A "significant explosion" hit the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral early Thursday, destroying the unmanned rocket that was set to launch this weekend.
A new standardized docking port is bound for the International Space Station, in a mission that caused a sonic boom over Central Florida early Monday morning.
Despite uncertain odds, the company landed part of its Falcon 9 rocket in the open ocean for a second time. The rest of the spacecraft continued on to put a communications satellite into orbit.
The Red Dragon missions are aimed at figuring out what's needed "to land large payloads propulsively on Mars." For now, the plan doesn't include sending astronauts to the red planet.
A resupply capsule, bearing an inflatable habitat, is en route to the International Space Station, and the first stage of the rocket that launched it has returned for a sea landing without exploding.
SpaceX was coming off a huge win last month when it landed a rocket on solid ground. Elon Musk took Sunday's failure in stride, saying at least the leftover pieces were bigger.
It's the first launch since a Falcon 9 rocket exploded in June, and the first recovery of a spent booster for SpaceX. Previous attempts were close but ended in failure.
The Falcon 9 rocket was carrying supplies to the International Space Station when it exploded June 28. Musk, the SpaceX CEO, said that going forward, the company will individually test each strut.
After a string of launch failures, NASA says astronauts have just four months of supplies left. A Russian rocket launching early Friday could provide relief.