Orbital:The Antares team has identified the cause of the early disconnect and developed a go-forward plan. Keeping a close watch on Fri. weather.We are going to get an update on Wx 4 pm EDT, and expect to make a final decision on a Friday launch attempt before 5 pm today.
One of the range radar aircraft had to declare an emergency and land in NY - range is trying to make up with a large USCG Cutter's surveillance radar, but it's another threat.
That sounds very much like what Kim heard before leaving last night!
So if they go with Friday, do we get a new live launch day thread?
That sounds very much like what Kim heard before leaving last night! Here's the full release:...During the initial countdown on April 17, with 12 minutes left in the count, flight controllers saw that an umbilical providing data, which connects the Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) to the upper stage of the Antares rocket, became disconnected prior to the planned disconnect time. The team determined the cause was a combination of slight hydraulic movement of the TEL and not enough slack left in the umbilical to allow for any additional or unplanned movement. Neither issue alone would have caused the umbilical disconnect, however, the combination resulted in the anomaly. Small adjustments are being made early today to both the hydraulics on the TEL and to the umbilical.
I'm hearing Friday's weather carries a 90% POV, so look for a Saturday attempt, I'd think.
The team determined the cause was a combination of slight hydraulic movement of the TEL and not enough slack left in the umbilical to allow for any additional or unplanned movement. Neither issue alone would have caused the umbilical disconnect, however, the combination resulted in the anomaly. Small adjustments are being made early today to both the hydraulics on the TEL and to the umbilical.
Does anyone "in the know" (Kim? Antonio?) know if this was a leak-down issue (pump off, oil bleeding by a valve) or a control issue (pump on, servo commanded to zero flow, but actually not quite perfectly zeroed)?