FR24 News June 2, 2020
Shortly after a briefing after the SpaceX astronaut’s flawless launch, CEO Elon Musk released the best explanation for why a prototype spacecraft exploded violently during tests on May 29.
This Saturday, SpaceX successfully completed the fifth static fire of a Raptor engine installed on a prototype large-scale spacecraft, preceded by about an hour and a half of vehicle checks and loading of propellant. Unfortunately, about a minute after Raptor’s shutdown, what was quickly identified as liquid methane began to spurt out of a specific section at the base of Starship, quickly creating a massive cloud as the cryogenic booster boiled and transformed. in gas. The specific source is not clear, but moments later something under Starship SN4 provided the shock or spark necessary to ignite the increasing risk of fire, producing a spectacularly large and violent explosion.
Unsurprisingly, the accidental explosion of fuel and air that was created wiped out the SN4 spacecraft in the blink of an eye, shredding its lower tank (liquid oxygen) into steel confetti and immediately violating the upper tank (methane liquid), which fell to the ground and subsequently exploded again. The Starship spacecraft launch was also staged damaged beyond repair and has been fully dismantled and scrapped within two days of the anomaly. Fortunately, however, SpaceX already has replacement carriers and ships on track to carry the Starship SN4 torch forward and Elon Musk already seems to understand what caused the prototype to disappear.
Shortly after a post-launch briefing celebrating and discussing the SpaceX astronaut’s inaugural launch on May 30, Reuters reporter Joey Roulette could ask Musk on the spectacular disappearance of Starship SN4 the day before. The CEO of SpaceX was quoted as saying that “what we thought was a minor test of a quick disconnect ended up being a big problemâ€, confirming the suspicions based on a careful analysis of public opinions on the explosion caused by problems with Starship. ground support equipment (GSE).
More:
https://www.fr24news.com/a/2020/06/spacex-spacecraft-explosion-explained-by-elon-musk.html
