A HUGE ROCKET JUST EXPLODED…. and it’s going to be OK. Just a reminder that space exploration isn’t easy.

Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTB_eBiPfuc

The rocket was an Antares Rocket designed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It was being launched at Wallops Island, VA. Next time you hear people talking about how much money NASA spends on rockets compared to “COTS” commercial rockets…. remember that there’s a reason. Man-rating something requires an incredible amount of research and development. Unmanned systems are made with the same safety requirements as manned systems. Just be aware that a rocket isn’t a rocket. Also remember that with every set back like this we end up learning more stuff and getting Smarter.

Don’t allow people to argue that this kind of event is a waste of money. It’s not. Awesome science is difficult. Doing hard stuff means that sometimes you’ll make mistakes. Mistakes make you SMARTER in a very real way.

The latest OFFICIAL updates on the booster failure can be found here:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/orbital.html#.VFApoovF9WI