SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA is officially on for Feb. 11 as FAA clears Falcon 9 rocket to fly again
Space • • general
Key Points:
- The FAA has authorized SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to resume flights after a four-day grounding caused by an upper stage issue during a recent Starlink satellite launch.
- SpaceX and NASA are preparing for the Crew-12 mission launch scheduled for February 11 from Cape Canaveral, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
- The upper stage failure involved the Falcon 9 engine's failure to ignite before a deorbit burn, leading to an uncontrolled rocket body crash; however, SpaceX implemented measures to prevent recurrence.
- The Crew-12 mission will include NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, who will stay on the