Private Rocket Antares Ready for Takeoff After Wind Caused Delay

Orbital Science Corporation's Antares Rocket is ready for takeoff after the strong Vancouver wind force it to delay its launch time by about an hour.

The rocket is now set to takeoff from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., at 6:10 p.m. EDT, NASA confirmed.

The private rocket was contracted by NASA to deliver goods at the International Space Station. The exceptionally short mission (roughly 20 minutes) is taking a test cargo container to orbit but it won't dock in the station.

The scheduled launch time was 5pm (EDT), but the wind rendered this goal attainable.

Residents of South Coralina all the way to Portland, Maine, should be able to see launch. The Orbital Science Corporation's Antares rocket should cross their sky shortly before sunset. Residents of north of the Connecticut shoreline will see the rocket lower in the sky at about 5 degrees.