FAA’s inexperienced gentle
The FAA confirmed Friday it issued a launch license earlier this week for Starship Flight 8.
“The FAA decided SpaceX met all security, environmental and different licensing necessities for the suborbital check flight,” an FAA spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.
The federal regulator oversaw a SpaceX-led investigation into the failure of Flight 7. SpaceX mentioned NASA, the Nationwide Transportation Security Board, and the US House Drive additionally participated within the investigation, which decided that propellant leaks and fires in an aft compartment, or attic, of Starship led to the shutdown of its engines and eventual breakup.
Engineers concluded the leaks had been probably attributable to a harmonic response a number of occasions stronger than predicted, suggesting the vibrations through the ship’s climb into house had been in resonance with the automobile’s pure frequency. This may have intensified the vibrations past the degrees engineers anticipated from floor testing.
Earlier this month, SpaceX accomplished an extended-duration static hearth of the subsequent Starship higher stage to check {hardware} modifications at a number of engine thrust ranges. In accordance with SpaceX, findings from the static hearth knowledgeable adjustments to the gasoline feed traces to Starship’s Raptor engines, changes to propellant temperatures, and a brand new working thrust for the subsequent check flight.
“To deal with flammability potential within the attic part on Starship, further vents and a brand new purge system using gaseous nitrogen are being added to the present technology of ships to make the realm extra sturdy to propellant leakage,” SpaceX mentioned. “Future upgrades to Starship will introduce the Raptor 3 engine, lowering the attic quantity and eliminating nearly all of joints that may leak into this quantity.”
FAA officers had been apparently glad with all of this. The company’s business spaceflight division accomplished a “complete security evaluate” and decided Starship can return to flight operations whereas the investigation into the Flight 7 failure stays open. This is not new. The FAA additionally used this security dedication to expedite SpaceX launch license approvals final yr as officers investigated mishaps on Starship and Falcon 9 rocket flights.