NASA Rocket Launch From Wallops Island May Be Visible Across Virginia

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA — A sounding rocket carrying dozens of student and faculty experiments will launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, Thursday morning as part of NASA’s RockOn and RockSat-C student flight programs.

The launch window for the mission is 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. EDT, Thursday, June 26, through Sunday, June 29.

The launch may be visible across the Chesapeake region, weather permitting. The National Weather Service forecast is for clear skies and calm winds Thursday morning.

The annual student mission, “RockOn,” is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket.

For those on the Delmarva Peninsula, weather permitting, you may catch a glimpse of the rocket in the sky.

For local launch enthusiasts, the Wallops Visitor Center’s launch viewing area will open at 5 a.m. for a launch viewing event. The launch viewing area features five sets of bleachers along the marsh with a clear view of the launch pad and range control audio playing on loud speakers across the grounds.

For those interested in viewing the launch in person, viewing locations on Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park, Curtis Merritt Harbor, and the Beach Road causeway between Chincoteague and Assateague islands.

The Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Atlantic beaches also provide good viewing locations.

For those outside the local and regional viewing area, a livestream of the mission will begin 15 minutes before launch on the Wallops YouTube channel.

Launch updates also are available via the Wallops Facebook page.