Use wechat scan QR code to share with friends and circle of friends_ blank" href=" https://news.163.com/news/search?keyword=SpaceX "> SpaceX < / a > < a target ="_ blank" href=" https://news.163.com/news/search?keyword=%E7%8C%8E%E9%B9%B0 "> Falcon < / a > No.9 < a target ="_ blank" href=" https://news.163.com/news/search?keyword=%E7%81%AB%E7%AE%AD "> rocket < / a > successfully launched the 19th batch of satellite chain satellites on February 15 this year, but its booster fell into the sea during recovery. After investigation, SpaceX found that the culprit was a hole in the engine shell, which first caused the engine to shut down, and then caused the booster to < a target = "_ blank" href=" https://news.163.com/news/search?keyword=%E7%9D%80%E9%99%86 "> landing < / a > failed. Benji reed, head of SpaceX's manned space operations, said the reason why Falcon 9 rocket booster b1059 failed to land was that high-temperature gas punched a hole in the aging shell of the Merlin engine and entered "the wrong place", causing the engine to shut down during the flight. This means that the thrust of the booster is insufficient during landing, and it can not land on the unmanned recovery ship. < / P > < p > Reid explained that although b1059 has only carried out five missions, many of its parts have a "long history" and fly more frequently than any other part of Falcon 9, including the shell around Merlin's engine parts. < / P > < p > reed didn't mention at which stage of the launch the engine was shut down, but he hinted that it happened during the lift off. "The great thing about Falcon 9 is that we have the ability to shut down the engine," he said This means that any of the nine engines on the booster can be shut down without affecting the mission. "The main part of the launch vehicle will go into orbit and the satellite will be accurately deployed in the predetermined position to complete the main task," he said < / P > < p > however, engine shutdown will prevent the booster from landing. "When the booster comes back, we don't have enough thrust to get it back to its intended position or to land where we want it to land because of a problem with the engine," Reid said < / P > < p > Reid's comments provide the most detailed information so far on the causes of b1059's landing failure, which broke SpaceX's record of 20 consecutive successful landings in the past year. Hans koenigsmann, SpaceX's senior adviser on manufacturing and flight reliability, has previously revealed that "heat damage" is the culprit, but he did not give more details. < / P > < p > the Falcon 9 rocket has not been launched since February 15. SpaceX had planned to launch a new satellite chain on February 28, but stopped 84 seconds before launch. The company has yet to set a new launch date or provide more information about cancelling the launch. < / P > < p > Reed said engine problems were "an important lesson we have learned" and the company is working to better understand the service life of the Falcon 9 booster and which parts are most vulnerable to wear. SpaceX is also working to upgrade the control system on the rocket to "further detect and control what the rocket needs to do in this situation.".

NASA < / a > has also been closely following the investigation of the accident to see if there are problems that may endanger the second commercial manned (crew-2) launch tentatively scheduled for April 20. "We will continue to follow up the SpaceX investigation," said Steve stich, manager of NASA's commercial manned program (small) < / P > < p >