Antares 130 Launch and Space Station Mission Update
The Antares Rocket and Cygnus sit on launch Pad-0A awaiting takeoff. Photo courtesy NASA/Joel Kowsky.
Yesterday’s scheduled launch of Orbital Sciences Antares rocket with Cygnus automated cargo spacecraft at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, was postponed due to a boat down range during the 10-minute launch window.
The launch has been rescheduled for approximately 6:22 p.m. EDT, with NASATV coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. The rocket will be visible most from a large portion of the East Coast.
This is the fourth and final Cygnus mission with this version of the craft and the first using the upgraded Antares 130 rocket. The new rocket will allow for larger payload delivery to the International Space Station. Its current payload contains over 5,000 pounds of cargo, including science experiments and hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions, according to NASA.
Cygnus will reach the ISS early Sunday morning with coverage of the rendezvous beginning at 3:30 p.m. The ISS will also be visible on Wednesday 29 Oct. in the southern sky from the East Coast for more than four minutes starting at 6:49 p.m.
