Space station cargo ship grounded by wayward sailboat

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An Orbital Sciences Antares rocket carrying a commercial Cygnus cargo ship loaded with supplies bound for the International Space Station stands poised on the launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Va. Orbital Sciences

Last Updated Oct 27, 2014 9:30 PM EDT

Launch of an Orbital Sciences Antares rocket carrying a commercial cargo ship bound for the International Space Station was scrubbed Monday evening after a sailboat strayed into the off shore danger zone southeast of the Virginia launch site.

Liftoff from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Island, Va., flight facility was targeted for 6:45 p.m. EDT (GMT-4), roughly the moment Earth's rotation carried pad 0A into the plane of the space station's orbit.

But as the countdown ticked into its final minutes, range safety officers noticed a boat in the zone where rocket debris could fall in the event of a launch failure. The countdown was held up at the T-minus 12-minute mark and then restarted in hopes the ship would clear the area by the end of the rocket's 10-minute launch window.

But it was not to be, and mission managers reluctantly called off the countdown for the day as the window expired. Engineers were told to recycle the rocket for a second launch attempt at 6:22 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters predicted good weather.

If all goes well, the Orbital Sciences Cygnus cargo ship perched atop the Antares will catch up with the space station Nov. 2, pulling up to within about 30 feet of the lab complex. At that point, astronaut Reid Wiseman, operating the lab's robot arm, will lock onto a grapple fixture so the capsule can be pulled in for berthing at the Earth-facing port of the forward Harmony module.

"This mission is going to carry over 5,000 pounds of cargo to the crew, a wide variety of items, everything from science to clothes to food, tools, replacement parts, etc.," said Orbital Executive Vice President Frank Culbertson, a former shuttle commander and space station crew member.

The mission is Orbital's third operational space station resupply flight -- the fourth including a demonstration mission -- under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA that calls for delivery of some 44,000 pounds of hardware and equipment to the space station.

SpaceX holds a similar $1.6 billion contract to covering 12 resupply missions.

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Space station cargo ship grounded by wayward sailboat

Space station supply rocket blows up on takeoff

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Orbital Sciences Corp.s unmanned rocket blows up over the launch complex at Wallops Island, Va., just six seconds after liftoff Tuesday. No injuries were reported. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

ATLANTIC, Va. An unmanned commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff Tuesday evening, with debris falling in flames over the launch site in Virginia. No injuries were reported following the first catastrophic launch in NASAs commercial spaceflight effort.

The accident was sure to draw criticism over the space agencys growing reliance on private U.S. companies in this post-shuttle era. NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital Sciences and the SpaceX company to make station deliveries, and its counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start flying U.S. astronauts to the orbiting lab as early as 2017. This was the fourth flight by Orbital Sciences to the orbiting lab.

The Orbital Sciences Antares rocket blew up over the beachside launch complex at Wallops Island. The company said everyone at the site had been accounted for, and the damage appeared to be limited to the facilities. And nothing on the lost flight was urgently needed by the six people living on the 260-mile-high space station, officials said.

Flames could be seen shooting into the sky as the sun set.

Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson said things began to go wrong 10 to 12 seconds into the flight and it was all over in 20 seconds when what was left of the rocket came crashing down. He said he believes the range-safety staff sent a destruct signal before it hit the ground.

Bill Wrobel, director of NASAs Wallops Flight Facility, said crews were letting the fires burn out late Tuesday and set up a perimeter to contain them in the darkness.

This was the second launch attempt for the mission. Monday evenings try was thwarted by a stray sailboat in the rockets danger zone. The restrictions are in case of just such an accident that occurred Tuesday.

Culbertson said the top priority will be repairing the launch pad as quickly and safely as possible.

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Space station supply rocket blows up on takeoff

Space Station Supply Rocket Explodes on Launch

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An unmanned space station supply rocket exploded into a fireball seconds after launch from Wallops Island, Virginia Tuesday. No injuries were reported.

Orbital Sciences Corp. said in a Tweet shortly after the 6:22 p.m. ET explosion that there had been "a vehicle anomaly."

