Stray Plane Delays Antares Rocket Launch To Space Station

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA — Orbital ATK delayed liftoff of a supply run to the International Space Station on Saturday after a stray plane at the last minute flew into the restricted airspace at Wallops Island. Orbital ATK, NASA's commercial shipper based in Virginia, will try again on Sunday morning to launch its unmanned Antares rocket with 7,400 pounds of cargo.

The Cygnus capsule contains fresh fruit, vegetables and ice cream bars for the six station astronauts, plus mealworms and micro clover for student experiments.

The launch on Sunday is slated for 7:14 a.m. and should be visible as far north as Boston and as far south as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sunrise could make it difficult to see.

This will be Orbital ATK's first launch from its home base in more than a year. The last time it made a space station delivery, it used another company's rocket flying from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The space station crew, meanwhile, took advantage of the lull to beam down thanks to U.S. veterans and wish everyone a happy Veterans' Day.

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer

Photo credit: NASA via AP