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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) groundedSpaceX ’s Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday ( Aug 28 ) , trace a failed landing place endeavor that left the spacecraft toppled over in flames .

The recyclable Eruca sativa booster had just completed its record - breaking 23rd mission , successfully launching 21Starlinksatellites into low Earth orbit before touching down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean just about nine minutes later , according to Live Science ’s sister siteSpace.com . However , immediately upon landing , the rocket engine tipped over , bursting into flames .

A rocket launches in the dark with an orange glowing cloud beneath it

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2024. The rocket was recently grounded by the FAA following a failed landing that ended in flames.

No injuries or public holding harm were reported in connexion with the failed landing .

The FAA announce a interruption on all Falcon 9 launches later that day , set all be after missions on hold until the agency completes its investigation into the mischance . It ’s not clear how long the investigation will take , but it has already impacted the planned launching of SpaceX’sPolaris Dawn mission , which was schedule to take four individual citizens into orbit for a five - day voyage , potentially as soon as Friday ( Aug. 30 ) . The commission was previously delayed twice , due to unfavourable weather conditions on Tuesday ( Aug. 27 ) and Wednesday .

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A photo of starship launching in the distance with massive plume of smoke

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Photo of starship flying through the sky with a plume of fire and smoke

The Aug. 28 misadventure not only finish that special Falcon 9 rocket ’s record - give away retrieval stripe but also cut suddenly an even prospicient chain of successful SpaceX landing ; before Wednesday ’s incident , the caller had nail 267 successive Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy champion landing , according to Space.com .

This is the 2nd meter Falcon 9 was ground this year . In July , the projectile ’s upper phase malfunctioned in the eye of a Starlink launch , leading to theloss of 23 satellites . Though the rocket engine ’s lower booster amplifier stage still managed to stick its landing , the FAA grounded Falcon 9 for 15 days following the incident .

Isar Aerospace�s Spectrum rocket crashed and exploded during its first-ever flight, on March 30, 2025.

In the dark of night, a rocket blasts fire from its engines, sending plumes of smoke jetting out as it climbs the launch tower out of frame. A SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket launches from LC-39A, at NASA�s Kennedy Space Center, in Floriday, carrying members of SpaceX�s Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, April 27, 2022.

Photo of a large blue swirl of light in the sky captured by a backyard camera

The Crew-10 Dragon capsule rests atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ahead of launch.

An artist�s illustration of a satellite crashing back to Earth.

An illustration of a satellite crashing into the ocean after an uncontrolled reentry through Earth�s atmosphere

The space balloon

a map showing where the Soviet satellite may fall

An illustration of a burning satellite hurdling back into Earth�s atmosphere

An artist�s illustration of a fireball entering the Earth�s atmosphere at sunset.

an illustration of Mars

Tunnel view of Yosemite National Park.

A scuba diver descends down a deep ocean reef wall into the abyss.

Remains of the Heroon, a small temple built for the burial cluster of Philip II at the Museum of the Royal Tombs inside the Great Tumulus of Aigai (Aegae)

Reconstruction of an early Cretaceous landscape in what is now southern Australia.