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Orbital Sciences’ Antares Rocket Set to Launch Tomorrow

Friday, April 19, 2013 17:03

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(Before It's News)

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — Orbital Sciences Corporation has confirmed the next launch attempt of its Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will occur on Saturday, April 20, with a target launch time of 5:00 p.m. EDT. There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch. NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 4:30 p.m., which will be streamed on the agency’s website at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. If needed, a back-up launch opportunity is available on Sunday, April 21.

The maiden launch of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares was scrubbed Wednesday after an umbilical line separated from the rocket prematurely.

The launch will be the first from the new Pad 0A at Virginia’s state-run Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. A dummy payload will be carried into orbit. The test is being performed under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Orbital is developing the Antares and the Cygnus space freighter to resupply the International Space Station. Upon successful completion of the test launch and a Cygnus demonstration flight, Orbital will begin a $1.9 Billion, eight-mission contract to resupply the Space Station.

For more information about the launch, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/orbital. A map of the viewable area for the Antares launch is available at:https://twitter.com/NASAGoddard/status/324548938407489536/photo/1. More information on how to view the flight of Antares can be found at:http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/.