Wow, SpaceX rocket just blew up on pad. Shook our whole bldg. pic.twitter.com/PMxZA4v4IV
— SpaceCoastTiger (@TigernBear) September 1, 2016
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket—not the one announced just days ago as the first to make a return trip to space—has reportedly just exploded on its launchpad in Florida during routine testing.
The rocket was unmanned and was planned to bring the Amos 6 communications satellite for Israel’s Spacecom to orbit from the launch facility in Cape Canaveral. [Update: The satellite was reportedly not on board during the explosion. Update 2: A statement from SpaceX says the satellite was destroyed in the blast, and there were no injuries.] So far, there are no reports of injuries (ABC confirms), and it seems the launchpad has been evacuated, per procedure. The AP reports that the blast was felt for miles, along with reports from Twitter users near the site.
The fate of the rocket is unconfirmed, but initial reports say that the entire Falcon 9 exploded, which was the cause of the massive blast and smaller explosions following. This wouldn’t be the first time SpaceX has lost a rocket, with the last explosion happening in flight and losing supplies bound for the international space station.
We’ll update here when more information is in.
(featured image via SpaceX)
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