Antares launch visibility maps

Residents along the U.S. East Coast from South Carolina to Massachusetts could glimpse Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket climbing into space Monday night on a cargo run to the International Space Station.

The 13-story rocket is set for blastoff from Wallops Island, Virginia, at 7:40 p.m. EDT (2340 GMT), and the weather forecast calls for ideal conditions and clear skies, maximizing visibility opportunities.

The rocket will fly to the southeast from Virginia’s Eastern Shore over the Atlantic Ocean to intercept the space station’s orbit, but it should rise above the horizon as far inland as West Virginia and Central Pennsylvania.

The maps below show the launcher’s ground track, and the shading illustrates when residents in different regions can expect the rocket to appear above the horizon.

Credit: NASA/Orbital ATK
Credit: NASA/Orbital ATK
Credit: NASA/Orbital ATK
Credit: NASA/Orbital ATK

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