Rocket Lab launch will be visible in New York if the weather is favorable: How to watch

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to spot a rocket due to launch from NASA’s Virginia base this weekend – a launch that, weather permitting, will be visible across New York State and the entire East Coast.

The agency announced that SpaceX competitor Rocket Lab will launch its Electron rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Saturday, March 11. The two-hour launch window for the 59-foot rocket starts at 6:00 PM.

NASA said if the sky is clear and the weather is favorable, skywatchers across the East Coast, including upstate New York, will be able to see the rocket light up the evening sky.

A map created by NASA shows the rocket will be visible to New Yorkers 90 to 180 seconds after the spacecraft lifts off, depending on where in the state skywatchers plan to watch the show. Look at the map (posted above) to see when you can see the rocket.

The Electron rocket lifts off from Wallops Island in Virginia as part of a mission dubbed Stronger Together, NASA said. The agency said the mission is part of a “special launch” for Capella Space, a satellite maker and earth observation company.

The launch will be broadcast live by Rocket Lab, according to NASA.

What are the chances that the weather will cooperate in New York State? The Syracuse area will be mostly cloudy Tuesday through Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.

But given this winter’s changeable weather, “mostly” cloudy may be the best New Yorkers can hope for.

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