On Tuesday, October 28, an unmanned, NASA-contracted Antares

cargo rocket was set to launch from Wallops Island in Virginia. The

rocket was loaded with supplies to be used at the International Space Station.

What came next was both

unprecedented and

still a mystery.

GROUNDED

Photos by Ally Coonradt Story by Joel Hoover

On Oct. 9, the Pulse’s Ally Coonradt was selected for

media credentials to attend the launch of the Orbital

Science Corporation’s Antares rocket. Ally was the

only attendee who was a member of college media.

Because of an impending storm, the

launch was moved to Monday, Oct. 27.

Launch attendees were given a tour of the

Wallops Flight Facility. During the tour, they

witnessed the creation of components for a

rocket launch. Among these was a waterjet,

which has the capability to cut metal up to six

inches thick with the use of water and sand.

The launch was

set to be a cargo

delivery to the

International

Space Station.

The rocket was

carrying 5,000

pounds of

supplies for the

astronauts, as well

as research

materials for

experiments. The

cargo was worth

around $200

million.

Many current

technologies used

on Earth have been

the result of

experimental work

done by NASA in

space.

Experiments planned with the cargo stored included testing to better

understand how planets are formed, testing blood flow to/from the brain in

zero gravity to better understand early signs of Alzheimer's, and

experiments made by grade school students who were granted the

opportunity to send their experiments up.

“This is a stepping stone to eventually orbiting the moon and Mars. We hope it is an

inspiration for generations to come.”

-Frank Culbertson, Executive Vice President and General Manager

of Orbital’s Advanced Programs Group

Because of a boat in the “danger zone” along the rocket’s post-launch trajectory, the

Monday evening launch had to be pushed back one more day.

The following day was clear and perfect

for a launch. The pad was prepared and

Coonradt, along with the other attendees,

returned to see the liftoff from a position

approximately 2.2 miles away.

At 6:22 pm ET, the Antares rocket lifted off from Wallops Island.

-Tweet sent shortly before launch.

During the initial moments of

the launch, Orbital Sciences

determined a problem that

would keep the rocket from

reaching orbit. Rather than risk

the rocket crashing in a

populated area, the operators

initiated a destruct sequence.

About six seconds after

launch, an explosion

occurred on the rocket,

sending it back down toward

the pad.

“The brightness of the explosion was blinding. Then we all began to run.”

-Ally Coonradt

Immediate Reactions

Assessing the damage

The beginning of the investigation process

Looking to the future

Investigation of the accident

is still ongoing.