SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket grounded ahead of historic space walk mission

SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets have been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration for the second time in two months after one of them caught fire, fell over and exploded upon its return to Earth this week. The crew, in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, will be sent to space by a Falcon 9, the company’s workhorse rocket. The Falcon 9 that failed blasted off early Wednesday morning from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and launched 21 satellites into orbit as part of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which provides space-based internet service. In announcing the grounding, the FAA noted Wednesday that although “no public injuries or public property damage have been reported,” it was “requiring an investigation.” Last month, the Falcon 9 was grounded for two weeks after the second-stage engine misfired mid-flight because of what was later determined to be a liquid oxygen leak in a line leading to a pressure sensor. The Falcon 9 also is scheduled next month to launch a Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, where two NASA astronauts have been stranded since June due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.