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The BBC are reporting an explosion at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where SpaceX company was readying a rocket for launch.
The cause of the blast is not clear and it is not known if anyone was hurt. Nasa said SpaceX was test-firing a rocket which was due to take a satellite into space this weekend.
Pictures from the scene show a huge plume of smoke rising above the Cape Canaveral complex.
The force of the blast shook buildings several miles away.
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The Official Colorado State Vegetable is now the "state legislator".
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Friday September 02 2016, @03:44AM
Was this the flight-tested (aka "used") unit that blew up?
(Score: 1) by tftp on Friday September 02 2016, @04:33AM
Apparently not [spacenews.com]:
PLYMOUTH, Mass.— Satellite fleet operator SES on Aug. 30 said its 5,000-kilogram SES-10 telecommunications satellite would be the first customer to launch on a reused SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage, with the launch to occur late this year.
Though additional scrutiny is now guaranteed, no matter what stages are used. The explosion as such is not all that rare in space industry, especially among beginners. It's part of the learning curve.