Unmanned rocket with cargo bound for the International Space Station explodes after liftoff

Unmanned rocket with cargo bound for the International Space Station explodes after liftoff
(Image credit: YouTube.com/Reuters)

Just seconds after launching Tuesday night, an Antares rocket carrying a Cygnus cargo ship exploded following liftoff from Virginia's Wallops Flight Facility.

The 14-story rocket was unmanned, and was set to deliver the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station. The rocket was built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp. The company released a statement saying it "confirmed that all personnel have been accounted for. We have no injuries in the operation today."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.