Wallops Island, Va. - Signs charred by fire, chunks of concrete sprinkled over the launch pad and a fire-damaged water tower are all reminders of what happened when the Antares Rocket exploded just seconds after liftoff in October.
With hard hats on and danger signs posted along the way, NewsChannel 3 got a firsthand look at the damage done to the Wallops Island launch pad – damage that still lingers.
As the rocket fell back to the ground, it landed creating a huge crater right next to the launch pad and caused two lightning protection towers – which look like tall flag poles – to fall in different directions to the ground.
Scraps of metal still linger here and there and some NASA support buildings received quite a bit of damage, too, with broken windows and imploded doors from the explosion.
Crews on site continue to work to remove damaged pipes and other equipment to get this pad back up and running for testing sometime next year.
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine went on a tour of the launch pad, just a week after announcing that the Wallops Flight Facility will receive $20 million dollars in federal funding to repair the pad.
"The mission that is being done is an actual mission. And that partnership with NASA is a very, very important part of it. The quicker we repair this and get back to shooting rockets here, the better for the nation,” says Sen. Kaine.
This is better for the Eastern Shore too. It’s a big part of what makes this area an ideal spot for space flight.
