Falcon 9 suffers catastrophic anomaly ahead of static fire; Amos-6 booster and satellite destroyed.
At 9:07 am EDT, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an anomaly at SLC-40, minutes ahead of today’s scheduled hot fire test. While specific details are unclear as of yet, SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated that the vehicle was undergoing propellant loading, and that the anomaly occurred around the second stage’s Liquid Oxygen tank.
In the video above, taken by Mike Wagner of US Launch Report, Falcon 9 is seen in the final minutes of propellant loading. An explosion is seen originating in the lower portion of the second stage, which is where its Liquid Oxygen tank is located. A few moments later, the rocket’s payload fairing - with the Amos-6 satellite tucked inside - is seen falling to the ground.
The 45th space wing out of Patrick Air Force Base, which operates Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, stated that no injuries have been reported by SpaceX or any other launch company.
Amos-6 was scheduled for launch between 3 and 5 am EDT on Saturday, September 3. Once the area is clear of hazards, a disaster response team will asses damage to SLC-40 and the surrounding area. While an investigation will have to occur before the Falcon 9 can fly again, it is unclear how quickly LC-39A can be activated if the rocket is ready to fly before the pad is.
P/c: Mike Wagner/US Launch Report
UPDATE: (January 6, 2017)
The Federal Aviation Administration has officially signed off on the Amos-6 incident report as submitted by SpaceX, closing the official investigation. Although no specific root cause of the fast fire was found, the investigation determined that liquid oxygen filled a small rupture in the lining of a second stage helium tank. Due to friction, the fuel ignited, leading to the rapid fast fire.
SpaceX completed a static fire for the IridiumNEXT mission at Vandenberg Air Force base January 5, passing the milestone Amos-6 was lost at. That mission is expected to occur around 10:22am Pacific Standard Time from SLC-4E.
Though the company’s Florida launch pad was heavily damaged in the September 1, 2016 incident, SpaceX hopes LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center will be ready for its first launch in late January. Launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy will continue here until SLC-40 is repaired.