Polaris faces delays after failure of a SpaceX booster on a separate mission

A groundbreaking civilian SpaceX mission that had been scheduled for early Friday faces the likelihood of delays after a SpaceX rocket booster from a different, uncrewed mission tipped over and exploded early Wednesday after its return to Earth.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered SpaceX to conduct an investigation into why its Falcon 9 stage one booster toppled onto a floating platform on its landing attempt early Wednesday. While that review continues, all Falcon 9 rockets are grounded, including the SpaceX Polaris mission.

Polaris, which had been delayed already this week by poor weather forecasts and a helium leak on a piece of ground equipment, would feature a spacewalk by members of a four-member, all-private crew, with the goal of testing a new spacesuit designed by SpaceX.

It’s unclear how long the SpaceX investigation and FAA sign-off will take. The last investigation, launched after a Falcon 9 rocket suffered engine failure in July, was completed relatively quickly, and SpaceX resumed missions after about two weeks.

Jared Isaacman, who is leading the Polaris mission, said Wednesday on the social media platform X that he doesn’t think the probe will cause serious delays.

“We’re just focused on recovery weather at this point,” he wrote. “I think that is still gate to our launch.”

But if the investigation drags on, it could impact another anticipated SpaceX mission: Bringing home a pair of astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station since early June – a mission that is scheduled for Sept. 24. The return journey is expected in February.

SpaceX has established a long string of reliable landings of its boosters. The one that failed Wednesday had completed 23 successful missions before failing. And while the booster failed, the mission that sent Starlink satellites into orbit was successful.

NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.