Tag Archives: falcon

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suspended by FAA for malfunction

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The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket experienced a second stage failure following Saturday’s NASA astronaut mission, leading to the rocket being grounded for the third time in three months. An investigation was deemed necessary.

After SpaceX successfully launched two astronauts to the International Space Station on behalf of NASA on Saturday, the rocket’s second stage that propelled the crew further into space failed to re-ignite properly due to “inertial combustion.” It ultimately crashed into the sea after the mission.

The astronauts safely reached the ISS and docked as planned on Sunday. The FAA confirmed that there were no injuries or property damage resulting from the booster malfunction.

The failure caused the booster to fall into the Pacific Ocean, outside the designated safety zone for the mission approved by the FAA.

SpaceX attributed the incident to a “non-nominal deorbit burn” experienced by the booster, resulting in the second stage landing safely in the ocean but outside the intended target area.

SpaceX stated, “Once we have a better understanding of the root cause, we will resume our launch activities.” This recent incident marks the third FAA grounding in the past three months, impacting SpaceX’s regular Falcon 9 rocket launches, which play a significant role in providing access to space for many nations.

Despite previous setbacks, SpaceX has swiftly resumed operations following technical issues with its Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX anticipates seeking FAA approval to resume flights soon, with ongoing technical assessments being conducted under FAA supervision.

SpaceX has emerged as a dominant force in the launch industry, launching multiple rockets per week since early 2024. While the first stage of the Falcon 9 is reusable, the second stage is not, leading to challenges during launches and re-entries that require FAA oversight for public safety.

The ongoing dispute between SpaceX and the FAA over launch license regulations has added to the challenges faced by both parties, with the FAA recently imposing fines on SpaceX for license violations related to previous launch activities.

The Falcon 9 grounding has no direct impact on SpaceX’s Starship, the company’s next-generation rocket system, which has undergone multiple tests since 2023. SpaceX has been vocal about the delays in obtaining FAA approval for the upcoming Starship test flights, highlighting the need for a smoother regulatory process.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Anduril Introduces Road Runner: A Fighter Weapon with Falcon 9-Like Landing Capabilities

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Leading defense technology startup Anduril has developed a new product designed to address the proliferation of low-cost, high-power aviation threats.

The product, called Roadrunner, is a low-cost, designed, modular, twin-jet-powered, autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Anduril is also developing a variant called the Road Runner Munition, or Road Runner M, which is a “high-explosive bomb interceptor.” This means it can also carry warheads and destroy air threats defensively.

The Roadrunner is unusual in both appearance and abilities. It can take off, track and destroy targets. When there is no need to intercept a target, the vehicle can autonomously maneuver back to base, refuel and reuse. As Chris Brose, Anduril’s chief strategy officer, said in a recent interview, “We’ve developed a fighter weapon that basically lands like a Falcon 9.”

The product was built in response to the rise of high-speed, autonomous air weapons that can be produced in large quantities and at very low cost, a new type of threat, Brose said. Unlike other current solutions and previous legacy missile systems, the Roadrunner-M is also reusable.

“In my opinion, this is the first retrievable weapon ever deployed in combat,” Brose said. “That’s really great. The ability to introduce […] If it is not actually used in an operation to kill another drone, it can be recovered and reused, completely changing the way operators fight with this feature. Currently, they have a limited number of interceptors and cannot take them back if they decide to launch an attack. ”

According to Anduril, there are several other major improvements compared to previous systems. These are: a reduction in launch and takeoff time, a threefold increase in the warhead payload, a tenfold increase in the effective firing range, and a threefold increase in maneuverability in terms of gravitational acceleration. Like Andruil’s other family of systems, Roadrunner-M can be controlled by Lattice, Andruil’s AI-powered command and control software, or integrated into existing architectures.

Another big benefit is for operators. When faced with a fast-moving threat, Roadrunner can launch instantly, image it, and receive a signal to engage or not. The products are reusable and recoverable, allowing operators to act without fear of losing valuable assets.

Brose said the company has been working in tandem with unnamed U.S. government partners since it began designing the Roadrunner about two years ago.

“[National defense] A lot of times, the stereotype is right that it’s just very dull, very slow, very unimaginative, very unexciting,” Brose said. “As a company, Anduril is the antithesis of that, and Roadrunner embodies the kind of excitement that we believe exists in national defense, and I think we’re very keen to bring that back.”

Source: techcrunch.com