A SpaceX rocket exploded over the spaceflight company’s McGregor, Texas test site.
The rocket automatically detonated when the company says an anomaly was detected in the vehicle. No one was injured in the accident. No one was injured in the accident, but a grass fire resulting from the explosion had to be contained by McGregor’s fire department.
In a statement, SpaceX says the test was complex and pushed the limits of the rocket. This version of the Falcon 9 is designed to take off and land vertically so it can be reused. The rocket fires its engines to create a controlled descent and soft landing.
SpaceX has used Falcon 9 rockets to launch commercial satellites. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to take off early Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
SpaceX is owned by business magnate Elon Musk. In a twitter post regarding the incident, Musk tweeted “Rockets are tricky…”