The recent failure of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has cast a shadow over the company’s launch schedule, potentially delaying several high-profile missions.
With the Federal Aviation Administration grounding the Falcon 9 fleet pending an investigation, the launch dates of coming missions, including billionaire Jared Isaacman’s Polaris Dawn scheduled for July 31, and other critical commercial and governmental payloads, are now uncertain.
SpaceX attempted to launch its Starlink satellites on July 11 but Falcon 9’s second stage developed a liquid oxygen leak.
The rocket did deploy the satellites but not to a high enough orbit, with the Starlinks now expected to fall back towards Earth and burn up in its atmosphere.
The Federal Aviation Administration has now launched an inquiry and has temporarily grounded the Falcon 9 rockets until it is complete.
"The FAA will be involved in every step of the investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions," the administration said.
"A return to flight is based on the FAA determining that any system, process or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety."
Rare incident
The Falcon 9 rocket is crucial to SpaceX’s operations as it launches satellites, resupply missions to the International Space Station and astronauts to space.
It has completed 364 successful launches to date and is a reliable rocket with a high frequency of flights.
The last in-flight incident involving a Falcon 9 was in 2015, when a rocket carrying a resupply mission to the space station exploded shortly after lift-off because a support beam was broken.
This caused a helium tank to come loose and overpressurise the rocket’s fuel tank, leading to the rocket breaking apart in mid-flight.
In 2016, a Falcon 9 exploded while it was being fuelled during a pre-launch test because of a problem with its helium tank.
Key launches in limbo
The rocket had several missions scheduled for the remainder of this month.
More Starlink satellites were meant to be launched on July 19 from a spaceport in Florida, as well as the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission built by a Norwegian company later in July from a launch pad in California.
A rideshare mission also scheduled for this month was meant to carry several satellites into space, including the UK Space Command's Tyche, Japan's QPS-SAR-8 and the Tanager-1 built by US-based Planet Labs.
But the most-anticipated mission is the Polaris Dawn, in which the first civilian spacewalk is meant to take place.
The plan is for the Falcon 9 to blast off with the Dragon capsule on top, carrying Mr Isaacman and his three crew mates into space.
It is the first of three missions under the Polaris Programme, with the last involving a flight on SpaceX's deep space rocket Starship.
Mr Isaacman said on X, formerly Twitter, after the Falcon 9 incident that SpaceX had an "incredible track record" with the rocket.
"I can say from personal experience they are very transparent when issues arise," he said.
"I have no doubt they will arrive at a cause quickly and ensure the most cost-effective and reliable launch vehicle keeps delivering payload to orbit.
"As for Polaris Dawn, we will fly whenever SpaceX is ready and with complete confidence in the rocket, spaceship and operations."
The billionaire has flown with SpaceX before as part of Inspiration4 in 2021, which was the first all-civilian flight in space.
SpaceX is also supposed to launch the ninth rotational crew for Nasa in August.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)
Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Naga
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
