Test Rocket Explodes in Cocoa, Damaging Nearby Businesses

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 16, 2020

On Thursday, a private company known as Rocket Crafters was in the process of testing one of their rocket engines when something went wrong at the launch site. According to reports from the company spokesperson, Rocket Crafters was in the process of working on an engine meant to assist in the launching of people into outer space when the mishap occurred. What exactly went wrong is not clear, but from the reports, it is apparent that it was sometime during the day and the event took place at a private property located along Cidco Road within the city of Cocoa.

The reports stated that the event was possibly due to over-pressurization within the rocket being tested, although it was not immediately clear what that meant or how it would result in such a large explosion. At the time of this writing, it is not believed that anyone was injured as a result of the explosion, however it is clear that as a result of the blast, a large matrix of debris was scattered around the site and several fires were started.

These fires were not located within a structure but were instead smaller brush fires. Nevertheless, firefighters working with the Cocoa Fire Department were obliged to rush to the area in order to suppress the flames and ensure that the fires did not spread beyond their immediate area.

According to individuals employed at businesses around the area, the explosion was definitely audible and resulted in many people in the city wondering just what took place. Additionally, photos surfaced from the area surrounding the site that showed the impact of debris. A tractor-trailer believed to be owned and operated by a company different from that which initiated the rocket test was damaged by the blast, and pictures also surfaced that showed the roof on a building close to the crash site that suffered holes as a result of the flying pieces from the rocket.

This explosion comes on the heels of a statement issued by Rocket Crafters about parts on their engines made using a 3D printer that supposedly reduced by some degrees the risk of any explosions.

It is not clear if the incident remains under investigation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.