Private Rocket to Make 2nd Launch Try Tonight

Orbital Sciences' unmanned Cygnus spacecraft is set to blast off atop an Antares rocket at 6:22 pm EDT from a NASA facility in Virginia

By Megan Gannon & SPACE.com

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

The evening launch of a private spaceship bound for the International Space Station was canceled yesterday (Oct. 27) all because of a wayward sailboat. But the rocket will make another liftoff attempt tonight from the eastern coast of Virginia, and you can watch it live.

Orbital Sciences' unmanned Cygnus spacecraft is now scheduled to blast off atop an Antares rocket at 6:22 p.m. EDT (2222 GMT) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Weather officials have predicted a 95 percent chance of favorable conditions, according to NASA. As long as skies are clear, the launch could be visible for observers along the Eastern Seaboard, from as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as South Carolina.

Space.com will broadcast a live webcast of the launch, courtesy of NASA, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT).

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The launch was originally scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT) last night. Weather officials gave an astonishingly good forecast of 99 percent "go" conditions for launch. But before the liftoff time, a stray boater entered restricted waters downrange of the launch pad and did not respond to mission controllers' warnings. The launch had to be called off 10 minutes before the last possible liftoff time in the launch window.

Cygnus is packed with about 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) of astronaut food, supplies and science experiments. The robotic capsule is scheduled to arrive at the space station on Sunday (Nov. 2) and stay for about a month before it is reloaded with astronaut trash and sent to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

Orbital Sciences, based in Dulles, Virginia, has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to make eight cargo trips to the orbiting outpost. Tonight's launch will mark the start of Orbital Sciences' third official resupply mission.

NASA also awarded a $1.6 billion contract to the California-based company SpaceX to fly a dozen delivery missions to the space station. SpaceX has successfully completed four of those official resupply flights using its Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American