How to View May 21 Antares CRS-9 Launch, In Person or Online

Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket with Cygnus spacecraft is on schedule for a 5-minute launch window opening May 21 at 4:39 a.m. EDT on the company’s CRS-9 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Launch will be from Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The Orbital ATK Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft aboard, is seen at launch Pad-0A, early Sunday, May 20, 2018, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with 7,400 pounds of cargo for the International Space Station (ISS), including science experiments, crew supplies and vehicle hardware. The mission is Orbital ATK’s ninth contracted cargo delivery flight to ISS for NASA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

For viewers in the local area, the NASA Wallops Visitor Center will open at 12:30 a.m. May 21. The Visitor Center is located approximately 4 miles from the launch pad. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis. The Visitor Center launch viewing area consists of two bleachers and an open field. Please be mindful of Visitor Center restrictions on alcohol, firearms, pets, RVs and coolers, among other things.

Chincoteague Island viewing locations include Chincoteague Downtown Robert Reed Waterfront Park located on Main Street, south Main Street to Curtis Merritt Harbor, and the bike trail near the Museum of Chincoteague Island adjacent to the bridge to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. For more information about viewing locations on Chincoteague please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 757-336-6161.

NOTE: Arbuckle Road and Assateague Island National Seashore/Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge itself are closed to the public for this launch.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission, in collaboration with Wallops, recently published a webpage for visitors seeking to travel to the area for a launch, including additional viewing locations.

Map of locations and times on the U.S. East Coast for viewing the Antares rocket launch.
Map of locations and times on the U.S. East Coast for viewing the Antares rocket launch. Credit: Orbital ATK

Depending on weather conditions, the launch may be visible throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. NASA Wallops’ Mission Status Center maintains a mobile-friendly interactive map to assist with timing and direction for sky-watchers.

NASA Wallops will begin broadcasting video on UStream at 10:30 p.m. EDT tonight (May 20), approximately coincident with the start of the countdown. NASA TV’s broadcast with live commentary will begin at 4 a.m. EDT May 21.

2 thoughts on “How to View May 21 Antares CRS-9 Launch, In Person or Online”

  1. I guess you have been asked a few times,but here goes again,
    would you please put universal time as well as ETD so people not in the USA wanting to watch it on line can know what time it is in their country.
    Thankyou

Comments are closed.