Post date: Nov 27, 2013 2:8:28 PM
Two nitrogen cooling tanks explode at the SpaceX facility in Texas, the Mclennan County sheriff's office says.
MCGREGOR, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 26, 2013) (NBC) - The ground shook in Texas late on Tuesday (November 26) as two pressurised nitrogen cooling tanks exploded at the SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) facility, the Mclennan County sheriff's office said.
Local media said residents feared it was an earthquake.No injuries were reported in the blast.
The explosion happened just a day after an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket, developed by SpaceX, was due to be launched.
The rocket was due to lift off at 5:37 p.m. EST/2237 GMT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station inFlorida on Monday but was delayed by a technical glitch.
The launch of the rocket, which will carry a $100 million communications satellite owned byLuxembourg-based SES SA, was rescheduled for no earlier than Thursday, Falcon 9 product manager John Insprucker said in a launch webcast.