The Federal Aviation Administration this week required Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to investigate what went wrong with their respective small rocket test flights.
Discipline enforcement Both companies said. A so-called “improper investigation” must be conducted. In these investigations, the companies and the FAA are responsible for any errors, It involves understanding why things went wrong and taking corrective action. In both cases, The regulator must sign off on the companies before the rockets can fly again. It was not immediately known how long that would take.
In the case of SpaceX; An explosion occurred during the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket system, which was launched from Boca Chica, Texas on Thursday. Musk wrote. In X, the Starship itself is over-pressurized by excess gas as it ascends into space and eventually explodes. It is official of the company. Explanation The ship's interior caught fire, according to its website.
The Starship's destruction created glowing debris in the sky over the Turks and Caicos Islands, prompting the FAA. Slow down and even reroute some trips. In nearby airspace due to low fuel levels. According to the FAA, there were no reports of injuries, but the regulator said it was working with SpaceX to confirm reports of damage to public property in Turks and Caicos.
SpaceX and the FAA appear to be at odds over a specific detail about the explosion. The administration says the FAA can only take action if debris from the spacecraft falls outside designated danger areas before launch, called a “Debris Response Area.” SpaceX said on its website that “(a) residual debris will fall into a designated hazard area.”
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, hours before SpaceX's rocket was due to launch. The first time. The upper stage of the New Glenn rocket was successfully launched into orbit, but the booster exploded as it descended back down as it attempted to land on the unmanned aircraft carrier.
The FAA is aware of an anomaly during the Blue Origin mission, and has reported no injuries or damage to public property.