CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A massive explosion erupted at a SpaceX launch pad Thursday during a routine rocket test for a planned launch of a communications satellite.
There were no injuries, but the rocket and the satellite onboard were destroyed, SpaceX said in a statement.
The mishap dealt a severe blow to SpaceX, still scrambling to catch up with satellite deliveries following a launch accident last year. It's also a setback for NASA, which has been counting on the private company to keep the International Space Station stocked with supplies and, ultimately, astronauts.
SpaceX was working to conduct a test firing of its unmanned Falcon rocket when the blast occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The test was in advance of Saturday's planned launch of an Israeli-made communications satellite that was supposed to provide home internet for Africa and the Middle East.
SpaceX said that in preparation for Thursday's engine firing — a test carried out a few days before every launch — "there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload." No additional details were provided. It wasn't clear whether the rocket caused the problem or something else on the pad. The pad is normally cleared of workers before test firings.