FAA approves SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 rocket launches after two-week hiatus
- by NBC Chicago
- Jul 26, 2024
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During the July 11 launch, the rocket's lower first stage, or booster — powered by nine engines — operated as expected before returning to land. But the rocket's upper second stage, which has a single engine, failed to reignite as planned and was unable to complete its mission.
SpaceX traced the cause of the midflight failure to a tube known as a "sense line," a part of the rocket's system for liquid oxygen, one of the propellants used to power the engine of the second stage. A loose clamp for that tube and the intense vibration of the rocket's engine led to cracking, the company said. That cracked sense line resulted in a leak of liquid oxygen, causing damage to the rocket's engine when it attempted to restart in space.
The company said it would remove the tube and its related pressure sensor from the rocket's upper stage engine "for near term" launches, noting that it is not a critical component for safety. The company plans to rely on alternative sensors in the meantime as it is currently testing a longer-term design change under the FAA's oversight.
"An additional qualification review, inspection, and scrub of all sense lines and clamps on the active booster fleet led to a proactive replacement in select locations," SpaceX added.
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