"This shows how difficult and maddening this business really is," Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of NASAs Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, said in a news conference.

It was not immediately clear what went wrong with the launch. Officials said they will begin investigating the cause at daybreak. The rocket started going awry six seconds into flight and the range safety officer sent a self-destruct command 14 seconds after that.

NASA

PHOTO: The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen in this Oct. 28, 2014 still from NASA.

This launch was the third of eight International Space Station cargo resupply missions under NASA's $1.9 billion contract with Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia. Orbital provides the launch vehicle and cargo spacecraft and NASA runs the range operations. The rocket and payload were worth $200 million and it's not known how much damage was done to the launch facility, officials said.

The Antares rocket was carrying 4,483 pounds of equipment to the station including 1,360 pounds of food. The rocket held a Cyngus cargo logistics spacecraft that was to have orbited above the Earth and was set to dock with the ISS on Nov. 2. Orbital Sciences had said this was the first use of its upgraded Castor 30XL second stage motor, which enables greater lift capacity.

NASA

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Space Station Supply Rocket Explodes on Launch

Russians launch cargo ship to space station

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Russian Progress supply ship loaded with nearly 5,800 pounds of supplies and equipment needed aboard International Space Station takes off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday, just nine hours after a U.S. cargo ship was destroyed in a launch mishap NASA TV

Nine hours after a spectacular launch failure that destroyed a U.S. supply ship bound for the International Space Station, the Russians successfully launched a Progress cargo craft from snowy Kazakhstan Wednesday carrying 5,793 pounds of rocket fuel, water, air, crew supplies and other equipment needed aboard the lab complex.

The Progress M-25M/57P spacecraft, mounted atop an upgraded Soyuz-2.1a rocket making its first flight, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:09:43 a.m. EDT (1:09 p.m. local time) and quickly climbed away through a cloudless blue sky on an easterly trajectory setting up a six-hour, four-orbit rendezvous with the space station.

The Soyuz booster, taking off from the same pad used by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin at the dawn of the space age, featured a new digital flight computer and followed a slightly different trajectory, according to RussianSpaceWeb.com, enabling the Progress cargo ship to carry about 660 pounds of additional cargo compared to earlier versions of the rocket.

The ascent appeared to go smoothly and roughly nine minutes after liftoff, the Progress was released to fly on its own. A few moments after that, its two solar panels and navigation antennas deployed as planned.

"We have a healthy cargo ship en route to the International Space Station," said NASA launch commentator Rob Navias.

If all goes well, the spacecraft will rendezvous with the International Space Station, gliding to a docking at the Pirs module around 9:09 a.m.

"The crew feels wonderful, and we're ready for the timelined activities," Expedition 41 commander Maxim Suraev radioed flight controllers in Moscow during a morning planning conference. "So, how's that Progress doing?"

"Good morning, everybody, this is Moscow," a flight controller replied. "The Progess is doing splendid. ... All the systems are preforming nominal, the antennas are deployed, and so all we've got to do is wait, because it's coming your way today."

"That's a good thing," Suraev said.

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Russians launch cargo ship to space station

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Discusses Science With Space Station Crew – Video

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Discusses Science With Space Station Crew
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden had a chance to explore the scientific research being conducted aboard the International Space Station during an in-flight discussion with Expedition 41 Flight...

By: NASA

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Discusses Science With Space Station Crew - Video

Rocket headed to International Space Station blows up seconds after liftoff

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A rocket that was to resupply the International Space Station blew up Tuesday night a few seconds after lift-off from Wallops Island, Va. (NASA)

An unmanned rocket that was to resupply the International Space Station blew up Tuesday evening a few seconds after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va.

The Orbital Sciences rocket rose a short distance from the launchpad and then exploded in a ball of orange flames. Orbital Sciences is a private company based in Dulles, Va.

NASA confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and that there were no injuries in the explosion. However, it appeared that the explosion caused damage on the ground. Emergency personnel from nearby Virginia jurisdictions, including Chincoteague, were sent to the scene.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

At a news conference Tuesday evening, NASA described the explosion as a catastrophic anomaly.

