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11/21/2024 12:46:54 pm

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SpaceX Confirms Falcon 9 Launch on Dec. 16

 SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 sits on Pad 40 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Titusville, Florida.

(Photo : Getty Images) SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, having nine-engine suborbital main stage. It returned 10 minutes later to a landing site about 10 kilometers south of its launchpad.

SpaceX confirms that the company will resume the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 16. The rocket will launch the first group of communications satellites into space. Iridium Communications, the company which owns the satellites, also confirmed the launch date.

SpaceX had spent the last three months investigating the root cause behind the Falcon 9 explosion on Sept. 1. The rocket exploded on the launch pad while test firing some of its engines. The explosion destroyed the Israeli communications satellite worth $200 million. According to The Space Reporter, the explosion also damaged SpaceX's launch pad located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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Although SpaceX and Iridium have both confirmed the launch date, the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to give its go signal as the agency is still reviewing the investigation report submitted by SpaceX regarding the event in September. Based on SpaceX's report, the cause of the explosion was traced down to the rocket's fueling system, according to University Herald.

SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk said in an interview that the explosion was triggered when the liquid oxygen fuel flowing into the second stage fuel tank froze and eventually set off a chain of events that led to the explosion.

In a statement released to the public, Iridium spokesperson Diane Hockenberry said, "We are confident that SpaceX understands its fueling process now and will do it successfully for our launch."

This upcoming launch will send 10 of Iridium's 81 satellites into space. This is part of the company's effort to replace old satellite models with new and updated ones.

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