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Blue Origin 2022 Mishap Caused by Engine Nozzle Failure, FAA Says
- Blue Origin must implement FAA’s prescribed corrective actions
- Space company expects to resume New Shepard flights ‘soon’
Blue Origin’s failed New Shepard launch in September 2022.
Source: Blue Origin LLC
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The US Federal Aviation Administration says it has closed a mishap investigation into the botched flight of Blue Origin LLC’s New Shepard rocket, which suffered a mid-flight failure in September of 2022.
The FAA says the problem was due to a structural failure of a nozzle in the New Shepard’s BE-3 engine, which caused the engine to overheat – something Blue Origin disclosed in March. Blue Origin must implement 21 “corrective actions” designed to prevent a similar problem from occurring on future flights, the FAA said.