The Falcon 9 rocket launch. Image via Wikimedia Commons
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has released images on microblogging site Twitter of the Falcon 9 rocket’s “rapid unscheduled disassembly” – or, failed landing.
Last weekend, SpaceX attempted to create a piece of space history by landing a rocket engine onto a floating barge in the Atlantic Ocean in order to make space travel much cheaper by re-using the most expensive component of a rocket.
However, the commercial space operation’s highly ambitious endeavour – previously given a 50:50 chance of success – had a rough landing, with Musk taking to Twitter to say it had been ‘close but no cigar’.
Now it appears that describing the rocket as having a rough landing may have been a bit of an understatement. Musk described the rocket coming in hard on the barge, toppling over and exploding as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”.
In a series of tweets with Oculus VR’s CTO John Carmack, Musk released still images from the video feed of the Falcon 9 crash to the delight of anyone who finds big explosions pretty cool.
@ID_AA_Carmack Before impact, fins lose power and go hardover. Engines fights to restore, but … pic.twitter.com/94VDi7IEHS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2015
@ID_AA_Carmack Rocket hits hard at ~45 deg angle, smashing legs and engine section pic.twitter.com/PnzHHluJfG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2015
@ID_AA_Carmack Residual fuel and oxygen combine pic.twitter.com/5k07SP8M9n
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2015
@ID_AA_Carmack Full RUD (rapid unscheduled disassembly) event. Ship is fine minor repairs. Exciting day! pic.twitter.com/tIEctHFKHG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2015
Musk has promised the public that another launch is scheduled to occur within the next two to three weeks.
Next rocket landing on drone ship in 2 to 3 weeks w way more hydraulic fluid. At least it shd explode for a diff reason.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2015
