What Happened to SpaceX's Falcon 9?
The rocket, which was meant to launch a satellite this weekend, exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

What we know:
—SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded Thursday in Cape Canaveral, Florida, days before a scheduled launch. The spaceflight company said in a statement the explosion was due to “an anomaly on the pad.”
—The destruction of the crewless rocket, which was due to launch a satellite this weekend, occurred during a “propellant fill operation,” said Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX.
—We’re live-blogging the major developments. All updates are in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4).
2:43 p.m.
Footage of the explosion has been posted on YouTube—and it’s quite dramatic:
1:36 p.m.
More details from Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX:
Loss of Falcon vehicle today during propellant fill operation. Originated around upper stage oxygen tank. Cause still unknown. More soon.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 1, 2016
10:54 a.m.
SpaceX released a statement about the explosion Thursday morning:
Statement on this morning's anomaly pic.twitter.com/3Xm2bRMS7T
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 1, 2016
10:27 a.m.
SpaceX says there was no one on the launch pad at the time of the explosion:
NEW from @SpaceX "Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries." #SpaceXExplosion
— WFTV Eyewitness News (@WFTV) September 1, 2016
9:57 a.m.
Bryan Purtell, a representative for the 45th Space Wing, the US Air Force unit that commands the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, told The Verge: “There are no known casualties. There’s no threat to public safety and our emergency management teams are on site responding.”
9:48 a.m.
Brevard County, Florida, home to Cape Canaveral, says there is no threat to the public:
There is NO threat to general public from catastrophic abort during static test fire at SpaceX launch pad at CCAFS this morning.
— Brevard EOC (@BrevardEOC) September 1, 2016
9:42 a.m.
Here’s video of smoke billowing after the apparent explosion.
NASA says SpaceX was conducting a test firing of its unmanned rocket when the blast occurred Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/Bc7kNiq6E0
— WESH 2 News (@WESH) September 1, 2016
9:40 a.m.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket exploded Thursday on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as it was being test fired, the AP is reporting, citing NASA.
The rocket was scheduled to launch a satellite this weekend.
#BREAKING news on @WFTV explosion at KSC. It's on SpaceX launchpad, they were doing testing for the launch this Sat. pic.twitter.com/KOWUEVkdIN
— Marina Jurica (@MJuricaWFTV) September 1, 2016
This is a developing story that we’ll update as we learn more.