An unmanned SpaceX rocket blew itself up after detecting a problem shortly after launching on Friday, August 22, 2014. The explosion, which destroyed the rocket, did not injure or kill anyone.
Founded by ex-PayPal owner Elon Musk, SpaceX is building privately funded rockets that someday will be reuseable, which Musk hopes will drastically decrease the cost of space launches.
But, early Friday evening, a setback occurred at SpaceX (or, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) when a prototype reusable Falcon 9 rocket (F9R) suffered an 'anomaly' (problem) shortly after launch at SpaceX's 900-acre launch site outside of McGregor, Texas.
The rocket's internal system automatically detected the anomaly at mid-flight and terminated the flight.
The rocket's self-destruct system destroyed the vertical-takeoff-and-landing rocket before it could go further. The explosion produced a ball of fire over an open field outside of McGregor, Texas.
A statement by SpaceX after the explosion said the 'flight termination system automatically terminated the mission' and 'no injuries or near-injuries' occurred.
Onlookers standing on a nearby road watching the launch remarked that the scene looked like a Fourth of July fireworks display.
Others saw several grass fires started as a result of falling debris form the remains of the rocket. None of the fires appeared to be serious.
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William Atkins completed educational degrees in science (bachelor's in physics and mathematics) from Illinois State University (Normal, United States) and business (master's in entrepreneurship and bachelor's in industrial relations) from Western Illinois University
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, August 23, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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