The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed its investigation into the second Starship test flight, which SpaceX performed on November 18, 2023. With the inquiry concluded, SpaceX is now on track to advance its program, pending the necessary fixes.

美國聯邦航空管理局 (FAA) 已結束對 SpaceX 於 2023 年 11 月 18 日進行的第二次 Starship 試飛的調查。調查結束後，SpaceX 目前正按計劃推進其計劃，等待必要的修復。

Orbital Test Flight 2 (OFT-2) was a considerable improvement over the first test, done on April 20, 2023, which resulted in considerable damage to the launch pad and the surrounding area as well as the loss of the Starship rocket some four minutes into the flight. Nevertheless, OFT-2, which witnessed the in-flight destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage, prompted an FAA investigation.

軌道測試飛行2 (OFT-2) 比2023 年4 月20 日進行的第一次測試有了相當大的進步，第一次測試對發射台和周圍區域造成了相當大的損壞，並且星艦火箭損失了大約四分鐘進入飛行。儘管如此，OFT-2 目睹了超重型助推器和上級在飛行中被摧毀，引發了美國聯邦航空局 (FAA) 的調查。

As per the regulator’s guidelines, SpaceX led the mishap investigation, with the FAA keeping a close watch on the process to ensure compliance. The aerospace company identified the root causes of the failed test, resulting in 17 corrective actions, some of which have already been implemented. Starship, still in development, is a fully reusable spacecraft and rocket system designed for missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and other locations in the solar system, and it’s set to seriously transform the aerospace industry.

根據監管機構的指導方針，SpaceX 主導了這次事故調查，美國聯邦航空管理局 (FAA) 密切關注這一過程以確保合規性。該航空航太公司確定了測試失敗的根本原因，並採取了 17 項糾正措施，其中一些已經實施。仍在開發中的星際飛船是一種完全可重複使用的太空船和火箭系統，專為執行地球軌道、月球、火星和太陽係其他地點的任務而設計，它將徹底改變航空航天業。

This development means SpaceX is now a major step closer to the third test flight. But as the FAA made clear in its emailed statement, the “closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate authorization of the next Starship launch.” For that to happen, SpaceX “must implement all corrective actions and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements.” That said, a test flight in March is not out of the question.

這項進展意味著 SpaceX 現在距離第三次試飛又近了一大步。但正如美國聯邦航空局在其電子郵件聲明中明確指出的那樣，“事故調查的結束並不意味著立即授權下一次星艦發射。”為此，SpaceX“必須實施所有糾正措施，並獲得美國聯邦航空管理局 (FAA) 的許可證修改，以滿足所有安全、環境和其他適用的監管要求。”也就是說，三月的試飛並非不可能。

A rare update from SpaceX provided more information about the investigation and what went wrong during OFT-2.

SpaceX 罕見地發布了最新消息，提供了有關調查以及 OFT-2 期間出現問題的更多資訊。

Following stage separation, and as the booster began its descent stage, “several engines began shutting down before one engine failed energetically,” resulting in a chain of events that ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Super Heavy, the company explained. SpaceX identified filter blockage as the culprit, in which oxygen-rich liquid from the engines clogged the filters. This led to the shutdown of several engines and an explosion about three and a half minutes into the flight, while Starship was flying 56 miles (90 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX claims to have already implemented a fix.

該公司解釋說，在級分離之後，當助推器開始下降級時，“在一台發動機發生故障之前，幾台發動機開始關閉”，導致一系列事件最終導致超重型火箭的毀壞。 SpaceX 確定過濾器堵塞是罪魁禍首，來自引擎的富氧液體堵塞了過濾器。這導致數個發動機關閉，並在飛行約三分半鐘後發生爆炸，當時「星艦」正在墨西哥灣上空飛行 56 英里（90 公里）。 SpaceX 聲稱已經實施了修復。

Starship during its second test flight on November 18, 2023, with all 33 Raptor engines alight.

2023 年 11 月 18 日，星際飛船進行第二次試飛，所有 33 個猛禽引擎均已啟動。

As for the upper stage, it managed to free itself from the booster and fly for nearly seven minutes. Then, as part of the test, it vented extra liquid oxygen that was loaded for data collection purposes (this normally wouldn’t be done during a launch). However, a leak occurred during this venting, causing a fire and loss of communication with the flight computers. This led to the engines shutting down early and the self-destruct system ending the mission. The test ended as the upper stage reached an altitude of 93 miles (150 km), marking the first time a Starship vehicle reached outer space. To prevent a recurrence, SpaceX has “implemented hardware changes on upcoming Starship vehicles to improve leak reduction, fire protection, and refined operations associated with the propellant vent to increase reliability.” What’s more, a shift from the hydraulic steering of Raptor engines to an exclusively electric-based system should also remove “potential sources of flammability,” SpaceX added.

至於上層，它成功地脫離助推器並飛行了近七分鐘。然後，作為測試的一部分，它排出了出於數據收集目的而加載的額外液氧（這通常不會在發射期間完成）。然而，在通風過程中發生洩漏，導致火災並導致與飛行電腦的通訊中斷。這導致引擎提前關閉，自毀系統結束了任務。當上級達到 93 英里（150 公里）的高度時，測試結束，這標誌著星艦飛行器首次到達外太空。為了防止類似情況再次發生，SpaceX“對即將推出的星際飛船進行了硬體改造，以減少洩漏、防火，並改進與推進劑排氣口相關的操作，以提高可靠性。” SpaceX 補充說，更重要的是，從猛禽引擎的液壓轉向轉向完全電動的系統也應該消除「潛在的易燃源」。

Of the 17 corrective actions identified, seven pertained to the Super Heavy booster, including redesigns of vehicle hardware and improvements in control system modeling, with the remaining ten corrective actions related to the upper stage.

在確定的 17 項糾正措施中，7 項與超重型助推器有關，包括重新設計車輛硬體和改進控制系統模型，其餘 10 項糾正措施與上級相關。

All that said, it would be unfair to label OFT-2 as a total failure, as several key milestones were achieved. These include the successful stage separation and the execution of the first hot staging maneuver—an unprecedented feat for a rocket of this size. Additionally, all 33 Raptor engines successfully ignited during liftoff, in an important demonstration of reliability. Finally, the water deluge system worked as intended, playing a crucial role in protecting the launch mount from the intense forces and heat of the rocket during its ascent.

儘管如此，將 OFT-2 貼上徹底失敗的標籤是不公平的，因為已經實現了幾個關鍵的里程碑。其中包括成功的級分離和首次熱分級機動的執行——對於這種規模的火箭來說這是前所未有的壯舉。此外，所有 33 台猛禽引擎在升空過程中均成功點火，這是可靠性的重要證明。最後，水淋系統按預期工作，在保護發射架免受火箭上升過程中的強大力量和熱量影響方面發揮了至關重要的作用。

For the third test, SpaceX plans to introduce several new features, including the aforementioned electric steering system for the upper-stage Raptors. The company also aims to expedite propellant loading before launch and test in-flight fuel transfer within the rocket, as a part of a NASA contract.

對於第三次測試，SpaceX 計劃推出多項新功能，包括前面提到的用於上級猛禽的電動轉向系統。作為美國太空總署合約的一部分，該公司還旨在加快發射前推進劑的裝載，並測試火箭內的飛行中燃料傳輸。