VIDEO: SpaceX Falcon 9 booster catches fire after landing mishap following launch from Florida
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket's stage booster toppled over and caught fire while landing on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean after a launch from Florida early Wednesday.
The rocket blasted off at 3:48 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, deploying 21 Starlink satellites – including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities – into low-Earth orbit.
However, after the launch, "Falcon 9's first stage booster tipped over following touchdown on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship," SpaceX said in an update on X.
Teams are now reviewing the booster's flight data and condition.
This mission marked the 23rd flight for the first-stage booster, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and now 16 Starlink missions.
SpaceX had planned for a second launch of Starlink satellites on Wednesday night, but made the decision to scrub it to give its team time to review booster landing data. A new launch date was not immediately released.
FAA grounds SpaceX, investigating Falcon 9 booster mishap
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the following statement regarding the incident:
"The FAA is aware an anomaly occurred during the SpaceX Starlink Group 8-6 mission that launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on August 28. The incident involved the failure of the Falcon 9 booster rocket while landing on a droneship at sea. No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is requiring an investigation.
Background
An investigation is designed to further enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event, and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again.
The FAA will be involved in every step of the investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions. A return to flight of the Falcon 9 booster rocket is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the anomaly does not affect public safety. In addition, SpaceX may need to request and receive approval from the FAA to modify its license that incorporates any corrective actions and meet all other licensing requirements."