SpaceX's highly acclaimed Falcon 9 rocket has faced its second grounding in just two months. The latest setback comes after federal regulators expressed a need to review an unsuccessful landing attempt that took place on Wednesday morning. This grounding jeopardizes two upcoming key human spaceflight missions for SpaceX.

One of the missions, called Polaris Dawn, was scheduled to launch as early as this week. The other mission involves launching two NASA astronauts, as part of Crew-9, to the International Space Station next month. The delay in Falcon 9's operations will also impact the return of Boeing Starliner's test flight crew, who have been stranded on the space station since their Starliner flight in June.

Wednesday's incident occurred during the landing of the first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket, which failed to land upright on a seafaring platform and subsequently exploded. Despite the mishap, the overall mission was successful in delivering a batch of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites into orbit. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), responsible for licensing commercial rocket launches, announced its intention to investigate the incident.

SpaceX has gained recognition for its ability to recover and refurbish Falcon 9 boosters to save costs. Landing the first-stage booster has become a signature move for the company. Most other rockets discard their first stage boosters after a flight. However, the recent mishap and subsequent grounded status of the Falcon 9 rocket may hinder SpaceX's plans to launch the Polaris Dawn mission, which was initially scheduled for this morning but was delayed due to weather forecasts.

It remains uncertain how long Falcon 9 will remain grounded. After the mishap in July, the rocket was grounded for a couple of weeks. The previous incident involved the rocket's second stage, which failed due to an oxygen leak. SpaceX implemented a temporary fix for the issue, but the FAA allowed the rocket to return to flight after determining there were no public safety concerns.

SpaceX has confirmed that the most recent Starlink flight did not encounter any issues with its second stage, indicating a successful orbit achieved by the Falcon 9's upper stage after its second burn. However, the investigation into the failed first-stage booster landing has prompted SpaceX to postpone a planned second Starlink mission.

SpaceX is committed to conducting a thorough analysis of the landing mishap and will share a new target launch date once the investigation is complete. The company's dedication to resolving technical challenges underscores its commitment to ensuring the safety and success of its missions.