Watch a rocket launch tonight

[Nick]

http://www.nasa.gov/content/air-for...ching-from-virginia-november-19/#.UoumxcTbN8E

The launch may be visible, depending on atmospheric conditions at one’s viewing site, from northern Florida to southern Canada and west to Indiana.The ORS-3 Mission, also known as an enabler mission, will demonstrate and validate launch and range improvements for NASA and the military. These include automated trajectory targeting, range-safety planning and flight termination systems. The launch also will be part of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) certification process for the Minotaur rocket. The FAA has licensing authority over American commercial rockets.
The Minotaur's primary payload is the Space Test Program Satellite-3 (STPSat-3), an Air Force technology-demonstration mission. Thirteen small cubesats aboard are being provided through NASA's Cubesat Launch Initiative. Among the cubesats is NASA's Small Satellite Program PhoneSat 2 second generation smartphone mission. Also included is the first cubesat built by high school students.

 

[Nick]

If you have Google Earth, you can import the KML file at the bottom of the page below to see the flight path and see how it looks from your home or wherever.

http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/MinotaurI_ORS-3/

 

[57stevey]

Thanks Nick. I was able to see the one in September (LADEE mission) but my kid missed it.

 

[legalskier]

Watched it fly by at low angle in the sky to the southeast, a glittering red dot traveling at high speed....then it disappeared as it moved towards the east. Very cool.

 

[Nick]

here's a pic I took tonight!

 

[steamboat1]

Next launch:

Date: December 15
Mission: Orbital 1 Commercial Resupply Services flight
Launch Vehicle: Antares
Launch Site: Wallops Flight Facility
Launch Pad: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A
Launch Time: 10:52 p.m. EST
Description: Orbital 1 will be the first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station by Orbital Sciences.

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[57stevey]

Watched it fly by at low angle in the sky to the southeast, a glittering red dot traveling at high speed....then it disappeared as it moved towards the east. Very cool.

Yeah, I was surprised at the obvious reddishness of the Sept. launch (missed this one.)

I was fortunate enough to be at KSC for night launch of STS-89 back in the 90's... I should dig out a vid of that. Unreal.