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SpaceX confirms crew capsule destroyed in ground test

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 2, 2019

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

SpaceX confirms crew capsule destroyed in ground test
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SpaceX confirms crew capsule destroyed in ground test
In this March 8 image taken from video, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is hoisted onto a ship in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast after it returned from a mission to the International Space Station. (NASA via AP, File)
In this March 3 photo, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is pictured about 20 meters (66 feet) away from the International Space Station’s Harmony module. (NASA via AP, File)

By Marcia Dunn / Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX has confirmed its crew capsule was destroyed in ground testing two weeks ago.

A company vice president told reporters Friday it’s too soon to know what went wrong during the April 20 test or whether the capsule’s March space flight contributed to the failure. Flames engulfed the capsule a half-second before the launch-abort thrusters were to fire.

SpaceX still cannot access the test stand at Cape Canaveral, Florida, because of toxic fuel contamination.

Vice president Hans Koenigsmann says the cargo version of the Dragon capsule, meanwhile, is safe to fly to the International Space Station.

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon rocket with station supplies early Friday morning. The flight was delayed by a power problem that occurred at the station Monday and was fixed Thursday.

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