How often do accidents like the Falcon 9 static test explosion happen? Here is a list of rocket explosions on on near the launch pad, either before launch or just after. A few significant non-explosive incidents are also included. The list for orbital vehicles is thought to be complete. Cape Canaveral's last nasty one was in 1997 during a launch; the only previous time there's been a prelaunch explosion of an orbital rocket at the Cape was in 1959. Orbital launch vehicles JCM Code Date Type +/- D:H:M:S Rocket Payload Location Comments 1957-F01 1957 Dec 6 BOOM +0:00:00:00.4 Vanguard Vanguard TV-3 Canaveral LC18A Lost thrust at 1 metre altitude 1959-E01 1959 Jan 21 Incident - days? Thor Agena A Discoverer 0 Vandenberg 75-3 Pad 4 Upper stage separation rockets fired; vehicle damaged but survived 1959-F05 1959 Jul 16 BOOM +0:00:00:05.5 Juno II Explorer S-1 Canaveral LC5 Guidance failed, destruct at 20 metres 1959-E02 1959 Sep 24 BOOM - days? Atlas 9C/Able Pioneer P-1 Canaveral LC12 Exploded during static test; payload not aboard 1960-F06 1960 Apr 16 BOOM +0:00:00:00.4 Vostok-L Luna E-3 No. 2 Baykonur LC1 Strapon failed, broke off; rocket crashed 1961-F09 1961 Sep 9 BOOM +0:00:00:01.0 Atlas Agena B Samos 3 Point Arguello LC1 Pad 1 Engines shut down at 1 metre, cable failed to detach. 1962-F06 1962 Jun 1 BOOM +0:00:00:01.8 Vostok 8A92 Zenit-2 No. 3 Baykonur LC1 Strapon failed, broke off; rocket crashed. 1963-F08 1963 Jun 1 BOOM +0:00:00:04.0 Kosmos 63S1 DS-MT No. 1 Kapustin Yar Silo Mayak-2 Stage 1 failed, crashed 1963-E01 1963 Jul 10 BOOM -0:00:00:01.9 Vostok 8A92 Zenit-2 No. 12 Baykonur LC1 Strapon broke off before takeoff, rocket exploded 1965-F04 1965 Mar 2 BOOM +0:00:00:01.0 Atlas Centaur Surveyor SD-1 Kennedy LC36A Engines shut down at 1 metre, fell back to pad 1966-E01 1966 Mar 15 BOOM - hours? R-36O OGCh No. 03L Baykonur LC67/21 Exploded during fuelling 1966-F09 1966 Sep 16 BOOM +0:00:01? Vostok 8A92 Zenit-2 No. 40 Baykonur LC31 Strapon failed, out of control 1966-F12 1966 Dec 14 BOOM/1D +0:00:27:00 Soyuz Soyuz No. 1 Baykonur LC31 Launch scrubbed, but escape tower fired accidentally 25 min later and caused rocket to explode. [1 fatality] 1967 1967 Jan 27 Incident - 25 days Saturn IB Apollo AS-204 Kennedy LC34 Fire in payload; 3 dead. 1967-F06 1967 Jun 20 BOOM +0:00:02:05 Voskhod Zenit-4 No. 32 Plesetsk LC41/1 Control lost when cable failed to separate at launch 1967-F10 1967 Sep 27 BOOM +0:00:00? Kosmos-3M Tsiklon mockup Plesetsk LC132/2 Exploded at launch 1968-E01 1968 Jul 15 Incident - days? Proton/Blok-D L-1 No. 8 Baykonur LC81/24 Upper stage ruptured; payload and rocket survived. 1969-F10 1969 Jul 3 BOOM +0:00:00:18 N-1 L-1S No. 5 Baykonur LC110/38 Engines shut down at 100m 1970-F10 1970 Dec 22 BOOM +0:00:00:01 Kosmos-3M DS-P1-M No. 1 Plesetsk LC132/2 Engine shut down. 1971-F12 1971 Dec 3 BOOM +0:00:00:00.5 Voskhod Gektor No. 24 Plesetsk LC43/4 Engine exploded 1973-E01 1973 Jun 26 BOOM/9D - hours? Kosmos-3M Tselina-OM? Plesetsk LC32/1 Leaking fuel tank after scrub, rocket exploded. 