Jackies Jungle

This morning a suborbital rocket carrying two experiments conducted by NASA was destroyed shortly after launch on Wallops Island.

NASA officials said that the rocket had strayed outside of set boundaries and the decision was made to destroy it.

The rocket launched at 5:10 a.m. NASA said no property damage or injuries have occurred, but there were conflicting reports as to whether debris had been sighted on land. NASA said it believes that most of the debris landed in the Atlantic Ocean.

NASA said the debris potentially could be hazardous. People who spot debris are being asked to call Wallops Emergency Operations Center at 757-824-1300.

“NASA is very disappointed in this failure but has directed its focus on protecting public safety and conducting a comprehensive investigation to identify the root cause,” the agency said in a statement.

The rocket made by Alliant Tech Systems was carrying an experiment testing temperature and pressure during hypersonic flight. It also carried a new design for more efficiently delivering astronauts or equipment through the atmosphere on Earth or Mars.