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Operator deliberately destroyed NASA rocket last week
[Iran Press TV] The unmanned NASA rocket that went kaboom!off the coast of Virginia seconds after takeoff earlier this week was deliberately destroyed after it became clear there was a technical problem, the company that owns it says. The Antares rocket, operated by Orbital Sciences Corp., crashed on Tuesday six seconds after liftoff from a commercial launch pad in Wallops Island, Virginia. The cause of the kaboom has not been known yet but accident Sherlocks are looking closely at a potential first-stage engine problem in the crashed rocket that was on its way to the International Space Station, a $100 billion research complex that hovers about 260 miles (418 km) above Earth. The NASA-contracted company said on its website that evidence indicates the problem began in the rocket's first-stage engine and that it "fell back to the ground impacting near, but not on, the launch pad." "Prior to impacting the ground, the rocket's Flight Termination System was engaged by the designated official in the Wallops Range Control Center," Orbital said. The crash destroyed a fat merchantman filled with 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) of equipment and supplies for the International Space Station. Posted by: Fred 2014-11-01 |
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