SpaceX says the Accident Investigation Team continues to make progress in examining the anomaly on September 1 that led to the loss of a...
SpaceX says the Accident Investigation Team continues to make progress in examining the anomaly on September 1 that led to the loss of a Falcon 9 and its AMOS-6 payload at Launch Complex 40 (LC-40), Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
SpaceX has conducted tests at its facility in McGregor, Texas, attempting to replicate as closely as possible the conditions that may have led to the mishap.
The investigation team was focusing on a breach in the cryogenic helium system of the second stage liquid oxygen tank. The root cause of the breach has not yet been confirmed, but attention has continued to narrow to one of the three composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) inside the LOX tank.
Through extensive testing in Texas, SpaceX has shown that it can re-create a COPV failure entirely through helium loading conditions. These conditions are mainly affected by the temperature and pressure of the helium being loaded.
SpaceX’s efforts are now focused on two areas – finding the exact root cause, and developing improved helium loading conditions that allow SpaceX to reliably load Falcon 9. With the advanced state of the investigation, we also plan to resume stage testing in Texas in the coming days, while continuing to focus on completion of the investigation. This is an important milestone on the path to returning to flight.
SpaceX expects to restart launch operations before the end of the year with its other two launch sites at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
