The NASA Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Corp. Antares rocket at 1:55 p.m. EST, Jan. 7. The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station.
The cargo craft will be filled with 2,780 pounds of supplies for the station, including vital science experiments to expand the research capability of the Expedition 38 crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory, crew provisions, spare parts and experiment hardware.
Also aboard the flight are 23 student experiments that will involve more than 10,000 students on the ground. These experiments will involve life sciences topics ranging from amoeba reproduction to calcium in the bones to salamanders.
The launch may be visible, weather permitting, to residents throughout the mid-Atlantic region from New York City to North Carolina.
Public viewing of the launch will be available at the NASA Visitor Center at Wallops and at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge/Assateague National Seashore. Visitors are reminded that alcohol and pets are not allowed on the Visitor Center grounds.
For more information about the Visitors Center, including directions, see: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter
Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m. on the Wallops Ustream site at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops
Launch updates also are available via the Wallops Facebook and Twitter sites:
Android users have the option of downloading the “What’s Up at Wallops” app, which contains information on the launch as well as a compass showing the precise direction for launch viewing. The app is available for download at: http://go.nasa.gov/17veCYT.
