Elon Musk Calls SpaceX Falcon 9 Explosion Most “Difficult and Complex” Failure Ever
Even Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, is perplexed by the recent explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket.
The explosion, which occurred earlier this month and destroyed a $200-million Facebook satellite, was described today by Tusk as “the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had.” He noted that the explosion occurred “during a routine filling operation,” meaning the engines were not on “and there was no apparent heat source.”
Still working on the Falcon fireball investigation. Turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 9, 2016
US investigators are looking into the situation, pulling together a team from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the U.S. Air Force.
In August, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon rocket, which sent supplies to the International Space Station. SpaceX has so far returned five boosters from space.
