The Antares rocket has ben rescheduled to blast into orbit Sunday after a second launch attempt expected Saturday was scrubbed because of upper-level winds.
If the third time’s the charm and all goes according to plan, the commercial rocket, being launched as part of a mission to resupply the International Space Station, should be visible to million of people from the Eastern Seaboard as far west as central Pennsylvania.
Orbital Sciences has released expected views of Antares from various vantage points.
In Maryland, DC, and most other places on the east coast, the rocket is expected to rise no more than 10 degrees above the horizon. That’s roughly the height of an adult’s fist held at arm’s length. If you want to attempt to view the launch, seek an area with a clear view of the southeastern horizon.
To watch the launch live online ? or to confirm that it’s going forward while you stand outside and look for it ? visit Space.com’s live stream from NASA TV, which is set to go live at 4:30 EDT.
The Antares rocket was originally supposed to blast off on Wedesday from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on coastal Virginia, but that was scrubbed because of technical problems. All systems were go on Saturday, but concerns about winds scrubbed that launch, too.
"This is the biggest, loudest and brightest rocket ever to launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility," Orbital Sciences manager Frank Culbertson told a media briefing last week, according to Universe Today.
Orbital, whose earlier Pegasus rocket was the first privately developed space launch vehicle, has a $1.9 billion deal with NASA to conduct eight unmanned Cygnus resupply trips to the space station. The Cygnus capsule itself is under construction and is scheduled for its first trip to the space station in November, according to Space.com.
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