WASHINGTON — The head of U.S. Space Command expressed confidence July 17 that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will soon return to flight following a recent mishap.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, revealed that he visited SpaceX’s Starlink satellite factory in Seattle the day after a July 11 incident that led to the grounding of the Falcon 9 fleet.
“We showed up and some of their senior leaders were there and they were very transparent, giving us insight into what had happened,” Whiting said. “So I personally have full confidence in SpaceX working with the Federal Aviation Administration, working with NASA, working with the Space Force to figure out what happened and continue launching.”
The July 11 incident involved an anomaly during the second stage burn of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites, resulting in an early engine shutdown. This prompted a temporary grounding of the Falcon 9 fleet pending an investigation.
Whiting emphasized SpaceX’s track record, noting that the company has launched the Falcon 9 “hundreds of times and I’m sure they’ll figure this out quickly.”
The U.S. national security launch program currently relies on two primary providers: SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Whiting stressed the importance of securing at least two launch providers to ensure continued access to space in case of unforeseen events.
Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, who appeared alongside Whiting on the panel, declined to comment on reports about the potential sale of ULA. The launch provider is co-owned by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Lightfoot affirmed Lockheed Martin’s commitment to ULA’s success.
ULA is poised to conduct the second certification launch of its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, a crucial step toward qualifying the vehicle for national security payloads. If successful, ULA could begin launching such missions later this year.
