spacetoday.net: Falcon 9 test vehicle destroyed in flight

Posted: Sat, Aug 23, 2014, 10:28 AM ET (1428 GMT)
F9R test failure (KWTX-TV)

A SpaceX experimental vehicle used to demonstrate technologies planned for future reusable version of the Falcon 9 rocket was destroyed during a flight at the company's Texas test site on Friday. The F9R-Dev vehicle, based on a Falcon 9 first stage with three engines and retractable landing gear, suffered what the company called an anomaly during a test flight late Friday. The vehicle's flight termination system destroyed the vehicle in midair. No injuries were reported and the vehicle stayed within the designated flight area at the company's facilities near McGregor, Texas. SpaceX has previously flown the F9R-Dev on vertical takeoff and landing flights to test technologies the company plans to incorporate into future reusable versions of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. SpaceX didn't immediately indicate if the failure would affect the next orbital Falcon 9 mission, scheduled for next week from Cape Canaveral.