© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Unmanned Rocket Explodes During Launch

There was a double disaster for NASA this week.

Tuesday night, a rocket and cargo vessel that were headed to the international space station blew up! Officials are searching for answers and searching for debris from the cargo ship on the launch pad in Virginia.

The director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility says they have to find the pieces of the orbital sciences corporations vessels after the explosion - just six seconds after lift-off - to understand what happened.

The payload was worth 200 million dollars, but most supplies and equipment can be replaced. NASA says the astronauts have enough food to last them until springtime.

The rocket was actually supposed to have launched Monday, but could not, because officials spotted a boat in the ocean near where the rocket would have flown if it 'had' taken off.

stephanie.jarvis@ideastream.org | 216-916-6340