Finally, the September 1 explosion investigation has come to an end and now Elon Musk’s led Space Organization, SpaceX, is aiming to launch its first flight on January 8. The Falcon 9 rocket has been loaded with Iridium Communications’ 10 next generation IridiumNEXT Satellites.
SpaceX has finally concluded the cause behind the explosion of its rocket on the Cape Carnival launchpad. the investigation was conducted in partnership with federal safety and space agencies including FAA and NASA.
“Over the past four months, officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with several industry experts, have collaborated with SpaceX on a rigorous investigation to determine the cause of the anomaly that occurred September 1 at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida,” said SpaceX.
The investigators found that one of the three composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) inside the second stage liquid oxygen (LOX) tank failed. The failure was caused due to the accumulation of oxygen between the COPV liner and overwrap in a void or a buckle in the liner, leading to ignition and the subsequent failure of the COPV, said SpaceX.
Now, SpaceX is ready for its first launch after the explosion to deliver a payload of 10 Iridium Satellites to orbit. The satellites have already been loaded into the rocket.