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Fire in engine doomed Orbital rocket on space station flight

FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014 file photo, an unmanned Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket headed for the International Space Station explodes shortly after liftoff at Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. In a report released in October 2015, NASA's independent review team said a fire and explosion in a rocket engine are to blame for the failed space station shipment last October. (Jay Diem/Eastern Shore News via AP) FILE - In this Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014 file photo, an unmanned Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket headed for the International Space Station explodes shortly after liftoff at Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. In a report released in October 2015, NASA's independent review team said a fire and explosion in a rocket engine are to blame for the failed space station shipment last October. (Jay Diem/Eastern Shore News via AP)

By Associated Press October 30, 2015 1 min read

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A fire and explosion in a rocket engine are being blamed for a botched commercial space station shipment last October.

NASA released an investigation report this week, a full year after the Virginia launch accident.

In an 11-page report, 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 Sciences’ unmanned Antares rocket.

The pump exploded seconds after liftoff, damaging a second engine. The rocket lost thrust and fell toward the ground. Launch controllers sent a destruct signal just before impact to minimize damage. Even so, the Wallops Island launch complex was ruined. Repairs continue, and the Antares remains grounded.

NASA says it’s unclear why the pump failed.