Requests Public Safety Determination While Investigation Continues

SpaceX submitted a request for a public safety determination to the FAA on July 15.

The request is in response to the FAA grounding of Falcon 9 after an anomaly in the second stage of the booster failed to lift its cargo of Starlink satellites to the proper orbital height in the Starlink 9-3 mission on July 11.

Following an FAA grounding there are two ways launches can resume: the first is approval of a mishap investigation final report by the launch operator. Such a report would include corrective actions taken and implemented, and all related licensing requirements to be met. Which would likely take months.

The second pathway is for the FAA to issue a public safety determination, which can only be employed if “the mishap did not involve safety-critical systems or otherwise jeopardize public safety,” says the FAA.

Immediately following the anomaly in the Starlink 9-3 mission, SpaceX posted its preliminary findings on its website. It described how an unusual oxygen leak prevented the upper stage’s Merlin vacuum engine from completing its second burn which would have lifted the cargo to its specified altitude of between 340 to 600 km.

The satellites deployed normally but at a lower altitude than planned. They are in an eccentric orbit at a perigee of 135 km, less than half of the expected perigee altitude. They do not pose a threat to any other satellites or to public safety and at the rate they’re losing altitude due to atmospheric drag, about 5 km with each perigee, they will eventually “fully demise” (burn up) according to SpaceX.

If the FAA agrees with SpaceX’s determination, launches could resume. Current plans are to launch two Starlink missions, 10-4 and 10-9, from SpaceX's two launchpads in Florida this week. Pending FAA approval of course.

FMI:  www.spacex.com/launches/