempt to land back on Earth.
The issues have come as SpaceX and Musk clash with the FAA over the regulator's investigations into the company and the pace at which it's green-lighting rocket launches.
SpaceX slammed the FAA in September after the fifth launch of its Starship rocket was delayed by two months, with Elon Musk saying humanity would "never get to Mars if this continues."
Musk also accused the regulator of playing favorites, arguing it should punish Boeing over the issues with its Starliner spacecraft rather than fine SpaceX for "trivia."
The Crew-9 mission traveled to the space station half-empty as it prepared to bring home the two astronauts left stranded there by Boeing's Starliner.
The NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were due to return home aboard Starliner several months ago, but glitches with Boeing's spacecraft on its maiden crewed flight led NASA to decide to send it home empty.
SpaceX stepped in and is now set to bring the two astronauts back to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft in February at the earliest.
SpaceX won its contract to supply the space station at the same time as Boeing but has raced ahead of its rival in the space race.
Musk has frequently taunted Boeing over the issues with the aerospace giant's space program, saying the company has too many "non-technical managers."
SpaceX didn't respond to a request for comment sent outside normal working hours.
Business Insider
The FAA Grounds SpaceX's Rockets for a Third Time After Mysterious Anomaly
Victor Tangermann
FUTURISM
Tue, October 1, 2024
Off Target
The US Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rockets for the third time in just three months.
An upper stage encountered a mysterious problem after dropping off two astronauts at the International Space Station over the weekend as part of its Crew-9 mission.
According to a statement posted by SpaceX, the rocket "experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn," causing it to splash down in the Pacific Ocean just east of New Zealand, which was "outside of the targeted area" approved by the FAA.
Even before the FAA announced that it had launched its own investigation, SpaceX had already made the decision to halt all future launches.
"We will resume launching after we better understand root cause," the Elon Musk-led company wrote in its statement.
Falcon Misfortune
It's the third time since July that the FAA has grounded all Falcon 9 launches.
"The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX NASA Crew-9 mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on September 28," the regulator noted in a statement.
"The incident involved the Falcon 9 second stage landing outside of the designated hazard area," the statement reads. "No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation."
In July, a Falcon 9 rocket exploded after launching a batch of Starlink internet satellites, leading to the FAA grounding the rockets for several weeks.
Then in August, the regulator grounded them once more after a Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which unlike the upper stage is reusable, caught fire and toppled over while attempting to land on a floating barge.
It's unclear how long the FAA's latest investigation will take or whether the space company will have to take any corrective actions.
The next Falcon 9 launch is tentatively slated for just nine days from now to launch NASA's massive Europa Clipper probe.
But given the current animosities between the two — just last week, Musk called for the FAA's chief to resign over an ongoing dispute — the latest incident will likely test the relationship even further.
More on the incident: SpaceX Mission Runs Into Mysterious Problem After Dropping Off Astronauts
Tue, October 1, 2024
Off Target
The US Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rockets for the third time in just three months.
An upper stage encountered a mysterious problem after dropping off two astronauts at the International Space Station over the weekend as part of its Crew-9 mission.
According to a statement posted by SpaceX, the rocket "experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn," causing it to splash down in the Pacific Ocean just east of New Zealand, which was "outside of the targeted area" approved by the FAA.
Even before the FAA announced that it had launched its own investigation, SpaceX had already made the decision to halt all future launches.
"We will resume launching after we better understand root cause," the Elon Musk-led company wrote in its statement.
Falcon Misfortune
It's the third time since July that the FAA has grounded all Falcon 9 launches.
"The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX NASA Crew-9 mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on September 28," the regulator noted in a statement.
"The incident involved the Falcon 9 second stage landing outside of the designated hazard area," the statement reads. "No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation."
In July, a Falcon 9 rocket exploded after launching a batch of Starlink internet satellites, leading to the FAA grounding the rockets for several weeks.
Then in August, the regulator grounded them once more after a Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which unlike the upper stage is reusable, caught fire and toppled over while attempting to land on a floating barge.
It's unclear how long the FAA's latest investigation will take or whether the space company will have to take any corrective actions.
The next Falcon 9 launch is tentatively slated for just nine days from now to launch NASA's massive Europa Clipper probe.
But given the current animosities between the two — just last week, Musk called for the FAA's chief to resign over an ongoing dispute — the latest incident will likely test the relationship even further.
More on the incident: SpaceX Mission Runs Into Mysterious Problem After Dropping Off Astronauts
'I think it was hard not to watch that rocket lift off without thinking, that's my rocket and that's my crew.' How the NASA astronauts bumped from SpaceX's Crew-9 watched their ride launch without them
Elizabeth Howell
SPACE.COM
Wed, October 2, 2024
The SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts before two people were removed from the flight. From left: Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. | Credit: SpaceX
Two astronauts who were supposed to be in space right now say they are still glad to be part of the ground team.
Until recently, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were assigned to SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. But their Crew Dragon spacecraft left without them on Saturday (Sept. 28) after their seats had to be reassigned in August to bring home two other NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS).
"I think it was hard not to watch that rocket lift off without thinking, 'That's my rocket and that's my crew,'" Cardman said during the launch broadcast on NASA+, formerly NASA Television, of the Crew-9 astronauts who did leave Earth: NASA's Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
"It makes me feel very connected to this mission," Cardman added.
Wilson, speaking during the same broadcast, emphasized that astronauts are always working for the same team no matter if they are in space or on the ground. "We, of course, want to be together," she said of Crew-9. "We have built friendship and camaraderie … but I'm very excited for them [Hague and Gorbunov], looking forward to hearing their stories from space."
