Bad Astronomy

SeaLaunch explosion video online

Someone put up video of the SeaLaunch rocket explosion from yesterday:

The rocket can be seen to collapse before actually lifting off. The smoke hides everything, but it looks like there was a blowout before the rocket could get off the ground. The pad is almost certainly destroyed, but I have not heard any hard news on that front. The rocket was carrying a Dutch telecommunications satellite.

Tip o’ the nose cone to Jim Oberg for the link.