Tag: COPV
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FAA approves Starship Flight 10 after mishap probe, eyes August 24 launch
SpaceX has received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct the 10th test flight of its Starship rocket, with a targeted launch date of August 24. The approval for Flight 10 comes after the closure of an investigation into anomalies during the vehicle’s previous mission, marking a key step forward in SpaceX’s test…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 failure investigation focuses on COPV struts
SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk has updated the status of the investigation into the failure of the Falcon 9 rocket during its ill-fated CRS-7 Dragon mission. The preliminary findings point to a support strut in the Second Stage LOX tank breaking, releasing a helium pressurization bottle (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel) that began the…
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SpaceX targets June 11 for Falcon 9 ORBCOMM OG2 mission
SpaceX has realigned its next Falcon 9 v1.1 launch to NET (No Earlier Than) June 11. The rocket, tasked with lofting six ORBCOMM satellites into orbit, was scheduled to launch this month from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40. However, a helium leak during the latter stages of preparations for her Static Fire test required the rocket to…
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NASA Reviews COPV Reliability Concerns for Final Program Flights
Since the Return to Flight timeframe, concerns regarding the state of the Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) on the orbiter fleet have led to restrictions in terms of ground processing to ensure the protection of the hardware and the workforce. However, recent testing of the COPVs has resulted in a request from the SSP (Space…