An unmanned SpaceX rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station broke apart Sunday shortly after liftoff. It was a severe blow to NASA, the third cargo mission to fail in eight months.

The accident happened about 2½ minutes into the flight from Cape Canaveral, Fla. A billowing white cloud emerged in the sky, growing bigger and bigger, then fiery plumes shot out of where the rocket was supposed to be, and pieces could be seen falling into the Atlantic.

More than 5,200 pounds of space station cargo were on board.The company is studying the causes of the incident, but according to one of the versions, the explosion was caused by the engine problem.