Falcon 9 and the Amos-6 satellite are destroyed in a pad explosion during fuelling before a static fire

SpaceX/Falcon 9 & Falcon Heavy

A Falcon 9 rocket exploded at Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 on September 1, 2016, during fuelling for a static-fire test, destroying an Israeli Amos-6 communications satellite valued at approximately $200 million. No personnel were injured; the pad's strongback tower was damaged but nearby structures remained intact.

• Satellite destroyed: Amos-6 by Spacecom, valued at ~$200 million, designed for 16-year mission
• Rocket fully destroyed; approximately 9 remaining launches disrupted for 2016
• Built by Israel Aerospace Industries; weighed 5,250 kg fully fueled
• Musk said the anomaly originated in the upper stage oxygen tank during propellant loading