![The SpaceX Starship 24 and Super Heavy Booster 7 in flight over the Gulf of Mexico, during the April 20, 2023, Integrated Test Flight. Credit: Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20.jpg)
The SpaceX Starship 24 and Super Heavy Booster 7 in flight over the Gulf of Mexico, through the April 20, 2023, Integrated Test Flight. Credit: Scott Johnson / Spaceflight Insider
It’s been greater than 4 months because the first integrated flight test of SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket, which resulted within the vehicle breaking apart several minutes into flight.
In a Sept. 8 update, the Federal Aviation Administration said it has closed the mishap investigation into the April 20 Starship flight, citing 63 corrective actions for SpaceX to take before the corporate can proceed flying its gargantuan rocket at Boca Chica, Texas.
“Corrective actions include redesigns of car hardware to stop leaks and fires, redesign of the launch pad to extend its robustness, incorporation of additional reviews within the design process, additional evaluation and testing of safety critical systems and components including the Autonomous Flight Safety System, and the appliance of additional change control practices,” the FAA’s update reads.
SpaceX’s Starship launched at 8:33 a.m. CDT (13:33 UTC) April 20 from the corporate’s orbital launch pad at its Starbase facility in South Texas. In keeping with the corporate, the vehicle climbed to a maximum altitude of about 24 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico.
“During ascent, the vehicle sustained fires from leaking propellant within the aft end of the Super Heavy booster, which eventually severed reference to the vehicle’s primary flight computer,” reads a Sept. 8 update on SpaceX’s website. “This led to a lack of communications to the vast majority of booster engines and, ultimately, control of the vehicle.”
The corporate said it has since implemented leak mitigations and improved testing for each engine and booster hardware, in addition to “significantly expanded Super Heavy’s pre-existing fire suppression system” to mitigate future engine bay fires.
After the vehicle lost control during ascent and deviated from its expected trajectory, the Autonomous Flight Safety System, robotically issued the self-destruct command. Nonetheless, there was a noticeable delay from the activation of the costs and the ultimate breakup of the vehicle, which occurred 237 seconds after liftoff.
Neither SpaceX nor the FAA said why the Autonomous Flight Safety System experienced an “unexpected delay” following its activation, but the corporate said it’s working to reinforce and requalify the system to enhance reliability. That is presumably certainly one of the 63 corrective actions the FAA has tasked SpaceX with carrying out, but no extensive list has been made public as of Sept. 11.
![As of Sept. 5, the next Starship and Super Heavy have been stacked at the launch site at Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/F5TgvVmbgAAX1AY.jpg)
As of Sept. 5, the subsequent Starship and Super Heavy have been stacked on the launch site at Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX
In SpaceX’s Sept. 8 update, the corporate noted it was already working on several corrective actions. Perhaps most visibly has been the addition of a sound suppression system underneath the orbital launch mount. In the course of the April 20 flight, the thrust from the Super Heavy booster caused the “structural failure of the launch pad deck foundation,” sending debris and sand into the air, in keeping with the FAA.
SpaceX also said it was implementing several changes to Starship not related to the April 20 mishap. This includes the addition of a “hot-stage separation system,” which might see the upper stage “Ship” ignite three of its engines to push itself away from the Super Heavy booster.
The unique plan was to induce a slight spin of your entire stack to separate the Ship before it ignited the engines. The April 20 flight didn’t reach this milestone.
SpaceX said it has also created a brand new electronic Thrust Vector Control system for the Super Heavy Raptor engines.
“Using fully electric motors, the brand new system has fewer potential points of failure and is significantly more energy efficient than traditional hydraulic systems,” SpaceX’s update reads.
Earlier this month SpaceX stacked its next Starship and Super Heavy vehicles on the launch pad for tests and an eventual flight. Nonetheless, the FAA said that while the mishap investigation is closed, this doesn’t signal a resumption of Starship launches.
“SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and apply for and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the subsequent Starship launch,” the FAA said.