Note : This is a developing tarradiddle and this article will be updated as more details become available .
bit after lifting off at NASA ’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia , the unmanned Antares rocket engine meant to bring cargo to the International Space Station exploded . This was to be the third commercial resupply mission by Orbital Sciences . The explosion occurred at 6:22 pm EDT on October 28 , six seconds after launching .
No injuries or deaths are believed to have pass off because of this go launch , with all personnel at Wallops safe and accounted for .
NASA officials have described the effect as a “ ruinous anomalousness ” but have not pointed to a cause of explosion yet . NASA describe that the squad did not experience any warning sign prior to launch that there would be a job .
The Cygnus spacecraft atop the projectile was carry 2290 kg ( 5050 lb ) of cargo for the International Space Station , include the Arkyd-3 planet . The launch was scheduled for October 27 , but had to be scrub at the last moment due to a sail gravy holder downrange of the launching situation .
A press conference began at 9:30 pm EDT to discuss the preliminary findings of the failed launch . air in here :
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
William Gerstenmaier , Associate Administrator of Human Exploration and Operations , put forward during a press conference that astronauts aboard the ISS are still well - stocked with enough supply to last until March if necessary , and no vital cargo was lost during the failed launching . The loading that was lost in the incident will be interchange and sent on subsequent flights while Orbital regroups and gets flight - ready again , though it will be a few weeks before they will know when that will be .
At the metre of the pressure group discussion , there were still no particular as of what caused the launch to miscarry . The junk from the disaster is currently being collected for the ongoing investigation , while telemetry is also analyzed . Residents near Wallops who find patch that have been wash ashore are asked not to touch anything , as it could be contaminated with hazardous material . Those finding such piece are inquire to alert the regime so it can be properly collected .
As of 9:30 pm EDT , the fire is still on-going while the propellent burn out , though it is contained . The extent of the equipment casualty to the launching lodgings has not yet been valuate , and full environmental impact can not be determined either . As this launching pad is the only one open of set up Antares projectile , fix any damage will be top priority , though no more of the rockets will establish until the rootage grounds of the plosion is name and corrected .
The rocket , spacecraft , and cargo tally about $ 200 million , but until the damage to the launching launch pad and palisade area is assess , the full monetary loss will not be do it .
