The US aviation regulator announced on Wednesday that it had completed its investigation into the crash of a Blue Origin rocket last year and requested changes from the space company before flights could resume. Since the accident that occurred on September 12, 2022, which caused the propulsion stage of the New Shepard rocket to fall, it has been grounded.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has required billionaire Jeff Bezos’ company to “implement 21 corrective actions” to prevent an accident of this type from occurring again, it announced in a statement. These measures include modifying the design of certain engine components, as well as “organizational changes.” The crash was caused by “a higher than expected engine operating temperature,” the FAA said. Blue Origin stated on X (formerly Twitter) that it had received the letter from the FAA and that it “plans to fly soon.”
A rocket used for space tourism flights
The company primarily uses the New Shepard rocket for space tourism flights from Texas. It has already taken 31 people for trips of a few minutes across the final frontier, including Jeff Bezos himself. However, at the time of the accident he was only carrying out scientific experiments.
The rocket is made up of a single stage and, in its upper part, the capsule that carries its cargo. During the mission called NS-23, the capsule’s automatic ejection system was activated and it fell to the ground, slowed by its parachutes. The main stage had been destroyed by hitting the ground, instead of landing in a controlled manner to be reused as usual.
Blue Origin, which announced this week a change in CEO, competes with the company Virgin Galactic, which also offers short suborbital flights. The company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson plans to make its fifth space flight in five months on October 5.
Source: BFM TV
