SpaceX Grounds Falcon 9 Rocket After Upper Stage Issue, Crew-12 Mission Uncertain

The company is investigating the problem before returning the workhorse rocket to flight.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 3:07pm

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SpaceX has temporarily grounded its Falcon 9 rocket after an issue with the upper stage during a recent Starlink satellite launch. The company is reviewing data to determine the root cause and corrective actions before resuming flights, raising questions about the upcoming Crew-12 astronaut mission to the International Space Station currently scheduled for February 11.

Why it matters

The Falcon 9 is SpaceX's primary launch vehicle, responsible for delivering cargo and crew to orbit. Any extended grounding could delay critical missions, including the Crew-12 flight that will restore the ISS to its normal staffing level of seven astronauts.

The details

During a Starlink launch on February 2, the Falcon 9's upper stage failed to perform a deorbit burn as planned, leading SpaceX to temporarily ground the rocket. This comes after a previous issue in March 2025 where a Falcon 9 first stage toppled over after landing, which was traced to a fuel leak. SpaceX and NASA are closely partnering on the investigation, which must be resolved before the Crew-12 mission can proceed as scheduled.

  • On February 2, 2026, the Falcon 9 rocket delivered 25 Starlink satellites to orbit but failed to perform a deorbit burn on the upper stage.
  • The Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station is currently scheduled to launch on February 11, 2026.

The players

SpaceX

An American aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, including the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The national aviation authority of the United States, which is partnering with SpaceX and NASA on the investigation into the Falcon 9 issue.

Amit Kshatriya

NASA Associate Administrator, who discussed the Falcon 9 investigation and the Crew-12 mission during a recent press conference.

Jonathan McDowell

A satellite tracker and astrophysicist who provided updates on the Falcon 9 upper stage that failed to perform a deorbit burn.

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What they’re saying

“We do have our teams with Commercial Crew embedded in that investigation. We're pressing towards our Crew-12 window. We're planning towards, you know, just a week, a little bit more than a week from now, to start that preparation. But again, that's going to be contingent on the return-to-flight rationale, [on] which we're heavily partnered with both the FAA and SpaceX.”

— Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator

“It will reenter quickly.”

— Jonathan McDowell, Satellite tracker and astrophysicist

What’s next

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The takeaway

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