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How To View the Antares Launch
An anonymous reader points out NASA's info page on the Anatares rocket launch happening later today. NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket at 6:45 p.m. EDT, October 27. The Antares rocket will carry Orbital's Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station. The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. Here's a visibility map of launch. Public viewing of the launch will be available at the NASA Visitor Center at Wallops and at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge/Assateague Island National Seashore. Here's more information about the Visitors Center, including directions, and information on viewing sites recommended by the Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission. Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at noon on the Wallops Ustream site."
These launches aren't that uncommon, but they're visible from a lot of highly-populated areas, and they're bright enough to see even if you've got a lot of light pollution. If you have a good view of the horizon in the proper direction, check it out.
"...loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments..."
It feels like an organisation such as NASA, which is hopefully respected for its scientific contributions across the world, could set an example by moving towards the metric system in its press releases. This would emphasise the importance the metric system (and the complete intolerance of imperial measurements) in science and allow the move to the metric system to be driven by the scientists (i.e. those in society that lay people respect as being intelligent).
If the battle between metric vs imperial is just fought over what people prefer in the present, then nothing will change and a backward and overly complixated system for measuring everything will remain.
If you are ever out in Maryland, these launches are worth visiting. Here is a hint: Do not go to Chincoteague Island. It is crowded and it is not all that close. You can get twice as close and less crowded by driving around on some back country roads. Google maps/earth is your friend. From our vantage point we could see the rocket before launch. At launch it was blinding. It lit up the entire landscape and we could feel the thunder thumping our chests. 100% worth it.
When I lived in Virginia, I saw two launches from Wallops - one at night, which was spectacular, and one during the day, which I could barely make out but was still fun to try and spot. Viewed them from Arlington and DC respectively. I've since moved to Connecticut, but I'm going to try and spot it tonight.
"Anyone who [rips a CD] is probably engaging in copyright infringement." - David O. Carson
The Antares rocket uses
the Soviet designed NK-33 rocket engine. If we wish to develop space technologies that are independent from Putin, this is not the way to go.
We should be getting a two-fer in northern Maryland tonight. The ISS is supposed to be visible just a minute later than the Antares comes into view.
... after "Jackass Flats".
I'm bummed that I live too far West to be able to see the launch.
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
... it spelled "Antares", as in the title, not "Anatares", as in the summary.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Scrubbed, due to some damfool in a boat downrange. Tomorrow @6:19 Eastern.
Launch aborted...
Launch was scrubbed because a boat had wandered onto the launch range. I wonder why the coastguard wasn't policing the range like they did for shuttle launches? Anyway, launch scheduled for 5.19 PM tomorrow.
Antares will launch less than 20 times in its lifetime. In fact, probably less than another 5. NASA is not likely going to use them to provide goods for the ISS since they are expensive for what they bring.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Apparently, it exploded just after launch.
However, I have a pretty clear line of site to Wallops from my house, 75 miles as the crow flies). At the right moment, I recorded what looked to me just like a rocket ascending. 3 or 4 minutes of it.