Latest Breaking News

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,489 posts) Sat Nov 11, 2017, 03:31 PM Nov 2017

Orbital ATK Aborts Rocket Launch to Space Station Due to Wayward Plane

Source: Space.com

Orbital ATK Aborts Rocket Launch to Space Station Due to Wayward Plane

By Hanneke Weitering, Space.com Staff Writer November 11, 2017 10:50am ET

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. A cargo resupply mission scheduled to launch to the International Space Station this morning (Nov. 11) was aborted at the last minute due to aircraft flying in the restricted airspace over the launch site at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here in Wallops Island, Virginia.

Orbital ATK's Antares rocket was one minute away from liftoff when flight controllers abruptly aborted the launch at 7:36 a.m. EST (1236 GMT), when the aircraft entered the restricted area. With the five-minute launch window closed for the day, Orbital ATK rescheduled the Antares launch for no earlier than 7:14 a.m. EST (1214 GMT) on Sunday (Nov. 12). You can watch the launch live on Space.com* beginning and 6:45 a.m. EST (1145 GMT) .

"The launch of Orbital ATKs Antares rocket carrying the Cygnus cargo spacecraft has scrubbed for Saturday after an aircraft was detected in the vicinity of the launch pad," NASA officials said in a statement.**

The launch of the @OrbitalATK #Cygnus resupply ship was scrubbed this morning and rescheduled for Sunday at 7:14 a.m. EST. https://go.nasa.gov/2hsCwX1

Link to tweet

* https://www.space.com/www.space.com/38738-orbital-atk-nasa-space-science-launch-webcast.html

** https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/11/11/cygnus-launch-scrubbed-and-rescheduled-for-sunday/

Read more: https://www.space.com/38752-orbital-atk-rocket-launch-aborted-by-wayward-plane.html

You might be able to see the launch from DC and several other places up and down the East Coast. I'm not sure.

* * * * *

For Nov. 12, 7:14 a.m. EST, launch of @OrbitalATK's Antares rocket from Wallops: live pad video feed begins at 12:50 a.m. on Wallops Ustream: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops . Commentary, 6:45 a.m. on NASA TV: https://www.nasa.gov/live . #OA8 Other milestones: https://blogs.nasa.gov/orbital/2017/11/11/looking-ahead-oa-8-launch-milestones-on-nov-12/

Link to tweet

* * * * *

And, Wayward Plane has weighed in to note that he/it is not to blame this time:

Is there a "wayward plane" twitter account yet?

Link to tweet

I DIDN'T DO IT!!!!! I mean, okay, SBIRS GEO-3, that was my fault. I admitted it, I apologized, I was forgiven. But this one was NOT MY FAULT. 😖

Link to tweet

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Orbital ATK Aborts Rocket Launch to Space Station Due to Wayward Plane (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Nov 2017 OP

"Wayward Plane ✈️ @WaywardPlane " BumRushDaShow Nov 2017 #1

So, I have to ask the pilots on DU... Crash2Parties Nov 2017 #2

Too cloudy? nitpicker Nov 2017 #3

Orbital ATK Rocket Launches NASA Cargo to Space Station in Spectacular Morning Liftoff scipan Nov 2017 #4

BumRushDaShow

(129,096 posts)

1. "Wayward Plane ✈️ @WaywardPlane "

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sat Nov 11, 2017, 05:16 PM

Nov 2017

These people are crazy.

Crash2Parties

(6,017 posts)

2. So, I have to ask the pilots on DU...

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sat Nov 11, 2017, 10:01 PM

Nov 2017

Air traffic controllers know who the wayward plane was, right? So...what happens? Are there repercussions?

nitpicker

(7,153 posts)

3. Too cloudy?

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sun Nov 12, 2017, 05:33 AM

Nov 2017

According to the 4 am weather roundups from Leesburg and Wakefield VA, no dice on seeing any takeoff today (unless there are cloud breaks on the VA Atlantic coast).

But the main thing is to have a successful mission.

scipan

(2,351 posts)

4. Orbital ATK Rocket Launches NASA Cargo to Space Station in Spectacular Morning Liftoff

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Sun Nov 12, 2017, 12:17 PM

Nov 2017

The commercial spaceflight company Orbital ATK successfully launched an Antares rocket today (Nov. 12), providing a Sunday morning spectacle for early birds along the U.S. east coast.

Topped with the International Space Station-bound Cygnus cargo spacecraft, the 139-foot (42.5-meter) Antares rocket lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia at 7:19 a.m. EST (1219 GMT). About 9 minutes later, Cygnus was deployed in low-Earth orbit, where it will spend the next two days chasing after the International Space Station (ISS).

Antares was originally scheduled to blast off on Saturday (Nov. 11), but it was aborted at the last minute when a small, personal airplane illegally entered the restricted airspace near the launch site. Today, Orbital ATK pushed back the launch time by 5 minutes, from an initial 7:14 a.m. EST (1114 GMT), to ensure a pair of boats were outside the restricted area. [More Stunning Launch Photos of Orbital ATK's Antares OA-8 Flight]

https://www.space.com/38751-orbital-atk-cygnus-space-station-cargo-launch-crs8.html

Reply to this discussion