SpaceX’s crashed Falcon 9 rocket returns to Port Canaveral

THIS IS WHAT A FALCON 9 BOOSTER TYPICALLY LOOKS  LIKE AS IT’S COMING INTO FLORIDA’S PORT CANAVERAL.  A TOWERING 41.2 METER TALL FIRST STAGE BOOSTER  WITH A ROUGHLY 6.5 METER TALL INTERSTAGE ON TOP. BUT ON AUGUST 30, THIS CRUMPLED CHUNK OF BOOSTER,   TAIL NUMBER B1062, WAS ALL  THAT SAILED IN PAST ONLOOKERS. LET’S WIND THE CLOCK BACK.  THE FLIGHT OF B1062 BEGAN UNDER  SOMEWHAT ODD CIRCUMSTANCES. ORIGINALLY, THE FOUR ASTRONAUTS OF  THE COMMERCIAL MISSION NAMED “POLARIS   DAWN” WERE SET TO SOAR FROM FLORIDA’S  SPACE COAST ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28.  HOWEVER, POOR WEATHER ANTICIPATED ON THE TAIL  END OF THE FLIGHT FORCED A CHANGE OF PLANS. POLARIS DAWN WOULD WAIT, BUT TWO BACK-TO-BACK  STARLINK LAUNCHES WOULD MOVE FORWARD INSTEAD.  FIRST UP WAS THE STARLINK 8-6 MISSION  FROM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION. THE LAUNCH BEGAN AS NORMAL WITH A LIFTOFF FROM  SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX 40 AT 3:38 A.M. EASTERN TIME.  BUT NEARLY EIGHT AND A HALF  MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT,   B1062 HAD AN OFF-NOMINAL LANDING ATTEMPT. THE BOOSTER HIT THE DRONESHIP CALLED ‘A   SHORTFALL OF GRAVITAS,’ AND TOPPLED OVER  ALMOST IMMEDIATELY IN A SWIRL OF FLAMES. THIS FAILED LANDING SNAPPED A STREAK  OF 267 SUCCESSFUL BOOSTER LANDINGS THAT   STRETCHED BACK TO MARCH 2021. IT ALSO CAUSED THE FEDERAL   AVIATION ADMINISTRATION TO STEP IN AND  TEMPORARILY GROUND THE FALCON FLEET. FAST FORWARD TO FRIDAY, AUGUST 30,   THE REMNANTS OF B1062 RODE INTO PORT  ATOP THE DRONESHIP AROUND MIDDAY. THOUGH NOT MUCH OF IT REMAINS, THIS BOOSTER  HELD A NOTABLE PLACE IN SPACEX’S LAUNCH HISTORY.  IT WAS THE FLIGHT LEADER FOR THE FALCON FLEET,   HAVING LAUNCHED 23 TIMES  SUCCESSFULLY AND LANDED 22 TIMES. ONE OF THOSE WAS THE INSPIRATION4 MISSION,  LED BY POLARIS DAWN COMMANDER, JARED ISAACMAN. SHORTLY BEFORE 6:30 P.M. EASTERN TIME ON FRIDAY,   JUST BEFORE THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY  WEEKEND BEGAN, THE FAA ISSUED A   STATEMENT, NOTING THAT SPACEX COULD RESUME  LAUNCHING ITS FALCON 9 ROCKET ONCE AGAIN. "The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return  to flight operations while the overall   investigation of the anomaly during the  Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open,   provided all other license requirements  are met," the agency wrote.  "SpaceX made the return to flight request on  Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30.” WITH THE ABILITY TO RESUME LAUNCHES  LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER ITS MISHAP,   SPACEX WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM WHATEVER  ISSUE LED TO THE FAILED LANDING OF B1062   AS IT WORKS TOWARDS CERTIFYING ITS  BOOSTERS FOR UP TO 40 FLIGHTS APIECE. REPORTING FROM PORT CANAVERAL FOR  SPACEFLIGHT NOW, WILL ROBINSON-SMITH.