SpaceX Resupply Rocket for International Space Station Explodes

A rocket bound for the International Space Station with supplies has exploded shortly after lift-off.

Bloomberg reports that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon supply craft were both lost in the explosion, which took place before the first stage in which the Dragon would separate from the Falcon 9. The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. EST June 28.

SpaceX is owned by PayPal and Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk, and launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket is a revolutionary idea in that it is designed to be able to land after launching its payload, which in this case would have been the Dragon, into space.

The company has not yet successfully landed a Falcon 9, but it has come close. The ability to reuse rockets would drastically reduce the cost of space travel, making scientific and commercial use of space much easier. The company just recently gained Air Force approval to compete for space missions against aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The exact cause of the rocket's explosion is unknown, and SpaceX engineers are currently investigating the incident.

Bloomberg notes this is the second time in a row that a rocket carrying supplies meant for the ISS exploded before being able to deliver the necessary cargo. This is the second US supply mission that has failed in the past year, according to Bloomberg. In October, a resupply rocket launched by Orbital ATK, Inc. exploded shortly after lift-off as well.

Last month, a Russian resupply mission to the station met a similar, fiery end.

Another Russian mission to send supplies is scheduled for July 3.