July 12, 2024
SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets grounded by FAA
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fleet has been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after a Thursday launch from California produced an upper-stage failure that deployed a batch of Starlink satellites into an eccentric orbit.
The FAA grounding has immediate impact on the Space Coast's launch schedule — which is off to a record-breaking pace this year. All told, 46 of the 50 missions thus far during 2024 have been Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and adjacent NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: Exhaust from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lights up the pre-dawn sky after liftoff from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Wednesday, July 3, 2024 carrying 20 Starlink internet satellites.Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORKCraig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY Vandenberg Space Force Base in California More details »
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