Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket recently had trouble getting off the ground – well, in one piece – and it's an awfully long way to Mars.

There's also an awful lot of money involved.

Taxpayer money.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts. Which Musk hopes to wrangle for his Space Pinto – er, SpaceX rocket. It's the ballistic version of his Tesla electric car.

Both seem to have issues with catching on fire.

And burning through cash.

Houston, we have a problem. 

Maybe that's why SpaceX is shopping conspiracy theories that "someone" (hinted-at rival for government payload payola United Launch Alliance) deliberately monkey-wrenched the rocket – like Gary Seven, from the original Star Trek series,Assignment Earth. Or maybe sniped at it with a rifle from the roof of a building more than a mile away, Texas School Book Depository-style.

Elon's minions – and Elon himself – have actually suggested the latter.

According to The Washington Post, a SpaceX employee visited the ULA building shortly after the rocket blew up and asked for access to the roof. You know, to look for the sniper's nest.

Yes, really.