Orbital Sciences Corp.'s unmanned rocket blew up over the launch complex at Wallops Island, Virginia, just six seconds after liftoff. ET from the Wallops Flight Facility along the Atlantic Ocean, carrying roughly 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. NASA is paying the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and the California-based SpaceX company to keep the space station stocked in the post-shuttle era.
– A rocket that was supposed to deliver supplies to the crew aboard the International Space Station exploded in spectacular fashion just six seconds after liftoff this evening, reports CNN. The good news is that nobody was aboard, and NASA says nobody appears to have been killed on the ground at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. ("No indicated loss of life," in NASA-speak.) The rocket's cargo ship held about 5,000 pounds of supplies and science equipment for the six people now on the space station, reports AP. The Anteres rocket was launched by Orbital Sciences Corp., one of the two companies (along with SpaceX) hired by NASA to make supply runs to the space station. No word yet on what went wrong. NASA reported "100% favorable weather" and "no technical concerns" just prior to liftoff.