Gallery: Antares rocket explodes

Expanding a single instant in time to 30 minutes, the upcoming Atlas 5 rockets with Cygnus cargo-delivery freighters bound for the International Space Station will have an unprecedented opportunity available to launch each day.

Rollout of the Atlas 5 rocket from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Complex 41 occurred at 10 a.m. on Monday. Liftoff is planned for Tuesday night to deliver the Cygnus resupply ship into orbit en route to the International Space Station.

Signs that a launch to the International Space Station is approaching are obvious this week at Cape Canaveral, with the Atlas 5 booster rocket beginning to take shape and the commercial resupply ship heading to its propellant depot.