Blue Origin has released the results of its investigation into the NS-23 rocket failure that cut short a New Shepard flight in September of last year. The company has attributed the failure to a “thermo-structural failure” in the engine nozzle, which led to misalignment of the thrust and activation of the crew capsule’s escape system.
According to Blue Origin, the nozzle experienced higher than expected operational temperatures due to changes in the cooling system design. This caused fatigue, which led to the misalignment of the thrust and the triggering of the escape system.
