A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its commercial satellite payload were destroyed by an explosion at their launch pad in Florida early Thursday (Sept. 1) during typically routine test.
The explosion occurred shortly after 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), as SpaceX was preparing to launch the Amos 6 communications satellite for the Israeli company Spacecom on Saturday, Sept. 3. At the time, SpaceX was conducting a static fire engine test on the Falcon 9. Such tests, which typically precede each SpaceX launch, involve firing the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage engines while the booster remains secured to the launch pad.
“SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today’s static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload,” SpaceX representatives wrote in a statement. “Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries.” [SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Explained]
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes on Launch Pad in Florida https://t.co/ZOnpyZ1s7x pic.twitter.com/866Fcj8ctT
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) September 1, 2016
The coolest thing about this video is how long it takes the sound to reach the camera after the explosion. pic.twitter.com/j8ESjOZJv0
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) September 1, 2016
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