Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

SpaceX Overcomes 2016 Explosion, Achieves Historic Astronaut Launch

5/7/2025

47 4

Summary

Story summary

In 2016, a catastrophic Falcon 9 rocket explosion sparked Elon Musk's suspicions of sabotage from a rival's building. An extensive investigation, even involving the FBI, revealed the truth: faulty helium tank loading was to blame. Undeterred, SpaceX soared past its competition, achieving remarkable success by launching astronauts in 2019.

1 of 1

Story summary

In 2016, a catastrophic Falcon 9 rocket explosion sparked Elon Musk's suspicions of sabotage from a rival's building. An extensive investigation, even involving the FBI, revealed the truth: faulty helium tank loading was to blame. Undeterred, SpaceX soared past its competition, achieving remarkable success by launching astronauts in 2019.