Antares Rocket Aces First Test Flight

An Antares rocket, one of two launchers developed with NASA backing to fly cargo capsules to the International Space Station, blasted off on its debut mission on Sunday, successfully depositing a dummy spacecraft into orbit.

Launch from a new commercial spaceport on Wallops Islands, Virginia, had been delayed from last week by a technical problem and two days of bad weather.

By Sunday, the skies had cleared and the 13-story rocket — the biggest ever to fly from the Wallops Flight Facility — lifted off its seaside launch pad precisely at 5 p.m. EDT. Read more...