The mood was somber 260 miles (418 kilometers) up, according to space station astronaut Butch Wilmore. He and his five crewmates were watching a live video feed of the launch and saw the whole thing.
“It's a great loss,” Wilmore said, quickly adding that the station pantry contains four to six months' worth of food and that there is plenty of research to go around.
Debris — potentially hazardous because of fuel — plummeted into the Atlantic and onto the launch site, igniting fires. Helicopters took to the air at first light Wednesday to track down remnants. Authorities warned people to avoid touching any debris that might wash ashore.