TONIGHT SKY WATCH

Record-Setting Rocket Launch to Loft 29 Satellites Tonight

[link to www.space.com]


Record-Setting Rocket Launch to Loft 29 Satellites Tonight: How to Watch Live November 19, 2013 06:00am ET
The United States Air Force plans to blast nearly 30 satellites into orbit tonight (Nov. 19) in a record-setting launch that should be visible from a large stretch of the U.S. East Coast, weather permitting.

The ORS-3 mission, which is run by the U.S military's Operationally Responsive Space Office, is slated to lift off atop a Minotaur 1 rocket tonight from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Viriginia. The launch window extends from 7:30 p.m. through 9:15 p.m. EST (0030 through 0215 GMT on Nov. 20).

The potentially spectacular nighttime launch may be visible from northeastern Canada and Maine down to Florida, and from as far inland as Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, according to maps provided by NASA and Orbital Sciences, the aerospace firm providing the Minotaur 1. You can also watch the launch live on SPACE.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST, courtesy of NASA TV.