If you’ve ever wondered what a giant rocket fuel tank looks like after exploding, a new NASA video has you covered.
In the video, which NASA released Monday (Dec. 9), engineers have purposefully exploded a test version of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s propellant tank. In doing so, they found that the tank can handle a lot more than they expect the real version to encounter in flight.
At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, engineers pushed the test tank full of liquid hydrogen way past its limits. The tank aced the test, withstanding more than 260% of expected flight loads for over five hours, at which point engineers spotted a buckling point, which soon burst.
