If you were hoping to catch a peek of the Antares rocket launch last night, you probably ended up disappointed. NASA canceled the launch after a stray boat wandered too close to the launch site.
The launch at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport was originally scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EST last night. However, it's last-minute cancellation disappointed skywatchers along the Eastern seaboard hoping to catch a peek at the rocket as it launched.
Only a few minutes before lift-off, NASA tweeted that they aborted the launch due to a "boat downrange in the hazard area."
However, NASA quickly rescheduled the launch for tonight at 6:22 p.m., weather permitting.
Tonight's forecast calls for cloudy skies, unlike last night, which was clear with perfect weather for a launch. Hopefully, though, Antares will still be able to send its Cygnus capsule into space, where it will eventually rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS).
The Cygnus capsule is carrying over 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments, equipment, food, tools and supplies for the ISS. Antares, and Cygnus, are both owned by Orbital Sciences, one of the private companies NASA has contracted for ISS supply missions. This will be Orbital Sciences' third such mission, out of a total of eight.
Cygnus will orbit Earth for two weeks before meeting up with the ISS. There, astronauts will grab the capsule with a robotic arm, and pull it in. There, they will unpack it and fill it with trash. After about a month, the ISS will release the capsule, where it will return to Earth's atmosphere, where it will break up.
Those near Wallops Island should still have a good view of the launch, although cloudy skies might interfere. A full list of local public viewing sites is available here.
Those along the East Coast may catch a glimpse of the launch, as well. The rocket will look like an orange star with a small tail trailing behind it.
For those elsewhere, though, the event will be broadcast live on NASA TV. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. EST.
The ISS itself will be visible for a few minutes just before 7 p.m. EST tonight on the East Coast. You can visit NASA's Spot The Station website to find out the best viewing time for that.
The launch sequence should last around 10 minutes, including lift-off and the separation of Cygnus from the rocket.
