We woke up at 5am and went to Sandbridge Beach to watch the launch of a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station from Wallops Island, Virginia, 85 miles (135km) to the north-northeast. We were not disappointed...it was spectacular!
In this shot, the Antares rocket, carrying a Cygnus cargo spacecraft christened the S.S. Sally Ride, heads downrange, about 3 minutes into its flight. It is between 50,000 and 75,000 feet (15,240 - 22,860 meters). The lights on the horizon are ships on the Atlantic heading into Chesapeake Bay, destined for the ports in Norfolk and Baltimore.
You can watch the whole launch sequence on NASA's YouTube channel here: Launch of SS Sally Ride.
