SpaceX Hits Daily Launch Milestone; ULA Recovers Booster
▼ Summary
– SpaceX completed its first successful Starship test flight in nearly a year, setting the stage for more ambitious future tests.
– SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket six times in the past week, including notable missions like the X-37B spaceplane and a record 30th booster landing.
– Firefly Aerospace identified the cause of its April Alpha rocket failure as “plume induced flow separation” and received FAA clearance to resume launches.
– The Alpha rocket failure occurred when the first stage broke apart after stage separation, damaging the second stage and causing both to fall into the Pacific Ocean.
– Firefly plans to increase heat shielding and reduce angles of attack on future Alpha missions, with a seventh launch date being arranged.
SpaceX has achieved an extraordinary operational milestone, completing seven launches in just seven days, demonstrating unprecedented cadence in the commercial space industry. This remarkable pace included multiple high-profile missions, such as deploying the US military’s X-37B spaceplane, sending an upgraded Dragon capsule to reboost the International Space Station, and successfully launching and landing a Falcon 9 booster for a record 30th time. The week also featured the long-awaited return to flight for Starship, marking a significant step forward despite some technical challenges during the test.
In other launch news, Firefly Aerospace has concluded its investigation into April’s Alpha rocket failure and received FAA approval to resume flights. The incident occurred during a mission for Lockheed Martin, casting a shadow over what was otherwise a successful initial public offering for the company. The sixth flight of the Alpha vehicle ended abruptly when the first stage booster disintegrated moments after separating from the upper stage.
Investigators identified plume induced flow separation as the root cause, a phenomenon where rocket exhaust disrupts airflow around the vehicle. Firefly noted that the rocket was flying at a steeper angle than in previous missions, leading to extreme heating and structural failure. Corrective actions include enhanced heat shielding on the first stage and adjusted flight profiles to reduce the angle of attack on future launches. With only two fully successful flights out of six attempts since 2021, Firefly is now preparing to announce a launch date for its seventh Alpha mission.
(Source: Ars Technica)
