A SpaceX rocket exploded at its Cape Canaveral launch pad Thursday morning during a test firing, destroying the rocket and the satellite it was due to launch on Saturday.
SpaceX said there were no injuries as a result of the explosion, which it described as an “anomaly.”
It happened at the Space Launch Complex 40, according to Stephanie Martin, with Kennedy Space Center Public Information. That launchpad is used by SpaceX to launch rockets that carry supplies to the International Space Station as well as satellites.
Amos 6, the private satellite the rocket was due to carry into Earth’s orbit Saturday, was slated to provide communication services including home internet for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe for a partnership between Facebook and French satellite firm Eutelsat Communications. The satellite was owned by Israeli company Spacecom, which contracted with SpaceX to carry it into orbit.
