Blue Origin’s recent NS-23 mission encountered a mishap due to a thermo-structural failure of the engine nozzle, resulting in thrust misalignment. However, the Crew Capsule escape system functioned as designed, ensuring the safety of all payloads and crew members. The Propulsion Module followed an unpowered trajectory to impact within the defined flight safety analysis prediction, causing no harm to human life or property. The Mishap Investigation Team (MIT) conducted a thorough investigation with FAA oversight and recovered all critical flight hardware within days. The direct cause of the mishap was a structural fatigue failure of the BE-3PM engine nozzle during powered flight, caused by operational temperatures exceeding the expected values. Blue Origin is implementing corrective actions, including design changes to the combustion chamber and operating parameters, to reduce engine nozzle bulk and hot-streak temperatures. The company expects to return to flight soon with a re-flight of the NS-23 payloads.
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