Incident: SpaceX Falcon 9 Engine No. 1 Anomaly During Launch

Published Date: 2012-10-08

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened on October 7, 2012 [15041].
System 1. Engine No. 1 of the Falcon 9 rocket [15041]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident during the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch was caused by an anomaly with engine No. 1, which led to an engine shutdown command being issued [15041].
Impacted Organization 1. SpaceX engineers and officials [Article 15041]
Software Causes 1. Anomaly detected with engine No. 1 one minute and 19 seconds after liftoff, leading to a sudden loss of pressure and an engine shutdown command being issued immediately [15041]. 2. Fairing protecting the engine from aerodynamic loads ruptured due to the engine pressure release, impacting engine No. 1 [15041].
Non-software Causes 1. Engine No. 1 lost pressure suddenly, leading to an engine shutdown command being issued [15041]. 2. The fairing protecting the engine from aerodynamic loads ruptured due to the engine pressure release [15041]. 3. The fate of the prototype next-generation Orbcomm messaging satellite attached to the Falcon 9 second stage was uncertain after the engine anomaly [15041].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident led to the dramatic first stage engine failure during the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket [15041]. 2. The engine shutdown triggered speculation among space enthusiasts, bloggers, and reporters due to the unusual event during the Falcon 9's ascent [15041]. 3. The fairing protecting the engine from aerodynamic loads ruptured due to the engine pressure release, but the remaining eight engines compensated for the loss of engine No. 1, ensuring the Dragon cargo capsule reached the required orbit [15041]. 4. The fate of the prototype next-generation Orbcomm messaging satellite attached to the Falcon 9 second stage as a secondary payload was uncertain due to the software failure incident [15041].
Preventions 1. Implementing more robust testing procedures during the software development phase to catch any potential issues before launch [15041]. 2. Conducting thorough simulations and stress tests on the software to ensure it can handle unexpected anomalies, such as engine failures, during operation [15041]. 3. Enhancing real-time monitoring and telemetry systems to quickly detect and respond to anomalies in the software or hardware components [15041].
Fixes 1. Conduct a thorough review of the flight data to understand the cause of the anomaly and identify the problem [15041]. 2. Devote necessary resources to address the identified issue and apply the lessons learned to future flights [15041].
References 1. SpaceX engineers 2. SpaceX founder and chief designer Elon Musk 3. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell 4. NASA 5. Long-range tracking cameras 6. Bloggers and reporters 7. Company press releases 8. Flight data 9. Telemetry data 10. Orbcomm headquarters

