NASA releases photos of massive rocket explosion
On Oct. 28, 2014, an Orbital Sciences Antares rocket carrying an unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft exploded just moments after launching at NASA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Wallops Island, Virginia. The rocket was set to head to the International Space Station.
Now, a year after the explosion, NASA has released some stunning photos of the rocket bursting in flames.
The rocket lifted off at 6:22 p.m. ET before exploding mid-air moments later. No one was injured from the explosion but fiery debris scattered around the area. The more than 5,000 pounds of cargo on board the rocket was meant for six crew members who were then living at the space station.
The new images that were posted to NASA's official Flickr page offer a clear look at the explosion as it happened. NASA says that it is still unclear exactly what caused the explosion. NASA released an accident report on the explosion at the end of October, a full year after the accident.
