A test of a new rocket motor for NASA’s future moon missions went awry this week, with the full-size booster hurling a powerful blaze and scattering debris.
Northrop Grumman, lead contractor for the booster, conducted the two-minute ground test of the solid rocket motor, which was strapped down sideways. For the first 1.5 minutes, the motor — known as NASA’s Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension, or BOLE — seemed to be working fine. Seconds later, debris blew out of the nozzle and flames rippled through the long exhaust plume.
The 156-foot booster kept firing through the remainder of the test, and no one was hurt. NASA’s livestream, which you can watch below, caught the incident, starting at about 22 minutes and 17 seconds into the video.
Engineers didn’t immediately acknowledge the issue during that broadcast, apart from one controller uttering “Whoa,” followed by an audible gasp. The company later confirmed a problem occurred late in the burn, though representatives didn’t elaborate on what went wrong.
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