Its lift off! Lithuania launches first ever space mission

  • 2014-01-08
  • From wire reports, VILNIUS

Lithuanians can vote which three words will be transmitted from space (photo: flickr)

The first Lithuanian satellites in history will be launched in to space on Jan. 9.

The Cygnus spacecraft will carry the first Lithuanian satellites LitSat-1 and LituanicaSat-1 to the International Space Station (ISS). The event is being hailed as Lithuania's first ever space mission.

It's projected the satellites will leave the ISS for the orbit in February. The LitSat-1 satellite was assembled by Kaunas University of Technology with the assistance of the assistance of the Lithuanian Space Association.

"The team is preparing for the start this evening. We hope that circumstances will not prevent the rocket from taking-off and the mission of LituanicaSAT-1 will finally begin and this day will enter the history books of Lithuanian science and technologies," said Laurynas Maciulis, head of the LituanicaSAT-1 mission.

Previous launches had been delayed due to weather conditions, NASA says. The Antares rocket will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island at seven minutes past eight in the evening. 

After the launch, the satellites will transmit the three Lithuanian words voted in by the nation.