Musk Believed a Sniper Took Out a Falcon 9 Rocket in 2016, Report Claims

In 2016, a Falcon 9 rocket exploded throughout a moist gown rehearsal, creating a large ball of fireside that destroyed an onboard satellite tv for pc. The explanation for the eruption was unclear at first, resulting in one of many wildest theories in spaceflight historical past that apparently received the feds concerned.

In Reentry, a e-book concerning the early years of SpaceX, veteran house reporter Eric Berger explores the small print of the Falcon 9 anomaly. The explanation for the failure was not instantly apparent, main SpaceX engineers to develop a number of theories. One idea floated by engineers was {that a} sniper had fired on the rocket, triggering the explosion. Berger lately shared new particulars about this wild sniper idea, revealed by a Freedom of Info Act (FOIA) request.

The explosion occurred on September 1, 2016, round 9 a.m. ET. The Falcon 9 rocket was being prepped for a routine static fireplace take a look at at Area Launch Complicated 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Drive Station, when it instantly burst into flames. The anomaly destroyed its onboard payload, the Amos-6 communications satellite tv for pc.

Within the aftermath of the explosion, the corporate scrambled to search out an evidence. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk was drawn to the sniper idea, naturally, so he ordered staff to research it additional. A helium tank exploded in the course of the 2016 moist gown rehearsal, so SpaceX engineers tried to recreate the blast in subsequent assessments. To that finish, they fired at helium tanks to see if they’d rupture and what the ensuing explosion would appear like.

Musk’s obvious paranoia had additionally led him to imagine that SpaceX’s rival on the time, United Launch Alliance, was behind the explosion. Workers instructed Berger that, below Musk’s course, they have been requested to go over to a constructing leased by ULA a couple of mile from the launch website and verify the rooftop.

In line with Berger, SpaceX pursued the speculation for a couple of month earlier than the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) despatched the corporate a letter stating that no gunman was concerned.

Berger acquired the FAA letter by a FOIA request, which revealed that SpaceX had submitted video and audio of the incident, together with its personal evaluation. “SpaceX prompt that within the firm’s view, this data and knowledge could possibly be indicative of sabotage or felony exercise related to the on-pad explosion of SpaceX’s Falcon 9,” the letter learn. Nevertheless it didn’t cease there—SpaceX additional escalated the matter by informing the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Florida of the corporate’s idea, in keeping with the letter. The Tampa Subject Workplace of the FBI investigated the incident and located no foul play.

As an alternative, it was later revealed that SpaceX engineers had loaded the rocket’s pressurized tanks with super-chilled helium too rapidly, finally resulting in the explosion.

The incident occurred when SpaceX was nonetheless an up-and-comer within the spaceflight scene, and the lack of its rocket and payload dealt a heavy blow to the corporate. Quick ahead 9 years later, and Musk’s rocket firm is an business chief whereas a few of its earlier rivals, ULA included, have fallen behind.