"The second stage issue, which resulted in a failed deorbit burn and subsequent reentry over the Southern Indian Ocean, was due to "an off-nominal condition caused by a failed ignition due to a gas bubble in the transfer tube ahead of the planned deorbit burn." Launches of the workhorse rocket were halted while an investigation took place. Shortly after, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told The Register: "The FAA will oversee every step of the investigation, approve the final report and any corrective actions.""
"A few days later, the FAA gave SpaceX the nod to resume launches and said in a statement: "The FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation. The final mishap report cites the probable root cause as the Falcon 9 stage 2 engine's failure to ignite before the deorbit burn. "SpaceX identified technical and organizational preventative measures to avoid a reoccurrence of the event. The Falcon 9 vehicle is authorized to return to flight.""
SpaceX paused Falcon 9 launches after a second-stage failure prevented a planned deorbit burn and caused reentry over the Southern Indian Ocean. The anomaly was traced to a failed ignition caused by a gas bubble in a transfer tube. The FAA oversaw the investigation, accepted the SpaceX-led findings, and authorized a return to flight after SpaceX identified technical and organizational preventative measures. Flights resumed and a February 7 mission successfully launched 25 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg, clearing the way for Crew-12. SpaceX was awarded a 2021 contract to develop a Starship-derived lunar lander and is prioritizing building a self-growing Moon city within ten years.
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