Despite its rocket exploding, SpaceX has announced that its plans to develop "space taxis" for NASA will not be delayed. The company is currently carrying out investigations after a launch pad caught fire, destroying a Falcon 9 rocket and a communications satellite worth $200 million.

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The space taxis being developed by SpaceX along with Boeing would be the first commercial space vehicles to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, which is located 250 miles above the surface of the Earth.

NASA is aiming to operate its own crew transport. The agency has been relying on Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS to transport its astronauts via a Soyuz rocket and capsule that launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Central Asia. SpaceX wants to break this monopoly as its first test flight to the space station is slated for next year.

SpaceX director of certification, Abhishek Tripathi has revealed that the company is attempting to remain on schedule. He made the revelation during a panel discussion at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference in California.

Tripathi explained that SpaceX's ongoing work on space taxis would not be affected by the ongoing investigation into the accident. SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration are working hard to figure out why one of the Falcon 9 rockets exploded into flames on September 1 after being refueled for a prelaunch test at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The explosion destroyed an Israeli satellite owned by the Space Communication Ltd, which is supposed to be launched into lower Earth orbit in two days. SpaceX has not yet confirmed how much damage the explosion caused to its launch site.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announced on Wednesday that the company plans to resume spaceflights in November at NASA's Kennedy Space Center near the Air Force Station.