Starship 25 takes off on a Super Heavy booster launch pad with ‘sticks’. Image: SpaceX. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it has closed its investigation into the accident involving the first integrated test flight of SpaceX’s Starship reusable launch vehicle. She emphasized that SpaceX has 63 corrective actions that need to be taken before Starship can perform its second test flight.
“Prior to the next launch of Starship, SpaceX must implement all remedial actions affecting public safety and apply for and receive from the FAA a license amendment that meets all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements,” the FAA said in a statement. .
The announcement comes days after SpaceX. finished loading your Starship vehicle (S25) onto the Super Heavy Booster (B9). The company’s founder, Elon Musk, said it is ready for Integrated Test Flight 2 (IFT-2) and is “awaiting FAA license approval.”
The FAA said the accident investigation report itself would not be made public because of the disclosure of proprietary information it contains, but it did talk generally about some necessary changes.
“The corrective actions include redesigning the vehicle’s hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesigning the launch pad to increase its robustness, incorporating additional reviews into the design process, and additional analysis and testing of safety-critical systems and components, including the autonomous flight safety system.” and implementing additional change control practices,” the agency said in a statement.
In a letter to SpaceX from Marcus Ward, head of the FAA’s safety assurance division, which was sent on September 7. and unveiled on September 8, the FAA noted that the launch license issued for the first test flight only allows for one launch and said SpaceX must apply for a modification… to allow for subsequent launches.
“When SpaceX applies for this modification, it will have to demonstrate compliance … by demonstrating corrective actions taken in response to the 2023 April 20 accident, implementation,” Ward wrote in the letter. “If the FAA approves the amendment, SpaceX will be required to conduct licensed activities in accordance with the representations made in its application … Failure to do so is grounds for enforcement.
Ward concludes his letter by noting that the FAA may not be the only hurdle SpaceX has to overcome before preparing for IFT-2.
“The FAA’s completion of the accident investigation does not prejudge the outcome of any ongoing or future environmental reviews related to the Starship operation at Boca Chica,” Ward wrote.
The FAA is currently facing a lawsuit from several groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity. The organization’s lead attorney in that case, Jared Margolis, told Spaceflight Now that they haven’t seen the full list of 63 changes yet, but will look for more information on actions taken by SpaceX and the FAA.
“The FAA must also comply with environmental laws through additional reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act,” Margolis said. “It is not yet clear where the FAA stands in this process, or whether they will provide an opportunity for public comment on changes to the Starship program and potential damage from further explosions.”
SpaceX changes are underway
Without a full list of the 63 changes the FAA is ordering SpaceX to make, it’s impossible to know exactly how close it is to compliance, but the company provided several updates on Friday.
In a statement, SpaceX said Starship’s first flight provided “a lot of lessons” that are being used to update it before its next launch.
SpaceX has developed and tested a hot-stage separation system where the Starship’s second-stage engines will ignite to push the craft away from the booster. “In addition, SpaceX has developed a new electronic Trust Vector Control (TVC) system for the Super Heavy Raptor engines,” SpaceX said. “Using all-electric motors, the new system has fewer potential points of failure and is much more efficient than traditional hydraulic systems.”
Launching in 2023 April 20 A fire broke out in the engine compartment of the Starship. Image: SpaceX. One of the big problems during IFT-1 was the delayed destruction of the Starship because it failed to achieve phase separation. During ascent, fires broke out in the rear of the Super Heavy’s booster due to leaking propellant, which eventually lost communication with the vehicle’s main flight computer. This resulted in the loss of communications with most of the boosters and ultimately control of the vehicle.
“SpaceX has since implemented leak mitigation measures and improved testing of the engine and booster hardware,” SpaceX said. “As an additional corrective measure, SpaceX has significantly expanded the Super Heavy’s pre-existing fire suppression system to reduce future engine bay fires.”
The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) gave the kill command, but there was an “unexpected delay after AFSS activation” that delayed the kill until 237,474 seconds after engine ignition.
Spaceflight Now reached out to SpaceX to ask when the kill command was released, but we had not heard back by press time. The company rarely responds to media inquiries. In a prepared statement, SpaceX said it had “enhanced and retrained the AFSS to improve system reliability.”
SpaceX also noted other infrastructure upgrades, such as flame deflectors and base reinforcements.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk retweeted the Starship update on his X account, formerly known as Twitter, claiming that the Starship and the launch platform/Mechazilla have been upgraded by the thousands, the so-called tower that supports the Starship launch. title.
SpaceX concluded its statement by reaffirming its philosophy of test and development:
“Testing flight development hardware in a flight environment allows our teams to quickly learn and make design changes and hardware upgrades to increase the likelihood of future success.” Recursive improvement is essential as we strive to create a fully reusable launch system capable of carrying satellites, cargo, crew and cargo to multiple orbits and landing sites on Earth, the Moon or Mars.
