To every thing, there is a Season . .

. . and in the spirit of Crass Commercialism, the season of Commercial Spaceflight on the Atlantic Coast has commenced.

In this matter, that's a Good Thing.

Kudos!

Va. spaceport launches 1st rocket

By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 16, 10:50 AM ET

ATLANTIC, Va. - Spectators cheered as a rocket carrying two experimental satellites blasted off Saturday in the first launch from the mid-Atlantic region's commercial spaceport, creating a blazing streak across the sky just before sunrise.

The 69-foot Minotaur I rocket soared from the launch pad at 7 a.m., after teams spent the week resolving a software problem in one of the satellites that cause officials to scrubbed a liftoff planned for Monday.

"We can now confirm that both satellites are alive and kicking" in orbit, said Air Force Col. Samuel McCraw, the mission director. "It's still too early to know how they're doing, but both have woken up and started talking."

The rocket soared over the Atlantic Ocean against a pink-and-orange-streaked morning sky, drawing cheers from about 80 invited guests watching from a viewing site about a mile and a half from the commercial launch pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.
[Link to Yahoo News . . . ]