My understanding is you can get pretty close to these launches from public viewing areas, much closer than you ever could to a shuttle launch. Of course, it's no shuttle in terms of spectacle, but it's still pretty cool.
Here's an interesting factoid: The engines used in the Antares were originally built by Russia for the N-1 Moon Rocket. (which had, I think 30 on the first stage--they never could get them all to ignite at the same time, hence the launch failures). Aerojet bought a bunch of the rocket engines from Russia where they had been in storage after the program was cancelled, and refurb/modified them for use here. Orbital purchased the engines from Aerojet. The Russians could not duplicate the size engines used for the Saturn V rocket, so they were forced to use these much smaller ones, hence the 30 engines. Rocket history lesson concluded.
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