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Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch
(about 1 hour later)
A mission by an unmanned SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket has ended in failure after it exploded after lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. An unmanned SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket has exploded minutes after lift-off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The rocket was supposed to despatch a cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS). The US company SpaceX's rocket, which broke up over the Atlantic, was supposed to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS).
The lower segment of the rocket was then meant to turn around and use its engines to bring itself down to a floating barge. As well as carrying supplies for the astronauts, the rocket had also been transporting a new docking port.
It was US company SpaceX's third failed attempt at the manoeuvre. It is the Falcon-9 rocket's first failure in 19 launches.
Bids in January and April ended in explosive impacts in the Atlantic Ocean. It was SpaceX's third failure at the manoeuvre - bids in January and April also failed.
Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC Science correspondent
Rockets are tremendously complex machines and every so often, they fail. SpaceX has built a reputation for being smart and fleet of foot, and most people would expect them to bounce back from this disappointment pretty quickly.
But the mission failure could present difficulties for America's plans to start launching its own astronauts back into space, which it hasn't done since 2011 when the shuttles were retired.
Along with Boeing, SpaceX was selected by Nasa to develop a crew-launch system, due to begin service in about 2017. The SpaceX system would of course be based on its Falcon-9 rocket.
Depending how long it takes engineers to isolate and rectify the cause of the problem, SpaceX's timeline to that first crew launch could also now be set back by many months.
"The vehicle has broken up," said Nasa commentator George Diller, after Nasa television broadcast images of the white rocket falling to pieces."The vehicle has broken up," said Nasa commentator George Diller, after Nasa television broadcast images of the white rocket falling to pieces.
"We appear to have had a launch vehicle failure," Diller said."We appear to have had a launch vehicle failure," Diller said.
"At this point it is not clear to the launch team exactly what happened.""At this point it is not clear to the launch team exactly what happened."
The explosion happened a few moments into the flight.The explosion happened a few moments into the flight.
A SpaceX commentator reportedly suggested the vehicle had been able to to reach supersonic speed, but something had happened before the cargo ship was able to detach from the first stage of the rocket and reach orbit.A SpaceX commentator reportedly suggested the vehicle had been able to to reach supersonic speed, but something had happened before the cargo ship was able to detach from the first stage of the rocket and reach orbit.
If successful, the recovery procedure has the potential to revolutionise today's rocketry, says the BBC's science correspondent Jonathan Amos.
Traditionally, launch vehicles are expendable. The different propellant stages of a rocket are dumped during the ascent to orbit and burn up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.Traditionally, launch vehicles are expendable. The different propellant stages of a rocket are dumped during the ascent to orbit and burn up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
But SpaceX believes that if it can carefully return, refurbish and re-fly these stages instead, it could substantially reduce the cost of access to space.But SpaceX believes that if it can carefully return, refurbish and re-fly these stages instead, it could substantially reduce the cost of access to space.
Whether that turns out to be the case - only time will tell, our correspondent says. Whether that turns out to be the case - only time will tell, says the BBC's science correspondent Jonathan Amos.
But successful, the recovery procedure has the potential to revolutionise today's rocketry, our correspondent says.