UPDATED: Rocket Explodes on NASA Launch Pad Moments After Liftoff

Updated at 7:47 p.m. Tuesday:

An Orbital Sciences cargo rocket set to launch 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station exploded on the launchpad Tuesday into a huge ball of flame that destroyed nearby property and vehicles. The flight was to be unmanned, and early reports said nobody on the ground was injured.

Updated at 8:24 p.m. Monday:

NASA postponed the Antares launch until 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, due to a boat in the area.

By Greg Hambrick

Don’t panic. That’ll be a rocket launch in the sky.

The Antares rocket is expected to launch at 6:45 p.m. Monday at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coast.

According to NASA, the launch should be visible to Rhode Island residents. The weather will cooperate, as the skies are expected to be clear.

We’ve posted a visibility map below.

The Antares rocket will carry an Orbital Science cargo spacecraft heading to the International Space Station. On board: 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments.

You can watch live coverage of the rocket launch prep beginning at noon on the Wallops Ustream. And you can also watch the launch beginning at 5:45 p.m. at NASA TV.

The “What’s Up at Wallops” app will also help you find the precise direction to see the launch in your sky. It’s available for Android and iOS devices.

Photo credit: NASA/Patrick Black