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NASA Releases Awesome Images of Not-Awesome Rocket Explosion & a Report on Causes

Pics or it didn't happen?

Antares rocket explosion

Last year, on October 28, a rocket—thankfully unmanned—just on its way to resupply the international space station exploded. It’s always disappointing when several million dollars of rocket science—not to mention the experiments that were on board—go up in smoke (and a tower of fire), but a year later, NASA has released a pretty nifty consolation prize in the form of these pictures.

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The new images were released on the NASA HQ Photo Flickr account shortly after a new report from the space agency detailing just what might have gone wrong with the Antares rocket’s launch. The report details several faults that were possible causes of the rocket’s failure, and it recommends steps to be taken in the future to make sure a similar incident does not occur.

Now, on to more of the incredible new images:

Antares rocket explosion

The Orbital ATK Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard suffers a catastrophic anomaly moments after launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Cygnus spacecraft was filled with supplies slated for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions.

Antares rocket explosion

Antares rocket explosion

Antares rocket explosion

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(via Gizmodo, images via NASA/Joel Kowsky)

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Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct <em>Geekosystem</em> (RIP), and then at <em>The Mary Sue</em> starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at <em>Smash Bros.</em>

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