Video: Falcon 9 stands at the launch pad

The investigation into a dramatic Falcon 9 rocket explosion earlier this month at Cape Canaveral has determined a “large breach” in the launcher’s upper stage helium pressurization system led to the destruction of the booster and its $200 million satellite payload, SpaceX said Friday.

Less than a week after publishing the results of an independent investigation into last year’s Antares rocket failure, NASA has released new photos of the catastrophic crash just after liftoff from Wallops Island, Virginia.

The ignition test of the nine Merlin engines at the base of the rocket came after the four crew members step through a dry dress rehearsal of their launch day activities. The T-0 for ignition happened at 6:38 a.m. EDT (1038 UTC).