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SpaceX Reveals Why Its Second Starship Exploded in Flight – ExtremeTech

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

SpaceX last tried to launch its Starship megarocket in November 2023, and while it made it farther than the first test, both Starship and the Super Heavy booster were lost in flight. The company has now completed the required incident review with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), clearing the way for another launch in the near future. The report details what went wrong with the rocket and the mitigations SpaceX has implemented to ensure it doesn't happen again.

The Nov. 18 launch was Starship's second, following a maiden voyage that incinerated the launchpad. SpaceX shielded the ground infrastructure from Starship's intense exhaust, but the vehicle still didn't reach its destination. About three minutes after launch, Starship completed a "hot staging" maneuver (above) to free itself of the Super Heavy first stage. Super Heavy was supposed to descend and land gently in the Gulf of Mexico, but it exploded just after leaving Starship behind. Meanwhile, Starship flew for a further four minutes before it, too, experienced "rapid unscheduled disassembly," as SpaceX is fond of saying.

The FAA report explains what caused both rocket stages to go up in smoke. After hot staging, Super Heavy fired 13 of its 33 Raptor engines to begin slowing its descent. However, several engines faltered, and one of them failed "energetically." SpaceX blames a liquid oxygen filter that had become clogged. The loss of inlet pressure in the oxidizer turbopumps and this sputtering led to the engine failure. SpaceX says it has already implemented hardware fixes to ensure that filter does not become obstructed in future launches.

As for Starship, SpaceX has expanded on a previous statement that put the blame on a fuel dump. Because Starship was not carrying a payload, too much liquid oxygen was on board as it reached the edge of space. To gather valid data on future payload behavior, SpaceX vented a large amount of oxygen. Unfortunately, a leak developed in the aft section of the vehicle when the oxygen was vented. This sparked a fire inside the rocket, which led to a loss of communication. Starship's autonomous control system attempted to shut down all six engines, but the "Autonomous Flight Safety System" decided Starship was too far gone and initiated a programmed self-destruct.

33 Raptor engines firing to launch Starship. Credit: SpaceX

At the time of Starship's destruction, it had reached an altitude of about 93 miles (150 kilometers), well past the transition between Earth and outer space. Its speed was a whopping 24,000 miles per hour, just shy of escape velocity (28,000 mph). SpaceX says it will implement new electronic thrust control systems in Starship to improve reliability. So, if Starship explodes again, it will be for a completely different reason.

SpaceX has four Starship vehicles waiting in the wings, but it can't launch them just yet. The FAA has accepted SpaceX's explanation of events, but there are a few regulatory hurdles yet to clear. The FAA is expected to grant Starship clearance in early to mid-March, and a third test flight should follow soon after.

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SpaceX Reveals Why Its Second Starship Exploded in Flight - ExtremeTech

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FAA demands 17 ‘corrective actions’ from SpaceX in Starship mishap investigation – MyRGV

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

Only have a minute? Listen instead

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it has closed a SpaceX-led mishap investigation into the Nov. 18 Starship-Super Heavy orbital flight attempt from Boca Chica.

The test flight successfully launched and achieved stage separation, though the Super Heavy booster rocket (stage one) automatically self-destructed shortly afterward, the stage-two Starship following suit several minutes later, before reaching orbit.

The FAA said it accepts the root causes and 17 corrective actions that SpaceX identified and documented in its mishap report. Seven corrective actions were identified as necessary for the 33-engine Super Heavy, including vehicle hardware redesigns, upgraded control-system modeling, reevaluation of engine analyses based on flight data from the test flight, and updated engine-control algorithms, according to the FAA.

The agency said 10 corrective actions were identified for the six-engine Starship, including vehicle hardware redesigns, operational changes, flammability analysis updates, installation of additional fire protection, and guidance and modeling updates.

After a successful ascent and stage separation early the morning of Nov. 18, Super Heavy BN9 ran into trouble during its boost-back burn (to reverse the boosters course for landing), resulting in a midair explosion and loss of the vehicle, the FAA said. Starship SN25 successfully started its six engines, separated from the booster, and began a planned liquid-oxygen propellant dump before shutting off its engines.

