Unmanned NASA rocket explodes on launch Tuesday Oct 28,2014

 

An unmanned NASA rocket has exploded seconds after lift-off from a commercial launch pad in the US state of Virginia.

The Antares rocket launched on Tuesday Oct 28,2014 was on a mission to supply the International Space Station when it exploded and crashed back to earth

The 14-storey rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, bolted off its seaside launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility. It exploded seconds later.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known

Virginia-based Orbital Sciences is one of two companies hired by NASA to fly cargo to the station after the space shuttles were retired. Tuesday's planned flight was to be the third of eight under the company's $1.9bn contract with NASA.