SpaceX: Explosion Rocks Launchpad at Firm’s Cape Canaveral Facility in Florida

21st Century Wire says…

The ‘privatization of space,’ and what were formally state-run NASA space agency projects in the United States, has had its share of high profile controversy in recent years. Today’s incident will only punctuate some of those concerns.

Early this morning, we’re told that an explosion took place at Launch Complex 40 site in Florida managed by SpaceX, a private space contractor firm founded by billionaire Elon Musk.

It’s not clear what the exact cause of this accident was, but it’s certain that it’s directly related to the Falcon 9 rocket which SpaceX was set deploy a part of a test launch this weekend, leading to the final launch of a new commercial satellite. Watch:

Washington Post

An explosion at a SpaceX launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida occurred shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, Brevard County authorities said.

A SpaceX rocket blew up during a test fire, the county’s emergency operations center said in a tweet. “There is NO threat to general public from catastrophic abort during static test fire at SpaceX launchpad at CCAFS this morning,” it said.

Bryan Purtell, a spokesman for the Air Force 45th Space Wing, confirmed that there was an explosion and said that emergency crews were responding. “Right now we’re trying to determine the extent of the damage, the exact location, possible cause and checking to make sure no one is injured,” he said.

The Associated Press reported that the explosion shook buildings several miles away. Plumes of smoke could seen rising into the air an hour after the accident. And images on social media showed a fireball shooting into the sky…

Continue this story at the Washington Post

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