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| Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch | Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An unmanned American Falcon-9 rocket has broken apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. | An unmanned American Falcon-9 rocket has broken apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. |
| Debris from the SpaceX vehicle tumbled out of the sky into the Atlantic Ocean. | Debris from the SpaceX vehicle tumbled out of the sky into the Atlantic Ocean. |
| The rocket, which had 18 straight successes prior to Sunday's flight, was in the process of sending a cargo ship to the International Space Station. | The rocket, which had 18 straight successes prior to Sunday's flight, was in the process of sending a cargo ship to the International Space Station. |
| As well as carrying supplies for the astronauts, the Falcon had also been transporting a new docking port. | As well as carrying supplies for the astronauts, the Falcon had also been transporting a new docking port. |
| "The vehicle has broken up," said Nasa commentator George Diller, as TV images showed the white rocket falling to pieces. | "The vehicle has broken up," said Nasa commentator George Diller, as TV images showed the white rocket falling to pieces. |
| "We appear to have had a launch vehicle failure," he added. | "We appear to have had a launch vehicle failure," he added. |
| The problem occurred 139 seconds into the flight, just before the first-stage of the rocket was about to separate from the upper-stage, or top segment of the Falcon-9. | The problem occurred 139 seconds into the flight, just before the first-stage of the rocket was about to separate from the upper-stage, or top segment of the Falcon-9. |
| "There was an overpressure event in the upper-stage liquid oxygen tank," tweeted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. | "There was an overpressure event in the upper-stage liquid oxygen tank," tweeted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. |
| "Data suggests counterintuitive cause. That's all we can say with confidence right now. Will have more to say following a thorough fault tree analysis." | "Data suggests counterintuitive cause. That's all we can say with confidence right now. Will have more to say following a thorough fault tree analysis." |
| SpaceX will now lead an investigation, overseen by the Federal Aviation Authority and Nasa, which contracts the California company commercially to resupply the station. | SpaceX will now lead an investigation, overseen by the Federal Aviation Authority and Nasa, which contracts the California company commercially to resupply the station. |
| This means there will be no further Falcon-9 launches in the immediate future. | |
| "Once we identify the issues we will submit that documentation to the FAA and it will be considered prior to the next flight," said SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell. | |
| "I don't have a timeline for that right now. It certainly isn't going to be a year - (more likely) a month or so." | |
| Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC Science correspondent | 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. | 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 does have consequences for the future running of the International Space Station. | But the mission failure does have consequences for the future running of the International Space Station. |
| It was already running its supplies at less than optimal levels. This was a consequence of recent launch failures on two other freighter systems - the US Cygnus ship and the Russian Progress craft. | It was already running its supplies at less than optimal levels. This was a consequence of recent launch failures on two other freighter systems - the US Cygnus ship and the Russian Progress craft. |
| Before today the stores on the ISS were good until October. The Russians will now have another go at re-stocking the ISS next Friday, and there will be an enormous amount riding on that flight as a result. | Before today the stores on the ISS were good until October. The Russians will now have another go at re-stocking the ISS next Friday, and there will be an enormous amount riding on that flight as a result. |
| For the moment, the partner nations still plan to raise the current three-person crew to six in July. But they will surely keep that decision under review. | For the moment, the partner nations still plan to raise the current three-person crew to six in July. But they will surely keep that decision under review. |