Sabotage speculation gathers around SpaceX explosion

[groundloop]

Source: CNBC


Rumors of potential sabotage are gathering around the investigation of the explosion during a recent SpaceX launch test.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that the inquiry has taken a "bizarre twist," suggesting SpaceX is considering sabotage a possible cause of the explosion. According to the Post, a SpaceX employee sought access to facilities belonging to SpaceX competitor United Launch Alliance — a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

SpaceX investigators came across something suspicious when reviewing video of the failure—"an odd shadow and then a white spot" on the roof of a ULA building, according to the Post. A SpaceX employee seeking access to the building was turned away, but Air Force investigators later dispatched to the facility did not find anything on the roof.

SpaceX sent a statement CNBC saying that a "preliminary review of the data and debris suggests a breach in the second stage's helium system" on the Falcon 9, "but the cause of the breach is still unknown."

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/03/sabotage-speculation-gathers-around-spacex-explosion.html

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United Launch Alliance has some huge contracts with the government which SpaceX has been cutting into, their relationship has been pretty nasty.

Still, it's quite possible that SpaceX just plane screwed something up either in manufacturing or assembly - after all, this is rocket science.

[PSPS]

1. LOL. Yes, it was a shadowy figure in the grassy knoll with a ray gun !!11!1!

[jmowreader]

2. It looked to me like the payload's booster motor fired

You're exactly right, though - this IS rocket science, and things going boom are just part of the fun.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. If saboteurs can get to Trump's debate microphone, then nothing is safe. nt

[zappaman]

4. They have a suspect

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Nah, this is the guy always sabotaging advanced rocketry:

[truthisfreedom]

6. Gary Seven!

[Retired George]

7. HILLARY DID IT! DON'T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT! GODLESS PINKO LEFTISTS!

[vinny9698]

8. The word sabotage has a histor of labor's struggle for worker's rights

It is a French word, from the root word sabot, shoe.
The French workers in order to have a break, would throw a shoe into the machinery to stop it. Engineers would then have to take their time looking for the shoe. Workers got their break.

[GummyBearz]

9. A coworker instantly thought it was possible SpaceX sabotaged their own rocket

I work in this field (both companies are customers). SpaceX is competing big time with facebook right now in the realm of low earth orbiting satellites for global internet connectivity, and that rocket's payload was a facebook satellite. All SpaceX has to do is buy a lot of insurance on their rocket making it no loss to them, but a huge delay to facebook's space efforts.