At liftoff, rockets are filled with highly volatile fuel, including kerosene, and flight is considered risky.

Officials reiterated that any specific determination of what went wrong would take time. Witness accounts of what happened varied somewhat. Some said that the rocket appeared to catch fire within seconds after liftoff, then fell back to the launchpad and exploded.

The explosion directed new attention to the commercial space flight program. In contrast to earlier years, the commercial program involves craft that are built and operated by private companies.

Officials indicated Tuesday night that they were determined to continue with the program. An Orbital Sciences official said that when the cause is identified, we will begin the necessary work to return to flight.

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Rocket headed to International Space Station blows up seconds after liftoff

Orbital Sciences Rocket Explodes Moments after Launch

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Photo by:CBS Web News

News Release: October 28, 2014

Heres a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on todays launch explosion:

Space flight is inherently risky. As we push the frontiers of space there will be setbacks. But our commercial space ventures will ultimately be successful.

News Release: CBS Web News October 28, 2014

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- An Orbital Sciences Antares rocket carrying an unmanned cargo craft bound for the International Space Station exploded into flames Tuesday evening moments after launch at NASA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Wallops Island, Virginia.

The countdown had seemed routine and the rocket lifted off as scheduled at 6:22 p.m. EDT, but then burst into a fireball seconds later. The debris crashed down on the launching pad, spreading fiery wreckage around the area.

NASA said all personnel are accounted for and no one was injured.

This was the first catastrophic launch failure since NASA began its commercial spaceflight effort.

The rocket was constructed by Orbital Sciences Corp., which contracts with NASA to supply the ISS. A statement from Orbital said the company has formed an "anomaly investigation board" which will work with government agencies on a probe into the explosion.

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Orbital Sciences Rocket Explodes Moments after Launch

Top 10 hotels, B&Bs and hostels in Scotland for walkers

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Whisky and the Way Culdearn House has an impressive scotch collection, all the better to celebrate your hike along the nearby Speyside Way

This small, efficient hotel in an elegant Victorian villa feels more like a luxury guesthouse; one to wallow in if youre tackling the Speyside Way, which runs through the town. Great beds, open fires and a 60-strong whisky selection are a hit with footsore guests; as are the evening meals. Scrub up in your room then sit at a linen-draped table to fill up on pistachio- and lemon-stuffed guinea fowl and raspberry and passion-fruit pavlova. The owners will dry clothes, make up packed lunches and transport luggage to the next stop on the Way. Doubles from 120 B&B, 01479 872106, culdearn.com

Just outside Drymen, in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, this dedicated walkers B&B is a good stopping-off point along the West Highland Way. Or it can be a jumping-off point for the Rob Roy Way, as well as for tackling nearby hills and Munros and the flatter walking around the shore of Loch Lomond. The owners provide a free pick-up and drop-off service from the village of Drymen for guests arriving on foot, and single and triple rooms are available along with doubles or twins. Doubles from 78 B&B, 01360 660289, bedandbreakfastlochlomond.net

At nearly 900 sq km, Mull has enough decent walking to warrant more than a passing visit. Base yourself at this homely B&B in Fionnphort and you can take advantage of the owners collection of walking guides and maps, and extensive local knowledge, to explore walks along beaches, through deserted villages and across hills. Order cream cheese and Tobermory smoked trout sandwiches and homemade flapjacks to take with you on your hike, or book a guided wildlife walk with local company Mull Magic. Doubles from 66 B&B, 01681 700677, staffahouse.co.uk

This guesthouse, near the entrance to the magnificent glen, is the perfect place to shelter after a day of serious hill walking or a stroll around the neighbouring lochan. Theres a drying room for boots and clothes, and a washing and drying service if you stay longer than one night. If youre keen to stride out on the wide range of local trails, the owners will lend maps, give route suggestions, make packed lunches and fill flasks. Or book a guided walk with Go Glencoe. Doubles from 60 B&B, 01855 811354, scorrybreacglencoe.com

