CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is reporting it has determined the likely source of the Sept. 1 explosion that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and $200 million communications satellite but still doesn’t have a cause.
The explosion was caused by “a large breach in the cryogenic helium system” of the Falcon 9’s second-stage rocket while it was being fueled with liquid oxygen during a preflight test, the company said.
An investigative team comprised of SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, U.S. Air Force and other industry experts has gone through 3,000 pieces of information, including engineering data, video, audio and photos, the company said.
The breach happened in an “extremely short” period of time, less than one-tenth of a second, SpaceX said.\
Why the breach occurred, though, is still a mystery, the company said.
“All plausible causes are being tracked in an extensive fault tree and carefully investigated,” SpaceX said in a release.
While the rocket and its payload were a complete loss, the explosion did not critically damage the super-chilled oxygen and kerosene tanks or pad control systems at Launch Complex 40, the release said.
Debris from the explosion has been collected, photographed, labeled and catalogued and is being held in a hangar for inspection as the investigation into the cause continues, SpaceX said.
(Image: SpaceX "Falcon 9 User's Guide")
Cox Media Group
