An unmanned supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded shortly after liftoff from a Virginia commercial launch facility Tuesday. The Antares rocket operated by Orbital Sciences Corp. lifted off the launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility at 6.22 p.m. EDT and exploded seconds later. It was carrying about 5,000 pounds of supplies for the ISS. The rocket was carrying a Cygnus cargo ship. It’s not clear whether the rocket exploded on its own or whether it was intentionally destroyed because of a detected malfunction. More details will be coming later.
The rocket was supposed to take the Cygnus to orbit where it was to loiter until Nov. 2 and then go to the ISS for capture by its robotic arm. It was carrying food, supplies, equipment and 1,500 pounds of science experiments. It was Orbital Sciences’ third launch under an eight-launch contract with NASA worth $1.9 billion. SpaceX also has a supply contract and is getting ready to launch its fourth rocket to the ISS.
