Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifts off from its launch site in Mahia, on the east coast of New … [+]
There’s a new sight to see in the skies over the eastern seaboard of the United States courtesy of Rocket Lab and NASA.
The space startup is beginning to make a habit of launching its Electron rockets from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Unlike the majority of space launches in the US that blast off from the far southeastern corner of the country in Florida, some of the nation’s largest population centers have a view of launches from Wallops.
The “Stronger Together” mission is the second launch of the space startup’s Electron rocket from Virginia. Before adding a second launch facility, all of the company’s previous launches were conducted from its primary launch pads in New Zealand over the past couple years.
If weather permits, NASA says the Saturday evening launch should be visible from most of 14 states from South Carolina to New Hampshire.
The next Rocket Lab launch could potentially be visible to 100 million.
Those nearest to the launch might be able to make out the pillar of fire from the rocket booster blasting out of the atmosphere, but most observing from further away will want to look for something similar to a star moving upwards, kind of like the opposite of a meteor or shooting star.
The first Rocket Lab launch from Wallops took place January 24. This time around the small satellite launcher will be sending a pair of earth-imaging satellites to low-earth orbit for Capella Space.
If you can’t see it in person, Rocket Lab is also going to live stream the whole mission.
Currently the launch window opens Saturday, March 11 at 6 p.m. EST and runs for two hours.
At the moment there is a 70 percent chance that the weather will cooperate for the rocket to get off the ground and mission controllers are currently keeping an eye on the wind.
