Unraveling the Mystery: SpaceX Identifies Causes Behind Starship’s Recent Test Flight Explosion

The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket aimed to test several upgrades. After a successful launch, the Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship and performed a boostback burn to return to the launch site. The booster was successfully caught mid-air by the launch tower at Starbase, marking the second successful mid-air catch.

However, things didn’t go as smoothly for Starship. About two minutes after it ignited its second stage engines, a flash appeared in the aft section, known as the attic. Sensors detected a pressure rise due to a leak. Soon after, a second flash occurred, resulting in sustained fires in that section. This caused most of Starship’s engines to shut down, leading to a loss of communication with the spacecraft.

Following the incident, an analysis revealed that Starship’s Autonomous Flight Safety System triggered a self-destruct about three minutes after contact was lost. SpaceX attributed the failure to stronger vibrations during this flight, which stressed the propulsion system and led to a propellant leak. This leak exceeded the containment capability, resulting in sustained fires.

The explosion produced falling debris that resembled a meteor shower, as reported by several tourists in the Turks and Caicos who shared videos online. While SpaceX confirmed that all debris landed in a designated area, the Federal Aviation Administration briefly grounded and rerouted flights in the vicinity due to safety concerns.

In response to the incident, SpaceX collaborated with the FAA, NASA, and other agencies to investigate. As part of this investigation, SpaceX conducted a 60-second static test fire of the Starship for its next flight. Following this test, the company made modifications to the hardware, including updates to fuel feedlines and adjustments to propellant temperatures and thrust targets.

Additionally, SpaceX installed extra vents and a new purge system using gaseous nitrogen in the attic section to minimize the risk of propellant leakage in future flights.

SpaceX plans to launch the eighth test flight of Starship on February 28, 2025. The company is currently working with the FAA to resolve the mishap investigation and secure the necessary licenses for the next flight.

Source link

News,Science,Space,SpaceX,Transpo