The Orbital Science Corp.'s Antares rocket exploded and crashed upon launch from NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility Tuesday evening.
Seconds after launch the rocket exploded and began falling back to the ground. According to NASA all personnel have been accounted for and the damage to the facility is minimal, though there is significant damage to property and vehicles.
Prior to launch NASA and Orbital both reported no issues and the countdown leading up to the launch was flawless. The incident is currently being referred to as a "catastrophic anomaly."
The incident occurred Tuesday evening at 6:22 p.m. EDT, the second scheduled launch for the rocket. The first was delayed due to a sailboat entering the launch range.
The Orbital team is implementing necessary procedures and investigating the cause of the failure. It is also gathering witness statements of the incident.
NASA reports Richard Straka, general manager of Orbital's Launch Systems Group, is leading an accident investigation team. This team will include representatives from NASA, Orbital and the mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Wallops, Va.
Orbital Sciences Corp. designed the rocket itself under contract with NASA. It was a two-stage launch vehicle that was able to carry up to 6,120kg, or 13,500 pounds, and was set to carry a payload to the International Space Station. The rocket was carrying over 5,000 pounds, including 1,360 pounds of food, which was for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. It was also carrying equipment for the flight crew, science equipment for both U.S. and international scientists, and spacewalk equipment.
It is currently unclear as to what the backup plan is to get the food and equipment to astronauts aboard the space station.
The Cygnus cargo craft on the Orb-3 mission was the third cargo delivery flight conducted by Orbital Sciences. The craft was scheduled for a rendezvous on the morning of Nov. 2. Orbital Sciences was launching the craft several days earlier than necessary in an attempt to provide flexibility as far as the arrival time schedule.
The rocket was named the SS Deke Slayton for the late Donald "Deke" K. Sleyton, a U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut who is a well-known figure in America's commercial space program.
The two-stage rocket used a liquid-fueled first stage, which was powered by two Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines and a solid motor ATK CASTOR 30XL upper stage to boost the craft into orbit. The launch sequence was set to last around nine-and-a-half minutes.
Below is a video of the explosion.
