The rocket operator's destruct button was actually the real reason why the unmanned Antares rocket exploded into pieces over Texas just seconds after it took off.
According to an Orbital Sciences Corporation spokesman, the rocket operator's destruct button was deliberately pressed at the control center since it became apparent to the people behind the launching of the spacecraft that something was wrong.
As per a statement from Vice President of Corporate Communications, Barron Beneski, the flight termination was engaged quickly after the Antares rocket was launched, reports CNN.
Orbital further explained on its official website that there has been a problem in the rocket's initial stage as it "fell back to the ground impacting near, but not on, the launch pad." Hence, it was detonated before it even hit the ground.
"Prior to impacting the ground, the rocket's Flight Termination System was engaged by the designated official in the Wallops Range Control Center," Orbital wrote, adding that a lot of debris was found at the launch site of the rocket.
The company notes that substantial "evidence will be available to aid in determining root cause of the Antares launch failure."
Former NASA astronaut and SpaceX advisory board member Mark Kelly opined that using the rocket operator's destroy button was the right thing to do in situations like this.
"They commanded the destruct system to make sure it didn't wind up in a populated area when they knew it wasn't going to make it to orbit," he added.
On Tuesday night, the Antares rocket exploded shortly after its launching on the Virginia coast.
While the explosion caused a spectacular fire display over the sky, it left many people to wonder what had caused the incident since the cargo module was supposed to deliver 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments for the International Space Station, according to Q13Fox.com.
Mark Kelly said that the Antares rocket explosion took away "about four months of clothing and a bunch of food" for his twin brother, Scott, who is also an astronaut scheduled to reach the space station in 2015.
As of late, some of the cargo that were scattered upon the explosion brought about by the rocket operator's destroy button has been retrieved, but Orbital workers say they are just waiting for clearance in order for them to collect supplies and experiments that are still intact.
Meanwhile, NASA revealed that several buildings surrounding the launch pad reported broken windows and imploded doors in relation to the rocket explosion over Texas.
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