SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Fails to Land, Starship Launch Preparations Continue

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Fails to Land, Starship Launch Preparations ContinueOn August 29, it was reported that SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit on the morning of August 28, setting a record for the first stage boosters 23rd reuse. However, the first stage booster encountered issues during its descent back to Earth and tipped over shortly after landing on SpaceXs drone ship

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Fails to Land, Starship Launch Preparations Continue

On August 29, it was reported that SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit on the morning of August 28, setting a record for the first stage boosters 23rd reuse. However, the first stage booster encountered issues during its descent back to Earth and tipped over shortly after landing on SpaceXs drone ship. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will investigate the Falcon 9 first stage boosters failed landing and will suspend Falcon 9 flight missions until the investigation is complete.

The investigation will be conducted by SpaceX, but the FAA will oversee the entire process and assess its findings. FAA officials said in an emailed statement: Falcon 9s return to flight is dependent on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the anomaly does not pose a risk to public safety. They added, In addition, SpaceX may need to apply to the FAA for a modification to their launch license to incorporate corrective actions and meet all other licensing requirements. It is unclear how long this process will take. Considering SpaceX's efficiency, problems are expected to be resolved quickly.

Last month, an anomaly in the second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket resulted in the loss of 23 Starlink satellites, but flights resumed just 15 days later. This incident was far less severe than the last one, as it only impacted the rocket's recovery; the Falcon 9's second stage still delivered the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit as planned. However, even a few days of downtime could impact SpaceX's upcoming Polaris Dawn mission. This commercial spaceflight plans to send four crew members into orbit for a five-day mission, including the first ever commercial spacewalk. SpaceX had initially planned to launch the Polaris Dawn mission on the morning of August 28, but the plan was canceled due to weather. The company said it would not attempt a launch on the morning of August 29, but has not yet set a new launch date.

Despite the setback with the Falcon 9, SpaceX's Starship program continues to advance. Over the past few weeks, SpaceX has been upgrading the Starship launchpad in South Texas, with workers welding almost daily, sparks flying from the Starship launch tower's two robotic arms. If Starship's next test flight goes as planned, the launch towers robotic arms will grab the Super Heavy booster as it returns to Earth and hovers over the launchpad. This method of landing the rocket booster is significantly different from the method used for the Falcon 9 first stage booster, which relies on landing legs to touch down on offshore platforms or land. SpaceX says using large robotic arms to catch the rocket will reduce the turnaround time for booster reuse and simplify the design.

So far, SpaceX has conducted four test flights of the Starship system. The most recent one was in June of this year, when the 71-meter-tall Super Heavy booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage Starship flew halfway around the globe and splashed down in the open ocean northwest of Australia. In that test flight, SpaceX did not attempt to recover the booster or the Starship. Lessons learned from that test flight prompted SpaceX to replace thousands of heat tiles on the Starship. Cameras on the Starship showed that many of the heat tiles fell off during flight. Last month, SpaceX tested the rocket engines for the next test flight. On August 8, SpaceX said that the Starship and Super Heavy booster were ready to fly, pending FAA approval.

An FAA spokesperson said that it is evaluating SpaceX's submitted test flight plan, which will attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster at the launchpad. While Starship seems ready to launch, SpaceX clearly believes there is more work to be done on the launchpad. Close-up observations show welders adding structural supports and reinforcements for the robotic arms, and other workers removing and adding extra equipment. SpaceX has not specified the work the team is doing on the launchpad, but the focus is on strengthening the hardware needed to catch the Super Heavy booster.

The hottest time of year is currently underway in South Texas. On most days this month, afternoon temperatures soar to 37 degrees Celsius, with muggy, humid air. Much of the work on the robotic arms is done at night, when temperatures drop to around 27 degrees Celsius.

It is unclear how long it will take the FAA to approve SpaceX's next test flight application, or when SpaceX will complete the launchpad upgrades. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said earlier this month that the next test flight could take place at the end of August, but given the current state of the launchpad and the tests that still need to be conducted, it will likely take at least a few more weeks.

Once the crew has completed the launchpad upgrades and removed the scaffolding and cranes, SpaceX will likely stack the Starship and Super Heavy booster and load them with propellant, as it does before every launch, and conduct a static fire test. Meanwhile, SpaceX is also building a second Starship launchpad next to the existing one, which is expected to be ready for use sometime next year. SpaceX also plans to build two Starship launchpads at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Additionally, the company is building a large factory next to the Starship site in South Texas, just a few miles from the launchpad.

Ultimately, SpaceX hopes to land Starship on the ground like it recovers its boosters. SpaceX has a contract with NASA to use Starship for the lunar lander mission in the Artemis program. But Starship is still in its initial testing phase. SpaceX first needs to focus on sending Starship into space and recovering the Super Heavy booster; then, it needs to fully recover Starship, demonstrate its ability to reignite its engines in space, and test the in-orbit refueling technology needed for future lunar and Martian missions.

Catherine Koerner, NASAs associate administrator for exploration systems development, recently said that the first four Starship test flights have made "tremendous progress." Under NASA's lunar lander contract with SpaceX, SpaceX's next milestone is to demonstrate the ability to transfer cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen propellants from one Starship to another in orbit. The latest information from NASA indicates that this mission is planned for the first quarter of 2025, when SpaceX will need to have a second launchpad in Texas. "They need to complete some critical milestones before they will be able to do that," Koerner said. The next few test flights are not contractually mandated milestones for them, but learning milestones that they have set for their own development activities, she added.