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Antares Rocket Launch Early Monday Could Be Visible Along US East Coast
Space.com ^ | May 18, 2018 07:28am ET | Chelsea Gohd,

Posted on 05/18/2018 5:54:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin

An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch a commercial Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station from Virginia's Eastern Shore before dawn on Monday, and the launch could be visible to potentially millions of spectators along the U.S. East Coast.

The Antares rocket is scheduled to launch at 4:39 a.m. EDT (0839 GMT) on Monday (May 21) and should be highly visible across the East Coast of the United States, weather permitting. The mission, called OA-9, will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to deliver more than 3 tons of supplies to the space station.

If you aren't in the visibility region, you can still watch the launch webcast on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at about 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT). The mission was originally scheduled to launch Sunday (May 20), but Orbital ATK postponed it 24 hours due to weather concerns and the need for additional preflight checks.

Spectators from Massachusetts all the way down to South Carolina, and almost as far west as Pittsburgh, will have the opportunity glimpse the launch. For those local to Virginia, note that Assateague Island National Seashore/Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, a popular launch-viewing site, will not be open. However, for those close enough to visit the launch site, NASA has provided guidance here on how to watch the launch from the Wallops Visitor Center.


(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: antares; connecticut; cygnus; delaware; districtofcolumbia; elonmusk; iss; maryland; massachusetts; newyork; northcarolina; oa9; orbitalatk; pennsylvania; southcarolina; space; spacex; virginia; westvirginia

1 posted on 05/18/2018 5:54:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Followed by another flurry of people thinking they saw a UFO. Whenever there is a rocket launch just before dawn or after sunset, the vapor/smoke trail of the rocket is lit up by the sun at a certain altitude even though it’s still dark out, because the earth is curved.


2 posted on 05/18/2018 6:28:04 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: BenLurkin

clouds are a problem. rain until tuesday.


3 posted on 05/18/2018 7:34:49 PM PDT by kvanbrunt2 (spooks won on day 76)
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To: BenLurkin

Where in the sky should I look? I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. TIA.


4 posted on 05/18/2018 7:47:54 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Francis is a Nincompope.)
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To: Bigg Red

I think that graphic has some info i the legend, but what exactly don’t know.


5 posted on 05/18/2018 8:10:17 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Okay, thanks. I can see the graphic now that I am on my laptop. Wasn’t seeing it on my phone.


6 posted on 05/18/2018 10:08:50 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Francis is a Nincompope.)
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To: BenLurkin
It’s been over a week since we’ve seen the sun here ...

Just sayin ...

7 posted on 05/19/2018 6:05:31 AM PDT by 11th_VA
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