Blue Origin identifies the cause of failure of NS-23 rocket launch mission: thermal structure failure of engine nozzle

CTOnews.com, March 26 (Xinhua) in September last year, Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin during the NS-23 rocket launch mission, the engine of the New Shepard booster accidentally caught fire during the ascent, causing the rocket to crash in the Texas desert, the company's first launch failure.

After months of investigation, Blue Origin finally confirmed the specific reason for the failure of the NS-23 mission. CTOnews.com learned from an official press release that it officially revealed that the "thermal structure failure" of the engine nozzle of the NS-23 rocket was the culprit. After the engineers changed the design of the cooling system, the nozzle operated at a temperature higher than expected, causing fatigue, causing propulsion deviation and eventually triggering the emergency escape system.

Blue Origin said the team had taken "corrective measures" such as redesigning the combustion chamber and would adjust the nozzle design to improve structural integrity. In addition, the rocket's crew cabin and all payloads on board landed safely, and officials said flight would resume "soon", but no exact date was released.