Vulcan rocket crashes after launch in Florida, destroying Amazon satellites

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket crashed on Sunday shortly after liftoff in Florida, destroying its payload of 40 Amazon LEO internet satellites.

This marks the first mission failure for United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The rocket malfunctioned about 10 minutes after takeoff. The cause remains unclear, but the incident is a major setback for the company’s new flagship rocket as it aimed to begin regular launches of Amazon’s satellite network.

In a statement, United Launch Alliance said, “Based on data received by our launch director, we confirm that the Vulcan vehicle, which launched from Space Launch Complex 41, experienced an anomaly 10 minutes into its flight and failed to deliver Amazon’s mission to orbit.”

The company added, “Every flight provides data, and every flight teaches us something. Since the anomaly just occurred, we do not yet have specific information to understand what happened today.”