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SpaceX steps on the accelerator to continue advancing in the tests starshipThe rocket More powerful manufactured to date and one of the company’s most ambitious bets. Less than 48 hours after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would warn that he had to correct 63 points to continue with his tests in Boca Chica (Texas), the head of the company, Elon Musk, has come to the fore to announce that they have already done their homework.
The unknown now is what the FAA’s response will be.
What happened? To understand it, it is necessary to go back a few months, to April 20th to be more precise, when SpaceX subjected its Starship to a crucial launch test. The rocket managed to take off from the Boca Chica platform, but its balance was bittersweet, an “incomplete success,” as Musk acknowledged. The reason is that part of the Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines failed shortly after the test began, forcing SpaceX to end the flight. Not only that. When taking off the thrusters generated a “rock tornado” that damage the platform.
“Obviously it wasn’t a complete success,” Musk acknowledged days after the maneuver, during a talk with Twitter Space subscribers in which he openly admitted that, although the results “slightly exceeded” his expectations, they also showed points for improvement. And something else: it motivated an FAA investigation, a key analysis so that SpaceX can continue testing its rocket.
And what does that research say? We were able to learn its conclusions just a few days ago. On Friday the FAA issued a brief statement in which, without delving into details, he left a key idea: the technicians have detected “multiple causes” that explain what happened on April 20 in Boca Chica and placed duties on Musk’s company. Which is it? “63 corrective actions that SpaceX must take to prevent the mishap from happening again,” clarifies the US organization.
Among that long list of duties, the authorities included important aspects, such as hardware redesigns to prevent leaks, modifications to the launch platform and more analysis and testing related to essential parts for safety, including the Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS).
Are the indications important? Yes. The FAA itself is responsible for highlighting it in your statement, in which he clarifies that if the company wants to continue testing its rocket, it must first pay attention to the task list. “SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that affect public safety and apply for and receive a license modification from the FAA,” emphasize.
And what has SpaceX done? She hasn’t stayed still. Not even silent. The same Friday she launched another statement in which he highlights that the April test, the first flight test of a Starship and a Super Heavy fully coupled, was a “fundamental step” and provided “numerous lessons” that have helped him apply improvements to both the ship and the aircraft. the terrestrial infrastructure. And he emphasizes: “This rapid, iterative development approach has been the foundation of all of SpaceX’s major innovative advances, including Falcon, Dragon and Starlink.”
Making that idea clear, the company assures that it has continued to apply improvements, such as a stage separation system or a new electronic system. Thrust Vector Control for Super Heavy Raptor engines. “By using all-electric motors, the new system has fewer potential points of failure and is more energy efficient than traditional hydraulic systems,” ditch.
And what does Musk say? What SpaceX he has already done his homework from the FAA. And in record time, less than 48 hours after the organization made its conclusions public. Using his favorite speaker, platform There would be six left to complete the 63 described by the FAA, but, Musk clarifies, there are half a dozen related to “subsequent operations.”
Is there anything else? To reinforce his message, Musk has accompanied it with two images. The first is a table in which you can see the corrections that SpaceX has already applied and those linked to “future actions.” The second is a photo of the rocket accompanied by an eloquent message: “Starship Flight 2”.
To continue with the Starship launches, the FAA recalled in his message on Friday that SpaceX is not enough to comply with “corrective actions.” You must also “request and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental, and other regulatory requirements.”
Cover image: SpaceX (X)
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