An Antares rocket exploded just seconds after liftoff from the Walllops Flight Facility late yesterday destroying the Cygnus cargo vessel carrying to 5-thousand pounds of supplies to the international space station.
The company will put together an investigative board to find out what caused the unmanned rocket to explode.
Frank Culbertson, Orbital’s Executive Vice President, told a news conference last night that it is too early to tell what exactly happened.
Culbertson also said that anyone who finds debris from the explosion should call investigators at 757-824-1295.
The investigation will include recovering and examining the debris, studying the data from the launch and looking at photographic evidence at the range.
Meanwhile, officials said the Cygnus craft was not carrying any cargo that was absolutely critical for International Space Station crew.
There were no injuries reported.
The loss of the spacecraft and the rocket is estimated at over $200 million in addition to whatever damage occurred on the ground.
