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SpaceX is currently seeking approval to resume launching its Falcon 9 rocket while the investigation into the recent Starlink 9 to 3 anomaly continues. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that SpaceX submitted a request for a public safety determination on July 15. If approved, this determination would allow SpaceX to proceed with launches while the investigation remains open.
The anomaly occurred during a Falcon 9 launch on July 11, when the rocket's upper stage failed to complete its second burn due to a liquid oxygen leak. This failure prevented the rocket from circularizing its orbit before deploying 20 Starlink satellites, leaving them in a very low orbit with a perigee of just 135 kilometers. The high atmospheric drag at this altitude has prevented the satellites from raising their orbits using their electric propulsion systems. As a result, SpaceX announced that the satellites would reenter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up.
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s CEO, mentioned that satellite controllers attempted to maximize the electric thrusters to overcome the atmospheric drag but acknowledged that it was unlikely to succeed. Despite the malfunction, the satellites pose no threat to other satellites or public safety due to their low orbit and design to disintegrate upon reentry.
Following the mishap, SpaceX has been transparent with the FAA and NASA about the incident and the ongoing investigation. The FAA has two options for allowing the Falcon 9 to resume flights: approving the final report of a SpaceXled investigation that identifies corrective actions or issuing a public safety determination if the mishap did not involve safetycritical systems or jeopardize public safety.
If the FAA approves SpaceX’s request, the company plans to launch the Starlink 10 to 4 and Starlink 10 to 9 missions from Florida later this week. However, SpaceX might have to wait until the investigation is fully completed before resuming launches.
In the meantime, NASA has stated that it is receiving regular updates from SpaceX about the Falcon 9 rocket as part of its fleet monitoring. NASA emphasized the importance of crew safety and mission assurance and expressed confidence in SpaceX’s transparency and cooperation during the investigation. NASA will provide updates on any potential schedule impacts on agency missions as more information becomes available.
The Starlink 9 to 3 anomaly underscores the complexities and challenges of space launches, even for experienced operators like SpaceX. The company has a robust track record of addressing and learning from such incidents, which is crucial for the continued development and deployment of its satellite constellation and other missions.



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