Questions Arise On Implications Of SpaceX Pad Explosion

As SpaceX begins investigating the causes of the Sept. 1 accident that destroyed a Falcon 9 and its payload, questions are mounting over the near- and far-term implications of the failure for the launch company, its commercial customers, NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

Even before the explosion, which fortunately occurred without any injuries at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, SpaceX was already facing a tight schedule to meet its planned target of 18 launches for the year. The vehicle, which was to launch the Amos-6 communications satellite on Sept. 3, was to have been the ninth mission of this year and the 29th Falcon 9 launch overall. SpaceX's busy year is currently scheduled to culminate in the Falcon Heavy demonstration flight, itself already delayed from late 2015.

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