Power and fury: New Nasa photos reveal spectacular, terrifying moment Antares rocket was obliterated

The launch of an unmanned commercial supply rocket on the eastern shore of Virginia was supposed to be a moment of celebration. Crowds gathered to watch as the sun set. Hundreds of kilometres up, astronauts huddled around a live video feed in anticipation.

But aerospace company Orbital Sciences Corp’s Antares rocket, bound for the International Space Station, exploded six seconds after liftoff on October 28, 2014, marking the first catastrophic launch in Nasa's commercial spaceflight effort.

More than a year after the blast, Nasa released images last week showing the fiery explosion that lit up the sky and sent scorched wreckage flying.

Nasa's independent review team said last week that the initial fire was caused by friction from rubbing parts in a turbopump in one of the rocket's old Russian-built engines. The pump exploded seconds after liftoff, damaging a second engine, according to Nasa's report. As the rocket fell toward the ground, controllers sent a destruct signal just before impact to minimise damage.

Orbital Sciences was hired by Nasa to deliver food, clothes and equipment to astronauts in the International Space Station. No one was injured in the blast, but the US$200 million mission and the Wallops Island launch complex were ruined.