9 dead. 1975-F03 1975 Apr 13 BOOM +0:00:00:00 Atlas F STP P72-2 Vandenberg SLC3W Atlas ignition caused explosion in pad; rocket destroyed 1980-E01 1980 Mar 18 BOOM/50D - hours? Vostok 8A92M Ikar Plesetsk LC43/4 Rocket exploded during fuelling; 50 fatalities 1981-F03 1981 Dec 19 BOOM +0:00:00:30? Atlas E GPS 7 Vandenberg SLC3E Rocket lost thrust at 60 metres 1983-F02 1983 Sep 26 BOOM -0:00:00:20 Soyuz-U Soyuz-T No. 16L Baykonur LC1 Fire in first stage; crew saved by escape tower before rocket exploded. 1986-F03 1986 Apr 18 BOOM +0:00:00:08 Titan 34D HEXAGON 20 Vandenberg SLC4E Exploded at 200 metres 1987-F04 1987 Jun 18 BOOM +0:00:00:08 Soyuz-U Resurs F1 No.105 Plesetsk LC43/3 Strapon exploded at 100 metres 1988-F04 1988 Jul 27 BOOM +0:00:00:20 Soyuz-U Resurs F1 No.43/30 Plesetsk LC43/4 Control system failed, destruct at 200 metres 1990-F05 1990 Oct 4 BOOM +0:00:00:02 Zenit-2 Tselina-2 Baykonur LC45/2 Rocket fell back onto pad and exploded 1995-F01 1995 Jan 25 BOOM/6D +0:00:00:51 Chang Zheng 2E Apstar-2 Xichang LC2 Rocket exploded, crashed into ground; 6 deaths 1996-F01 1996 Feb 14 BOOM/6D +0:00:00:02 Chang Zheng 3B Intelsat 708 Xichang LC2 Guidance failed, rocket crashed into village. Casualty figures disputed. 1997-F01 1997 Jan 17 BOOM +0:00:00:13 Delta 7925 GPS 42 Canaveral LC17A Solid motor blew up; rocket destruct, crashed into pad area 2002-F02 2002 Oct 15 BOOM/1D +0:00:00:20 Soyuz-U Foton-M No. 1 Plesetsk LC43/3 Strapon failed; rocket thrust terminated, crashed on pad 2003-E01 2003 Aug 22 BOOM/21D -3 days VLS-1 SATEC/Unosat Alcantara VLS First stage motor ignited accidentally; rocket exploded, 21 died 2007-F01 2007 Jan 30 BOOM +0:00:00:00 Zenit-3SL NSS 8 Sea Launch Odyssey LOX tank valve failed at launch, exploded and fell through into sea 2012-F03 2012 Sep 22? BOOM? +0:00:00:00? Safir Fajr Khomeini Space Center Unconfirmed launch. Satellite images suggest pad damage. 2013-F01 2013 Feb 1 BOOM +0:00:00:25 Zenit-3SL Intelsat IS-27 Sea Launch Odyssey Off course, engines shut down, rocket hit ocean and exploded 2013-F02 2013 Jul 2 BOOM +0:00:00:24 Proton-M/DM-3 Glonass-M 48,49,50 Baykonur LC81/24 Rocket lost pitch control, broke up and crashed near pad 2014-F02 2014 Oct 28 BOOM +0:00:00:16 Antares 130 Cygnus Orb-3 Wallops/MARS Pad 0A Engine failed, rocket fell back to pad and exploded 2016-E01 2016 Sep 1 BOOM -2 days Falcon 9 Amos 6 Canaveral SLC40 Exploded during static test Missiles and other suborbital vehicles (incomplete list) 1956-A108 1956 Nov 6 BOOM +0:00:00:26 Navaho II 03 G-26 No. 1 Canaveral LC9 Tumbled and broke up 1957-A29 1957 Apr 25 BOOM Navaho II 07 G-26 No. 5 Canaveral LC9 Fell back to pad from 1 metre 1957-A41 1957 May 22 BOOM Thor 103 - Canaveral LC17B Exploded on pad 1958-A172 1958 Dec 31 BOOM +0:00:00:50 Thor 149 - Canaveral LC18B Off course, destruct. 