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NASA rocket lifts off from Wallops Island, Va., facility on way to moon orbit

A spacecraft was launched late Friday night from Virginia to the moon, a first for the state in the history of space exploration.


“Great view from Bayville, N.J.,” read one post. “Good job guys.” It was seen from what appeared to be a rooftop in the Bronx.

A brilliant arc above the tops of buildings was photographed in Fairfax.

Sightings were reported from Bethlehem, Pa., from Staunton, Va. and Duck, N.C.

Bill Anderson spotted it from his apartment house on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.


Those who spotted it often deployed the same or similar adjectives. They called it magnificent, awesome, spectacular. They described it as wonderful and amazing.

People gathered in spots near and far to see the first-of-its-kind  launch. These places included the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the District.

The rocket that launched the spacecraft was a five-stage Minotaur V, provided by Orbital Sciences, a Dulles-based company.


By 11:50 p.m. NASA reported the completion of a vital step: separating the spacecraft from the rocket.


At a 2 a.m. Saturday news briefing a NASA official said some “bugs” in the spacecraft needed to be “ironed out.”

But Pete Worden said NASA was “confident we can do so.”

Meanwhile, he said the spacecraft was indeed on its way to the moon, and on a “perfect trajectory.”And from all that was known on Saturday morning, he said, NASA was confident that the mission “will be” a success.

Plans call for the spacecraft to orbit the moon for 100 days on a science mission which includes collecting data on subjects such as the fragile, tenuous lunar atmosphere.

 Eventually, according to the plans, the spacecraft , its fuel expended, will spiral down to the lunar surface of the moon.

Before it gets to that point, intricate maneuvering is required of the spacecraft..


As it approaches the moon, it must perform still another critical maneuver. Its propulsion system must act once again.

This time , the spacecraft is to be delicately inserted into the first of its many orbits around the moon. Then comes a period of following a nearly circular orbit around the moon.

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