Virginia Rocket Launch Scrubbed in Final Minutes

The launch of a rocket scheduled to blast off from the Virginia coastline Wednesday has been temporarily scrubbed, according to the company that designed and operates the spacecraft.

A statement from Orbital Sciences said that the mission was put on hold 12 minutes before the planned launch due to the loss of an umbilical cord attached to the rocket's second stage.

"The Antares team is gathering more information and will make the call on when we will make our next attempt," the company tweeted.

Orbital Sciences said the next attempt would probably come at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 19.

The launch was expected to be visible from Maryland and much of the Mid-Atlantic region.

When it does eventually launch, the rocket will carry a four-ton dummy payload simulating a Cygnus space capsule, which is designed to resupply the International Space Station.