SpaceX and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are currently investigating the cause of the anomaly that led to engine failure on the Crew Dragon capsule designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. The incident occurred on April 20, and, fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries.
According to a SpaceX representative, an anomaly occurred during ground testing of the Crew Dragon capsule that led to the accident.
After this incident, plumes of orange smoke were seen over the testing area at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and a video of an explosion accompanied by flames appeared on Twitter. After some time, this video was deleted.
Information about this incident is extremely scarce. It is possible that an explosion occurred and the Crew Dragon capsule was destroyed. However, NASA insists that the investigation into the spacecraft incident will take time and calls for patience.
According to Patricia Sanders, head of NASA's Space Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), the test replicated a situation in which a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Crew Dragon unexpectedly broke apart, necessitating an emergency capsule separation.
Sanders noted that during testing, 12 of the smaller compact Draco engines used for maneuvering in space functioned normally, but testing of SuperDraco resulted in an abnormal situation, although no one was injured.
Source: 3dnews.ru