Antares Rocket Explodes During Launch

A rocket carrying about 5,000 lbs of cargo destined for the ISS has just exploded during launch. This is breaking (happened minutes ago). I'll update with a source and hopefully a video shortly. There are no indications of any loss of life.

EDIT:

The unmanned rocket was an Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket that was supposed to have launched this morning but the launch was scrubbed because a private boater was found with in the restricted area around the NASA’s Wallops (island) Flight Facility in Virginia.

Here's a link to a vine of the explosion and an image from an NBC affiliate's article:



EDIT 2:

The video has posted on Youtube (thanks for the link KonigKaos!):

a reply to: theantediluvian

Thanks for posting..
I couldn't start the thread fast enough..
I was watching the live ustream feed..

It got off the pad..then a burst of flame as if the second phase rocket kicked in premature it looked.
First the boat incident yesterday..
Now this..

Go NASA

Also.. I had my headphones on...
RIP what hearing I had left..

a reply to: theantediluvian

I just posted this, beat me to it! Blew up a few hundred feet above the launch pad!!

I'm sure there is video, any have the link. I cant find any mention but here!

a reply to: theantediluvian

Such is the case when your space program is based on Wile E. Coyote era propulsion. So is the ISS going to miss all that stuff that blew up or...?

a reply to: theantediluvian

Yeah, just saw the footage. Barely cleared the tower then crashed. Bummer.

Watching the live stream .... good thing this didn't blow yesterday with that boater in the safety zone! What a mess. Fire everywhere. Listening to the mission control ... guy sounded shaky.

originally posted by: KonigKaos
I'm sure there is video, any have the link. I cant find any mention but here!

It just happened on live feed. give it about half an hour and news agencies will have it.

that's a Major setback
hopefully it wasnt tomato plants or something desperately needed at ISS

Well I guess SpaceX's stock just went up....again...

I'm glad this happened during that kind of mission and not the launching of the James Webb telescope or some other major mission or instrument. The ISS crew? Let them eat cake.

nasawatch.com...

Video and Photo !

a reply to: theantediluvian

good find....out of curiosity does anyone know if this is the rocket they normally use to launch cargo ...what im getting at is did they used to use the russian's rocket in the past to get up to the space station?

ill also check myself into this...

sad day for space.... even if it is just cargo

You tube video is up. SpaceVidsTv channel.

Twitter @BuzzFeed has the clip!

Correction... only after the explosion as it was falling... sorry
Man that was intense!

They probably had a sample of Ebola virus on board to see how it mutates in space. Haha just kidding ya.

Was it carrying the SS Deke Slation? I saw the mention of it to be docking with ISS.

edit:

Orbital's Antares rocket sit poised at the Wallops Flight Facility's Pad-0A. The launch vehicle is tasked with sending the SS Deke Slayton, Cygnus, spacecraft to the International Space Station.

a reply to: JustMike

that didnt take long !

Was that a NASA rocket or a commercial rocket that NASA had paid for to move the payload?
I'm just curious.

a reply to: badgerprints

i think it is commercial...here is a link to an article the day before

www.space.com...