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| Antares rocket explodes at Nasa base seconds after launch | Antares rocket explodes at Nasa base seconds after launch |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A rocket carrying supplies for the International Space Station exploded six seconds after it was launched at Nasa’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Tuesday night, sending a massive fireball into the sky. | A rocket carrying supplies for the International Space Station exploded six seconds after it was launched at Nasa’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Tuesday night, sending a massive fireball into the sky. |
| The rocket, known as the Antares, carried an unmanned cargo ship loaded with 5,000 pounds of supplies such as food, tools, parts and experiments. It was also carrying classified equipment, according to the private company that built it. | |
| The launch had already been once delayed after a sailboat entered its range on Monday night. Tuesday’s weather made for good launch conditions of clear skies and light winds, and it’s unclear what could have disrupted the launch and caused the explosion. | |
| A Nasa spokesperson told CNN there was “No indicated loss of life [but] significant property and vehicle damage.” | A Nasa spokesperson told CNN there was “No indicated loss of life [but] significant property and vehicle damage.” |
| The spacecraft was carrying “some classified cryptographic equipment, so we do need to maintain the area around the debris in a secure manner,” said Mike Pinkston, the Antares program manager for the commercial spaceflight company Orbital Science, quoted by Reuters. | |
| To guard against the dangers of a failed launch, the Nasa facility maintains a launch hazard area of about 1,400 square miles around the site. | To guard against the dangers of a failed launch, the Nasa facility maintains a launch hazard area of about 1,400 square miles around the site. |
| The rocket’s maker, commercial spaceflight company Orbital Science, which has a $1.9bn contract with Nasa to make eight missions to ferry supplies to the International Space Station, would have completed its third delivery with this launch. Since the US space agency retired its fleet in 2011, private companies and cooperation with its Russian counterpart have assisted with missions into space. | The rocket’s maker, commercial spaceflight company Orbital Science, which has a $1.9bn contract with Nasa to make eight missions to ferry supplies to the International Space Station, would have completed its third delivery with this launch. Since the US space agency retired its fleet in 2011, private companies and cooperation with its Russian counterpart have assisted with missions into space. |
| Orbital said the space craft suffered a “catastrophic failure” at 6.22pm ET. “It is far too early to know the details of what happened,” said. Frank Culbertson, Orbital’s executive vice president and general manager of its advanced programs group.“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.” |