SEE IT: Rocket explodes seconds after launch at NASA pad
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Orbital Sciences Corp.'s unmanned Antares rocket exploded over the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The rocket was carrying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft which was to deliver cargo and crew supplies to the International Space Station.
An unmanned rocket exploded seconds after liftoff from a NASA facility in Virginia, igniting a massive fire ball in the evening sky.
The privately owned, Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket sent flames pouring over the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at 6:22 p.m. Tuesday.
The rocket was carrying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft on top which was to deliver 5,000 pounds of cargo and crew supplies to the International Space Station, according to NASA.
The Antares rocket, privately owned by Orbital Sciences Corp.'s, exploded on launch Tuesday in Virginia.
NASA.GOV
The Antares rocket, privately owned by Orbital Sciences Corp.'s, exploded on launch Tuesday in Virginia.
Orbital Sciences confirmed that there are no injuries and all personnel are accounted for. As far as damage, it's said to be limited to the south end of Wallops Island.
“It is far too early to know the details of what happened,” Frank Culbertson, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Advanced Programs Group, said in a statement.
“As we begin to gather information, our primary concern lies with the ongoing safety and security of those involved in our response and recovery operations. We will conduct a thorough investigation immediately to determine the cause of this failure and what steps can be taken to avoid a repeat of this incident. As soon as we understand the cause we will begin the necessary work to return to flight to support our customers and the nation’s space program,” he added.
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He and others with the space program later added at an evening press conference that none of the supplies lost onboard were "crucial" to those at the space station.
Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares
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JOEL KOWSKY/AP
The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen on launch Pad-0A Monday following its first attempt to launch this week.
The failed launch was the rocket's second attempt in two days after Orbital Sciences' originally scheduled liftoff on Monday was scrubbed when a sailboat wandered into the area and wasn't able to be moved in time.
If Tuesday's launch had been successful, it would have marked the third Cygnus mission to the space station following a $1.9 billion contract awarded by NASA for eight such flights in 2008.
Orbital Sciences Corporation's Antares rocket
NASA/REUTERS
Tuesday's mission was to mark the fourth Cygnus mission to the International Space Station.
Just before liftoff, NASA expressed all signs being favorable.
"There are no technical concerns with the rocket or spacecraft being worked. The weather for this evening's launch is at 100-percent favorable," they posted on their website.
They are now "currently evaluating the status of [Orbital Sciences] mission" — as is Orbital Sciences whose only launch pad capable of launching an Antares rocket was destroyed in the explosion, said Culbertson.
"All of the damage appears to be at the pad area, but we don't know the extent of that," he said.
