Rocket failure raises numerous questions
The Eastern Shore of Virginia made the national spotlight Tuesday evening for all the wrong reasons.
The explosion of an Antares rocket launching on an Orbital CRS-3 cargo resupply mission for the International Space Station has raised myriad questions related to a crown jewel of that part of Virginia — NASA Wallops.
Thankfully, no one was injured. But the accident makes everyone wonder if this is merely a blip or a signal of concerns about NASA Wallops' future.
Remember, the increased pace of launches from Wallops in recent years has generated real hope of the facility becoming an economic engine for our region. A shift has been taking place in recent years from the government-planned launches of the past (think space shuttles from Cape Canaveral) to privately sponsored liftoffs that have become a significant share of activity at Wallops.
A big player in this new world is Orbital Sciences, a private firm with big ambitions in the burgeoning launch field. The $200 million mission was to be the third commercial flight of eight under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. That's big business, and big opportunity for the Shore.
The setback Tuesday night should not be cause for despair, but neither should its implications be ignored. An authoritative outside investigation of the mishap is needed, since no entity is going to be fully objective investigating itself. And that investigation should look into questions such as these:
• Why did the rocket fail? What can be done to prevent this in the future?
• What might have been overlooked as the mission was planned? What can be done better the next time?
• What better oversight might be needed in terms of rocket operation and launch safety? The presence of a boat offshore delayed the launch from Monday to Tuesday; should the hazard zone be made even larger?
• Are companies such as Orbital Sciences fully suited to undertake such complex tasks? Is the privatization of launches truly wise?
• What are the environmental consequences of an explosion at Wallops? Is the facility putting sea and land creatures and water quality too much at risk? Are there better environmental safeguards to put in place?
• Finally, should the pace of Wallops launches continue to be stepped up? Or is there a cautionary note in this episode?
Some of these questions are technical. Some are for policy makers. But it's imperative these and many others be answered to ensure the spectacular failure of Tuesday night doesn't occur again.
IN SUMMATION
Before another launch on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, an authoritative investigation needs to determine what went wrong and how to prevent it.