Commercial [space] cargo mission launched from Virginia

Spaceflight Now (and CBS News) ^ | 01/09/2014 | William Harwood

[Pyro7480]

...[A]n Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket carrying a commercially developed cargo ship blasted off Thursday and climbed into orbit, kicking off the company's first operational flight to deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station....

The two-stage 130-foot-tall Antares rocket, equipped with modified first-stage engines left over from the Soviet moon program, roared to life at 1:07:05 p.m. EST (GMT-5) and quickly lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, climbing away atop a torrent of fiery exhaust as Earth's rotation carried the pad into the plane of the space station's orbit.

Accelerating smoothly as it consumed its first stage load of liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene rocket fuel, the Antares tilted over and streaked away through a clear blue sky above the Atlantic Ocean along a southeasterly trajectory.

Ten minutes later, the Cygnus cargo ship was released from the Antares second stage into an initial orbit with a high point of around 185 miles and a low point of about 130 miles. A few moments after that, the spacecraft's two solar arrays began unfolding as planned.

If all goes well, Cygnus will approach the lab complex from behind and below, pulling up to within about 30 feet early Sunday as the two spacecraft sail 260 miles above southern Saskatchewan....

The solar-powered cargo craft is packed with 3,220 pounds of research equipment, spare parts and crew supplies, including 23 experiments involving more than 8,600 elementary, junior high and high school students in the United States and Canada. The experiments "address life sciences topics ranging from vaccine effectiveness and amoeba reproduction to calcium loss in bones and liquid behavior in space," Orbital said in a news release.

[Pyro7480]

I drove 3+ hours to see the launch from about two miles away. Here's the video I took: Launch of Orb1 Cygnus Mission on the Antares Rocket

CBS This Morning also had a nicely-done report today about the launch and how the surrounding area has gained from the attention: Quiet Va. town turns into rocket city

[Pyro7480]

Ping!

[marron]

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

I didn't realize there was such a thing.

Thanks for posting.

[BwanaNdege]

Is that one of the Martian Landers from War of the Worlds standing next to the launch? What is this, some sort of Interplanetary Exchange program?

I thought the Martian Landers were three legged? Do the Come In Peace?

[BwanaNdege]

PS, Great photo!

Thanks for posting!

[Pyro7480]

It's a joint venture between NASA and the two state governments in the area -- Maryland and Virginia.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

[Yossarian]

Nothing against VA, but isn’t it pretty high up in latitude compared to Southern Florida?

The reason Cape Canaveral was set up down there was to take advantage of the additional speed gained by getting closer to the equator.

Maybe VA offers other cost advantages make up for the extra-strong rocket needed compared to a more southernly launch….

[Pyro7480]

Part of the reason for Orbital picking Virginia is that it’s less crowded than Cape Canaveral. They would have to compete with other companies, who have been there for much longer, for launch windows and real estate.