I believe this is the booster for this launch based on the timeline. The question is, why was this booster delivered by air (or by a C-5 instead), and not by sea? Anyone else see the irony in a RD-180 powered booster being delivered by an AN-124 to a US Air Force base?
Quote from: Targeteer on 11/26/2015 02:08 amI believe this is the booster for this launch based on the timeline. The question is, why was this booster delivered by air (or by a C-5 instead), and not by sea? Anyone else see the irony in a RD-180 powered booster being delivered by an AN-124 to a US Air Force base? Not the first time the AN-124 has been used. Won't be the last either.Probably a lot cheaper than sending the boat all the way around. Next west coast D-IV is already out there.
Is the Atlas V too big to be transport by road like the Falcon 9?
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 11/26/2015 07:34 amIs the Atlas V too big to be transport by road like the Falcon 9?CCB is shorter and skinnier than a Falcon 9 first stage, so there's no reason it could not be done unless there are highway obstructions on the routes.Air or water transport has long been the standard procedure for U.S. launch vehicle stages. The original Atlas/Titan/Thor/Jupiter stages were missiles that were required to be air-transportable. - Ed Kyle
Quote from: edkyle99 on 11/26/2015 06:48 pmQuote from: Zed_Noir on 11/26/2015 07:34 amIs the Atlas V too big to be transport by road like the Falcon 9?CCB is shorter and skinnier than a Falcon 9 first stage, so there's no reason it could not be done unless there are highway obstructions on the routes.Air or water transport has long been the standard procedure for U.S. launch vehicle stages. The original Atlas/Titan/Thor/Jupiter stages were missiles that were required to be air-transportable. - Ed KyleAtlas V core is 3.81m, which is wider than the F9 (just 15cm or so). But the true question is if it was designed for read transport. The F9 core doesn't rest the whole length over a transport, so it sort of carries itself. I haven't seen this arrangement for the Atlas V cores, specially for the rigors of a cross country road trip.
Jim Green: InSight will not launch before March 18. (Also said launch window pushes into April.) #AGU15
Q from @erichand: Will you launch in 26 mos, or will you have to cancel? Grunsfeld: as a cost-capped mission, cancellation is on the table.
Ugh....QuoteQ from @erichand: Will you launch in 26 mos, or will you have to cancel? Grunsfeld: as a cost-capped mission, cancellation is on the table.https://twitter.com/elakdawalla/status/679403845240283136
Now that InSight has been delayed until the next window, 2 years from now(?) - what will happen with the Atlas V? It is already at VAFB, so will it be used for the next flight after that, or put in storage?