MIAMI: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded Thursday on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida during a test, destroying it and its payload, the private space firm said.
“Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries,” SpaceX said in a statement.
A dense plume of black smoke filled the air following the blast, television images showed. The US space agency NASA said the incident took place shortly after 9:00 am (1300 GMT). --AFP