-
00
HOURS
:
00
MINUTES
:
00
SECONDS
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the ninth Dragon spacecraft on the seventh operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station as part of the NASA cargo resupply contract. It was meant to deliver the IDA-1 segment of the new ISS International Docking System. The second stage ruptured due to an overpressurization event and the launch vehicle disintegrated at T+139 seconds. According to SpaceX investigation, "Preliminary analysis suggests the overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank was initiated by a flawed piece of support hardware (a “strutâ€) inside the second stage."
Limiting rule: No flight through cumulus cloud with top at or above the freezing level.
3000% cloud cover in layer above freezing (14716 ft) — approximated
RUD at T + 139s - second stage overpressure event due to defective COPV strut heim joint
This vehicle was intended to deliver the first of two International Docking Adapters to modify the ISS adapters so that they could be used for future commercial crew missions. However the capsule was destroyed when the Falcon 9 launch vehicle failed in flight.