1959-A137 1959 Aug 14 BOOM Titan I B-5 P13 Canaveral LC19 Exploded on pad 1959-A204 1959 Dec 12 BOOM Titan I C-3 RVX-3 Canaveral LC16 Exploded on pad 1960-A65 1960 Mar 11 BOOM +0:00:00:26 Atlas 51D Mk 3 Canaveral LC13 Exploded shortly after liftoff, range safety destruct 1960-A94 1960 Apr 8 BOOM +0:00:00:00 Atlas 48D Mk 3 Canaveral LC11 Exploded on pad at launch release 1960-A160 1960 Jul 1 BOOM +0:00:00:11 Titan I J-2 Mk 4 RV Canaveral LC20 Destruct by range safety 1960-E01 1960 Oct 24 BOOM/100D - minutes? R-16 LD1-3T - Baykonur LC41/3 Nedelin disaster; first R-16 missile exploded during launch preps 1960-A287 1960 Dec 4 BOOM Titan I V-2 - Vandenberg OSTF Exploded in silo 1961-A109 1961 Apr 25 ? R-9A - Baykonur LC51 - 1961-A150 1961 Jun 7 BOOM +0:00:00:04 Atlas 27E - Vandenberg OSTF-1 Destruct 1961-A184 1961 Aug 3 ? R-9A - Baykonur LC51 - 1961-A192 1961 Aug 30 BOOM Minuteman 1A - Canaveral LC32B Exploded at launch, still inside silo 1961-A245 1961 Dec 1 BOOM R-16 226/101T - Baykonur LC41/3 Exploded on pad 1962-A47 1962 Apr 9 BOOM +0:00:00:01 Atlas 11F Mk 4 Canaveral LC11 Exploded just after launch 1962-A115 1962 Jul 26 BOOM +0:00:00:00 Thor DSV-2E BLUEGILL PRIME Johnston Island Exploded on pad; plutonium from nuclear weapon contaminated area. 1962-A178 1962 Oct 28 ? R-9A - Baykonur LC51 - 1963-A34 1963 Mar 10 BOOM Atlas 102D - Vandenberg 576B3 Pitched over after launch, exploded 1963-A68 1963 May 1 BOOM Titan I V-4 - Vandenberg 395-A1 Exploded at launch in silo 1963-A86 1963 Jun 2 BOOM No launch op Atlas 77F - Walker AFB Exploded in silo 1963-A128 1963 Sep 28 BOOM R-36 02L - Baykonur LC67/21 Exploded at launch 1963-A139 1963 Oct 4 BOOM +0:00:00:03.9 Atlas 45F - Vandenberg 576G Engine failed; cleared silo then crashed 1963-E02 1963 Oct 24 BOOM/7D - hours R-9A - Baykonur LC70 Exploded in silo during fuelling, 7 dead 1963-A162 1963 Nov 5 ? UR-200 - Baykonur LC90/19 Failed at launch 1963-A185 1963 Dec 13 BOOM R-36 03L - Baykonur LC67/21 Exploded at launch 1964-A24 1964 Feb 13 BOOM No launch op Atlas 88F - Walker AFB Exploded in silo 1964-A32 1964 Mar 9 BOOM No launch op Atlas 90F - Walker AFB Exploded in silo 1964-A50 1964 Apr 3 BOOM Atlas 3F - Vandenberg 576G One engine failed; crashed and damaged pad 1964-A69 1964 May 14 BOOM No launch op Atlas 61F - Altus AFB Exploded in silo 1964-S675 1964 Dec 9 BOOM Minuteman 1B - Vandenberg LF08 "Malfunction", destruct "moments" after launch. Brush fires. 1965-A102 1965 Jul 17 BOOM UR-100 - Baykonur LC131/29 Exploded at launch 1971-S361 1971 Jul 12 BOOM Minuteman 1B GT95B Vandenberg LF09 Off course, destruct at 240 metres altitude 1978-S268 1978 Sep 12 BOOM MR-UR-100 9L - Baykonur LC177/47 Exploded at launch 1980-E02 1980 Sep 19 BOOM/1D No launch op Titan II Mk 6 RV Little Rock AFB 374-7 Leaking propellant, missile exploded in silo 1986-A06 1986 Mar 23 ? R-36M2 GCh 15F173 Baykonur LC101/93 - 1989-A02 1989 Mar 21 BOOM +0:00:00:10? Trident D-5 - USS Tennessee, Canaveral Spiralled, then destruct 1989-A08 1989 Oct 5 Incident +0:00:00:00 AMROC IRR - Vandenberg BMRS-A3 Caught fire at launch; toppled but no explosion 2015-E01 2015 Nov 13 BOOM +0:00:00:00 VS-40M SARA Suborbital Alcantara Exploded at launch 2016-A26 2016 Apr 14 BOOM? Hwasong-10 - Wonsan, N Korea Exploded at launch