The NASA-contracted Antares cargo rocket, bound for the International Space Station, crashed on Tuesday during liftoff. This is an account of the launch from Pulse Social Media manager Ally Coonradt, an attendee of the event.
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Grounded: The Antares rocket crash
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. “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
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. At 6:22 pm ET, the Antares rocket lifted off from Wallops Island.
11. 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.
12. About six seconds after
launch, an explosion
occurred on the rocket,
sending it back down toward
the pad.
13. “The brightness of the explosion was blinding. Then we all began to run.”
-Ally Coonradt
