The first free flight of NASA's Morpheus vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing rocket vehicle ends in failure. It appears to have had a guidance problem. The heat of the methane burning then burst a liquid-oxygen tank.
By Alan Boyle
A prototype lander for future space missions went awry and blew up today during its first free-flight test at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the space agency reported. The $7 milllion Morpheus lander project is an experiment in autonomous navigation and the use of more environmentally friendly fuels.
Morpheus has undergone a series of less ambitious tests at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and today's test was aimed at pushing the envelope further by letting the methane-powered craft off its tether. Video of the test shows the craft rising off its pad, then turning to the side and plunging back down to the ground in flames. No injuries were immediately reported.
The initial assessment is that there was a guidance failure that led Morpheus to lose balance.
Stay tuned for updates.
By Alan Boyle
A prototype lander for future space missions went awry and blew up today during its first free-flight test at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the space agency reported. The $7 milllion Morpheus lander project is an experiment in autonomous navigation and the use of more environmentally friendly fuels.
Morpheus has undergone a series of less ambitious tests at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and today's test was aimed at pushing the envelope further by letting the methane-powered craft off its tether. Video of the test shows the craft rising off its pad, then turning to the side and plunging back down to the ground in flames. No injuries were immediately reported.
The initial assessment is that there was a guidance failure that led Morpheus to lose balance.
Stay tuned for updates.