Dragon capsule did not survive impact when it hit water, officials say
ORLANDO, Fla. – Debris from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that exploded Sunday shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral has been located off the Florida coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
"The Coast Guard is working in close coordination with SpaceX and partner agencies to monitor the Falcon 9 debris field currently located more than 150 miles off (Jacksonville)," authorities said.
SpaceX officials said in an update later Tuesday that the Dragon capsule did not survive impact after the Falcon 9 rocket broke up. SpaceX said that it is recovering "significant portions of debris."
To track the debris, the Coast Guard dropped flares and a buoy into the debris field, which is 20 miles by one-half mile in size. Authorities cautioned boats in the area and asked the public to report any sightings of debris that might wash ashore.
"Currently, no impacts from debris are expected for Florida beaches, and authorities will continue to monitor for any changes to this estimate," the Coast Guard said.
"As with any incident involving spacecraft wreckage, debris should not be handled by members of the public," said Capt. Jeffrey Dixon, commander of Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. "These critical pieces of evidence are important in the investigation process and should be reported immediately to SpaceX or the U.S. Coast Guard."
The SpaceX debris recovery hotline is 866-392-0035.
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Flagler County authorities on Tuesday also asked residents to avoid any debris and call 911 if any washes ashore.
"While it is highly unlikely any of the debris resulting from the explosion of the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule will reach Flagler County's coast, emergency officials are asking residents to steer clear of it and notify authorities," Flagler County said.
Variables that could cause a shift in the direction that the debris is drifting include wind, current, tides and the size of the debris.
"It is possible that debris could come ashore anywhere from the southeastern U.S. to the mid-Atlantic coastline," according to the Coast Guard.
The rocket exploded shortly after liftoff Sunday from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The cause of the failure remains under investigation.
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A NASA-contracted rocket named Antares exploded shortly after launch Tuesday night. The rocket was unmanned, but carrying valuable supplies for the International Space Station and is a total loss. Check out other space disasters through the years:Space Shuttle Challenger (1986) -- In a tragedy watched by millions worldwide, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds into its mission. All seven astronauts on board were killed.Space Shuttle Columbia (2003) -- After a successful two-week mission, the Columbia broke up upon re-entry, killing all seven astronauts on board.Soyuz 11 (1971) -- The hazard of re-entry into the Earths atmosphere proved to be fatal for the three cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz 11. All were found dead despite a successful landing. A later report said that rapid decompression had caused their deaths.Apollo 13 (1970) -- The lunar landing mission was aborted two days later when an oxygen tank exploded, crippling the service module. Fighting hardships caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of water and the need to jury-rig the carbon dioxide removal system, astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise were able to return safely to Earth.Voskhod 2 (1965) -- Due to a 46-second delay caused by a cramped cabin, this Russian spacecraft piloted by Alexey Leonov and Pavel Belyayev missed its original re-entry site and crashed into a deeply forested area. It took an entire day to cut through the forest and bring the crew out on skis.Liberty Bell 7 (1961) -- Astronaut Gus Grissom had a very narrow escape when his spacecraft, the Liberty Bell 7, began to sink into the ocean after re-entry. A dramatic helicopter rescue had to be performed, and Grissom's space suit even filled up with water.Apollo 1 (1967) -- Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White II and Roger Chaffee were killed during the training phase of the Apollo 1 mission when a fire, started by a simple electrical fault, spread quickly in the cabins pure oxygen atmosphere.Soyuz 1 (1967) -- Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov died when the Soyuz 1's descent module crashed into the ground on account of a parachute failure. It was the firstin-flight fatalityin thehistory of spaceflight.Apollo 12 (1969) -- The second manned mission to the the moon was successful, but not before lightning bolts shot through the spacecraft twice after liftoff. No injuries were reported.
A NASA-contracted rocket named Antares exploded shortly after launch Tuesday night. The rocket was unmanned, but carrying valuable supplies for the International Space Station and is a total loss. Check out other space disasters through the years:
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