OTD in Space – June 28: SpaceX Rocket Explodes After Liftoff

On June 28, 2015, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded minutes after launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com]

It was on its way to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. This was the third launch failure of a cargo mission in just eight months. Something went wrong about two minutes into the flight, and the rocket broke apart, raining debris out of the sky. SpaceX later determined that the accident was caused by overpressure in the liquid oxygen tank of the rocket's upper stage. On top of the rocket was a Dragon capsule packed with more than 4,000 lbs. (1,800 kg) of food, supplies, and science experiments. It also contained new high-resolution cameras designed to look at meteors as they plow into Earth's atmosphere.