SpaceX rocket explodes on Pad 40

[spacemaverick]

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2016/09/01/explosion-reported-spacex-pad/89710076/

This was a test fire of the rockets 9 Merlin engines and for some reason it blew up on the pad.  SpaceX will most certainly be evaluating what went wrong.  The payload was also destroyed.





http://www.rt.com/usa/357893-spacex-explosion-platform-launch/

Payload was Facebook satellite.

[spacemaverick]

http://space.brevardtimes.com/2016/09/video-spacex-rocket-explosion-on-launch.html



As it happens.....

[Pimander]

That's the Mar's mission another five years away lol

[Eighthman]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1135027/pg1

Aliens blew it up, apparently!

[spacemaverick]

Something like this came up on liveleak.com



It was claimed to have an object fly past the spacecraft.

[spacemaverick]

Our local news is telling us that the FAA is going to investigate the issue with the rocket.  Maybe some crazy nut flew a small drone into the area with a laser and caused the issue...who knows...just wild speculation on my part.

[Pimander]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1135027/pg1

Aliens blew it up, apparently!

Not if the UFO wasn't an alien one.

It looks like "The satellite "[incorporated] new technologies that represent a significant leap forward in the capabilities of IAI and the state of Israel in space," according to IAI's president and chief executive, Joseph Weiss"

It was during fuel loading that the fire started.  Does anyone have any information on what the "anomaly" that caused the fire was?

Possibly sabotage.  I thought the thing flying past was just a bird when I first saw it.  If it wasn't a bird the military will cover it up as they can't admit airspace was breached somewhere that sensitive.

[Pimander]

" 'That bug is at least going 3,600mph minimum. Its not a bird, its an Alien with a laser that destroyed the rocket.' " http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3771601/Conspiracy-theorists-claim-ALIENS-sabotaged-SpaceX-launch-bizarre-theory-says-anomaly-flew-rocket-went-flames.html

The above statement is made up nonsense.  You have to know what distance from the camera the object is to know its speed.

[ArMaP]

The object looks like a large bird, and there are many there.

[spacemaverick]

The object looks like a large bird, and there are many there.

The Cape is right next to a wildlife sanctuary and you are right....many birds and assorted creatures roam.

[Pimander]

The object looks like a large bird, and there are many there.

I agree mate.  Not sure what that nonsense on ATS about it being a UFO is all about.

[spacemaverick]

My opinion is a large bird and the video looks like a bird flapping it's wings.....

[zorgon]

The UFO is obviously a bird... people are getting STUPID these days

After all these years of space flight we still are testing and exploding rockets... and you tell me they went to the moon?



What I want to know is what were all the small explosions that kept going after the first one?  What was that thing carrying?   Rocket blows up once... it doesn't make a long series of small explosions

[astr0144]

Is that video footage taken from the actual original video ?

If so How did you manage to zoom in on it ?

Upon watching another video version...

It showed what ever the object was to be passing the Closer tower to the Rockets right hand side and it was on level with the tower about a second prior to being on level with the Rocket ...

It would be ok if we could estimate the distance between the Rocket and  the right side   towers and maybe then to be able to try to estimate the speed..

On the video... the height of the Rocket seemed about the same distance to the 2nd further away tower on the right..

but I don't think that the distances from the Camera to the towers and the rocket are on the same level...
so it maybe impossible to gauge the real distances.

Does the object appear to be moving quicker than we would expect a bird to be flying ?

The Rocket exploded just before the object was on level with it..

It was rather a coincidence if it is a bird to just be passing at that exact time..

and the Rocket exploded at a higher stage level..not from the lower level..

There are suggestions that the Rocket was carrying something and that what ever the object was ...did not want it to be allowed to take off..

but if it had say been some sort of Nuke...it may seem also dangerous to make the rocket explode...

The magnified video does seem maybe like a bird, but It is not really greatly clear to be certain what it is..

The object looks like a large bird, and there are many there.

[Pimander]

The rocket was carrying or due to carry an Israeli satellite.  It was going to be used by a telecom company and Facebook.  It was also built by an Israeli contractor who make devices that could be used for intelligence work so that would be another use.

I think we can safely say that the explosion was caused by something catching fire or exploding on the launch tower.  They were fuelling up when the fire started.  It could easily be sabotage as it is unlikely that the would have flames or high voltages near the oxygen tank for obvious reasons.

The stated reason for the explosionS was an "anomaly" on the launch pad.  That means they don't know what it was or aren't going to tell us.