Posted on 10/28/2014 7:16:17 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
An unmanned cargo rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded Tuesday over a launchpad in Virginia.
No injuries were reported following the first catastrophic launch in NASA's commercial spaceflight effort.
The accident at Orbital Sciences Corp.'s launch complex at Wallops Island was sure to draw criticism over the space agency's growing reliance on private U.S. companies in this post-shuttle effort.
NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital Sciences and the SpaceX company to make station deliveries, and it's counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start flying U.S. astronauts to the orbiting lab as early as 2017. NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was nothing on the lost flight that was urgently needed by the six people living on the space station.
Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket blew up over the launch complex, just six seconds after the liftoff. The company said everyone at the site had been accounted for, and the damage appeared to be limited to the facilities.
Flames could be seen shooting into the sky as the sun set. There was no hint of any trouble until the rocket exploded. This was the second launch attempt for the mission. Monday evening's try was thwarted by a stray sailboat in the rocket's danger zone. The restrictions are in case of just such an accident that occurred Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
There goes the environment.
Global warming?
Muslim outreach fail?
NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital Sciences and the SpaceX company to make station deliveries, because Putin won’t do it for us anymore since we’ve enforced sanctions against him.
The rocket scientists were off on a muslim outreach program and were unavailable for comment.
Heyyy, bada BING, bada BOOM!
Contrary to many of the comments here, there isn’t a damned thing funny about this.
I left the immediate area 3 hours ago, but there are still some marsh fires burning. I’m 10 miles away and can still smell it.
We used to be able to put rockets into space and land men on the moon and return them safely, we used to be able to fly spacecraft to and from the space station, we used to be respected by the world until..... The Fundamental Transformation.
izzat right...
NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital Sciences and the SpaceX company to make station deliveries, because Putin won’t do it for us anymore since we’ve enforced sanctions against him.
...
NASA is contracting the launches because it retired the Shuttle.
We lost 2 manned space shuttles prior to "The Fundamental Transformation."
I hate what the idiot in the White Hut has done to NASA (and everything else) but this was an accident - they happen. Thankfully, no lives were lost, nor anyone injured.
Yeah, it is. You got a problem with that?
And we had been paying the Russians to carry our cargo and people.
There was Apollo 1, Apollo 13, Challenger, Columbia, and numerous unmanned launch failures. Rockets explode sometimes. It’s a risky business.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.