SpaceX Rocket Explodes During Test Firing At Cape Canaveral

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SpaceX Rocket Explodes During Test Firing At Cape Canaveral

A SpaceX booster rocket exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday morning.

The explosion shook nearby buildings and spewed smoke into the sky just 2 days before its planned liftoff with an Israeli satellite.

NASA said SpaceX was conducting a test firing of its unmanned rocket when the blast occurred.

The Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch the Israeli satellite which would have provided broadband internet coverage to sub-Saharan Africa, as part of an initiative spearheaded by Facebook.

CNBC reports:

Brevard County Emergency Management Director Kimberly Prosser told Florida Today the explosion happened around 9:15 a.m.

“There are no hazards to the general public,” she said. “We’re monitoring the situation, but there have been no requests for assistance.”

The county Emergency Management Office tweeted:

Elon Musk’s SpaceX planned to launch its ninth rocket into space Saturday morning, carrying a communications satellite belonging to Israel-based Spacecom into orbit over the equator. The explosion happened during what was supposed to have been a routine test firing.

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