After a brief two-week hiatus, SpaceX is ready to return to flight with a Falcon 9 launch scheduled for shortly after midnight on Saturday. This mission, named Starlink 10-9, follows an incident involving a Falcon 9 upper stage on July 11.
The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:59 a.m. EDT (0459 UTC). This launch will be the 50th dedicated Starlink mission of 2024. Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage starting about an hour before liftoff.
FAA Clearance for SpaceX The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees commercial space activities in the U.S., has given SpaceX permission to resume Falcon 9 launches before completing the formal investigation into the July 11 mishap. The FAA approved SpaceX’s public safety determination, one of the two pathways for resuming launches after a mishap.
"After a comprehensive review, the FAA determined no public safety issues were involved in the anomaly that occurred during the SpaceX Starlink Group 9-3 launch on July 11," the FAA stated. "This public safety determination allows the Falcon 9 to return to flight operations while the overall investigation remains open, provided all other license requirements are met."
Details of the July 11 Incident On July 11, a liquid oxygen leak was detected in the upper stage of the Falcon 9 during the Starlink 9-3 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The cause was traced to a crack in a pressure sensor line due to engine vibration and a loose clamp.
Despite the leak, the second stage engine completed its initial burn and entered the coast phase in the intended elliptical parking orbit. However, the leak caused a "hard start" of the Merlin Vacuum engine, damaging its hardware and causing a loss of steering capability.
SpaceX identified and tested solutions to the problem, including removing the problematic sensor, at its facilities in McGregor, Texas. The FAA, NASA, and SpaceX worked together to review the data and ensure safety measures were in place for future launches.
Returning to Flight The FAA's clearance allows SpaceX to proceed with its scheduled launches. Starting last weekend, SpaceX deployed marine assets to support the launch operations, including droneships and recovery vessels.
Two additional launches are planned following the Starlink 10-9 mission. These include the Starlink 10-4 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 and the Starlink 9-4 mission from Vandenberg.
Upcoming Space Missions The resumption of launches is crucial for SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and other customers like NASA and the Polaris program. NASA plans to launch a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on the NG-21 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, followed by the Crew-9 astronaut flight.
Additionally, Jared Isaacman and three private astronauts are preparing for the Polaris Dawn mission, which includes the first commercial spacewalk in history. NASA announced that this mission is set to launch no earlier than August 18, with a window extending to early September. This timing is essential to allow for the conversion of the launch pad from a Falcon 9 to a Falcon Heavy configuration for the Europa Clipper mission in October.
SpaceX has multiple significant missions planned for the latter half of 2024, marking a busy and critical period for the company.
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