--- title: "SpaceX Confirms That Accident Destroyed Crew Dragon Capsule" description: "SpaceX finally confirmed today during a press event that the Crew Dragon capsule that flew to the International Space Station in March was destroyed." date: "2019-05-02" modified: "2019-05-02" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-confirms-anomaly-destroy-crew-dragon" categories: - "Crew Dragon" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "crew dragon" - "NASA" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Confirms That Accident Destroyed Crew Dragon Capsule ![SpaceX finally confirmed today during a press event that the Crew Dragon capsule that flew to the International Space Station in March was destroyed.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Crew Dragon Explosion SpaceX's Vice President of Mission Assurance Hans Koenigsmann [confirmed today]() during a press event that the Crew Dragon capsule that flew to the International Space Station [all by itself]() in March — albeit with no astronauts on board — was destroyed during a test failure on April 20. But Koenigsmann [still refrained]() from using the word "explosion." ## Explosive Silence *The Atlantic* [pointed out]() earlier this week that SpaceX had failed to acknowledge what appeared to be a massive explosion at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral testing grounds. Only twelve days later did SpaceX publicly admit the Crew Dragon capsule was a ["total loss,"]() as Senator Richard Shelby, NASA's budget manager, put it at today's press event. Until today, SpaceX had called the incident [an "anomaly"]() in a prepared statement released two days later — a downplayed description of an incident that caused what *The Atlantic* called "plumes, thick and glowing orange" to rise over the horizon. ## Vows of Silence Koenigsmann's remarks come after a memo [obtained by the *Orlando Sentinel*]() earlier this week [seemed to confirm]() that a video showing an explosion during the test was authentic. So what was the cause of the explosion? Jeff Foust, senior writer at *SpaceNews*, [tweeted earlier today]() that Koenigsmann stated the "vehicle was destroyed" — but *before* the vehicle's thrusters ignited. That suggests the "anomaly" arose not because of the Crew Dragon's eight emergency thrusters. "We have no reason to believe that there is an issue with the SuperDraco systems themselves," Koenigsmann confirmed at today's press event. https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1123967377295777794 ## Bad PR? So where does that leave Demo 2? The first crewed test flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft that was initially scheduled for July. Koenigsmann said there was "certainly hope" that the test flight can still occur this year. According to Foust, SpaceX has["multiple spacecraft"]() in development. The test failure is still officially under investigation, according to Koenigsmann. https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1123972494535344129 **READ MORE:** S[paceX’s Unnerving Silence on an Explosive Incident]() \[*The Atlantic*\] **More on the explosion:** *[Internal Memo Confirms SpaceX Explosion Video Is Real]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()