An experimental SpaceX rocket locomotive engine exploded during a test last Saturday , November 4 , according to the company . Although no one was harmed , the incident is a small setback in what has otherwise been a hugely successful 2017 .
The story was first break byThe Washington Post , who said it occur during a “ qualification test ” . This was a new railway locomotive that had n’t flown before , but examination is potential to be suspended until the cause can be identified , which might take several weeks .
The detonation bring place at SpaceX ’s MacGregor facility in Texas . It involve a newfangled Merlin engine being tested by the company , the type of engine used on its Falcon 9 rocket .
This was a new Block 5 variant of the locomotive engine , with Block 4 currently being used on the arugula . SpaceX is planning to use the new variant on its rockets towards the end of 2018 .
" No one was injure and all rubber protocol were followed during the time of this incident , " a argument from SpaceX said according toSpace.com .
" We are now lead a thorough and in full transparent investigation of the base cause . "
According toArs Technica , the explosion hap before the engine was light , during a routine when liquid oxygen was added to the railway locomotive to try for passing water . Something appears to have ignited the fluid in the projectile engine , causing the burst .
SpaceX has launched 16 Eruca sativa already this year , 13 of which have included a rocket landing place . That ’s double its previous record for launches in a single year , and they may finish the twelvemonth with as many as 20 .
That could include the launch of SpaceX ’s huge Modern rocket by theend of December , the Falcon Heavy , which will be the world ’s most powerful rocket in operation . The company say it did not expect this latest mishap to involve its challenging launching schedule .
“ SpaceX is committed to our current manifest and we do not carry this to have any impact on our launch cadence , ” the statement from SpaceX added .
In September 2016 , a Falcon 9 rocketexploded on the launch padwhile going through routine testing . While not as terrible , this belated blip is still a bit of a blow for the party .
