SpaceX: Explosion at Florida Launch Site

It was a scary moment in Cape Canaveral, Florida, yesterday morning when, shortly after 9 a.m., an explosion occurred at a SpaceX launch site — Launch Complex 40, according to NASA — during a routine rocket test. The test was happening ahead of a planned launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is next to the Kennedy Space Center, this upcoming Saturday, September 3.

The AP reports that SpaceX had been leasing the pad from the Air Force for its Falcon launches, and that the California-based operation, which is headed up by Elon Musk, had been working to catch up on a backlog that grew following a June 2015 launch accident.

John Taylor, a spokesman for SpaceX, was still working to gather information and did not provide any further comment on the incident to the AP.

The unmanned rocket involved in the crash was supposed to be shipping supplies to an Israeli communications satellite this weekend.

Several sounds of explosions were reported. As of now, there are no reports of injuries, but the scene was being monitored for toxic fumes and other harmful side effects of the blast.

Source: Yahoo/AP
Image Source (Elon Musk at SpaceX Control Center): By Emily Shanklin at SpaceX [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Author: Renee DeCoskey

Renee joined Business 2 Community as the managing editor in 2011, and has been happily building out the role since. She received a BA in English from Susquehanna University and an MA in English from George Mason. In her spare time, she reads, writes, knits, and tries to force her friends... View full profile ›

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SpaceX: Explosion at Florida Launch Site