Being a launch provider is a risky business. You WILL lose a vehicle and/or the payload once in a while.
Good to hear no one was injured.
****UPDATE****
We now know why...(courtesy of Irish)...
Thursday, September 1, 2016
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Merry Christmas - <i>He Is Born</i> -
I'd like to wish my friends here a very Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year. We'll be having our Christmas Dinner with family...
Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark on the budget...
ReplyDeleteYeah, and since this was a "Full Up" static test firing of the engines, the payload (AMOS-6 satellite) was onboard.
DeleteThe insurance company is going to have to pay the full amount, which is generally in the $300~$400 million range.
Appears the fire started on one of the upper stages first.
ReplyDeleteInitial reports are it started at or near where the upper stage LOX vent is located
DeleteLooked like the final stage inadvertently fired...
ReplyDeleteNo, that would have looked entirely different. This was more of "point" initial explosion rather than something large like an engine firing.
DeleteThere's some speculation that the Flight Termination System may have inadvertently activated.
FTS should NOT have been active.
DeleteCurrent "rumors" are that it was caused by a failure of the "intertank" structure in the upper stage.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bulkhead that separates the LOX from the fuel in the upper stage.
Still no clue on the source of ignition, but with that much metal moving around, and the electrical connections being disrupted, the chances of a spark some where are high.
When the bulkhead ruptures, the fuel and LOX will mix, and ANY small source of ignition will set it off...