From their vantage point in cranes overlooking the Panama Canal, operators scrutinize the century-old walls of one of its locks as the high-pitched siren of a merchant ship resonates from nearby.

What time is liftoff? ULA's Atlas V should be visible outside of Florida pending weather. Did your city, state make the rocket launch visibility map?

The Panama Canal was an engineering marvel in the early 20 th century, and it remains vital to world trade and the supply chain today, especially for the United States.