Falcon 9 on launch pad during a previous mission in August 2016 A SpaceX Falcon 9 satellite launch vehicle exploded while preparing fo...
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| Falcon 9 on launch pad during a previous mission in August 2016 |
A SpaceX Falcon 9 satellite launch vehicle exploded while preparing for a pre-launch test from the launch complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Thursday morning at approximately 9:07 am.
The Falcon 9 rocket along with Israeli built AMOS-9 communications satellite, which was slated for Saturday launch were completely destroyed in the explosion.
The explosion originated in the upper stage oxygen tank, while undergoing propellant loading for a standard pre-launch static fire test, SpaceX said in a twitter statement.
WATCH: #SpaceX launch site explosion captured on camera https://t.co/rwAt8sUg8Y pic.twitter.com/GFKKeP5hFT— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 1, 2016
The 5,500 kg $ 200 million dollar satellite built by Israeli Aerospace Industries for Spacecom, was leased by Facebook and Eutelsat to provide internet coverage to large parts of West, East and Southern Africa.
In June 2015, a Falcon 9 exploded in-flight while carrying a Dragon resupply capsule to the International Space Station. The cause of the explosion, which also originated in the second stage was failure of a strut holding a high pressure helium bottle, which got mixed with the liquid oxygen tank.
