Just a day after an explosion rocked a Space Coast launch pad, more questions than answers remain about what caused a Space X rocket to go up in flames Thursday morning.
- Official said agency will 'relearn' from accident
- View the photo gallery of the rocket explosion
- Watch as the explosion rocked the surrounding area
The issue originated around the upper-stage oxygen tank during the engine test of the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 40.
The more-than-200-foot tall vehicle and its payload, the 5.5-ton Israeli-made AMOS-6 communication satellite, which was to provide home Internet service for Africa, the Middle East and Europe, was destroyed.
This was a big disappointment for Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, as the satellite was set to bring broadband service to remote parts of Africa as part of his Internet.org initiative.
SpaceX also released a brief statement Friday regarding AMOS.
"We deeply regret the loss of AMOS-6, and safely and reliably returning to flight to meet the demands of our customers is our chief priority. SpaceX's business is robust, with approximately 70 missions on our manifest worth over $10 billion. In the aftermath of yesterday's events, we are grateful for the continued support and unwavering confidence that our commercial customers as well as NASA and the United States Air Force have placed in us."
The blast heard around the Space Coast and around the industry begs the question of how this will affect upcoming SpaceX launches here.
Much of it hinges on the length of the investigation as the company pours over the data and the amount of damage at the pad.
“Just like shuttle accidents, there is a human instinct to jump to conclusions. But as we continue to relearn every incident, we need to wait to see what the data confirms. That’s what will drive the remedies and the recovery time,” Dale Ketcham, chief of Strategic Alliance at Space Florida, told News 13.
It is too early to know whether the incident will impact the commercial company's cargo missions to the International Space Station, NASA stated.
But the space agency said if there are delays, other cargo craft can fill the gaps.
However, this mishap will not affect next week's asteroid mission launch from the Cape Canaveral AFS, which is currently scheduled for the night of Sept. 8, NASA stated.