You can never please everyone but this small, independent hotel in the Angus Glens comes close if youre in a mixed-budget group, with standard en suite hotel bedrooms and a climbers (and walkers) bunkhouse, plus self-catering lodges for longer stays. Maps of local walking routes are available to borrow and the hotel has a decent bar for a post-hike drink, as well as a restaurant; reward yourself with a homemade pizza or a Josper grilled rib-eye, heather-fed lamb or Clova venison. Doubles from 90 B&B, bunks from 20pp, 01575 550350, clova.com

For visitors arriving on foot at this independent hostel in South Laggan its the location that sells it: the 11 bedrooms, three bathrooms and self-catering kitchen here are minutes from the Great Glen Way. A laundry room, drying room and on-site grocery store are other advantages. And, if you want to stay longer there are Munros aplenty to climb, two popular local loop walks and lots of other activities if you want to do more than hike. Twin rooms from 40, bunks from 17, 01809 501430, greatglenhostel.com

For a walking weekend within easy striking distance of Glasgow or Edinburgh this friendly site, outside Crieff, fits the bill. Choose from kata tents, camping or a bed in one of two hostels (go for the colourful Steading bunkhouse) and enjoy basic comforts with a homely edge. There are plenty of walks nearby: those from the door include a nature trail around the 231-acre site and a hike up Ben Chonzie, a Munro. In all but deepest winter months theres also a cafe on the site and the Steading hostel has dedicated laundry and drying rooms. Doubles from 56, beds from 19pp, 01764 670140, comriecroft.com

With its painted breeze-block walls, moss-green sofas, flowery curtains and scratchy carpets theres no mistaking this dog-friendly hostel for a design hotel. But thats what the regulars like. What you see is what you get; and that includes friendly staff, clean dorm beds, a large kitchen, a drying room and access to some of the finest walking in the country. With the local mountain rescue team based at the hostel, its little surprise that guests can book add-on skills courses, from winter walking to navigation for walkers. More casual activities, from guided walking to sea kayaking, can be arranged through Torridon Activities. Dorm beds from 12, twin rooms from 42, 01445 791284, syha.org.uk

A farmhouse B&B in Castle Kennedy, right on the Southern Upland Way, this is the ideal place to end up if youve walked the notoriously tough route from north-east to south-west. Theres little in the way of modern bling but lashings of old-fashioned hospitality, not least hot baths, open fires, home cooked meals (choose from a simple supper or a four-course dinner) and welcoming owners. One to do in the summer months stay on for a few nights to explore four famous local gardens: Dunskey Estate, Castle Kennedy Gardens, Glenwhan Gardens and the Logan Botanic Gardens in Port Logan near Stranraer, then have dinner by candlelight in the garden. Doubles 90 B&B, 01776 705316, chlenryfarmhouse.com

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Top 10 hotels, B&Bs and hostels in Scotland for walkers

Obama, Red Cross see progress in Ebola battle

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by Zoom Dosso

Monrovia (AFP) -- US President Barack Obama and the Red Cross have offered hope that the battle against the deadly West African Ebola outbreak is being won, amid a dramatic drop in bodies collected in Liberia's capital.

Obama on Tuesday hailed progress in the fight against the disease, which has already killed almost 5,000 people, but said Washington would remain "vigilant," and stressed that science, not fear, should guide the response to the virus.

The Red Cross aid group announced that its workers were picking up little more than a third of the late September peak of more than 300 bodies a week in and around Monrovia -- an indication, it said, that the outbreak was retreating.

The upbeat mood appeared at odds with the assessment of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who warned at a crisis meeting in Ethiopia that the spread of the virus continued to outpace the response, while the head of the World Bank appealed for thousands more medics to join the fight.

The comments came a week after the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that Ebola transmission "remains intense" in the capitals of Liberia and neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone.

WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward will on Wednesday give an update on the UN agency's response to the outbreak .

Obama said the disease "can be contained" and vowed: "It will be defeated."

Citing a phone conversation with members of a US team dispatched to help combat Ebola, Obama said "the good news is that it's starting to have an impact."

