Some Tucson residents were alarmed Tuesday morning as an earth-shaking explosion startled resdents.

An explosion was reported at World View Enterprises, an aeronautics facility located at 1805 E. Aerospace Parkway. Multiple witnesses took to social media, writing about hearing a loud noise and shaking coming from the area.

Tucson Fire quickly responded, heading to the scene and beginning their investigation. Officials say a World View high-altitude balloon exploded. The company issued the following statement shortly after the incident:

Following the completion of a successful fill test on the launch pad, during the process of backing out of the full fill configuration, a significant balloon rupture occurred which was reportedly heard in the local area. We have reached out to reassure our immediate neighbors. There were no injuries and only superficial facility damage at the site. The flight system itself was unaffected.

For more information, please visit the official website of Tucson Fire or WorldView.

According to their official website, WorldView is leading the way in the emerging stratospheric economy, unlocking affordable new applications with the introduction of the un-crewed Stratollite flight vehicle, and pioneering new perspectives with the development of the Voyager human spaceflight system. 

Photo: TechCrunch