VAN HORN, Texas – The Federal Aviation Administration says Blue Origin must implement nearly two dozen corrective actions before the private space company tries again to launch its New Shepard suborbital vehicle from its West Texas launch facility.
The federal agency released limited details of its investigation on Wednesday, more than a year after a spectacular failure caused a booster to crash into Earth on Sept. 12, 2022.
During the event, the company said the launch vehicle detected an anomaly, triggering the uncrewed mission to abort.
While the capsule landed safely, the booster was destroyed just over one minute after launch.
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Investigations by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and the FAA found that structural failures of an engine nozzle likely played a significant role in operating temperatures.
“The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of New Shepard launches. Blue Origin must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next New Shepard launch,” the FAA said in a statement.
Specifics from the investigation were not released because the FAA said the report contained proprietary data, but the agency did consult with NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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The private space company previously said it planned to return to flying in late 2023, but a spokesperson’s statement following the latest news from the FAA produced more questions than answers.
“We’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon,” a Blue Origin representative said.
Blue Origin has not stated when it plans to restart crewed flights for seats that originally cost upwards of $28 million.
The company had offered 10-minute spaceflights for tourists to experience brief weightlessness and had launched more than 30 people into suborbital space before the mishap.