Related: SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft arrives at ISS to help bring Starliner astronauts home (video)
Crew Dragon went to space with two mass simulators in Cardman's and Wilson's former seats. When Crew-9 wraps up in February 2025, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will occupy those spots. Williams and Wilson were left without their expected ride home after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth autonomously on Sept. 7.
— SpaceX moving Crew Dragon splashdowns to West Coast after multiple space debris incidents
— NASA cuts 2 astronauts from SpaceX Crew-9 mission to make room for Boeing Starliner crew
— SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failure forces NASA to evaluate astronaut launch schedule for ISS
Starliner launched to space without major incident, but docking with the ISS on June 6 was problematic. Issues with the propulsion system on Starliner delayed the spacecraft's arrival to the ISS during its first-ever mission with astronauts. Two months of troubleshooting followed, but NASA said the risk remained too high to bring Starliner home with the crew. So Crew-9 was modified to accommodate Williams and Wilmore on the return trip.
Cardman praised NASA for taking the time to "prioritize the safety of the crew," even though Starliner's uncrewed return to Earth was deemed safe enough, after the fact, to have brought home the NASA pair. As for Williams' and Wilmore's unexpected ISS extension from a few days to eight months: "Butch and Suni are professionals who are well prepared. They are previous flyers who have spent time on the space station before, so they're doing great work on board."
Wilson and Cardman remain eligible for future NASA spaceflights.
Wed, October 2, 2024
The SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts before two people were removed from the flight. From left: Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. | Credit: SpaceX
Two astronauts who were supposed to be in space right now say they are still glad to be part of the ground team.
Until recently, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were assigned to SpaceX's Crew-9 mission. But their Crew Dragon spacecraft left without them on Saturday (Sept. 28) after their seats had to be reassigned in August to bring home two other NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS).
"I think it was hard not to watch that rocket lift off without thinking, 'That's my rocket and that's my crew,'" Cardman said during the launch broadcast on NASA+, formerly NASA Television, of the Crew-9 astronauts who did leave Earth: NASA's Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
"It makes me feel very connected to this mission," Cardman added.
Wilson, speaking during the same broadcast, emphasized that astronauts are always working for the same team no matter if they are in space or on the ground. "We, of course, want to be together," she said of Crew-9. "We have built friendship and camaraderie … but I'm very excited for them [Hague and Gorbunov], looking forward to hearing their stories from space."
Related: SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft arrives at ISS to help bring Starliner astronauts home (video)
Crew Dragon went to space with two mass simulators in Cardman's and Wilson's former seats. When Crew-9 wraps up in February 2025, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will occupy those spots. Williams and Wilson were left without their expected ride home after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth autonomously on Sept. 7.
— SpaceX moving Crew Dragon splashdowns to West Coast after multiple space debris incidents
— NASA cuts 2 astronauts from SpaceX Crew-9 mission to make room for Boeing Starliner crew
— SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failure forces NASA to evaluate astronaut launch schedule for ISS
Starliner launched to space without major incident, but docking with the ISS on June 6 was problematic. Issues with the propulsion system on Starliner delayed the spacecraft's arrival to the ISS during its first-ever mission with astronauts. Two months of troubleshooting followed, but NASA said the risk remained too high to bring Starliner home with the crew. So Crew-9 was modified to accommodate Williams and Wilmore on the return trip.
Cardman praised NASA for taking the time to "prioritize the safety of the crew," even though Starliner's uncrewed return to Earth was deemed safe enough, after the fact, to have brought home the NASA pair. As for Williams' and Wilmore's unexpected ISS extension from a few days to eight months: "Butch and Suni are professionals who are well prepared. They are previous flyers who have spent time on the space station before, so they're doing great work on board."
Wilson and Cardman remain eligible for future NASA spaceflights.
Charted: How SpaceX hit the world record for rocket launches
Anthony Cuthbertson
Wed, October 2, 2024
A screenshot from a Starship rocket test on 3 March, 2021, in Boca Chica, Texas. The next-generation rocket is currently grounded until November 2024 while it awaits regulatory approval (SpaceX)
SpaceX is one lift-off away from breaking its own record for the number of orbital rocket launches in a single year – however two of its rockets are currently grounded.
The launch from Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida of a Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Saturday equaled the previous milestone of 96 launches set in 2023.
The latest launch is part of a rescue mission to return two astronauts stranded aboard the ISS, however the Falcon 9’s second stage encountered a problem when returning to Earth.
There were no injuries or property damage, though the rocket landed outside of the designated hazard area set out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
SpaceX decided to pause launches of its Falcon 9 rocket – which have performed more than 90 per cent of all orbital launches this year – until it better understood the cause of the “off-nominal deorbit burn” last weekend.
The FAA confirmed that it was awaiting the results of the investigation before space flights can resume.
Among the missions currently on hold include Nasa’s Europa Clipper mission, as well as launches to deliver SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The US regulator has also postponed the next orbital flight test of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, despite Elon Musk claiming that the world’s biggest rocket has been ready to launch since August.
The SpaceX boss accused the FAA of “regulatory overreach”, however a spokesperson for the regulator responded to the criticism by claiming that SpaceX changed the profile of the next Starship mission to include new variables that require new safety and environmental reviews.
“SpaceX chose to modify both for its proposed Starship Flight 5 launch which triggered a more in-depth review,” a spokesperson for the FAA told The Independent. “In addition, SpaceX submitted new information in mid-August detailing how the environmental impact of Flight 5 will cover a larger area than previously reviewed.”
One of the updated mission objectives requiring review is an attempt to catch a Super Heavy booster with a “chopsticks” system built into the same launchpad that the rocket will lift off from. The FAA said a conclusion to its review would not be completed until late November at the earliest.
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