SpaceX rocket destroyed on way to space station, cargo lost

More than 5,200 pounds of space station cargo were on board, including the first docking port designed for future commercial crew capsules, a new spacesuit and a water filtration system.

NASA officials said they have enough supplies for the three-person crew on board the station to last till October and still plan to send three more crewmembers up in a late July launch.

SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk later said that the pressure got too high in the liquid-oxygen tank of the rocket's upper stage.

The private company is in charge of the accident investigation, with oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration, which licensed the flight.

The Dragon capsule, which is designed to eventually carry people, still sent signals to the ground after the rocket broke apart, said SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell.

"Three failures on three different vehicles is unusual, but it would be even more worrisome if we had only one means of access," former NASA associate administrator Scott Pace wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

In addition to Friday's scheduled Russian launch, Orbital Sciences may be able to launch their supply ship at the end of this year, using another company's rocket.

The three space station residents were watching the launch live from orbit, including astronaut Scott Kelly.

NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini said the water filtration system is nearing the point where it can't function much longer, but there is still enough stored water to make it to October or so.

Kelly's identical twin, Mark, a former space shuttle commander who is taking part in medical studies on the ground, pointed out that SpaceX, until now, had "a great record" with its Falcon 9 rockets.