NASA Rocket Launch May Be Visible In VA Tuesday, Best Viewing Spots

VIRGINIA — A NASA rocket launch at the Wallops Island facility on the coast of Virginia planned for Tuesday may be visible in skies across the state as it takes off for a resupply mission to the International Space Station, the space agency said.

The Antares rocket will carry supplies to the International Space Station via the Cygnus spacecraft, according to NASA. This 139-foot-tall rocket is manufactured by Northrop Grumman, which is targeting 8:31 p.m. Tuesday for the launch from the Wallops Flight Facility.

The NASA team is counting down to launch with weather 90 percent favorable, the agency said about 5 p.m.

“Northrop Grumman’s 19th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA to the International Space Station will deliver more than 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and vehicle hardware to the orbital laboratory and its crew,” said NASA.

Many residents in the Mid-Atlantic region should be able to see the rocket in the first few minutes after lift off, if weather conditions are favorable. It will appear in the skies to the southeast, as it lifts off from Wallops Island.

According to the National Weather Service, Wallops Island should have mostly clear skies Tuesday night, the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, with a low around 67. Northeast winds around 7 mph are expected. Skies should be clear statewide.

In Virginia, residents are expected to have a line-of-sight view of Antares between 30 seconds and 180 seconds after takeoff.

Spectators on the Eastern Shore and the southern port of the Potomac River can see the rocket about 30-60 seconds after takeoff. Those in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Richmond and south to the state line may be able to see Antares between 60-90 seconds. Central Virginia may see it for 90 to 120 seconds. Those in the mountains and southwest Virginia should be able to spot the launch for 120 to 180 seconds.

For those interested in viewing the launch in person, viewing locations on Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park, Curtis Merritt Harbor, and the Beach Road causeway between Chincoteague and Assateague islands are good spots. Ocean City, Maryland, always offers a good view, too.

The Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Atlantic beaches all provide good viewing locations.

The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout much of the East Coast.

Cygnus doesn’t just deliver supplies to the space station, it also carries experiments, NASA said. Cygnus has carried plants, human cells, cancer therapies and even 40 mice to understand how microgravity affects these typically Earth-bound entities.

Live coverage of the rocket launch will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, Twitter, and the NASA App.