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Falcon 9 Explodes On Pad (npr.org)
Reader Mysticalfruit writes: NPR is reporting that a Falcon9 carrying the AMOS-6 satellite that was supposed to launch on Sat exploded during it's scheduled static fire. No injuries are reported. They're reporting that this was going to be the first reflown first stage.
The Verge adds:SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, meant to launch a satellite this weekend, exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida this morning. The explosion occurred during the preparation for the static fire test of the rocket's engines, NASA told the Associated Press. The blast reportedly shook buildings "several miles away." The company confirmed to The Verge the loss of the Falcon 9 an hour later: "SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today's static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries."
The Verge adds:SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, meant to launch a satellite this weekend, exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida this morning. The explosion occurred during the preparation for the static fire test of the rocket's engines, NASA told the Associated Press. The blast reportedly shook buildings "several miles away." The company confirmed to The Verge the loss of the Falcon 9 an hour later: "SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for today's static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries."
Is there independent confirmation of this, because I'm not hearing that?
Doesn't say much. Everybody should smile at a Facebook setback. What does it say about you that you have to pipe up on poor old Facebook's behalf? Nothing good.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Well I guess Fuckerberg was right after all, Facebook isn't a media company...not with their $200 million toy blown to pieces scattered across Cape Canaveral anyway!
I guess we'll just have to wait on internet.org, it isn't as if there's an alternative available already after all.
Or they'll just collect the insurance, get another one built and try again later.
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
There's nothing wrong with laughing and gloating at someone else's misfortune, when that other person or party was evil. Do you criticize people who cheer about the Death Star being blown up in Star Wars too? Or the people who back in 1945 cheered when Nazi Germany fell?
Now that said, from what I've read about this satellite, it actually was meant to replace a failing communications satellite for providing Internet service to Africa, so it had some noble and useful intentions, so I'm not laughing about this, despite its association with Facebook (not everything they do is evil), as it may result in a lot of Africans losing their internet access soon.
An anomaly on the pad at T-3 minutes when the rocket isn't even turned on would suggest that it just might have been something else.
Ezekiel 23:20