Test flight scheduled at NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility

One year ago Wednesday, an unmanned rocket exploded just seconds after lift-off at NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility.

Authorities announced the MARS launch pad, where the Antares rocket took off, had been fully repaired in late September.

Officials confirmed Wednesday the first orbital test flight from that launch pad.

According to Sarah Daugherty, a test director at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, an Antares rocket will undergo a fire test this upcoming spring. This means, the rocket will fire its engines but it will not actually take off the ground.

Researchers will test the rocket’s performance and compare its compatibility to the launch pad.

“Then we’ll come down off the pad and do some data analysis and bring the vehicle back out probably a month or two later and be ready for first flight.” Says Daugherty.

Overall, the launch pad cost about 15 million dollars to repair.