The US Federal Aviation Administration has closed its investigation into a mishap last September during the launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, with the regulator saying Blue must implement 21 corrective actions before it can fly the New Shepard again.
New Shepard was grounded after a launch in September 2022 that ended with an abort about a minute after liftoff. The capsule, which was not filled with people, had to make an emergency parachute landing to remove the booster. It landed safely while the propulsion unit was destroyed upon impact with the ground. There were no casualties among Blue Origin personnel.
In an emailed statement, an FAA representative said the anomaly was caused by a “structural failure of the engine nozzle due to higher than expected engine operating temperatures.” Among the 21 corrective actions are redesign of the engine and nozzle components as well as “regulatory changes.”
In response to TechCrunch’s inquiries about corrective actions, a Blue Origin spokesperson simply said: “We have received the FAA letter and plan to fly soon.”
The closure of the accident investigation does not mean that Blue Origin can immediately begin flying the New Shepard. The company must implement all corrective actions and obtain a launch license modification from the FAA first, an FAA spokesperson said.
Mishap investigations are conducted by companies and overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the agency that issues commercial space licenses and to ensure the safety of the public during commercial launch activities.
When Blue Origin released a report on the incident in March, it simply said it expected to fly “soon.” But that was six months ago, so it’s not clear when New Shepard will be ready to fly next.