Elon Musk SpaceX Confirms Crew Dragon Capsule Destroyed During Explosion

Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently confirmed that the explosion that happened during a static wire testing a few weeks ago destroyed the agency’s Crew Dragon capsule.

According to CNN, SpaceX vice president for mission assurance Hans Koenigsmann gave the statement during a presscon regarding a separate SpaceX mission. Koenigsmann said that the explosion was likely linked to the firing of the Crew Dragon's SuperDraco engines. This part of the capsule was placed as part of the spacecraft’s emergency escape system.

SpaceX Crew Dragon was slated to be the company’s first spacecraft to carry human passengers. It had a great start this year when it successfully docked in the International Space Station without any assistance.

Musk’s space agency was supposed to conduct the second phase of the demos that already includes human occupants. Because of the explosion, there’s a further delay to the mission. Crew Dragon was supposed to bring NASA astronauts to the ISS this year.

The explosion on April 20 happened while the Crew Dragon was going through a "series of engine tests" at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The event was said to have occurred during the final stages of testing.

During the explosion, people can actually see thick plumes of smoke rising into the Florida sky. It sparked concerns among witnesses as the explosion was said to be so big people thought it was a security issue.

SpaceX didn’t provide any initial statements, tagging the event only as an “anomaly.” Musk himself, who is known to be vocal and someone who loves to update followers about SpaceX on Twitter, has been eerily quiet days after the explosion.

After the event, leaked footage of the testing also appeared online. Memos confirming the video’s authenticity was said to have been obtained by the Orlando Sentinel and it didn’t bode well for both SpaceX and NASA.

NASA had high hopes for Crew Dragon because it has been years since America last brought U.S. astronauts to space onboard its own spaceship. The space agency had to rely mostly on hitching a very expensive ride with the Russians just to reach the ISS.