Space X Falcon 9 Carrying Supplies For The International Space Station Explodes On Launch [VIDEO]

An unmanned Falcon-9 rocket burst into flames just minutes after liftoff in Florida.

BBC News reported that the rocket had 18 successful launches before the failure on June 28, 2015. It was supposed to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station. NASA stated that important supplies were lost after the SpaceX rocket tumbled out of the sky and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. The crew of the orbiting lab is safe. Even with the lost supplies, the three astronauts will have enough food, water and equipment to remain functional until late October 2015. Japanese and Russian freighters are expected to provide more supplies long before the crew runs out.

USA Today cited that SpaceX will conduct an investigation regarding the rocket. It broke apart 2:19 after liftoff at 10:21 a.m. ET at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX first looked at an oxidizer tank located in the upper stage of the rocket. Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, said that the tank may have become overpressurized. He stated on Twitter that there might be a counterintuitive cause, based on gathered data. He added that they will require a thorough analysis of flight data before commenting more on the possible cause. The capsule contained over 4,000 pounds of ISS supplies. The cargo also included a docking ring that could have been used by two future U.S. crew vehicles, namely SpaceX’s Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100.

In October 2014, an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket also exploded. In April 2015, a Russian resupply ship was lost. Mike Suffrednini, ISS program manager of NASA, said that the three failed launches over a very short period of time was not what they hoped for. He said that the loss will be a challenge and that it will be a learning experience for everyone.

NBC News reported that SpaceX is aiming to upgrade the Falcon 9 and Dragon to bring astronauts to the space station in early 2017. In May 2015, SpaceX had success in testing a launch abort system that will fly a crew to safety during emergency situations on the launch pad or during the rise to orbit.

Charles Lurio, an independent consultant on the space industry, told NBC News, “Some will attempt to make this the tombstone of commercial space. But there is no alternative but to do more of it and more often. The only alternative Congress ever has is pork, and done so slowly that we never learn enough to make spaceflight practical.”