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NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft at 6:45 p.m. EDT today, Oct. 27. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 5:45 p.m.

Because this evening’s Antares launch occurs relatively shortly after sunset, NASA has received a number of questions on social media about whether Orbital’s rocket will catch up to sunlight once it gains enough altitude.

Antares is expected to be sunlit, and therefore brighter than it otherwise would be. The second stage burn will be in daylight, which should make for a very visible plume. Note that the second stage ignition for CRS-3 occurs considerably earlier than previous Antares flights, so the burn will occur much higher over the horizon. (More information about launch viewing opportunities.)

The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station. CRS-3 (short for “Commercial Resupply Services”) will be the fourth Cygnus flight, including a demonstration flight in 2013, and the first night launch of an Antares rocket.

› How to view the CRS-3 launch
› Share your launch photos with NASA on Flickr
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

The countdown is progressing smoothly today for the launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket, with the Cygnus cargo spacecraft on top. There are no technical concerns with the rocket or spacecraft being worked. The weather for this evening’s launch is predicted to be 99-percent favorable.

Liftoff is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT from the Mid-Atlantic Spaceport’s Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Live coverage of the launch on NASA TV will begin at 5:45 p.m. here and on this blog.

Cygnus is loaded with about 5,000 pounds of science investigations, food, supplies and hardware for the space station and its crew.

A launch this evening will result in Cygnus catching up to the space station on Sunday, Nov. 2. Cygnus will be grappled at approximately 4:58 a.m. by NASA crew members Reid Wiseman and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. Cygnus will be attached to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Harmony node and will remain in place approximately one month. It is scheduled depart the space station on Dec. 3.

This is Orbital’s third mission to the International Space Station under its Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

› How to view the CRS-3 launch
› Share your launch photos with NASA on Flickr
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft at 6:45 p.m. EDT today, Oct. 27. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 5:45 p.m.

The two-stage, 13-story-tall Antares utilizes a liquid-fueled first stage powered by two Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines and a solid motor ATK CASTOR 30XL upper stage to boost Cygnus into orbit. The powered launch sequence lasts about nine-and-a-half minutes from liftoff through the separation of Cygnus from the launch vehicle. This mission, CRS-3, is the first to use the larger, more powerful CASTOR 30XL second stage motor.

CRS-3 will carry about 5,050 pounds (2,290 kilograms) of cargo, the heaviest load yet delivered by a Cygnus to the International Space Station. (CRS-2, which launched in July, held 3,293 pounds of cargo.)

CRS-3 will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad 0A. The spaceport, “MARS” for short, is a commercial launch site operated in partnership with NASA.

The four poles immediately surrounding the rocket help protect the rocket from lightning. The scaffolding to the left of the rocket in this view is the base of the water tower (formally the Water Deluge System), which holds some 200,000 gallons of freshwater for cooling and noise suppression purposes.

In the background, the white building with an American flag painted on its left bay is the Horizontal Integration Facility, roughly a mile away from the launch pad. The HIF is where the Cygnus is mated with the Antares rocket prior to being rolled out to the pad.

› How to view the CRS-3 launch
› Share your launch photos with NASA on Flickr
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket at 6:45 p.m. EDT today, Oct. 27. Launch coverage on NASA TV will begin at 5:45 p.m.

Public viewing of the launch will be available at the NASA Visitor Center at Wallops, as well as at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore. (Wallops visitors are reminded that alcohol and pets are not allowed on Visitor Center grounds.) The Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission has additional recommendations for local viewing sites.

The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States.

More viewing maps from Orbital Sciences Corp. are available here.

Those in the Mid-Atlantic and surrounding regions may be able to see an overhead pass of the International Space Station a few minutes after the Antares’ scheduled launch. At Wallops Island, Virginia, the station will become visible near the northwest horizon at 6:49 p.m. EDT and arc almost directly overhead before passing out of view about six minutes later near the southeast horizon. Visit NASA’s Spot the Station website for viewing information from additional locations.

The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station. CRS-3 (short for “Commercial Resupply Services”) will be the fourth Cygnus flight, including a demonstration flight in 2013, and the first night launch of an Antares rocket.

› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft are scheduled to launch today, Oct. 27, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Liftoff of the CRS-3 mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT.

This is the third commercial resupply flight by a Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station, and the first night launch of an Antares rocket. Cygnus will transport some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

› How to View the CRS-3 Launch
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

At a Launch Readiness Review Sunday, Oct. 26, managers for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, and NASA gave a “go” to proceed toward the Monday, Oct. 27, launch of the Orbital CRS-3 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Orbital is targeting a 6:45 p.m. EDT launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 5:45 p.m.

There is a 98 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch.

NASA TV will broadcast two news briefings today from the Wallops Visitors Center. A prelaunch status briefing will be held at 1 p.m. followed by a preview of the mission’s science cargo at 2 p.m. The briefings will be carried live on NASA TV.

NASA will take questions from social media users in advance of and during the briefing using the hashtag #AskNASA. To learn more about all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/connect.

› How to View the CRS-3 Launch
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

The launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station is on schedule for launch aboard an Antares rocket no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The latest weather forecast remains at 98-percent favorable.

A number of activities are planned for Sunday, Oct. 26, leading up to launch day:

• Launch Readiness Review, 10 a.m. to noon EDT
• Pre-launch Briefing, 1 p.m. EDT (will air on NASA TV)
• Science Briefing, 2 p.m. EDT (will air on NASA TV)

› How to View the CRS-3 Launch
› More launch information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website
› Related images on Flickr

Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft aboard, was raised into vertical position at launch Pad-0A, early on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The launch of Orbital’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops. The latest forecast puts weather at 98-percent “go,” with the main concern being an extremely low chance of thick clouds.

The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with more than 5,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-3 mission is Orbital Sciences’ third contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA.

This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.

› Related images on Flickr
› How to View the CRS-3 Launch
› More information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website

At roughly 4:45 p.m. Friday evening, the Antares rocket loaded with Orbital Science Corp.’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft began its journey from the Horizontal Integration Facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to its launch pad, about a mile away.

› More roll-out images on Flickr

The launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s CRS-3 Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled for no earlier than 6:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 27, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops.

This mission is the third of eight Orbital flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station, and the fourth trip by a Cygnus spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.

› How to View the CRS-3 Launch
› More information and TV coverage details
› NASA’s Orbital website