Range Safety made the call to destroy the rocket 27 seconds into the flight. Rockets are equipped with self destruct mechanism to protect the public from misfiring or misguided rockets. No damage or injuries have been reported, but the cause of the problem is unknown.
The two-stage suborbital launch vehicle used solid rocket fuel for propulsion, just like the solid rockets that ATK also provides to NASA for the Space Shuttle and the future Ares I.
The rocket was carrying the NASA HyBolt Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition experiment and the SOAREX sub-orbital re-entry experimental package. The combined $17-million cost of the two payloads includes the processing, integration and range services.
NASA and ATK will create a joint team to investigate the cause of the anomaly. NASA said they expect to release the first video of the explosion later this afternoon, and we'll post it as soon as they do. Their primary concern is any potential public safety hazards. NASA is reminding people not to touch any debris they may find and to report pieces to Wallops Emergency Operations Center at (757) 824-1300.
UPDATE: Video now added. Thank you CollectSPACE! (My favorite part is when the guy standing nearby says, "Is that a bad thing?")
The two-stage suborbital launch vehicle used solid rocket fuel for propulsion, just like the solid rockets that ATK also provides to NASA for the Space Shuttle and the future Ares I.
The rocket was carrying the NASA HyBolt Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition experiment and the SOAREX sub-orbital re-entry experimental package. The combined $17-million cost of the two payloads includes the processing, integration and range services.
NASA and ATK will create a joint team to investigate the cause of the anomaly. NASA said they expect to release the first video of the explosion later this afternoon, and we'll post it as soon as they do. Their primary concern is any potential public safety hazards. NASA is reminding people not to touch any debris they may find and to report pieces to Wallops Emergency Operations Center at (757) 824-1300.
UPDATE: Video now added. Thank you CollectSPACE! (My favorite part is when the guy standing nearby says, "Is that a bad thing?")
HyBolt was a shaped like the end of a flat-head screw driver and was a bit taller than a man. It was designed to fly at MACH 8, eight times the speed of sound, and faster to test boundary layer conditions and help design next generation hypersonic vehicles.
After the end of the HyBolt mission it was to release the SOAREX experiments as they all fell back towards the Atlantic Ocean.
SOAREX was a set of suborbital re-entry experiments. The largest of the three was called SCRAMP -- a blunt ended cylinder attached to a slightly wider slotted compression ring that allows it to take advantage of the "badminton birdie" effect to come down blunt end first.
After the end of the HyBolt mission it was to release the SOAREX experiments as they all fell back towards the Atlantic Ocean.
SOAREX was a set of suborbital re-entry experiments. The largest of the three was called SCRAMP -- a blunt ended cylinder attached to a slightly wider slotted compression ring that allows it to take advantage of the "badminton birdie" effect to come down blunt end first.
The idea is to test this shape for use as a future return capsule.
SCRAMP was accompanied by an instrument that can measure atmospheric conditions at the point of release and a "Melonsat" which is designed to float on the ocean and transmit its Global Positioning System satellite coordinates for seven days to assist crews with locating capsules for recovery.
The rocket stood 53 feet tall and would have lofted the experiments to 200 nautical miles allowing them to stay aloft for over 10 minutes.
SCRAMP was accompanied by an instrument that can measure atmospheric conditions at the point of release and a "Melonsat" which is designed to float on the ocean and transmit its Global Positioning System satellite coordinates for seven days to assist crews with locating capsules for recovery.
The rocket stood 53 feet tall and would have lofted the experiments to 200 nautical miles allowing them to stay aloft for over 10 minutes.
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