During the test flight of a three engine version of the F9R test vehicle that is the successor to SpaceX’s Grasshopper reusable rocket, an anomaly was detected in the vehicle and the flight termination system automatically terminated the mission, SpaceX said in a release.
“Throughout the test and subsequent flight termination, the vehicle remained in the designated flight area. There were no injuries,” SpaceX stated. “An FAA representative was present at all times.”
“With research and development projects, detecting vehicle anomalies during the testing is the purpose of the program. Today’s test was particularly complex, pushing the limits of the vehicle further than any previous test. As is our practice, the company will be reviewing the flight record data to learn more about the performance of the vehicle prior to our next test.”
“Rockets are tricky,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted after the explosion.