SpaceX knows that the helium system was responsible for the explosion. But what caused the helium system to fail? It’s a well know, quite robust, nearly off-the-shelf system. So, they’re running down all leads. Including…
To be clear, there is (at least publicly) no real evidence of sabotage. But it’s a logical thing to look for at *all* times when you have a high-tech, high-dollar-value system. And it’s especially important to look for if your system is kicking over the established order. There would be a *lot* of suspects, from direct competitors such as ULA, to less direct competitors such as the Chinese, Russians and Europeans, to those who are opposed to the companies long-term goals of mankind (and more specifically, Americans) conquering the universe. And that last one there is probably a pretty long list and would include groups as varied as Greenpeace, PETA, the IRS, various religious organizations (especially Peaceful Religious groups) to just about every government on the planet.
Most likely the failure was due to somebody screwing something up. Maybe a nut didn’t get tightened sufficiently. But when you’re dealing with billions of dollars and the future course of history, it pays to be a little paranoid.
