Orbital Sciences` Antares rocket set for blast-off

Zee Media Bureau\Philaso G Kaping

Wallops Island: Orbital Sciences Corporation has scheduled the launch of Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Thursday. The rocket will be carrying its Cygnus cargo craft on the first Orbital commercial re-supply mission to the International Space Station. This is the fourth attempt to launch the rocket as inclement terrestrial weather and solar radiation disrupted the earlier schedules. “Orbital conducted a comprehensive review of data related to the radiation environment in space, further reviews and modelling of the rocket’s avionics systems, and the forecast for favourable terrestrial weather conditions at NASA`s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia,” said NASA. “Upon a deeper examination of the current space weather environment, Orbital’s engineering team, in consultation with NASA, has determined that the risk to launch success is within acceptable limits established at the outset of the Antares program.” According to Orbital Sciences, the launch time is scheduled at 1:07 p.m. (EST), which would allow the Cygnus spacecraft to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station early Sunday morning, January 12.