Gallery: the successful launch of the Antares rocket

.related-stories { display: none !important; }

I am becoming acquainted with the personnel at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility after being here for the recent LADEE launch. Our tour bus is packed with new faces, some hailing from as far away as Italy. (Though I'm eventually led to believe that some key components of the Antares rocket were built in Italy.)

Orbital Sciences Corporation says this about its Antares rocket: "Designed to provide responsive, low-cost, and reliable access to space, Antares is a two-stage vehicle (with optional third stage) that provides low-Earth orbit (LEO) launch capability for payloads weighing over 5,000 kg (11,000+ lbs)." Antares has a liquid-fueled first stage powered by a modified Russian engine, coupled with a solid fueled second stage.