A National Geographic staffer has just documented his on-site account on why NASA blew-up their Antares rocker right after it launched.

Every time NASA launches a rocket, it has two safety officers ready and waiting. Their roles are to watch the rocket lift-off and decide if it's a safe launch or if something's going awry.

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If something is amiss to them, they have the responsibility to push a self-destruct button that will destroy the rocket.

A wrong call on both choices has the potential for disastrous consequences. If they self-destruct the rocket prematurely, they would have wasted millions of dollars. If they don't, the lives of the people at the launch site may be in jeopardy.

Last Tuesday, Brad Schriber explained that he saw what happens when NASA makes the right call.

That night Antares, a 139-foot tall rocket, malfunctioned shortly after take-off. The safety officers sent a kill signal that destroyed Antares in a massive explosion on the launch site.

The rocket was behaving erratically during takeoff. It exploded in a mountain of flame and smoke. The reason for the failure is still being investigated.

A successful launch produces a great amount of smoke and fire, as thrusters push a 652,000-pound rocket towards space. This time, however, the fuel meant to burn off gradually exploded into a fireball.

Flame spiraled in all directions in the launch pad. The overpressure from the launch pad and sent objects flying in all directions.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the load of the supplies for the International Space Station was lost.

Frank Culbertson, an executive from Orbital Sciences, said while it is tough to lose a vehicle and its payload, it's not as tragic as losing a life.

The disaster serves as a reminder that space flights, while routine, aren't all that simple.

Orbital Sciences has vowed to keep launching. 

TagsAntares, NASA, self-destruct, rocket, orbital sciences, Frank Culbertson