Rocket test causes boom near Moses Lake, no danger reported

MOSES LAKE — An explosion north of Moses Lake Tuesday night turned out to be harmless.

“At approximately 8:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Stoke Space conducted a planned structural test at our Moses Lake facility as part of our Nova rocket’s qualification program,” Stoke Space Technologies Spokesman John Taylor wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “The purpose of the test was to pressurize a propellant tank to its structural margins, eventually reaching its designed failure point – a standard engineering procedure during qualification testing.”

The Moses Lake Stoke Space Technologies facility is used to test reusable second-stage rockets to deliver materials into orbit economically, according to Columbia Basin Herald archives. 

“The tank was filled with liquid nitrogen, an inert and non-flammable fluid used to safely simulate the extremely cold temperatures the rocket will experience during flight. The loud sound heard across the area occurred when the tank reached its planned breaking point. Although the noise was louder than expected, the test proceeded as designed, and there was never any danger to our team or to the surrounding community.”

The facility, located at the Port of Moses Lake, has been in operation since January 2021, according to the archives.

“We understand the sound caused concern, and we sincerely apologize for the disturbance,” Taylor wrote. “Stoke Space is grateful for the continued support of the Moses Lake community as we work to develop technology that will make space access safer, more reliable, and more sustainable."