NASA’s Wallops Island hosts rocket launch tonight

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - For all of you space/rocket launch lovers, we’ve got a mission for you to see. Tonight’s clear skies will provide many Eastern North Carolinians with a gorgeous view of the “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” mission. The launch is set for 6 p.m. EST at NASA’s Wallops Island Facility. The mission will be carried out on an Electron rocket that will be visible across ENC (look to the north-northeast). Areas near the Albemarle Sound will have the best view.

HawkEye 360, a radio frequency geospatial analytics provider, is the company that has contracted this and two other launches from the NASA’s Virginia launch location. The mission is to deploy three satellites that will help provide more accurate geolocation of radio emissions across the globe. The other two mission launches are being tentatively scheduled for late 2023 and 2024. Fifteen satellites are being sent up to low earth orbit by HawkEye 360 to accomplish their geolocation accuracy goals.

A livestream of the launch can be found here.