Over the next minute, several explosions and sustained fires were observed in onboard camera aft video streams, ultimately resulting in a loss of communication between the forward and aft flight computers, the FAA reported. This resulted in a commanded shut-down of all six engines, and an Autonomous Flight Safety System flight termination triggering at (7:10:55 a.m.) per flight safety rules.

The agency defined the launch as a mishap per Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and required SpaceX to conduct the mishap investigation.

The FAA has been provided with sufficient information and accepts the root causes and corrective actions described in the mishap reports, the agency said. Consequently, the FAA considers the mishap investigation that SpaceX was required to complete to be concluded.

This was SpaceXs second orbital flight attempt with Starship. The first took place on April 20, 2023, beginning with a successful liftoff and ascent but ending when stage-separation failed to occur and Starship-Super Heavy exploding far above the Gulf of Mexico compliments of onboard flight-termination systems. The reinforced concrete launch pad at Boca Chica was also destroyed during liftoff.

Closure of the investigation into the Nov. 18 test flight does not mean SpaceX is immediately authorized to make a third Starship orbital flight attempt attempt from Boca Chica, the FAA emphasized.

Prior to the next launch, SpaceX must implement all corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements, the agency said. The FAA is evaluating SpaceXs license modification request and expects SpaceX to submit additional required information before a final determination can be made.

Meanwhile, SpaceX has requested a waiver from the FAA in order to conduct at least nine Starship launches from Boca Chica per year, as opposed to the five launches per year the FAA has already approved (as long as SpaceX meets the agencys requirements for each launch).

Kevin Coleman, FAA administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, told reporters earlier this month that SpaceX is looking at a pretty aggressive launch schedule this year.

Weve been talking to SpaceX constantly around the clock, coming together and trying to figure out how do we do this, he was quoted as saying. Were invested with the company, and so well work with them to get them back (flying) as soon as they can.

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FAA demands 17 'corrective actions' from SpaceX in Starship mishap investigation - MyRGV

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

SpaceX Starship docking system readies for moon missions in tests with NASA – Space.com

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

Practice makes perfect, which is especially true for moon missions with astronauts on board.

That's why SpaceX and NASA recently completed more than 200 docking scenarios together with Starship hardware. Starship is the landing system that will bring astronauts to the lunar surface with the Artemis 3 mission, no earlier than 2026.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center spent 10 days using hardware from the Starship lander and NASA's Orion orbiter (designed by Lockheed Martin) at "various approach angles and speeds," NASA officials said in a release. "These real-world results, using full-scale hardware, will validate computer models of the moon lander's docking system," agency officials wrote on Wednesday (Feb. 28).

Related: NASA astronauts test SpaceX Starship elevator for future moon landings

The Artemis 3 moon landing requires two spacecraft: the Orion capsule, which will ferry the astronauts to lunar orbit, and the Starship lander, which will send the astronauts to the moon's south pole. The agency eventually aims to create a permanent settlement in this region to take advantage of its potential water ice, which would be beneficial for fueling and other mission needs.

The testing put Starship into the active docking role, with its hardware being a "chaser" to the Orion target docking system, NASA officials explained. Testing was meant to ensure SpaceX's soft capture system could extend to Orion, while Orion's passive system stayed retracted. The two hardware pieces join through "latches and other mechanisms," according to the agency.

While Starship has not yet made it to Earth orbit, its lunar docking system has a lot of flight heritage: it's based on the Dragon 2 docking system used for International Space Station missions. On future missions following Artemis 3, Starship will dock, alongside Orion, with NASA's Gateway space station for astronaut transfer.

SpaceX was initially chosen as the winner in 2021 of the Human Landing System (HLS) contract for the NASA-led Artemis program, which intends to bring a coalition of nations to the moon's surface under the Artemis Accords. NASA at first said it was planning on selecting multiple vendors, making the sole-source award a surprise.

