cone fairing

The additional weight of the nose cone fairing prevented the rocket from achieving its planned trajectory and a few moments later, Baez declared a failure.

Six seconds later, the two halves of the clamshell nose cone fairing were supposed to separate, pushed away by pistons driven by pressurized nitrogen.

The rocket's first three solid-fuel stages ignited as planned, but the nose cone fairing did not separate as required two minutes and 58 seconds after liftoff.