The device unmanned exploded during a refueling at Cape Canaveral, Florida; the social network was going to use to Internet in remote areas
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla An explosion destroyed a rocket Thursday Falcon 9, SpaceX company entrepreneur Elon Musk, and a satellite used by Facebook which was put into orbit during a routine test launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida, two days before his departure from the United States.
SpaceX said there were no injuries, but an “anomaly” during the test it caused the loss rocket and a communications satellite owned by the Israeli company Spacecom was to be used by Facebook.
the explosion occurred in the rented by SpaceX at the base of the Air Force in Cape platform Canaveral shortly after 1300 GMT, leaving a thick column of black smoke it could be seen from kilometers away.
Musk tweeted that the loss of the rocket occurred while carrying propellant and that the problem originated around the oxygen tank top. “The cause is still unknown. More (information) soon,” said the businessman.
It was not immediately clear if the launch pad SpaceX had been damaged or what the impact on the release schedule dozens of missions NASA and commercial satellites.
People in buildings several kilometers away wrote on social networks who felt the blast and local authorities said residents were not in danger.
Robin Seemangal a journalist specializing in space Observer quoted a source at the resort who said he felt as if he had been struck by lightning on the building. “We thought the building was collapsing,” Seemangal wrote in a tweet, citing its source.
The explosion Thursday could complicate the sale of Spacecom by 285 million Chinese group Beijing Xinwei Technology Group. The companies reported the deal last week but said it was subject to satellite launch.
In a message from Africa, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, said he was deeply disappointed by the loss of satellite he said, he would have given the possibility to many entrepreneurs and others to connect across the continent.
SpaceX planned to send up to nine missions before the end of the year, including two flights to orbit a chain of 20 Iridium satellites. The rocket exploded on Thursday had not flown before.
Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the aim to cut launch costs for a trip to Mars more accessible. The company plans to send its first unmanned flight to the red planet in 2018 and bring humans in 2024. It is expected that the employer disclose details about its program to Mars at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, next month.
Reuters and AP
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