SpaceX F9R vehicle destroyed during testing

MacGregor, Texas – On Aug. 22, 2014, SpaceX officials announced that one of the company’s Falcon test rockets was destroyed when a vehicle anomaly caused the flight to be terminated. 

 

According to a statement issued on Twitter, SpaceX was conducting a test of its three-engine Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) rocket, a successor to the Grasshopper and a spacecraft designed to return to Earth with a soft landing. “During the flight, an anomaly was detected in the vehicle and the flight termination system automatically terminated the mission.” The craft’s self-destruction in a fireball high in the sky was visible for miles, but occurred over a test range and no injuries were reported. The test was described as “particularly complex, pushing the limits of the vehicle further than any previous test.”

 

The incident was the first significant malfunction for a SpaceX vehicle during fight testing. Flight data was being reviewed, and even though the vehicle lost is different from the Falcon 9 that is to carry the AsiaSat 6 telecommunications satellite to orbit, the company will delay launch of that vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base to ensure there is no shared risk. The liftoff had been scheduled for Tuesday, but is now set for Wednesday, Aug 28.