SouthCoast residents will have another chance to see a NASA rocket launch from Virginia later this month.
Unlike last month s launch that was visible across the night sky along much of the East Coast, NASA s upcoming launch will be bright and early, but is certainly something worth waking up early for! Northrop Grumman s Minotaur 1 rocket will launch from NASA s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on June 15 at 7 a.m. Brew yourself a cup of coffee, bring a blanket and head outside to watch the rocket (hopefully) make an appearance over the SouthCoast.
According to NASA, the rocket should be visible across the SouthCoast and the rest of Massachusetts for anywhere between 60 to 90 seconds after takeout, weather permitting. The Weather Channel forecasts that, as of June 9, New Bedford should see a mix of clouds and sunshine on launch day, so hopefully it only continues to clear up as the big day approaches.
After more than a week of scrubbed launches, NASA employees and enthusiasts finally got to see the KiNet-X mission take to the skies Sunday night.
The launch from NASA s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia was originally scheduled for May 7 and was expected to be visible to people all across the East Coast of the United States and in Bermuda. But night after night, officials scrubbed the launch, and after a point, it seemed like it would never happen.
Mattapoisett resident Annette Ball DeMaris still held out faith and said she and her husband went to Ned s Point every night in hopes of seeing the launch with their own eyes. And when (the second) Sunday night rolled around, they were able to catch something pretty special during NASA s final effort to launch the rocket.