SpaceX Acknowledges Dragon Capsule Destruction During Testing
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Chapter 1: Incident Overview
Recently, SpaceX has officially confirmed what many had anticipated — the total destruction of its Dragon II spacecraft during a test conducted late last month. This revelation came from Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX's vice president of mission assurance, who discussed the capsule's loss during a press conference and provided initial details regarding the "anomaly," a term SpaceX uses to describe the incident.
SpaceX, the private aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, is one of two organizations developing spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, alongside Boeing. The company was experiencing a wave of success, having recently completed the Dragon II test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and the inaugural commercial launch of the Falcon Heavy. However, the situation turned tragic on April 20th when an anomaly was reported on the test stand, leading to observable smoke rising from Cape Canaveral. Subsequently, a leaked video captured the moment of the capsule's explosion.
Koenigsmann indicated that the issue likely stemmed from the Dragon’s SuperDraco thrusters. While the smaller Draco engines, used in the cargo Dragon and Dragon II, functioned correctly, a problem occurred during preparations to ignite the SuperDraco engines. These engines are designed to utilize hypergolic liquid fuel, providing sufficient thrust to propel the crew capsule away from a Falcon 9 rocket in emergency situations. SpaceX also intends to employ them for propulsive landings. Notably, the SuperDracos had not yet initiated firing when the explosion occurred, leaving the exact cause undetermined. According to Koenigsmann, it's premature to ascertain the specifics of the failure.
The video discusses SpaceX's confirmation regarding the Dragon capsule explosion and the implications for future crewed flights.
Chapter 2: Investigation and Implications
On that fateful day, the capsule involved in the test was the same one that had successfully flown to the ISS a few weeks earlier. SpaceX had retrieved it from the ocean for further testing. The optimistic scenario suggests it may have incurred damage during the landing or recovery process. NASA plans to utilize a new Dragon II for each crewed flight to the ISS, which may mitigate any safety concerns. However, the destruction of the Dragon II raises questions about potential design flaws that could pose risks in future missions.
SpaceX is implementing several cutting-edge innovations with the Dragon II, including the use of 3D printing for the SuperDraco combustion chamber. It is also noteworthy that the launch abort system employs liquid fuel, which is relatively uncommon in the industry.
As both NASA and SpaceX continue their investigation into the incident, they face the challenge of collecting evidence scattered across the testing platform. In a similar vein, Boeing had to delay its CST-100 launch schedule by several months due to a fuel leak last year. If the current pace continues, SpaceX might encounter a significantly prolonged delay, pushing back its crewed test flight potentially until 2020.
This video covers the latest developments regarding SpaceX and the Crew Dragon explosion, providing insights into ongoing investigations and future plans.