How to Launch a Rocket in Mid-Air

At 12:00 p.m. EDT today a small rocket made by Orbital Sciences launched a NASA telescope into orbit. While there is nothing unusual about a rocket launching into orbit, the location of today's lift-off was a bit different than the typical launch pad. The relatively short, 55-foot-long Pegasus rocket was launched from a spot almost eight miles above the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia.