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| Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch | Unmanned SpaceX rocket explodes after Florida launch |
| (about 4 hours 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. |
| The US space agency (Nasa) says important supplies have been lost but the orbiting lab's crew is secure. | The US space agency (Nasa) says important supplies have been lost but the orbiting lab's crew is secure. |
| Even now, the three astronauts have sufficient stores of food, water and equipment to operate until late October, and there should be visits from Russian and Japanese freighters before then. | Even now, the three astronauts have sufficient stores of food, water and equipment to operate until late October, and there should be visits from Russian and Japanese freighters before then. |
| 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. |
| "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. |
| "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 Administration (FAA) and Nasa, which contracts the California company commercially to resupply the station. | SpaceX will now lead an investigation, overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |
| Nasa had loaded SpaceX's Dragon freighter on the top of the Falcon with just over two tonnes of supplies. | Nasa had loaded SpaceX's Dragon freighter on the top of the Falcon with just over two tonnes of supplies. |
| These included a new docking mechanism that will be needed when future astronaut vehicles - one of them based on the robotic Dragon itself - come into service later this decade. | These included a new docking mechanism that will be needed when future astronaut vehicles - one of them based on the robotic Dragon itself - come into service later this decade. |
| The agency has a second mechanism that it will be sending up shortly, but it will now also have to build a third to replace the one lost in the Atlantic. | The agency has a second mechanism that it will be sending up shortly, but it will now also have to build a third to replace the one lost in the Atlantic. |
| "I think this points out the challenges and difficulties we face in spaceflight," said Nasa's associate administrator for human spaceflight, Bill Gerstenmaier. | "I think this points out the challenges and difficulties we face in spaceflight," said Nasa's associate administrator for human spaceflight, Bill Gerstenmaier. |
| "We are operating systems at the edge of their ability. This is a very demanding environment that requires tremendous precision and tremendous amounts of engineering skill - for hardware to perform exactly as it should." | "We are operating systems at the edge of their ability. This is a very demanding environment that requires tremendous precision and tremendous amounts of engineering skill - for hardware to perform exactly as it should." |
| Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent | Analysis: Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent |
| Rockets are very 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 it to bounce back from this disappointment pretty quickly. | Rockets are very 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 it to bounce back from this disappointment pretty quickly. |
| But Sunday's mission failure does have implications for the future running of the International Space Station. | But Sunday's mission failure does have implications for the future running of the International Space Station. |
| It was already operating its supplies at less than ideal levels. This was the result 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 400km-high space lab next Friday, and there will be an enormous amount riding on that flight as a consequence. | Before today, the stores on the ISS were good until October. The Russians will now have another go at re-stocking the 400km-high space lab next Friday, and there will be an enormous amount riding on that flight as a consequence. |
| 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 until they can be certain there are sufficient reserves of food and water to sustain a full crew complement of astronauts in orbit. | 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 until they can be certain there are sufficient reserves of food and water to sustain a full crew complement of astronauts in orbit. |
| A word also for the satellite industry. This will have its head in its hands today. | A word also for the satellite industry. This will have its head in its hands today. |
| The big satellite operators effectively only have three competitive companies to put up their spacecraft - Europe's Arianespace (Ariane-5 rocket), SpaceX (Falcon-9) and International Launch Services (Proton rocket). | The big satellite operators effectively only have three competitive companies to put up their spacecraft - Europe's Arianespace (Ariane-5 rocket), SpaceX (Falcon-9) and International Launch Services (Proton rocket). |
| Already, the Proton is grounded because of yet another failure this year. And with the Falcon now under investigation, it leaves only the Ariane-5 to service the commercial launch manifest. | Already, the Proton is grounded because of yet another failure this year. And with the Falcon now under investigation, it leaves only the Ariane-5 to service the commercial launch manifest. |
| The satellite operators need to see all three rockets in operation and fighting for their business. | The satellite operators need to see all three rockets in operation and fighting for their business. |