https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1666001066020806656QuoteAt the #FTSpace event this morning, Blue Origin's Bob Smith says New Shepard should be ready to return to flight "in the next few weeks" as the company finishes up work with FAA, nine months after an in-flight anomaly.
At the #FTSpace event this morning, Blue Origin's Bob Smith says New Shepard should be ready to return to flight "in the next few weeks" as the company finishes up work with FAA, nine months after an in-flight anomaly.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed its investigation of the failure suffered by Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle more than a year ago.That failure occurred on Sept. 12, 2022, when an uncrewed research mission lifted off from Blue Origin's launch site in West Texas. About 65 seconds after launch, New Shepard's reusable first-stage booster experienced a serious problem and came crashing back to Earth. The vehicle's capsule engaged its emergency escape system and ended up landing softly under parachutes on the desert floor. The 36 research payloads that launched on the mission were unharmed, and the mishap caused no injuries or property damage, Blue Origin representatives said.
FAA Closes Blue Origin Mishap InvestigationWednesday, September 27, 2023The FAA has closed the Blue Origin New Shepard 23 mishap investigation. The final report cites the proximate cause of the Sept. 12, 2022, mishap as the structural failure of an engine nozzle caused by higher than expected engine operating temperatures. The FAA required Blue Origin implement 21 corrective actions to prevent mishap reoccurrence, including redesign of engine and nozzle components to improve structural performance during operation as well as organizational changes. During the mishap the onboard launch vehicle systems detected the anomaly, triggered an abort and separation of the capsule from the propulsion module as intended and shut down the engine. The capsule landed safety and the propulsion module was destroyed upon impact with the ground. All debris landed within the designated hazard area. Public safety was maintained at all times with no injuries or public property damage.The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of New Shepard launches. Blue Origin must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next New Shepard launch.Contact Blue Origin for additional information. Learn more about mishap investigations.BackgroundThe FAA oversaw the Blue Origin-led investigation to ensure the company complied with its FAA-approved mishap plan, the terms and conditions of its license and other regulatory requirements. The FAA was involved in every step of the mishap investigation and granted NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board official observer status. The mishap investigation report contains proprietary data and U.S Export Control information and is not available for public release.
A Blue Origin spokesperson, responding to various questions like whether any of the corrective actions have already been implemented, simply says "we’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon."
I got the same response from Blue. Worth noting that in March, when the company released its results of the investigation, it stated, "Blue Origin expects to return to flight soon." That was six months ago.
twitter.com/joroulette/status/1707142934129226074QuoteA Blue Origin spokesperson, responding to various questions like whether any of the corrective actions have already been implemented, simply says "we’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon."https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1707144333114106021https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/news/commercial/QuoteI got the same response from Blue. Worth noting that in March, when the company released its results of the investigation, it stated, "Blue Origin expects to return to flight soon." That was six months ago.
We’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon.
Does anyone know if this was handled the same way the SS/SH OTF-1 investigation was handled? I assume it was and if so, I would assume BO was working with the FAA and has already made the updates necessary to meet most if not all of the items. So, launch in October would be possible.
For people, (not me of course) who haven't been tracking this, is there any sort of chart showing what kind of Gs the capsule went through during it's abort? I keep thinking of that 90 year old they sent up.
Quote from: Nomadd on 09/28/2023 02:07 pm For people, (not me of course) who haven't been tracking this, is there any sort of chart showing what kind of Gs the capsule went through during it's abort? I keep thinking of that 90 year old they sent up.IIRC Scott Manley said it was around 10-12 g for about 2 seconds. One of the payload customers said they had data that showed a peak (probably at burnout) at 15 g.
Seems to be within NASA standards for abort.
