CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - One of NASA's main delivery companies has launched its first space station shipment from Virginia in two years.
Orbital ATK's unmanned Antares rocket blasted off Monday night from Wallops Island. It was the first flight of an Antares since a launch explosion on Oct. 28, 2014, that wrecked the pad and destroyed everything on the space station supply run. For the long-awaited comeback, the pad underwent a $15 million face-lift, and the rocket got new Russian engines.
The launch provided a show for sky gazers along much of the East Coast.
Wallops Flight facility spokesman Keith Kohler told Delmarva Public Radio’s Steve Plotkin that officials were pleased so far.
“It was a great launch. I think everybody is very excited about the way things have gone. Right now we’re just waiting for the solar arrays to deploy and lock in. Then, everybody will be exceptionally exuberant.”
The cargo ship, named Cygnus after the swan constellation, will have to hang around in orbit until Sunday before making the 5,000-pound delivery. That will give three astronauts time to launch from Kazakhstan and get to the station.
Kohler notes that the launch is part of an expanding operation at Wallops.
“We’ve been growing here over the years. Recently we’ve had Orbital’s ATK come and join us. We’ve had the mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport set up shop here. And, various military activities have come and gone here. It’s just been really busy over the last few years. And we look to see that happening over the next year.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX31vCePp1o
