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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

SpaceX has concluded its investigation into the September 1st accident and will attempt to return to launching satellites starting on January 8th [bloomberg.com]:

An accident investigation team "concluded that one of the three composite overwrapped pressure vessels inside the second stage liquid oxygen tank failed," SpaceX said Monday in a statement on its website [spacex.com]. The September failure was likely because of an oxygen buildup or a void in the buckle in the liner of the vessel, the company said.

The announcement of a launch date means that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has accepted SpaceX's investigation report regarding the Sept. 1 mishap, which founder Elon Musk has called the company's most perplexing failure in 14 years. The blast [bloomberg.com] occurred during a test firing of the rocket's engines, destroying a Falcon 9 rocket and Amos-6, an Israeli communications satellite, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. No one was injured.

Also at Ars Technica [arstechnica.com] and USA Today [usatoday.com].

Previously: Spacecom Seeks $50 Million or a Free Flight After SpaceX Rocket Explosion [soylentnews.org]
NASA Advisory Committee Skeptical of SpaceX Manned Refueling Plan [soylentnews.org]
SpaceX Identifies Cause of September Explosion [soylentnews.org]
SpaceX Delays Launches to January [soylentnews.org]

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