In a statement released Monday, SpaceX said the evidence shows a component that is likely leaking leads to a structural failure. This was enough to cause a valve to ignite and "cause an explosion".
The problem was related to Crew Dragon SuperDraco engine fire, which is fueling the spacecraft 's emergency evacuation system.
On April 20, during a series of tests, a thick layer of smoke rose above a SpaceX facility in Cape Canaveral. NASA and SpaceX began to face questions after what appeared to be a test sequence that had been leaked online, showing the spaceship in flames. The company finally confirmed that the capsule, designed to transport human beings, had been destroyed. No injuries have been reported.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, brought together a team to investigate the incident with representatives of NASA, as well as representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Spacecraft Crew Dragon flew an unmanned test flight in March that appeared to succeed. He docked at the International Space Station (ISS) for a few days before returning home.
SpaceX plans to begin flying humans on the Crew Dragon capsule in 2019, but incidents such as that of April are not perfect for meeting deadlines.
Continued delays could complicate matters for NASA, which has asked the private sector to develop a new generation of spacecraft.
In 2014, SpaceX and Boeing (BA) Contracts worth several billion dollars have been awarded for the creation of capsules that could start flying in 2017. Boeing hopes to launch its capsule, the Starliner, on a non-built test flight. August.
The United States has not been able to put humans into orbit since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011. To send astronauts into the ISS, NASA had to pay Russia about $ 80 million per seat.
