Jane Edwards
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, has said the company thinks it has “gotten to the bottom of the problem†that resulted in the explosion of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket in September.
“It involves a combination of liquid helium, advanced carbon fiber composites, and solid oxygen… Oxygen so cold that it actually enters solid phase,†Musk told CNBC in an interview aired Friday.
He noted that he considers the cause as a “really surprising problem that has never been encountered before in the history of rocketry.â€
Musk added that he expects the company to resume rocket launches in mid-December.
Musk’s remarks come after SpaceX announced that it has identified a way to replicate the conditions of the helium tank during the rocket explosion on Sept. 1 as part of the company’s efforts to determine the cause of the incident.
