Last Updated Oct 29, 2014 3:34 AM EDT <\/p>\n
WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- An Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket making only its fifth flight exploded seconds after launch from the Virginia coast Tuesday, erupting in a spectacular fireball and destroying an uncrewed Cygnus cargo ship in a disheartening failure for NASA's commercial space station resupply program. <\/p>\n
The mishap occurred about 15 seconds after liftoff from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility as the 139-foot-tall two-stage rocket climbed away on the power of its two Russian-built first-stage engines. <\/p>\n
\"We have ignition... and we have liftoff of the Antares Orb 3 mission to bring Cygnus on its third (resupply) mission to the ISS,\" said NASA's launch commentator as the Antares lifted off. \"Main engines at 108 percent, attitude nominal.\" <\/p>\n
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CBS space consultant William Harwood reacts as he watches the explosion just after liftoff in Virginia of an unmanned cargo rocket carrying supp... <\/p>\n
At roughly that moment, the exhaust plume suddenly intensified, followed an instant later by a detonation of some sort at the base of the rocket. The booster, engulfed in flames, then slowly fell back to Earth, exploding in a titanic conflagration as its remaining liquid oxygen and refined kerosene propellants ignited in a huge fireball. <\/p>\n
At impact, flaming debris shot away into the night sky like a fireworks display, some of it presumably from solid propellant used in the rocket's second stage. Scattered fires erupted around the launch pad and a towering cloud of smoke climbed into the night sky. <\/p>\n
While property damage appeared extensive, Orbital officials said there were no injuries. <\/p>\n
It was not clear watching video replays of the launching what might have gone wrong, whether it involved one or both Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 first stage engines or some other system. <\/p>\n
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NASA: No danger to space station after supply rocket blows up<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last Updated Oct 29, 2014 3:34 AM EDT WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- An Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket making only its fifth flight exploded seconds after launch from the Virginia coast Tuesday, erupting in a spectacular fireball and destroying an uncrewed Cygnus cargo ship in a disheartening failure for NASA's commercial space station resupply program Continue reading