"They're starting to see some progress in Liberia, and the infrastructure is beginning to get built out," he said.

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Obama, Red Cross see progress in Ebola battle

Barack Obama, Red Cross See Progress in Ebola Battle

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Monrovia: US President Barack Obama and the Red Cross have offered hope that the battle against the deadly West African Ebola outbreak is being won, amid a dramatic drop in bodies collected in Liberia's capital.

President Obama on Tuesday hailed progress in the fight against the disease, which has already killed almost 5,000 people, but said Washington would remain "vigilant," and stressed that science, not fear, should guide the response to the virus.

The Red Cross aid group announced that its workers were picking up little more than a third of the late September peak of more than 300 bodies a week in and around Monrovia, an indication, it said, that the outbreak was retreating.

The upbeat mood appeared at odds with the assessment of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who warned at a crisis meeting in Ethiopia that the spread of the virus continued to outpace the response, while the head of the World Bank appealed for thousands more medics to join the fight.

WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward will on Wednesday give an update on the UN agency's response to the outbreak .

Mr Obama said the disease "can be contained" and vowed: "It will be defeated."

Citing a phone conversation with members of a US team dispatched to help combat Ebola, President Obama said "the good news is that it's starting to have an impact."

"They're starting to see some progress in Liberia, and the infrastructure is beginning to get built out," he said.

Fayah Tamba, head of the Liberian Red Cross, said his workers collected 117 bodies last week from Montserrado county, which includes Monrovia, noting a steady decline from the high of 315 from September 15 to 21.

"I am sure you don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that the cases are dropping," he told private radio station Sky FM.

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Barack Obama, Red Cross See Progress in Ebola Battle

MLS Preview: Wounded Sporting must bounce back

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28 October 2014 02:42

Reigning MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City will limp into Thursday's knockout play-off match away to New York Red Bulls.

Sporting have three players on their long-term injury list, while four others are in doubt for the trip to New York, after the title-holders played three games in eight days last week.

United States international defender Matt Besler (thigh), goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum (calf), midfielder Benny Feilhaber (ankle) and defender Igor Juliao (hamstring) will need to prove their fitness to be involved against the Red Bulls.

Ironically enough, Sporting ended their regular season with a home game against New York on Sunday, suffering their third straight loss in all competitions after a brace from Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who heads into the play-offs with 27 goals this term - the most in the MLS.

Prior to the loss to the Red Bulls, Sporting went down in Costa Rica to Deportivo Saprissa 2-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday to miss out on the knockout rounds in that competition, while they also suffered defeat at Philadelphia Union in the MLS on October 18.

Sunday's loss saw Kansas City drop from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference with the Red Bulls (fourth) and Columbus Crew (third) winning to leapfrog Sporting in the standings.

That means Sporting missed out on a week off to begin the play-offs but coach Peter Vermes is not focused on that.

"Our mindset has to be on getting recovered," he said after the loss to New York.

"The difficulty we have at the moment is that we've played a boatload of games with a squad that's already been depleted, and we keep trying to plug holes, and it hasn't been easy."

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MLS Preview: Wounded Sporting must bounce back

Obama will avoid red states on campaign trail

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WASHINGTON President Obama is finally hitting the campaign trail this week, but hes not straying far from his base.

With just a week until the midterm elections, the unpopular president wont dare tread in red states where Senate Democratic candidates are in trouble. Hes also steering clear of key House contests, opting instead for a New England-heavy tour that could be confused with leaf-peeping rather than campaigning.

Obama heads to Milwaukee on Tuesday for a DNC fund-raiser and an event with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Hell visit a high school in a mostly African-American ward that he won with 99 percent of the vote.

On Thursday, the president will raise cash for Democrats in Maine and campaign for former Rep. Mike Michaud in his gubernatorial bid.

He will later a speech on the economy in Rhode Island. Not until Saturday in Detroit will Obama engage in a Senate contest, when he campaigns for Democratic Rep. Gary Peters in his bid to keep an open seat in Democratic hands. Hell also stump for Mark Schauer, a candidate for governor.

