July 25, 2024 As a Falcon 9 first stage headed back for a landing on July 11 (left), the upper stage began leaking liquid oxygen during the first of two planned burns. The second burn was unsuccessful, leaving 20 Starlink satellites in unsustainably low orbits. Credit: SpaceX Webcast SpaceX has set and broken many records with its partly reusable Falcon rockets, which last year delivered more than 1,100 tons of mass to orbit—about four times more than the rest of the world’s launch vehicles combined, the company says. However, one milestone has been left unchallenged since... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International. SpaceX Sets Stage To Resume Falcon 9 Flights is available to both Aviation Week & Space Technology and AWIN subscribers. Subscribe now to read this content, plus receive critical analysis into emerging trends, technological advancements, operational best practices and continuous updates to policy, requirements and budgets. Already a subscriber to AW&ST or AWIN? Log in with your existing email and password.