NASA Rocket Launch From Wallops Island Could Be Visible Friday

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA — NASA is set to launch a rocket from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Friday at 7:58 p.m. If skies are clear — and that's a big if for people in the D.C. area — the launch should be visible to people up and down the eastern seaboard.

The mission is called KiNet-X, with the Black Brant XII rocket blasting off. This study will help scientists better understand things like Auroras and how they are formed and their movement from place to place.

The rocket will release a barium vapor about 9-10 minutes into the flight north of Bermuda at an altitude of more than 200 miles. NASA will be studying the vapor release with diagnostic instrumentation onboard the rocket.

The rocket should be visible to the southeast 30 to 60 seconds after the launch at 7:58 p.m. on Friday. The NASA Wallops Visitor Center will not be open for viewing.

Read more: https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/nasa-rocket-launch-wallops-island-could-be-visible-friday