SpaceX grounds its Falcon rocket fleet after upper stage misfire

SpaceX has grounded its Falcon rocket fleet following a misfire of the Falcon 9's second stage during the Crew 9 mission launch on September 27, 2024. The second stage failed to execute a deorbit burn correctly, which is intended to prevent space debris by guiding the rocket body into the atmosphere for a controlled reentry. Although the second stage ultimately landed in the ocean, it did so outside the designated area. This incident marks the third grounding of the Falcon 9 fleet in three months, raising concerns for upcoming missions, including two solar system exploration launches scheduled for October. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to investigate the incident, which could impact SpaceX's launch schedule. The company has stated it will resume operations once the root cause of the issue is identified. The grounding is particularly concerning for NASA and the European Space Agency, as they have critical missions planned soon, including the launch of ESA's Hera mission on October 7 and NASA's Europa Clipper on October 10.

- SpaceX's Falcon rocket fleet is grounded due to a second stage misfire during the Crew 9 mission.

- The misfire prevented a proper deorbit burn, leading to the second stage landing outside the designated area.

- This is the third grounding of the Falcon 9 fleet in three months, raising concerns for upcoming missions.

- The FAA is likely to investigate the incident, which could affect SpaceX's launch schedule.

- Upcoming critical missions for NASA and ESA are at risk due to the grounding.