New NASA photos show massive rocket explosion in Virginia

6 Nov 2015 10:46 AM IST

The launch of an unmanned commercial supply rocket on the eastern shore of Virginia was supposed to be a moment of celebration (Photo: AP)
No one was injured in the blast, but the $200 million mission and the Wallops Island launch complex were ruined (Photo: AP)
Orbital Sciences was hired by NASA to deliver food, clothes and equipment to astronauts in the International Space Station (Photo: AP)
The pump exploded seconds after liftoff, damaging a second engine, according to NASA's report. As the rocket fell toward the ground, controllers sent a destruct signal just before impact to minimise damage (Photo: AP)
More than a year after the blast, NASA released images last week showing the fiery explosion that lit up the sky and sent scorched wreckage flying (Photo: AP)
But aerospace company Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket, bound for the International Space Station, exploded six seconds after liftoff, marking the first catastrophic launch in NASA's commercial spaceflight effort (Photo: AP)

The launch of an unmanned commercial supply rocket on the eastern shore of Virginia was supposed to be a moment of celebration (Photo: AP)