The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring Elon Musk's SpaceX to investigate an accident during the final test flight of its Starship rocket. The spacecraft exploded in mid-air and its debris fell to Earth. The agency has suspended further flights until this matter is resolved.
On Thursday, January 16, the seventh test flight of the world's largest rocket took place. The Starship/Super Heavy launch system lifted off at 11:37 p.m. Central European Time from a base near Boca Chica, Texas. After the upper stage separated, the Super Heavy module returned to Earth and – for the second time in test history – was successfully taken over by the mechanical arms of the launch tower.
However, the ship's upper stage stopped transmitting data at an altitude of 146 kilometers, and SpaceX said it was considered “lost.” There was an explosion and its debris began to fall to Earth in a spectacular manner. Fragments of the spacecraft fell, among others, on the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory in Central America in the Bahamas archipelago. Elon Musk and the company SpaceX, which he owns, announced in statements that a fire broke out in the engine part of the ship caused by a fuel leak, which was the cause of the explosion. Ship 33, a new variant of the rocket's upper stage, differed from the previous ones in, among other things, just modified fuel system.
“FAA requires investigation”
The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees civil aviation in the US, published a statement on its website regarding the seventh test. “The FAA is requiring SpaceX to conduct an investigation into the accident involving the loss of the Starship vehicle (…). There are no reports of injuries to the public, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of damage to public property in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” it said.
As the agency explained, the investigation “is intended to enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the incident and identify corrective actions to avoid its recurrence.”
The FAA must approve SpaceX's final report on this investigation and any corrective actions before the company can ship cosmos more ships. “The return to flight is based on the FAA's determination that no system, process or procedure related to the crash has an impact on public safety,” the statement said.
The agency also reported that as a result of the explosion, several dozen planes had to change their routes.
Elon Musk and SpaceX assure cooperation
SpaceX said on social media that it would conduct a thorough investigation in cooperation with the FAA and implement “corrective actions to improve future test flights.” Elon Musk also said on the X platform that the problem will be resolved. “In addition to double checking the tightness, we will add a fire protection system and probably increase the ventilation area. So far, there is no indication that the next launch will take place later than next month,” he wrote. However, everything depends on the opinion of the FFA, which may issue SpaceX a license for further Starship test flights.
The Starship rocket disintegrated in mid-airCable News Network Inc. All rights reserved 2024
The largest rocket in the world
Starship is a two-stage megarocket approximately 123 meters high and nine meters in diameter. Its first stage is the Super Heavy booster (i.e. carrier module), and the second stage is the spacecraft. Both stages are powered by Raptor rocket engines using liquid methane as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidant. The rocket is intended to carry the largest loads into orbit and significantly reduce the costs of such transport. The first four test flights of the rocket also ended with ship explosions either immediately after takeoff or during landing attempts. Over time, the Starship is to have a key role in the colonization of the Moon and, later, Mars. A sufficiently large fleet of such rockets could allow for a permanent transport connection with the Moon.
The Starship rocket during Thursday's launchPAP/EPA/MICHAEL GONZALEZ
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