SpaceX's Falcon 9R test rocket just blew up.

[Kryten]

At the moment, there's not much information other than it happened. There's apparently a pretty major grass fire, but probably no injuries on the ground.

[K^2]

Oh, wow. I hope the accident is caused by something unique to 9R. I'd hate to see this cause problems for the v1.1. Although, if it is something they have in common, I'm gad it came up during a test launch like this.

[Nibb31]

I guess that's what tests are for...

It will be interesting to know at what phase of the flight the mishap occured, take-off, hover, or landing. Chances are that the flight termination system self-destructed the rocket because it was veering off-course.

If they can diagnose the problem, losing the F9R-Dev1 vehicle shouldn't have too much impact on their test program because F9R-Dev2 is already under construction.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Nibb31

[AngusJimiKeith]

The two most likely scenarios, IMO, are guidance failure or they finally found out how many times a Merlin 1D can be successfully restarted. Most likely the termination system did blow it up. They static fired the F9 that's on the pad at the Cape just now, so it's unlikely to affect the upcoming launch.

[K^2]

Chances are that the flight termination system self-destructed the rocket because it was veering off-course.

0_0 I hope they don't plan to have that feature standard on manned rockets.

[Kryten]

It's already standard, that's what LAS' are for.

[Nibb31]

From this video, it does looks like it started going off-course, nearly horizontal, which caused the FTS to fire:

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Rocket-Explodes-at-Space-X-272370541.html

Apparently, they were testing new actuators on this flight, so that's a likely cause for the deviation.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Nibb31

[cantab]

Though I don't think a manned rocket would use an automated range safety system. The destruct would only be initiated at the button-press of the range safety officer. And would probably include the firing of the LES to get the astronauts out of dodge first.

[MikeFox1]

I'm glad it happened during tests, we don't want to lose cargo, or heaven forbid, lose a crew. Also I have a suspicion that testing will be started earlier in New Mexico...

[Nibb31]

0_0 I hope they don't plan to have that feature standard on manned rockets.

After an abort and separation of the capsule, you would still want to destroy the rocket before it hits the ground.

[K^2]

After an abort and separation of the capsule, you would still want to destroy the rocket before it hits the ground.

Ah, you're right. I didn't think about the abort procedure. Still, I hope it's reliable enough. I mean, you really want separation than boom, not the other way around.

[Kryten]

Chances are that the flight termination system self-destructed the rocket because it was veering off-course.

We know it was the termination system at least;

Three engine F9R Dev1 vehicle auto-terminated during test flight. No injuries or near injuries. Rockets are tricky …

[cpast]

Ah, you're right. I didn't think about the abort procedure. Still, I hope it's reliable enough. I mean, you really want separation than boom, not the other way around.

In some scenarios, it might be worth firing even if it would mean a loss of crew: a rocket hitting an area with people in it will kill more people than are riding on that rocket (yes, I know this is why rockets are launched such that downrange is away from humans; even so, the reason for range safety systems is, ultimately, to prevent the rocket from leaving that downrange area and hitting somewhere with people).

[Kryten]

We have video. Looks like guidance or control failure.

[TrooperCooper]

Needs more struts.

[PakledHostage]

Though I don't think a manned rocket would use an automated range safety system. The destruct would only be initiated at the button-press of the range safety officer.

IIRC, even the space shuttle had a launch termination system. After the Challenger broke up, the range safety officers manually fired the two wayward SRB's flight termination systems. And of course there's the famous video of the Little Joe test of the Apollo LES where the booster failed for real. The LES functioned automatically and flawlessly in that unexpectedly realistic test.

Edit: I just watched the video... That's one expensive ring vortex! Ouch.

Edited August 23, 2014 by PakledHostage

[TythosEternal]

From this video, it does looks like it started going off-course, nearly horizontal, which caused the FTS to fire:

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Rocket-Explodes-at-Space-X-272370541.html

Apparently, they were testing new actuators on this flight, so that's a likely cause for the deviation.

Compare the above video to the Musk tweet...

Three engine F9R Dev1 vehicle auto-terminated during test flight. No injuries or near injuries. Rockets are tricky...

[CjStaal]

I hope it isn't sabotage from Boeing, ULA, or Russia

[WestAir]

I mean, you really want separation then boom, not the other way around.

To be fair, I imagine a boom is the single most effective method for separating capsules from rockets.

[problemecium]

Perhaps this was a successful test of the self-destruct button.

[shynung]

To be fair, I imagine a boom is the single most effective method for separating capsules from rockets.

I think that would result in the capsule disintegrating along with the rocket. We want the capsule to stay intact, and destroy the wayward rocket before it hits something important, which is why the current abort procedure is used.

[Jenteb07]

In the second video, the woman asks "was that supposed to happen?",

[Tex_NL]

I unleashed some google-fu on the web and found many news sites with this story. But to my surprise when I checked http://www.spacex.com/ I found literally nothing anywhere closely related to this CATO (Catastrophe At Take-Off).

[Frozen_Heart]

Have the grass fires been got under control or are they still burning?

[Caroliano]

A quote from February this year:

Tom Mueller, the head of rocket engine development at Hawthorne-based SpaceX, said there’s been one time he disappointed Elon Musk, the former PayPal co-founder who is head of both the spaceflight startup and electric car maker Tesla Motors.

It was during a test flight of an experimental craft called the Grasshopper, a rocket designed to both take off and land from a vertical position. Last fall, the Grasshopper successfully reached a height of 2,441 feet before landing again, a feat of physics many doubted was possible.

“It didn’t make a crater in the ground like everyone thought it would,†Mueller said. “Elon was a little upset about that. If you don’t crash the thing, you’re not pushing it hard enough.â€Â

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