Antares/Cygnus take off

Orbital Sciences launched its unmanned Cygnus cargo ship on the company's first regular supply mission to the International Space Station. The liftoff of the Antares rocket carrying Cygnus was Thursday afternoon from Wallops Island, Va. Cygnus is due to dock at the ISS on Sunday, only the fifth mooring of a private vessel to the station. The first was SpaceX's Dragon in May 2012. The launch is Orbital's second trip to the ISS, following a successful demonstration launch in September. (Source: Space Travel, 01/09/14) Previous Gulf Coast note: The Antares AJ26 engines are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.