IN PHOTOS: New NASA images show massive Antares rocket explosion

By Staff The Associated Press

Posted November 6, 2015 11:38 am

Updated November 6, 2015 11:44 am

1 min read

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The launch of an unmanned commercial supply rocket on the eastern shore of Virginia was supposed to be a moment of celebration. Crowds gathered to watch as the sun set. Hundreds of kilometres up, astronauts huddled around a live video feed in anticipation.

But aerospace company Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket, bound for the International Space Station, exploded six seconds after liftoff on Oct. 28, 2014, marking the first catastrophic launch in NASA’s commercial spaceflight effort.

More than a year after the blast, NASA released images last week showing the fiery explosion that lit up the sky and sent scorched wreckage flying.

Here’s a look.