The U.S. Coast Guard issued a public warning regarding falling debris from the SpaceX rocket that exploded during its scheduled launch on Sunday.
The unmanned rocket, known as Falcon 9, was supposed to deliver supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) when it suddenly exploded and broke apart moments after its lift off from Cape Canaveral.
The rocket was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) third cargo mission to fail in eight months.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, said the explosion could have been caused by highly pressurized liquid oxygen. The space company is now conducting an investigation regarding the incident which is being overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Coast Guard has warned vessels passing through the area about the dangers of the falling rocket fragments. They have also asked the public to report any space debris that could wash ashore in the coming days.
"As with any incident involving spacecraft wreckage, debris should not be handled by members of the public," Capt. Jeffrey Dixon, commander of Jacksonville Coast Guard, said.
"These critical pieces of evidence are important in the investigation process and should be reported immediately to SpaceX or the U.S. Coast Guard."
If you find debris in the vicinity of today @SpaceX launch mishap, please stay away & call 321-867-2121. @NASA_Kennedy #SpaceX
— NASA (@NASA) June 28, 2015
Despite the incident, cargo missions to the ISS will continue as planned, including two Russian spaceflights scheduled on July 3 and July 22.
According to NASA officials, the three-man crew currently on the space station still has about four months' worth of supplies.
SpaceX has already fulfilled seven of its planned trips to the ISS as stated in its agreement with NASA.
NASA associate administrator Bill Gerstenmaier said the Falcon 9's launch failure on Sunday does not necessarily affect the timeline of the mission.
Gerstenmaier said they will continue move forward, citing the failure as a way to help them identify potential issues in upcoming manned spaceflights.
The Falcon 9's Dragon capsule was able to survive the initial breakup of the rocket, but whether it remained intact when it hit the ocean is still unknown.
Identifying the status of the Dragon capsule after the explosion is important as astronauts will board a similar SpaceX vessel and rocket for a spaceflight slated for 2017.
