Blast Rocks SpaceX Launch Site

After weeks of investigating what caused a SpaceX rocket to explode on the launch pad, the company's CEO said he believes the issue has been located.

Elon Musk said it was a problem with the supercooled liquid oxygen used as a propellant for the Falcon 9 rocket, RedOrbit reported. During preparations for a Sept. 3 launch, the rocket exploded before engines were scheduled to be tested Sept. 1, according to the New York Times. Musk said while the Falcon 9 was being refueled, liquid oxygen became so cold that it froze, triggering the explosion, the report added.

"I think we’ve gotten to the bottom of the problem," Musk told CNBC. "Really surprising problem that’s never been encountered before in the history of rocketry."

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SpaceX said in a statement that the company is confident the problem can be fixed quickly. They believe the problem occurred because of the conditions present during the loading of helium into the liquid oxygen tank, and a change in temperature and pressure during the process can prevent a future disaster. According to the New York Times, the helium is heated up during a launch and used to keep pressure steady inside the tank as the liquid oxygen is consumed.

In addition to the loss of the rocket, a $200 million Israeli communications satellite was also destroyed by the explosion, according to Reuters.

But SpaceX plans to get back on its feet as soon as safely possible, Musk said. Since SpaceX is one of just two companies that flies cargo to the International Space Station – and they'll soon be carrying astronauts there as well – a lengthy delay could be very costly for the company. They're planning to resume launches in mid-December, Reuters reported.

Now, the company just needs to figure out where those launches will occur. Because its Cape Canaveral, Florida, Launch Complex 40 sustained serious damage during the explosion, they'll have to use either the launchpad at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base or Kennedy Space Center's Launchpad 39A, which is being renovated by SpaceX, the New York Times also said.

"Pending the results of the investigation, we continue to work towards returning to flight before the end of the year," SpaceX said in a statement. "Our launch sites at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, remain on track to be operational in this timeframe."

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