Explosion at Falcon 9 launch pad

[najaB]

Don't know if anyone else is a space cadet, but it looks like SpaceX have had another bad day at the office.

An explosion has occurred at launch complex 40 where a Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled for a routine pre-launch static test fire of its nine Merlin main engines. The Falcon 9 was due to launch Saturday morning carrying the Amos 6 communications satellite, owned by Spacecom Ltd. of Israel, a $200 million spacecraft to broadcast television and internet over the Middle East and Africa. The satellite was supposed to be attached to the rocket for the test fire.

Spaceflight Now

 

[kegdr]

From SpaceX:

SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today's static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries.

 

[najaB]

From SpaceX...

Loss of vehicle is a bummer, but loss of payload could be *very* expensive. I hope the insurance pays out $200M is a big hit for SpaceX if they don't. I wonder why they attach the payload for the WDR, I don't think that ULA does.

 

[miami]

I heard that private space flight was a boom industry

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Haha, that stops Facebook's plan for World Domination.

Their satelite intended to make everyone have Facebook was destroyed.

 

[najaB]

Video of the 'anomaly':


[youtube]_BgJEXQkjNQ[/youtube]

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Looks like the second stage tried to ignite which is very unusual in the history of launch vehicle failures. They only other time I can think of this happening is back in the Soviet Union days when the ignition signal for stage 2 was sent in error..

Would like to know what the circular object is at 1:25 heading out the rocket and to right of shot

 

[LexyBoy]

Someone didn't get the memo to light it at the bottom. Schoolboy error.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Someone didn't get the memo to light it at the bottom. Schoolboy error.

Not at all...

I would suggest that an error in the testing process resulted in the onboard computers igniting the second stage or payload booster motors - be interesting to go over their technical data and see what happened, but a second stage or payload booster ignition seems likely

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I just rewatched the footage of the last fatal space rocket disaster in the UK on an old Emmerdale episode, the annomaly that caused both incidents are probably the same.

(Someone pressed a button by mistake)

 

[DarloRich]

Haha, that stops Facebook's plan for World Domination.

Their satelite intended to make everyone have Facebook was destroyed.

i am not sure facebook have the power to compel you to use thier service.

I just rewatched the footage of the last fatal space rocket disaster in the UK on an old Emmerdale episode, the annomaly that caused both incidents are probably the same.

erm........................

 

[Harbornite]

i am not sure facebook have the power to compel you to use thier service.



erm........................

I'd take those posts with a pinch of salt. They only make sense if you're wearing a tin hat.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Latest news from Space X in the last hour or so indicates the explosion occurred in the upper stage's liquid oxygen tank when pumping it full and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1). A couple of experts in rocketry suspect it might be another strut failure in the same way the cargo flight exploded earlier.

 

[najaB]

Looks like the second stage tried to ignite which is very unusual in the history of launch vehicle failures. They only other time I can think of this happening is back in the Soviet Union days when the ignition signal for stage 2 was sent in error..

Interestingly, the other Falcon 9 failure was a fault with the second stage as well. I wonder if they've been putting all their best people onto the first stage recovery efforts and have taken their eyes off S2 QC.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Interestingly, the other Falcon 9 failure was a fault with the second stage as well. I wonder if they've been putting all their best people onto the first stage recovery efforts and have taken their eyes off S2 QC.

Yes... That was also an oxygen tank failure that was traced to a poor quality strut for the tank that snapped or broke off causing the tank to be damaged and destroy the launch vehicle.

I agree that they may well have taken their eye a bit off the ball, and things do not look good for them sending somebody up next year

 

[Busaholic]

Did Samsung have any sort of tie-up with this, battery-wise, say?!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Did Samsung have any sort of tie-up with this, battery-wise, say?!

No

Even if they did, the rocket would have been on GP - Ground Power