A fire last week caused “irrecoverable damage” to a rocket owned by ABL Space Systems that was initially expected to launch this summer from the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska on Kodiak Island, according to a news story at the Alaska Public Media infosite.
According to a press release from the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which operates the spaceport, a Friday ground test went awry at the Narrow Cape facility when a fire developed on a launch pad during a routine ground test at about 8:30 p.m.
The fire was “brief” and there were no injuries or damages to the infrastructure at the complex. The Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska has its own trained first responders on site and they were able to fully contain the fire in a timely manner according to the corporation.
John Oberst, Alaska Aerospace’s CEO, said a static fire started in a rocket at one of the launch pads on site at Area 3, but exactly why the routine test failed is unknown. “It was a ground test and it did involve a small duration engine fires, which means starting the engine. But beyond that I would have to have the launch provider provide that information. It was a normal test, testing the engine, and yes the engines were lit.”
This was not a rocket launch, just a routine test for a rocket owned by ABL Space Systems. After the failed test, the company said on social media that this particular rocket was damaged beyond repair, meaning it won’t be usable for a future launch.
To read the entire story, please access this Alaska Public Media direct infolink…
Story by Davis Hovey, KMXT – Kodiak
