FAA Greenlights SpaceX Falcon 9 Return to Flight After Investigation

The FAA approved SpaceX's Falcon 9's return to flight following a successful investigation into a secondary stage malfunction. The vehicle was grounded after a September NASA mission. Investigations into previous Starlink mission mishaps have also been concluded.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that SpaceX's Falcon 9 has received approval to return to flight status. This decision follows a thorough investigation led by SpaceX, which the FAA reviewed and accepted. The investigation addressed the malfunction that occurred on September 28.

Earlier, on September 30, the FAA required SpaceX to conduct an investigation after the Falcon 9's second stage malfunctioned during a NASA astronaut mission. This malfunction resulted in the booster landing outside of the designated safety zone in the Pacific Ocean, marking the third grounding of the vehicle in as many months.

In addition to this, the FAA also announced the closure of SpaceX-led investigations into Falcon 9 incidents that occurred during Starlink missions in July and August.

(With inputs from agencies.)