A rocket engine being tested at a Scottish spaceport yesterday exploded on the launchpad in an enormous fireball.
The scheduled test at SaxaVord, in Shetland, ended with the rocket section engulfed in flames.
German spacecraft company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), which built the engine, last night revealed that no one was injured during the incident.
The firm announced the explosion last night shortly before 10pm, saying that the rocket stage had been destroyed due to an ‘anomaly’.
A spokesman said: ‘On Monday evening, RFA conducted a hot fire of its first stage at their launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport.
‘This resulted in an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage. No one was injured in the process.
‘The launchpad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control, and any immediate danger has been mitigated.’
RFA says it is now working with the spaceport and the authorities to find out exactly what led to the rocket stage being destroyed.
The company spokesman said: ‘We develop iteratively [via a process of trial and error, repeating steps and tests until all problems have been solved] with an emphasis on real testing.
‘This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach.
‘Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.
‘We will keep you updated on our channels. Until then, we kindly ask for your patience.’
A spokesman for SaxaVord, which is the UK’s newest spaceport and is based at Haroldswick on the Shetland isle of Unst, said: ‘This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.
‘We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.’