SpaceX Confirms Fuel Leak Caused Starship Flight 9 Explosion – Flight 10 Scheduled Earliest for August 24th

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FAA Approves SpaceX’s Starship Flight 10

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially granted SpaceX the go-ahead to proceed with the launch of Starship Flight 10. In a recent update, the FAA announced the completion of its investigation into the mishap concerning Starship Flight 9, which took place in May. With August nearing its conclusion, SpaceX is set to conduct Flight 10 after a three-month hiatus, marking the longest break between Launches since the interval between Flights 4 and 5.

Insights into Flight 9

Starship Flight 9 represented a significant milestone, as it was the first post-Flight 3 mission after SpaceX lost the Super Heavy booster during a landing attempt. Since then, all subsequent booster landings have either been controlled splashdowns or successful tower catches. Flight 9, however, pushed the boundaries, resulting in the rocket’s loss prior to its planned ocean splashdown. This mission notably featured the reuse of a Super Heavy booster, which was operated at a steeper angle during its descent—a factor that contributed to its challenges.

Setbacks and Recovery Efforts

Following Flight 9, SpaceX aimed to swiftly initiate the next mission. However, a significant hurdle arose when the upper-stage vehicle intended for Flight 10 experienced an explosion on the test pad. Fortunately, SpaceX had additional ships available, thanks to the robust inventory of the Starship program, but the lack of a functional test pad necessitated the construction of a temporary facility on-site for further tests.

Starship rocket test from seaside platform with smoke and blue sky background. — The Starship upper-stage rocket for Flight 10 during its static fire test on the launch pad. Image: SpaceX

Significance of Flight 10

With the FAA’s investigation behind them, SpaceX has indicated plans to launch Flight 10 as early as next Sunday. This upcoming mission holds considerable importance for SpaceX as it aims to thoroughly test its second-generation upper stage rocket, which has not yet been successfully recovered despite multiple flights. Flight 9 made significant progress, managing to separate from the booster and ignite its engines, prior to losing control during reentry.

However, it is noteworthy that for Flight 10, SpaceX will avoid launching the booster at a steep angle during reentry. Their technical report on Flight 9 highlighted that this steeper angle placed excessive stress on the fuel transfer tube, ultimately leading to its failure and the resultant explosion before a planned splashdown.

Technical Upgrades and Objectives for Flight 10

Post-Flight 9 assessments revealed a fuel tank leak that occurred shortly after the rocket’s engines were activated. Although the onboard systems managed the leak during the brief flight, the anomaly forced an abort of the planned payload deployment and in-space engine burn. Following these findings, SpaceX has made critical upgrades to the component responsible, successfully replicating and stress-testing the enhancement.

During the forthcoming Flight 10, SpaceX will aim to deploy Starlink simulator satellites, conduct an in-space engine burn, and explore new materials for heat shield tiles. Additional tests will include stressing the rocket’s lower flaps and attempting a tower catch for the upper stage. Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster will undergo multiple engine configuration tests, culminating in a controlled stage separation and concluding with a water landing, similar to the process followed in Flight 9.

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