Here’s Footage Of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Exploding Into Flames

This morning, the SpaceX CRS-7 resupply mission ended in flames — literally. Just minutes after launching, the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule were engulfed in clouds of smoke. Seconds later, having reached Max Q (or maximum dynamic pressure), the whole thing exploded, sending bits of debris raining down from the sky. Thankfully, it was unmanned and no injuries have been reported. The explosion takes place around the 3:20 mark.

The SpaceX CRS-7 was tasked with sending goods to the International Space Station. As USA Today notes, lost in today’s explosion “were more than 4,300 pounds of food, supplies and spare parts bound for the ISS, and a docking adapter intended to be use by future commercial U.S. crew vehicles in a few years.” Those aboard reportedly have enough food to last through October; the mission would’ve supplied them with enough to last to the end of the year. Out of 19 Falcon 9 missions, this is the first major failure on record.

An investigation is underway, but SpaceX tweeted that “the vehicle experienced an anomaly on ascent.”

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, made similar comments on Twitter, saying, “There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Data suggests counterintuitive cause.”

Meanwhile, astronaut Scott Kelly watched from aboard the ISS:

(Via TechCrunch and USA Today)