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Antares rocket launches from Wallops Island

Posted at 6:11 PM, Apr 21, 2013
and last updated 2013-04-21 19:13:26-04

ATLANTIC, Va. (WTVR) -- The biggest rocket ever launched from Virginia blasted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore on Sunday around 5 p.m.

The test rocket for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, one of the two companies contracted by NASA to take supplies to the International Space Station, completed a successful launch after a few delays over three days.

The original launch of the Antares rocket planned for Thursday came to a halt after one of the cords on the second stage just prematurely disconnected. The launch was also scrubbed on Saturday because of strong upper-level winds.

The other company that will deliver supplies, SpaceX, completed its third trip to the International Space Station last month.