When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. A Falcon 9 rocket launches SpaceX's Crew-9 astronaut mission to the International Space Station on Sept. 28, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX) The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring an investigation of the anomaly a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket experienced during the Crew-9 astronaut launch on Sept. 28. That liftoff successfully sent a Crew Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov toward the International Space Station. However, the Falcon 9's upper stage suffered an issue after deploying the capsule, SpaceX revealed on Sept. 29. The issue was an "off-nominal deorbit burn," which resulted in the upper stage landing in the ocean outside of its target disposal area. (The Falcon 9's first stage is reusable, but its upper stage is not.) SpaceX is pausing launches while it looks into the issue. The company's investigation will be overseen by the FAA, which said the inquiry is not optional.