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown <Article 15041> does not mention any specific software failure incident happening again at either the same organization (SpaceX) or at multiple organizations. Therefore, the information regarding the recurrence of a similar incident within SpaceX or at other organizations is unknown based on this article.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was related to the design phase. The incident was attributed to an anomaly with engine No. 1, where the rocket's flight computer detected the issue one minute and 19 seconds after liftoff. The fairing protecting the engine ruptured due to the engine pressure release, leading to the engine shutdown command being issued immediately. This design flaw in the fairing design contributed to the engine failure during the launch [15041]. (b) The software failure incident was not related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. The failure was primarily due to a design flaw in the fairing that protected the engine, leading to the anomaly with engine No. 1 and subsequent engine shutdown during the launch [15041].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was primarily within the system. The incident was related to an anomaly detected with engine No. 1, which led to a sudden loss of pressure and subsequent shutdown command issued by the rocket's flight computer [15041]. The rocket's internal systems, specifically engine No. 1, experienced the failure that triggered the need for the remaining engines to compensate for the loss during the launch. (b) outside_system: There is no indication in the provided article that the software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The focus of the incident was on the internal anomaly detected with engine No. 1 and the subsequent actions taken by the rocket's systems to ensure the successful delivery of the Dragon cargo capsule to the required orbit [15041].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident was attributed to an anomaly with engine No. 1, where the rocket's flight computer detected a sudden loss of pressure in the engine, leading to an engine shutdown command being issued automatically [15041]. (b) Human actions did not play a direct role in causing the software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The failure was related to an anomaly with engine No. 1, which triggered an automatic engine shutdown command based on the detected pressure loss, without any human intervention [15041].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident was described as an anomaly with engine No. 1, where the rocket's flight computer detected a sudden loss of pressure in the engine, leading to an engine shutdown command being issued immediately [15041]. (b) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was related to software in the sense that the rocket's flight computer had to recalculate the trajectory and fire the remaining eight engines longer than originally planned to compensate for the loss of engine No. 1. This adjustment was made to ensure the Dragon cargo capsule was successfully boosted into the required orbit despite the engine failure [15041].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article does not indicate any malicious intent or actions contributing to the failure. The incident was related to an engine failure during the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a cargo ship to the International Space Station. The failure was attributed to an anomaly with engine No. 1, which led to a shutdown command being issued to compensate for the loss of that engine [15041]. (b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in nature, as it was a technical issue during the rocket launch that required the remaining engines to fire longer than planned to ensure the cargo capsule reached the required orbit successfully. The company, SpaceX, acknowledged the anomaly with engine No. 1 and stated that the rocket performed nominally during the approach to orbit, with the remaining engines compensating for the issue [15041].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident described in the article does not directly point to either poor_decisions or accidental_decisions as the intent behind the failure. The incident was primarily related to an engine failure during the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and the focus was on the technical aspects of the anomaly and the subsequent actions taken to ensure the success of the mission. Therefore, the specific intent behind the software failure incident in terms of poor or accidental decisions is not explicitly mentioned in the article [15041].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was not attributed to development incompetence. The incident was primarily related to an anomaly with engine No. 1, which led to an engine shutdown command being issued immediately after liftoff. SpaceX mentioned that the fairing protecting the engine ruptured due to the engine pressure release, but the other eight engines were not impacted by this event [15041]. (b) The software failure incident in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was accidental in nature. It was described as an anomaly with engine No. 1, where the engine lost pressure suddenly, leading to the engine shutdown command being issued. The company stated that the engine did not explode, and the rocket's flight computer recalculated the trajectory to compensate for the loss of engine No. 1 by firing the remaining eight engines longer than originally planned [15041].
Duration temporary The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The incident occurred during the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, where engine No. 1 experienced a sudden loss of pressure, leading to an engine shutdown command being issued immediately [15041]. The rocket's flight computer then recalculated the trajectory and fired the remaining eight engines longer than originally planned to compensate for the loss of engine No. 1, ensuring that the Dragon cargo capsule was successfully boosted into the required orbit [15041]. The incident was specific to engine No. 1 and did not impact the other eight engines or the overall mission success.
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident did not result in a crash as the Falcon 9 rocket's flight computer recalculated the trajectory and fired the remaining eight engines longer than originally planned to compensate for the loss of engine No. 1, ensuring the Dragon cargo capsule was successfully boosted into the required orbit [15041]. (b) omission: The software failure incident did not involve omission as the Dragon spacecraft ended up in the proper orbit despite the premature engine shutdown of engine No. 1, and the cargo resupply mission was not affected [15041]. (c) timing: The software failure incident did not involve timing issues as the remaining eight engines burned longer than expected to compensate for the loss of engine No. 1, ensuring the Dragon capsule reached the proper orbit and the cargo resupply mission proceeded as planned [15041]. (d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The Falcon 9 rocket's flight computer responded appropriately to the anomaly with engine No. 1, recalculating the trajectory and firing the remaining engines to ensure the mission's success [15041]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit byzantine behavior as there were no mentions of inconsistent responses or interactions in the article. The system responded consistently to the anomaly with engine No. 1 and successfully completed the mission [15041]. (f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a recovery behavior where the system detected an anomaly with engine No. 1, issued an engine shutdown command, recalculated the trajectory, and fired the remaining engines longer than planned to compensate for the loss, ultimately ensuring the success of the mission without a crash or omission of functions [15041].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence non-human, no_consequence, theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident described in the article was primarily related to the potential theoretical consequences of the incident. The article mentioned that the engine shutdown triggered speculation among space enthusiasts, bloggers, and reporters due to the unusual event during the Falcon 9's ascent. Typically, such a failure could result in a loss of mission, but in this case, the Falcon 9 continued its ascent and the Dragon spacecraft ended up in the proper orbit, indicating that there were no real observed consequences of the software failure [15041].
Domain transportation, knowledge (a) The failed system was intended to support the space exploration industry. The incident involved a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's engine failure during a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station [15041].

Sources

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