Antares rocket stand erect, reflecting off the calm waters the night before their first night launch from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility, VA, targeted for Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m. Credit: Ken Kremer kenkremer.com

NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, VA An Orbital Sciences Corp. commercial Antares rocket was given the GO for its first night launch on Oct. 27, following a launch readiness review on Sunday, Oct. 26, between managers from Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, and NASA.

The rocket was rolled to the launch pad and erected. Technicians are putting the final touches on the rocket to prepare it for flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA and Orbital Sciences are targeting Antares for blastoff at 6:45 p.m. EDT on Oct. 27 from beachside Launch Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility on Virginias eastern shore.

There is a 10 minute launch window to get Antares off the ground as the launch pad moves into the plane of the space stations orbit. The slightly longer launch window is due to the extra thrust available from using a new, more powerful ATK built upper stage engine.

Technicians processing Antares rocket on Oct 26 to prepare for first night launch from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility, VA, on Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m. Credit: Ken Kremer kenkremer.com

The rare spectacle of a night launch within view of tens of millions could WOW hordes of US East Coast residents in densely populated areas up and down the Atlantic shoreline weather permitting.

The current forecast calls for an almost unheard of 98% chance of favorable weather conditions at launch time.

Depending on local weather conditions, the Antares blastoff will be visible along much of the US eastern seaboard stretching from Maine to South Carolina.

Orbital 3 Launch from NASA Wallops Island, VA on Oct. 27, 2014- Time of First Sighting Map. This map shows the rough time at which you can first expect to see Antares after it is launched on Oct. 27, 2014. It represents the time at which the rocket will reach 5 degrees above the horizon and varies depending on your location . We have selected 5 degrees as it is unlikely that youll be able to view the rocket when it is below 5 degrees due to buildings, vegetation, and other terrain features. However, depending on your local conditions the actual time you see the rocket may be earlier or later. As an example, using this map when observing from Washington, DC shows that Antares will reach 5 degrees above the horizon approximately 117 seconds after launch (L + 117 sec). Credit: Orbital Sciences

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Orbital Antares GO to WOW US East Coast Spectators for 1st Night Launch on Oct. 27