What component did Elon Musk initially hypothesize failed during the pre-test countdown?
Answer
A nitrogen COPV located within the payload bay
Preliminary telemetry suggested the primary hypothesis was the failure of a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) containing nitrogen, situated inside the vehicle's payload bay, which ruptured below its specified proof pressure.
Related Questions
Approximately how long before the planned test firing did the major anomaly occur on June 18, 2025?What component did Elon Musk initially hypothesize failed during the pre-test countdown?What was the state of the propellants in the Starship upper stage when the incident occurred?What did SpaceX explicitly state regarding the pressure vessels used on the Starship versus the Falcon series?What structure, observed in video footage, suggested a potential propellant leak preceding the main explosion?If a loss of control led to the activation of the safety system, what system would have executed the final command to destroy the vehicle?What historical pattern of Starship failures was broken by this June 18 incident?If confirmed, what would the failure of the nitrogen COPV below proof pressure primarily suggest about the component?What is the primary focus for hardening the upper stage following this anomaly?What key requirement for the Artemis missions adds substantial complexity to the Starship system being tested?How did the nitrogen system failure differ in implication from a failure originating in the methalox propellant feed system?