NASA's Methalox Boom: Florida Tests Gauge Rocket Safety

NASA is conducting controlled detonation tests of methane-oxygen fuel (methalox) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to measure blast radius, concussion, and shrapnel distances for rocket-safety purposes. The program unfolds in three series, escalating from about 100 pounds to 2,000 pounds, then up to 20,000 pounds of fuel, with SpaceX having done its own testing but NASA pursuing its independent safety verification (and a bit of spectacle) before any full-scale launches.