An unmanned SpaceX rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station has broken up shortly after liftoff.

NASA confirmed the accident a few minutes into the flight from Cape Canaveral in Florida, and pieces of the rocket and spacecraft could be seen falling into the Atlantic.

The lower part of the rocket was meant to detach and land itself on a floating barge.

It is the SpaceX's third unsuccessful attempt at the manoeuvre - launches in January and April.

The aim of the mission is to re-use the launch vehicles, which have to this point been disposable, and thereby substantially reduce the cost of launching spacecraft into orbit.