NASA Wallops rocket launch may be seen from N.J., other eastern states

Keep your eye on the sky, and you might catch a glimpse of an upcoming rocket launch at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia.

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket is scheduled to lift off at 5:56 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Aug. 10, as part of the company’s 16th mission to deliver supplies, equipment and NASA science investigations to the International Space Station, NASA announced.

As long as skies are clear, the launch may be visible to people across the Mid-Atlantic region and possibly other parts of the eastern United States, NASA said.

Best viewing locations

If you happen to be on vacation this week in Delaware, Maryland or Virginia, the space agency recommends six prime viewing spots in those states:

• The Wallops Visitor Center on Wallops Island in Virginia
• Chincoteague Island in Chincoteague, Virginia
• Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland
• Ocean City in Maryland
• Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware
• Virginia Beach in Virginia

When to look up

The map above shows how many seconds after liftoff the rocket will be visible from different areas of the eastern United States.

In southern New Jersey, the best time to look up will be 60 to 90 seconds after the launch, and in northern and central New Jersey the best viewing time will be 90 to 120 seconds after liftoff.

How to watch livestream

• Live coverage of the mission countdown is scheduled to begin at about 1 p.m. Tuesday on the Wallops IBM video site.
• Launch coverage on NASA TV is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
• Launch updates will be available on the Wallops Facebook page and Wallops Twitter page.

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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.