Video: Antares rocket explodes moments after liftoff at Virginia spaceport

The third Orbital Sciences cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) failed to reach Earth orbit on Tuesday when the Antares rocket exploded moments after liftoff from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The Antares rocket was carrying the Cygnus cargo ship packed with over 5,000 pounds of supplies for the ISS, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions.

Antares rocket launch from Virginia rescheduled

The third Orbital Sciences cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch at 6:22 p.m. EDT Tuesday, from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

A Monday launch attempt was scrubbed because of a boat down range in the trajectory Orbital’s Antares rocket would have flown had it lifted off. The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with over 5,000 pounds of supplies for the ISS, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions.

A Tuesday launch will result in the Cygnus spacecraft arriving at the space station early Sunday.