Update: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Self-Destructs During Test | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.21.25

Airborne-NextGen-04.22.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.23.25

Airborne-FltTraining-04.24.25

AirborneUnlimited-04.25.25

Tue, Aug 26, 2014

Update: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Self-Destructs During Test

Musk: 'Rockets Are Tricky'

A SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage in the company's "Grasshopper" configuration self-destructed during a test flight Friday in McGregor, TX.

In a statement posted on Twitter, SpaceX said that the vehicle stayed within in its designated test area, and there were no injuries.

Florida Today reports that in a separate Tweet, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said "Rockets are Tricky."

The test was part of the SpaceX program to develop a reusable first stage rocket. The program has been called "Grasshopper", and the first stage rockets have been boosted to increasingly high altitudes and then landed back on a set of legs built into the booster's body. According to SpaceX, the Falcon 9 Reusable Development 1 vehicle, or F9R, was flying a test profile that was "particularly complex, pushing the limits of the vehicle further than any previous test" when it detected a problem and self-destructed.

"With research and development projects, detecting vehicle anomalies during the testing is the purpose of the program," the statement said. "As is our practice, the company will be reviewing the flight record details to learn more about the performance of the vehicle prior to our next test."

SpaceX said in its statement that it will release further details when the data has been analyzed.

NBC News reports that SpaceX will delay Tuesday's planned launch of the AsiaSat 6 communications satellite until Wednesday at the earliest. While spokesman John Taylor said that the two missions are "very different," ... "SpaceX prizes mission assurance above all," he said, adding that the company wants to be sure that what happened with F9R poses no risk to the orbital mission.

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: www.spacex.com

Advertisement

More News

Prelim Report On February A-20G Crash At Laredo

Engine Problem Led To Attempted Emergency Landing The National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, has released a preliminary report on the February crash of the historic Douglas>[...]

Airborne 04.23.25: CAF C-47 Skytrain, Tough Low-Level Drone Regs, NEW NOTAMs

Also: Astronaut Pettit & Cosmonauts Return, Malaysia Wants Boeing Slots, Germany Nixes Typhoon Sale, More Boeing Woes The CAF’s restored C-47 Skytrain “Ready 4 Duty>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.26.25)

“Reaching 1,000 flight hours for these rigorous training exercises alongside our Marine Corps and Air Force partners is a testament to the reliability and adaptability of the>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.26.25): Emergency Locator Transmitter

Emergency Locator Transmitter A radio transmitter attached to the aircraft structure which operates from its own power source on 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz. It aids in locating downed>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.26.25)

Aero Linx: KC-10 Extender The KC-10 Extender is an Air Mobility Command advanced tanker and cargo aircraft designed to provide increased global mobility for U.S. armed forces. Alth>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC