For the second time in two months, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch has had problems, leading to a temporary grounding of the rocket by the Federal Aviation Administration. In the latest case, a rocket booster crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after a successful launch of Starlink satellites.
As a result of the malfunction, the privately-funded Polaris Dawn mission scheduled for this Friday will most likely need to be delayed. One of the goals for the Polaris Dawn mission is a spacewalk, which will be the first private space walk to date.
Of greater concern is the role of the Falcon 9 in upcoming International Space Station launches, be it crewed or uncrewed. With the Boeing capsule stuck at the station, SpaceX is currently the one game in town for NASA’s station needs.
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