A test model of SpaceX's new capsule, called the Crew Dragon, suffered some kind of an anomaly during an engine test in Florida, local media reported Sunday.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement that the anomaly happened during part of a static fire test of the Crew Dragon's SuperDraco engines at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Pictures of orange smoke rising over the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station have been spreading on the social media. Bridenstine tweeted that NASA and SpaceX were "assessing the anomaly." The test area had been contained and no-one had been injured.
The official of SpaceX said an investigation would be needed to determine probable cause. The company had been set to fly the capsule with a crew aboard on another test flight this year. It is unclear how this accident could affect that launch schedule.
"Ensuring that our systems meet rigorous safety standards and detecting anomalies like this prior to flight are the main reasons why we test," SpaceX said in a statement. "Our teams are investigating and working closely with our NASA partners."
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, plans to use the Crew Dragon capsule to ferry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. It's not immediately clear how this incident will affect SpaceX's timeline for launching actual crew on the capsule.
