Follow the key events of the Antares rocket’s ascent into orbit from launch pad 0A at Wallops Island, Va., carrying a Cygnus supply ship with cargo for the International Space Station.
T+0:00:00: Main Engine Ignition
The Antares rocket’s two AJ26 engines ignite on the launch pad.
T+0:00:02.1: Liftoff
Producing about 730,000 pounds of thrust, the rocket’s two main engines propel the 139-foot-tall Antares rocket into the sky.
T+0:03:54: Main Engine Cutoff
After consuming its supply of kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants, the Antares first stage shuts down at an altitude of about 62 miles.
T+0:04:00: Stage Separation
The first stage separates from the second stage, which begins a 41-second coast phase.
T+0:04:29: Fairing Jettison
After flying out of the dense lower atmosphere, the Antares rocket jettisons its clamshell-like 12.8-foot-diameter payload fairing.
T+0:04:34: Interstage Jettison
The interstage adapter connecting the first and second stages is jettisoned.
T+0:04:41: Second Stage Ignition
The rocket’s solid-fueled Castor 30XL second stage ignites at an altitude of 87 miles, ramping up to a maximum power of 120,000 pounds of thrust during a 166-second burn.
T+0:07:27: Second Stage Burnout
The Castor 30XL second stage burns out after reaching a target orbit with a perigee of 128 miles, an apogee of 183 miles, and an inclination of 51.64 degrees.
T+0:09:27: Cygnus Separation
The Antares rocket’s second stage deploys the Cygnus spacecraft in orbit.
Officials scrubbed the launch of an Antares rocket with fresh supplies for the International Space Station after a boat sailed into restricted waters off Virginia’s Eastern Shore, violating safety rules for a widely-anticipated launch that was expected to be visible to millions along the U.S. East Coast.
NASA officials say the International Space Station’s logistics chain was designed to absorb a launch failure like the mishap that destroyed an Orbital Sciences Corp. cargo craft in October, but pressure is on SpaceX to deliver supplies on time this year.
