Exclusive: Sealaunch Odyssey Returns Home

A couple of weeks ago a rocket exploded on the pad at the Sealaunch facility in the Pacific. I wrote a short overview for Popular Mechanics, but wasn’t able to secure the one thing I really wanted: pictures of the Odyssey launch platform after the explosion. Sealaunch told me they would likely never release images of the post-incident Odyssey launch platform.

A generous person who would like to remain anonymous happened to catch the Odyssey as it made its way back to the California coast to be inspected and cleaned up for future duty. Considering the wicked explosion in which it was enveloped, it’s remarkably intact. A hanger door appears to have been knocked off its hinges and the entire thing is covered in soot, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Odyssey lives to launch another rocket.

Sealaunch Odyssey Returns (Full-sized images) [Flickr]