NASA releases new images of Antares rocket explosion

What goes up...

NASA released dramatic new photos of the moments before, during and after anunmanned Antares rocket exploded over its Wallops Island, Va.,launch site last year.

Came down in spectacular fashion

Thecommercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) blewup moments after liftoff aftera technical failure doomed the mission, according to a report released by NASA on Oct. 30, a full year after the Oct. 28, 2014, accident.

The rocket was headed to the ISS

The rocket, operated by Orbital Sciences now Orbital ATK following a merger was hired by NASA along with theSpaceXcompany to deliver supplies to the ISS. SpaceXalso suffered a rocket failure in June.

It was unmanned

The Antares rocket, seen here engulfed in flames, was carrying aCygnusspacecraftfilled with supplies, including a science experiment fromKamloops, B.C.,experiment hardware, spare partsand crew provisions.

Six seconds into the launch...

Things took a turn for the worse, prompting an officer on the ground to initiate the rocket'sself-destruction, sending the wreck back onto its launch pad in ball of flames.

The rocket fell harmlessly back to Earth

NASA's independent review team said the initial fire was caused by friction from rubbing parts in a liquid oxygen turbopump. The pump was in one of the old Russian-built engines of Orbital ATK's rocket.

The calm after the (fire) storm

NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital ATK (formerly Orbital Sciences) andSpaceXto make space station deliveries, and it's counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start flying U.S. astronauts to the orbiting lab as early as 2017. After the Antares accident, NASA said there was nothing on the lost flight that was urgently needed by the six people living on the space station. NASA and Orbital, among other parties, split the$15 million repair bill for the launch site.