BOCA CHICA, Texas – While the indefinite delay for the Axiom 4 mission puts a bit of a damper on this week’s space news, we at least now know SpaceX’s leading theory behind the latest Starship explosion in Texas.
The fireball engulfed the rocket and everything around it late Wednesday during what SpaceX said were preparations for a 10th flight test.
Starship had completed a single-engine static fire earlier in the week and was in the process of loading cryogenic propellant for a six-engine static fire when initial analysis indicates the failure of a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) took it all down, SpaceX said in a news release.
[FLASHBACK VIDEO BELOW: Starship explosion impacts Fla. flights]
The release described the COPV as a pressurized tank containing gaseous nitrogen in the rocket’s nosecone area, adding there is ”no commonality between the COPVs used on Starship and SpaceX’s Falcon rockets.”
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The explosion resulted in the total loss of Starship and damage to the immediate area surrounding the test stand, as well as the ignition of several fires at the test site.
(The test sire) remains clear of personnel and will be assessed once it has been determined to be safe to approach. Individuals should not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.
As is the case before any test, a safety zone was established around the test site and was maintained throughout the operation. There are no reported injuries, and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
There are no hazards to the surrounding communities in the Rio Grande Valley. Previous independent tests conducted on materials inside Starship, including toxicity analyses, confirm they pose no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks. SpaceX is coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies, as appropriate, on matters concerning environmental and safety impacts.
SpaceX
[VIDEO: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes into fireball; ‘major anomaly’ under investigation]