Launch Photos: Orbital Sciences' 1st Cygnus Cargo Mission Blasts Off

Antares Rocket Ready to Launch, Jan. 9, 2014

NASA TV

An Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket is seen on launch Pad-0A just before launch at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., on Jan. 9, 2014. [See full story.]

Antares Rocket Launch Pad Sunrise

NASA/Bill Ingalls

An Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket is seen on launch Pad-0A during sunrise at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., on Jan. 8, 2014 after its planned launch was delayed a day due to solar radiation concerns from a huge solar flare. [See full story.]

Orbital Sciences' Antares Rocket in Freezing Cold

Robert Z. Pearlman/collectSPACE.com

Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket stands atop the launch pad in freezing temperatures at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., for a planned Jan. 8, 2014 launch to the International Space Station. [See full story.]

Antares Rocket On Ocean Launch Pad: Orb-1

NASA/Bill Ingalls

An Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket is seen on launch Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Jan. 6, 2014 in advance of a planned Jan. 8 launch in Wallops Island, Va. The mission will launch Orbital's first Cygnus cargo mission to the space station. [See full story.]

Antares Rocket for Orbital-1

Orbital Sciences

An Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket appears as it is rolled out to launch Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, in advance of a planned Wednesday, Jan. 8th, 1:32 p.m. EST launch, Wallops Island, VA. The Antares will launch a Cygnus spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Orbital-1 mission is Orbital Sciences' first contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. [See full story.]

Antares Rocket: Orb-1 Mission Rollout

NASA/Bill Ingalls

An Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket is seen as it is rolled out to launch Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 for a planned Jan. 8 launch from Wallops Island, Va. The Antares will launch a Cygnus spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. [See full story.]

Antares Rocket Launch Visibility: Jan. 8, 2014

NASA/Orbital Sciences

This NASA image depicts the visibility range along the U.S. East Coast for the launch of an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket launching Jan. 9, 2014 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. [See full story.]

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.