NASA’s unmanned Antares rocket exploded at launch above Wallops Island, Virginia, yesterday on route to dropping off supplies at the International Space Station.

A lesser casualty of that explosion? One rocket watcher’s iPad, which was blown to smithereens by the explosion.

But don’t worry. Cupertino did the right thing: They replaced it.

Over on Reddit, redditor iOSecure wrote about the act-of-god mishap that befell his iPad 2:

I had never seen a rocket launch before and I read it would be on Virginia where I live. So I drove 6 hours Monday to see it and the launch was scrubbed because a boat decided to drive directly under the launch path… I decided to go back again Tuesday and this time I setup my iPad to take a time lapse on the ledge of the road, it was being held by the Smart Cover…. Rocket launches everything looks good and then it blows up, about 15 seconds later the shockwaves comes and knocks my iPad down into the swamp. I can’t see it because the water is so murky and when I finally get it it doesn’t turn on so I lost the video also… Tried cleaning it and plugging it into iTunes nothing happens

It seemed like he was out of luck. However, after being prompted by his fellow redditors to try bringing the iPad into the Genius Bar to tell them “it landed in a swamp because a spaceship exploded,” iOSecure found himself rewarded for his good faith.

I just went to the Genius Bar and explained what happened. He called out the manager and the manager said “I think we’ve officially seen it all” she then offered a free replacement but on 16GB instead of 64 which I had (not complaining) This is why I can’t leave apple… It’s not a refurb either

I’ve got nothing to add. This is why Apple is great. Now if only they could replace the Antares rocket this easily.

Source: Reddit