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Fri, Jan 25, 2019

SpaceX 'Test Hopper' Damaged During Texas Windstorm

Prototype Rocket Will Take 'Weeks' To Repair, Musk Says

High winds at the SpaceX launch complex in Texas blew over the "test hopper" rocket that is a prototype of the spacecraft the company hopes will one day carry people to Mars.

Winds gusting to more than 50 miles per hour blew the upper section of the rocket to the ground, and SpaceX founder Elon Musk says the damage will take "weeks" to repair, according to a report from Business Insider.

The prototype was never intended to be launched into orbit, but rather to conduct a series of test flights to altitudes of up to 16,400 feet.

The portion of the test article that was damaged is the fairing, or nose cone. One resident described the winds as being similar to a hurricane. Initially, the prototype was sheltered from the wind, but it reportedly shifted during the night and blew the top off the vehicle.

Earlier this month, Musk said that the test flights could get underway in four to eight weeks. That timeline is now very likely delayed while the damage is repaired.

(Images via Twitter and provided by SpaceX)

FMI: www.spacex.com, Business Insider report


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