Last week, SpaceX performed a pre-launch static fire test before a scheduled communications satellite launch the following weekend. Of course, things didn't quite go as expected. The rocket, as well as its payload, were destroyed in a huge fireball explosion that sent black smoke flying for miles.
SpaceX has released the following footage showing the explosion from a nearby HD video camera, and it shows just how dramatically rocket fuel burns out of control when it's ignited.
Employees in nearby buildings said they felt the shockwaves from the explosion. Nobody was actually injured in the incident, as it's company protocol to evacuate the launch pad prior to such tests.
The payload inside of the rocket was reportedly a type of telecommunications satellite made by Facebook to help deliver internet services to other regions in the world. It seems that Facebook-made satellites make great fireworks.
