The FAA announced today the closure of both mishap investigations following launch anomalies during the Starship IFT-7 and New Glenn missions.
Starship Woes
The FAA reported that the probable cause for the loss of the Starship was stronger than anticipated vibrations during flight. This lead to increased stress on the vehicle hardware, which resulted in a failed propulsion system. SpaceX had identified 11 different corrective actions to minimize a recurrence during flight 8. The FAA verified that these actions had been in place prior to the loss of Starship during the 8th test flight.
The FAA reported no injuries as a result of the launch, but did report one vehicle that sustained damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Several flights had to be re-routed to avoid falling debris.
The SpaceX lead investigation for Flight 8 remains open. SpaceX will not be able to launch flight 9 until they submit their corrective plans to the FAA. As of now, no launch timeframe has been set.
New Glenn
New Glenn’s inaugural mission launched from Cape Canaveral in January. Although the launch was a success and the dummy payload reached orbit, the first stage of the vehicle was lost when it failed to restart during the entry burn, resulting in a crash. The first stage was due to land on Blue Origin’s droneship Jacklyn.
Internally, Blue Origin identified 7 corrective actions to implement on their next mission to prevent a similar outcome.
Per the FAA, the New Glenn vehicle is approved to return to flight. Blue Origin is required to verify to the FAA that corrective actions are in place before a new launch can occur. New Glenn’s second mission is targeting spring, with no specific launch window announced.
What’s With All the Investigations?
If you’ve been following spaceflight news, there seems to be a lot of investigations lately. The FAA is tasked with ensuring public safety with all things aviation, and spaceflight is no exception. Frequently, companies can have their rockets grounded when missions don’t go as planned. FAA-lead investigations can take weeks to several months to be completed, which can certainly hinder a company’s launch goals.
SpaceX has altered flight plans in recent Starship launches to account for the possibility of a sea booster landing. This was done during flight 6, after damage was done to communications equipment that prevented a catch attempt.
