Antares Rocket

[nate]

Antares Rocket was just launched to resupply the ISS but exploded on takeoff.  It was an unmanned mission, hopefully nobody nearby was hurt.

[gotbeer]

So is it rockets red glare, or bombs bursting in air?

[Jay]

video:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/commercial-supply-rocket-explodes-liftoff-224100998.html

[gotbeer]

 

Around the 4:40 mark.

Edited October 28, 2014 by gotbeer

[nate]

I rewound it a bunch and watched on the DVR, it is crazy how far stuff got launched off of it when it exploded.  Check out the stuff spiraling away.

[Jay]

Orbital Sciences stock down 14% after the mishap:

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/orb

[nate]

Yeah I can imagine it will continue to drop.  How many hundreds of millions of dollars were just lost?

[Jay]

All ground crew accounted for, no injuries.

[nate]

Apparently 1.9 billion dollars... damn

[gotbeer]

Was this a NASA rocket?   Or was this a subcontracted out Rocket?

[nate]

Not NASA.  Orbital Sciences Corp.  The payload was all NASA equipment though.  It was a resupply mission.  I heard on the broadcast just now that it had some top secret "crypto" equipment so they have to secure the area.

[Jay]

Apparently 1.9 billion dollars... damn

 

not to mention the damage to the facility

[nate]

Well the 1.9 billion number was wrong, that is how much their contract was.  Still early estimates top at least 1 billion in losses... craziness.

 

Just glad nobody was hurt.

[Tank]

the explosion looked like a lot of those failed attempts back in the 60s where the rocket launched but just didn't have enough power to keep going, then just dropped back onto it's own path. sad to see this.

[Redondo]

Sad to see that happen

[deepdrive]

Not NASA.  Orbital Sciences Corp.  The payload was all NASA equipment though.  It was a resupply mission.  I heard on the broadcast just now that it had some top secret "crypto" equipment so they have to secure the area.

 

How do you send top secret stuff to the ISS (with no one on board). What do you do when it gets there. Hide it in your closet?

[nate]

Obviously those on the ISS are cleared to use it.

 

Tank, you can see one of the engines catches on fire about 5 seconds into the launch.  According to Orbital at that time they set off the destruct mechanism.

 

So much money and science lost.  Really sad.

[deepdrive]

Obviously those on the ISS are cleared to use it.

 

Tank, you can see one of the engines catches on fire about 5 seconds into the launch.  According to Orbital at that time they set off the destruct mechanism.

 

So much money and science lost.  Really sad.

 

Well yeah. But what is so top secret about it if Russian Cosmonauts are given access to it. The inner workings? How does that necessitate any secrecy in the launch?

[Blarg]

Ettin, what the hell did you do?!

[Blarg]

I am surprised fanfromouterspace79 hasn't chimed in since the first stage of this rocket is powered by old Russian surplus. Yup, our privately funded space programs are using cast off Russian rockets that were bought in bulk years ago when Russia scrapped it's space program.

[Tank]

launching them into space helps get rid of communism.

[Jay]

I am surprised fanfromouterspace79 hasn't chimed in since the first stage of this rocket is powered by old Russian surplus. Yup, our privately funded space programs are using cast off Russian rockets that were bought in bulk years ago when Russia scrapped it's space program.

 

I thought you were joking:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/russians-deliver-space-station-cargo-191254991.html

 

Although the cause of the blast is still unknown, several outside experts cast suspicion on the 1960s-era Russian-built engines used in the rocket's first stage. Orbital Sciences chairman David Thompson himself said the Russian engines had presented "some serious technical and supply challenges in the past."

[gotbeer]

I thought you were joking:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/russians-deliver-space-station-cargo-191254991.html

 

Although the cause of the blast is still unknown, several outside experts cast suspicion on the 1960s-era Russian-built engines used in the rocket's first stage. Orbital Sciences chairman David Thompson himself said the Russian engines had presented "some serious technical and supply challenges in the past."

 

I'm surprised too.  Because for the life of me.  My 1960's era car cannot seem to win a nascar race no matter what I do.

[arch stanton]

Wait. You guys are surprised that they made this a for-profit venture and somebody went cheap? What planet do you live on?