Wallops Island Rocket Launch Canceled Saturday

VIRGINIA — Residents across Virginia will have to wait to see a 59-foot-tall Electron rocket streak through the sky after it lifts off from a NASA facility Saturday night, officials said. The Wallops Flight Facility will support a launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket.

The two-hour launch window was set to open at 6 p.m. EST, according to NASA. But by midafternoon the agency tweeted: "We are standing down from today's launch attempt at @NASA_Wallops due to strong upper level winds. We have back up opportunities over the next week and we'll share a new target launch date soon."

The teams are evaluating weather conditions over the next couple days to determine the next launch opportunity, NASA said.

The rocket will take off from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. NASA said this mission, named “Stronger Together,” will be the second Rocket Lab launch from Wallops, with the first occurring in January 2023. The mission is a dedicated launch for satellite manufacturer and Earth observation company Capella Space.

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.

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

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

Or you can view the launch online through Rocket Lab’s livestream of the event, which will begin about 40 minutes before the opening of the launch window.