When people hear of a rocket launching from the United States, many may think of Cape Canaveral, Florida. However, over the weekend, a rocket will roar to life from a little-known spaceport along the shores of the mid-Atlantic.
On Sunday evening, an Antares rocket will lift off from Wallops Island, Virginia, home to a small launch facility along the Atlantic coast of the Delmarva Peninsula. The launch is slated for 5:39 p.m. EST, just moments after sunset.
Since this is an evening launch, people all across the mid-Atlantic may be able to see the glow of the rocket engines as the rocket climbs through the atmosphere on its journey to the International Space Station (ISS).
“The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic region and possibly the East Coast of the United States,” NASA said.
Under ideal conditions, major rocket launches like this can be seen as far away as Philadelphia, New York City and Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina.
 |
All signs are pointing toward Mother Nature cooperating with the launch attempt as fairly tranquil weather is forecast along the coast of Virginia Sunday evening.
“While the day may start with a shower or two, dry weather is expected Sunday afternoon through Sunday night,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
“Temperatures will be in the upper 40s at launch time with a light southerly breeze of 5-10 mph. There can still be some clouds around, but dry weather is expected.”
NASA officials are currently projecting a 90% chance of favorable weather for Sunday’s launch.
Despite the favorable forecast, there could be one weather factor that hinders the ability of those looking to catch a glimpse. High clouds across the region may make it difficult to see the launch from areas far away from Wallops, particularly to the north and west of the launch pad.
If the launch is delayed, the next launch opportunity would likely be on Monday evening. Winds should remain light on Monday, but there is an increased risk of rain showers which could interfere with the launch.
 |
|
Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket lifts off from Wallops Island, Va., Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. The rocket is carrying cargo to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) |
Folks stepping outside to see the rocket should look for a yellow or orange ball of light in the sky in the direction of Wallops Island. It will not be blinking and will slowly glide through the sky as it rockets into space.
 |
|
In this long exposure photo released by NASA, the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard, is seen above the Thomas Jefferson Memorial as it launches from Pad-OA Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Va. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via AP) |
Major launches like this happen only a few times per year from Wallops Island, so people across the region should be sure to set an alarm so they can take advantage of the opportunity to see a rocket launch from their backyard.
The next Antares launch from the Wallops Flight Facility isn’t scheduled until October, according to SpaceFlightNow.
The Antares rocket will be launching an uncrewed spacecraft to the ISS that will deliver 8,000 pounds of supplies, hardware and scientific experiments to the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the station.
“These resupply missions help NASA deliver critical research to the orbiting lab and increase its ability to conduct new investigations,” NASA explained. “Investigations studying tissue culturing, bone loss and phage therapy will be launching.”
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.