Rocket Launch Rescheduled

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Days for rocket launches don't get any better than Wednesday was.

We traveled to our usual destination for such events and on this trip I don't remember ever seeing so many cars on a road that usually only gets the traffic from those who live back there.

Stopped to tell the Deputy Sheriff where we were headed- and after a happy conversation he let us through.  I couldn't help but think that just a few weeks ago all of us - especially the Sheriff's Department- were still in the "arson warp".  Today was probably the first time in six long months that all of us could get out and NOT look at each other without that question of "arsonist" in the back of our minds.

But with that behind us, a warm sunny day, and with the largest rocket to ever blast off from Wallops we all had a reason to smile!

Antares Rocket
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And by now you know the rest.  12 minutes! before the launch!  Oh, well, it was still a great afternoon and it was delightful to spend a couple of hours with friends we had not seen in a while.

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

Statement Regarding the Antares Launch Postponement

Orbital announced that a premature separation of a launch pad umbilical connection to the Antares upper stage used for data communications halted today's countdown of the Antares test launch at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Engineers are currently analyzing what occurred to determine what measures will be taken to resolve the issue.
 
During a launch countdown, safeguards are put in place to periodically verify that all systems are functioning as planned. With twelve minutes left in the count, the launch team identified the anomaly and called a scrub of today's test launch attempt.

 The next launch attempt is tentatively set for no earlier than Friday, April 19, pending final resolution of the issue and acceptable weather conditions.
 
"We are still examining all of the data, but it appears that the issue is fairly straightforward," said Mr. Frank Culbertson, Orbital's Executive Vice President and Mission Director for the Antares Test Flight. "With this being the first launch of the new system from a new launch facility we have taken prudent steps to ensure a safe and successful outcome. Today, our scrub procedures were exercised and worked as planned. We are looking forward to a successful launch on Friday."

http://www.orbital.com/Antares-Cygnus/