WASHINGTON — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday was supposed to deliver 4,000 pounds of supplies and payload to the International Space Station. It never made it, breaking apart seconds after launching.

“This is the third failure that has occurred since October,” WTOP Space Contributor Greg Redfern says.

Last October, a supply rocket from Dulles, Virgina-based Orbital Sciences exploded after takeoff from Wallops Island. In April of this year, Russia lost a rocket that also contained supplies for the space station.

Redfern says that even with the setbacks from three rocket failures, the crews has enough supplies to support them for several more months.

“That includes food and water that can sustain them until at least October,” Redfern said.

NASA has contracts with several space companies as a precaution for mission failures. It’s a backup plan for this kind of situation, Redfern says. On July 3, all eyes will be on Russia when they look to deliver the next batch of supplies to ISS.

If for some reason that mission were to fail, Redfern says, NASA may have to explore other options.

“There is a capability to take supplies up to the International Space Station with the European Space Agency,” Redfern said.

He says the European Space Agency has delivered substantial cargo to the ISS in the past.