The force of the explosion shook buildings several miles away, and a thick cloud of smoke was seen rising from the launch site.
Advertisement
A dense plume of black smoke filled the air following the blast, which destroyed the Israeli communications satellite that Falcon had been due to deliver into orbit on Saturday. It has yet to carry any people into space, though it has won a contract from NASA to carry American astronauts to the space station in the future. The Air Force, which operates the site, and emergency service authorities in Brevard County said there were no injuries or threat to public safety.
After the loss of the rocket and its payload, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted an update from Africa to say he is “deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX’s launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent”.
The rocket was supposed to hoist an Israeli communications satellite this weekend.
SpaceX is reeling after an early-morning explosion took out its rocket on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral. For SpaceX, the private space company owned by Elon Musk, it was the “first launch of [a] flight-proven first stage”, the company says. SpaceX did not have a launch scheduled for Thursday morning.
The explosion follows an SEC filing by Tesla late Wednesday that revealed a financial crunch as it strives to acquire SolarCity.
Mr Zuckerberg added: “We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided”. At the same time, personnel were monitoring the air for any toxic fumes. The space station is well stocked and able to weather any potential delays to upcoming SpaceX deliveries, NASA said. “But at the end of the day, I’m confident that our commercial space industry will be very successful”, Nelson said in a statement. Originated around upper stage oxygen tank.
Advertisement
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., whose single space shuttle flight ended 10 days before the Challenger disaster in 1986, said the SpaceX accident “reminds us all that space flight is an inherently risky business”.
