A NASA rocket that launched into orbit Tuesday was expected to be visible to New York City and the surrounding suburbs -- and no one had to get up too early to catch it.
The space agency's Northrop Grumman’s Minotaur 1 rocket was scheduled to lift off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Weather permitting, NASA said the launch could be seen from across the mid-Atlantic region and much of the East Coast.
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Tri-state residents could expect to see the rocket between 30 and 60 seconds following takeoff, NASA said.
"Get up early June 15, grab a cup of coffee and watch the rise of Northrop Grumman’s Minotaur 1 rocket as it’s launched into space from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia," NASA's website says.
The mission, dubbed NROL-111, is carrying three national security payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office.
A livestream also carried the launch.