Obama will also campaign in Philadelphia and on Sunday in Connecticut with Gov. Dan Malloy.

The presidents average winning percentage from 2012 in the states hes visiting is a healthy 14 points. His carefully calculated campaigning in blue states comes as a host of new polls show a fierce battle for the Senate and movement toward Republicans.

The latest Marist / NBC polls show North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan in a dead heat with Republican state House speaker Tom Tillis. Democratic Sen. Mark Udall trails challenger Cory Gardner by a single point in Colorado, and Sen. Mark Pryor trails Republican Tom Cotton 45-43 percent in Arkansas.

Obama is passing on those contests, along with the one in Georgia, where Democrat Michelle Nunn is in a tight race and where big African-American turnout could make a difference.

The political calculus is obvious: Obamas approval rating was 40 percent or less in each of the states surveyed in the latest Marist poll.

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Wings great Gordie Howe resting after stroke

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Detroit Red Wings great Gordie Howe is resting after suffering a stroke over the weekend. (USATSI)

Gordie Howe, one of the NHL's all-time greatest players, is resting at his daughter's home in Lubbock, Texas after suffering a serious stroke on Sunday according to his son, Dr. Murray Howe, via a report from Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News.

According to the report, Howe, who turned 86 last March, has lost some function on the right side of his body and is having a difficult time speaking.

From the Detroit News:

"Basically, sometime in the early morning on Sunday he suffered a pretty bad stroke," said Howe, who heads the department of radiology at Toledo Hospital.

"The right side of his body is very, very weak. He's unable to stand without help. He's able to speak, but very, very difficult to speak.

"He knows who he is. He knows the people around him. But it is very difficult for him to get up and walk around. So he is pretty much confined to his bed right now. So we're just trying to keep him comfortable, and that's our goal."

Howe played 31 seasons professionally in a career that touched five different decades (the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and a few months in 1980) in both the NHL and WHA.

During his NHL career, which was spent almost entirely with the Detroit Red Wings minus one year with the Hartford Whalers when he was 51 years old, Howe scored 801 goals, second only to Wayne Gretzky, and recorded 1,850 points, third behind only Gretzky and Mark Messier.

He was a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 1972 and during his time with the Red Wings was the foundation of four Stanley Cup winning teams in 1949-50, 1951-52, 1953-54 and 1954-55.

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Orbital Sciences’ unmanned rocket explodes on liftoff in Virginia: NASA – Video

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Orbital Sciences #39; unmanned rocket explodes on liftoff in Virginia: NASA
(Reuters) - An unmanned Antares rocket exploded seconds after liftoff from a commercial launch pad in Virginia on Tuesday, marking the first accident since NASA turned to private operators...

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Orbital Sciences' unmanned rocket explodes on liftoff in Virginia: NASA - Video

NASA rocket explodes upon launch

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- An unmanned NASA-contracted rocket exploded in midair early Tuesday evening, producing huge flames and loud booms along the eastern Virginia coast but no injuries or deaths.

Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft had been set to launch at 6:22 p.m. ET from the Wallops Flight Facility along the Atlantic Ocean, carrying roughly 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.

It exploded about six seconds after launch.

What was left of the spacecraft and rocket plummeted back to Earth, causing even more flames upon impact.

The rocket and spacecraft -- which together cost more than $200 million, according to Frank Culbertson, the general manager of Orbital's Advanced Programs Group -- are gone. And there's obvious damage beyond that, including to the launchpad, though the night skies made it hard to immediately gauge how much.

One thing officials do know is that rocket science is, in the words of NASA Administrator Bill Gerstenmaier, "a really tough business."

"Tonight's events really show the difficulty that it takes for us to do this task of delivering cargo to the space station," he said.

Witnesses: From 'breathtaking' to horrific

The Orbital rocket had been set to go up Monday, only to be scrubbed "because of a boat down range in the trajectory Antares would have flown had it lifted off," according to NASA. Coast Guard spokesman David Weydert said the boat that triggered the postponement was 40 miles offshore.

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NASA rocket explodes upon launch