WASHINGTON, July 26, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - SpaceX's stalwart Falcon 9 rocket has
been cleared for launch after experiencing a rare failure earlier this month,
officials said Thursday.
 
The rocket, a prolific launch vehicle that propels both satellites and
astronauts into orbit, experienced an anomaly during a launch on July 11 in
its second stage booster that meant it failed to deploy 20 Starlink
satellites at a high enough altitude, and all burnt up on re-entry through
Earth's atmosphere.

"During the first burn of Falcon 9's second stage engine, a liquid oxygen
leak developed within the insulation around the upper stage engine," Elon
Musk's company said in a statement.

"The cause of the leak was identified as a crack in a sense line for a
pressure sensor attached to the vehicle's oxygen system."

After investigating the mishap, the Federal Aviation Administration said it
had determined "no public safety issues were involved in the anomaly" and
that the Falcon 9 vehicle "may return to flight operations while the overall
investigation remains open."

The last time a Falcon 9 experienced a serious incident was in September
2016, when one blew up on the launchpad.

And in June 2015, the second stage of a Falcon 9 disintegrated two minutes
after lift-off, resulting in the loss of important equipment bound for the
International Space Station.

The new mishap notably came as the first crew of Boeing's problem-plagued
Starliner spaceship are stuck waiting for ground teams to give a green light
for them to return from the ISS.

With Falcon 9 cleared, the next scheduled resupply of the orbiting outpost in
early August can now take place as planned, using a Northrop Grumman Cygnus
cargo ship.