IT Home(IT之家) May 27, news, according to foreign media TechCrunch, on Wednesday local time, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement saying that it has required SpaceX to investigate the reasons for the failure of the Starship booster during the test flight on May 22 .
This means that before the investigation is completed and the results are submitted for FAA approval, SpaceX must suspend subsequent Starship test launches. SpaceX was originally expected to go public in mid-June, so the possibility of another Starship launch before its listing has decreased.
The FAA said: "After a comprehensive assessment of this operation, the FAA has determined that the SpaceX Starship's 12th flight launch on May 22 resulted in an accident. The accident involved the Super Heavy booster, which had issues during its return to the U.S. Gulf after stage separation."There are currently no reports of public injury or damage to public property.The FAA will oversee the investigation led by SpaceX, participate in the entire process, and approve SpaceX's final report, including any corrective measures.
Issues with the Starship booster occurred several minutes after launch. This launch was the first flight of the upgraded SpaceX Super Heavy rocket system. The first "V3" Starship passed through the point of maximum dynamic pressure and entered space. According to the original plan, the booster was supposed to separate from the spacecraft, then return to the bay, and complete a simulated landing on the water.
The booster did indeed complete the separation from the spacecraft. However, during the attempt at sustained burn, the booster quickly experiencedobvious engine failureor possibly a series of engine failures. This sustained burn was supposed to propel the booster back to SpaceX's launch site in southern Texas. Subsequently, the booster rolled and fell toward the bay, and it is likely to have exploded upon impact.
SpaceX has made extensive modifications to the third version of the Starship with the goal of improving the rocket's reliabilityMuch higher than the version in the previous 11 test flightsAccording to IT Home, the specific changes include adjusting the booster design, installing a brand new third-generation Raptor engine, and upgrading the Starship spacecraft itself.
After separation, the Starship spacecraft also malfunctioned, with one of the six Raptor engines failing, which led SpaceX to abandon one of the test objectives for this flight: having the Starship perform sustained combustion in orbit again.
SpaceX anticipates that its rockets will fail in various ways during the development process, with the ultimate goal of creating an aircraft similar to the "Falcon 9," making it not only reliable but also highly reusable. Reusable rockets are crucial for reducing the cost of launching heavy payloads.
It is reported that during the development of the Starship, the FAA has repeatedly requested SpaceX to conduct accident investigations.
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