SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Friday morning that investigators have "not ruled out" some kind of unidentified flying object caused the explosion of 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket. The CEO also said the explosion is "the most difficult" incident that the company has ever encountered.
In a video posted on Youtube, it shows there's a UFO that flies across the rocket, leading some internet's conspiracy theorists to say that aliens triggered the explosion. Also, there's mysterious sound at 0:54 mark of the video. It sounds like a metal joint popping under stress.
According to Musk, the engines were not on during the routine prelaunch operation, and there was no heat source on the launch pad.
Investigators are now trying to understand the mysterious bang sound that erupted a few seconds before the fireball goes off. The cause of the rocket mishap is still unknown as of now. It may come from the rocket itself or something, according space flight experts.
The Sept. 1 explosion also destroyed the rocket's payload, the $200 million AMOS-6 communications satellite from Facebook. The satellite was supposed to bring internet connectivity to several regions of Africa.
For now, initially investigation shows some internal components failed while the rocket was being fuelled. There could be a mechanical part that caused sparks and released explosive chemicals. The team of investigators are still trying to get to the bottom of the issue.
Business Insider reported the aerospace company has rounded up around 20 people to investigate the rocket explosion.
On Twitter, Musk asked assistance from NASA and the public in order to quickly figure out the cause of the explosion. For those who have audio, photos or videos of the Sept 1. mishap, please send it to report@spacex.com, SpaceX CEO wrote on social media.
Furthermore, Musk asked for help from aviation experts at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System and NASA.
In an interview with Reuters, Tory Bruno, chief executive of United Launch Alliance, said it might take nine to 12 months for SpaceX to return to space flight.
For those unaware, SpaceX also experienced rocket launch failure last year. On June 28, 2015, the company's Falcon 9 rocket blew up in mid-flight.
We'll give you an update as soon as we know. Stay with Gospel Herald for more information.
