SpaceX says it has fixed the issues that led to the intentional destruction of the upper stage of the seventh test of the Starship system on Jan. 16. The spacecraft automatically blew itself up and sent debris raining down over the Turks and Caicos about 10 minutes after launch from SpaceX’s launch facility in southern Texas. SpaceX said leaking propellant lines caused fires in a space between the oxygen tank and the heat shield and that caused all but one engine to shut down. The self-destruct system activated shortly after, creating a spectacle that disrupted air traffic but little actual damage on the ground. Meanwhile, the company is getting ready to launch the eighth test as early as this coming Friday and has been implementing the hardware fixes.
The fuel lines have been reworked and the space in which the fires broke out, known as the “attic,” has been given more venting and now includes a system to fill that void with nitrogen if necessary. SpaceX did a 60-second static fire engine test with the orbiter stage of the next test rocket and that gave them the information they need to tweak the propellant hardware inside the ship. The FAA needs to sign off on SpaceX’s investigation before the next test can launch.
