SpaceX’s seventh flight of its Starship rocket was a combination of great success and disastrous losses, including its Super Heavy booster getting caught on the launch tower and the failure of the Starship’s upper stage as it ascended into space.
Beginning about seven minutes and 40 seconds into the flight, SpaceX’s on-screen telemetry data showed the onboard Raptor engines began shutting down one by one, until the telemetry stopped at eight minutes and 27 seconds .
In a post on his social media site, X, SpaceX founder Elon Musk explained what engineers believe is the issue at this early stage.
“Initial indications are that there was an oxygen/fuel leak into the cavity above the ship’s engine firewall that was large enough to create pressure that exceeded the vent capacity,” Musk said. “In addition to obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that amount and possibly increase the vent area. There has been no suggestion so far that the next launch should be postponed beyond next month.
The launch began nominally, with the more than 400-foot-tall rocket touching down from the pad at 4:37 p.m. CST (5:37 p.m. EST (2237 UTC). The mission included the first flight of the Block 2 version to upper stage.
The 33 Raptor engines on the booster powered it to short range as expected and about two minutes and 30 seconds into the mission, most of them shut down and the six Raptor engines onboard activated and launched it toward space. Started going.
The booster performed a flip maneuver and another burn on its way to the launch tower. The Super Heavy booster, B14, performed a final landing burn about 6 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff and seven minutes before liftoff, it was captured by the tower.
The excitement of the crowd and commentators did not last long before it became clear that something was wrong on the upper stage.
The engines were out of order and began to shut down more than a minute before the planned engine cutoff, which was to occur approximately nine minutes into the flight.
The vehicle’s mutilation is visible in several videos posted on social media. The Federal Aviation Administration issued instructions to several airports to delay or divert traffic to avoid falling debris.
First night in Turks and Caicos and we’re on the beach looking at it.
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Affected airports include Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Shortly before 8 a.m. EST (0100 UTC), the agency issued a clarifying order.
“The FAA briefly slowed the aircraft and diverted the aircraft around the area where spacecraft debris was falling. “Normal operations have resumed,” the agency wrote.
If there is a case, such as Flight 7, where there is an anomaly with the spacecraft outside the previously identified closed danger areas, the FAA has the authority to activate the debris response area.
Asked whether the agency would require a crash investigation of the breakup, the FAA said it was “aware that an anomaly occurred,” adding that it was still “assessing the operation and will issue a statement.” Will update.”
The anomaly prevented SpaceX from executing several milestones planned for S33, including deploying 10 Starlink simulators along a suborbital trajectory and demonstrating one of the Raptor engines and an in-space relight.
The continued development of Starship is important not only for its own corporate ambitions, but also for its role as the lander that NASA will use during the Artemis 3 and 4 moon landing missions. The first is due to take place by mid-2027.
“Congratulations to @SpaceX on the seventh test flight of Starship and second successful booster catch,” outgoing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a post on X. “Spaceflight isn’t easy. It’s anything but routine. That’s why these tests are so important – each test brings us closer to our path to the Moon and, via #Artemis, to Mars.”