Blue Originand Dynetics, other companies competing for the opportunity, filed protests to the Government Accountability Office and cited "flawed acquisition" for the program as well as "issues and concerns" with the award process. The GAO turned those protests down and, in its detailed rationale released that August, said it found no "competitive prejudice" in NASA's decision. The U.S. Senate, however, directed NASA to select a second company in October 2021, and the agency eventually went with Blue Origin for its Blue Moon lander system.

Starship made two test flights in 2023 in an attempt to reach Earth orbit, but neither were successful. The most recent SpaceX-led investigation into the November launch attempt was closed by the Federal Aviation Administration this week, and SpaceX is now working on the launch license for its third attempt.

The Artemis 3 landing, along with the Artemis 2 round-the-moon mission which will have astronauts onboard as well, was delayed in January due to several technical issues that included Starship delays. Artemis 3 will now land in 2026 at the earliest, a year later than planned, while Artemis 2 is launching nine months later in September 2025.

SpaceX's progress with Starship has been a concern for NASA for quite a while. NASA associate administrator Jim Free said in June 2023, for example, that SpaceX will need to finish "a significant number of launches" successfully before the agency gives the green light for Artemis.

In its Tuesday update, NASA officials noted SpaceX has finished "more than 30 HLS specific milestones" regarding hardware ranging from generating power and developing a guidance and navigation system, to mechanisms for propulsion, life support and protection from space's harsh environment.

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SpaceX Starship docking system readies for moon missions in tests with NASA - Space.com

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Leap day liftoff: SpaceX Starlink launches as Crew-8 moved to Saturday – Florida Today

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

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Leap day liftoff: SpaceX Starlink launches as Crew-8 moved to Saturday - Florida Today

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SpaceX Starlink 6-41 launch from Cape Canaveral: Where to watch Falcon 9 rocket lift off – Florida Today

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

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SpaceX Starlink 6-41 launch from Cape Canaveral: Where to watch Falcon 9 rocket lift off - Florida Today

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SpaceX delays Crew-8 astronaut launch for NASA to March 2 due to bad weather – Space.com

Posted: March 2, 2024 at 2:40 am

SpaceX has delayed its first NASA astronaut launch of 2024 to no earlier than Saturday (March 2) due to offshore weather concerns near the mission's Florida launch site.

The four-astronaut SpaceX mission, called Crew-8, will now lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Saturday night at 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 on March 3 GMT) from Pad 39A of the U.S. space agency's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. It's the latest schedule slip for the launch, which was initially given a Feb. 22 launch date.

Read more: SpaceX Crew-8 astronaut mission: Live updates

"Joint teams selected the updated launch opportunity due to unfavorable weather conditions forecast for Friday, March 1, in offshore areas along the flight track of the Dragon spacecraft," NASA wrote in a mission update just after midnight on Feb. 29. "High wind and waves along the eastern seaboard have been observed and are forecast to continue through Saturday morning."

Unsteady sea conditions could pose safety concern for recovery teams if SpaceX's Dragon capsule suffers a launch emergency that forces the capsule to abort in mid-flight and splashdown in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

"In the unlikely case of an abort during launch or the flight of Dragon, the wind and wave conditions must be within acceptable conditions for the safe recovery of the crew and spacecraft," NASA officials wrote in the update.

SpaceX's Crew-8 mission will launch NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station to begin a six-month mission in orbit. The astronauts are due to return to Earth in late August.

NASA and SpaceX initially hoped to launch the Crew-8 mission on Feb. 22, but delayed it to Feb. 28, then to just after midnight on March 1, to allow more time between an earlier SpaceX launch on Feb. 18 from the same pad.

Crew-8 will mark SpaceX's ninth crewed flight for NASA under a multi-billion-dollar agreement to fly astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX has been flying astronaut missions for NASA since May 2020. A second company, Boeing, is expected to begin its own crewed flights for NASA in April using its own Starliner spacecraft.

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SpaceX delays Crew-8 astronaut launch for NASA to March 2 due to bad weather - Space.com

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