LIVE: Delta II - GRAIL - September 10, 2011

[Prober]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 
 

[Jim]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 

Tarps aren't needed.  If you can survive one Tstorm, you can survive many. 

The vehicle is at the pad early because DMCO was shut down to save money.

There wouldn't be any NASA documentation, the MST's were built in the late 50's for the USAF

[jacqmans]

Spacecraft: GRAIL (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7920 Heavy
Launch Site:  Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad:  Space Launch Complex 17B
Launch Date:  Sept. 8, 2011
Launch Time: 8:37:06 a.m. EDT and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT

At Astrotech, cruise phase and science system functional checks of the
GRAIL spacecraft are finished. A lunar orbit insertion test also has
been successfully completed. GRAIL is to be moved to a hazardous
processing facility on Aug. 1 to begin preparations for fueling.

At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the Delta II first and second
stage control system checks are now complete. The next major activity
will be cryogenic flow testing on July 21. The first stage will be
filled with liquid oxygen to check for leaks, and this also will
serve as a launch team certification.

GRAIL's primary science objectives will be to determine the structure
of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance
understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.

[edkyle99]

If you like nozzles, you probably like Delta II. 

 - Ed Kyle

[kch]

If you like nozzles, you probably like Delta II. 

 - Ed Kyle

Nozzles are cool. 

[Art LeBrun]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 
 

Google HAER LC-17................

[baldusi]

First time I notice, but the three solids that light during ascent have a vacuum optimized nozzle, right?

[edkyle99]

First time I notice, but the three solids that light during ascent have a vacuum optimized nozzle, right?

That's right.  The air-lit motors have "lengthened" nozzles. 

Since this is a "Heavy", it uses the larger GEM-46 Delta III solids.  For Delta III, three of the ground lit nozzles were steerable.  I can't remember off the top of my head if that is true for the Delta II Heavy setup.  If so, then we have 12 nozzles total at the base of this rocket, with five different types of nozzles (take that Elon Musk with your only nine nozzle rocket!  ).  That includes the RS-27A main engine and its two vernier roll steering chambers.

 - Ed Kyle

[Jim]

No steering for Delta IIH SRM's

[edkyle99]

No steering for Delta IIH SRM's

O.K.  Thanks for that info!  So 12 nozzles total with four different types at the base of the rocket

 - Ed Kyle

[Art LeBrun]

No steering for Delta IIH SRM's

O.K.  Thanks for that info!  So 12 nozzles total with four different types at the base of the rocket

 - Ed Kyle

12 nozzles - not bad. 38% of the total Soyuz nozzles 

[jacqmans]

Spacecraft: GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7920 Heavy
Launch Site:  Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad:  Space Launch Complex 17B
Launch Date:  Sept. 8, 2011
Launch Time: 8:37:06 a.m. EDT and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT

At Astrotech, a science system verification test was performed on
GRAIL-A. Cruise spacecraft system functional testing has resumed on
GRAIL-B.

The spacecraft are to be moved to a hazardous processing facility on
July 29 to begin preparations for fueling. Loading of the propellants
is scheduled for Aug. 2-3.

At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, cryogenic flow testing on the
Delta II rocket was conducted on July 21. The first stage was filled
with liquid oxygen to check for leaks, and this also served as a
launch team certification.

GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of
the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding
of the thermal evolution of the moon.

[jacqmans]

RELEASE: 11-244

NASA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH TWEETUP FOR GRAIL MOON MISSION

WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a two-day launch Tweetup for 150 of its
Twitter followers on Sept. 7-8 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center
in Florida. The Tweetup is expected to culminate in the launch of the
twin lunar-bound GRAIL spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The launch window opens at 8:37 a.m. EDT on Sept. 8. The two GRAIL
spacecraft will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several
months to measure its gravity field, from its crust to core, in
unprecedented detail. The mission also will answer longstanding
questions about the moon and provide scientists with a better
understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar
system formed.

The Tweetup will provide NASA's Twitter followers with the opportunity
to tour the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex; speak with
scientists and engineers from GRAIL and other upcoming missions; and,
if all goes as scheduled, view the spacecraft launch. The event also
will provide participants the opportunity to meet fellow tweeps and
members of NASA's social media team.

2011 is one of the busiest ever in planetary exploration; GRAIL's
liftoff is the third of four space missions launching this year under
the management of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif.

Aquarius launched June 10 to study ocean salinity; Juno will launch
Aug. 5 to study the origins and interior of Jupiter; and the Mars
Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover heads to the Red Planet no earlier
than Nov. 25.

Tweetup registration opens at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, and closes
at noon on Thursday, July 28. NASA will randomly select 150
participants from online registrations.

For more information and rules about the Tweetup and registration,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup

To follow NASA on Twitter, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/NASA

For information about more ways to connect and collaborate with NASA,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect

GRAIL's principal investigator is Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission. For more information about
GRAIL, visit:

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/grail 

http://moon.mit.edu/ 

[jsmjr]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 

Tarps aren't needed.  If you can survive one Tstorm, you can survive many. 

The vehicle is at the pad early because DMCO was shut down to save money.

There wouldn't be any NASA documentation, the MST's were built in the late 50's for the USAF

Just catching up on this, but now I can see why the Juno NASAtweetup folks are going to Pad 17B -- it's a twofer, and we'll get to see a second science mission rocket on the pad (including Atlas-Juno).  Can't wait for Thursday!

[Prober]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 

Tarps aren't needed.  If you can survive one Tstorm, you can survive many. 

The vehicle is at the pad early because DMCO was shut down to save money.

There wouldn't be any NASA documentation, the MST's were built in the late 50's for the USAF

Just catching up on this, but now I can see why the Juno NASAtweetup folks are going to Pad 17B -- it's a twofer, and we'll get to see a second science mission rocket on the pad (including Atlas-Juno).  Can't wait for Thursday!

How close are you allowed to get?  Was under the impression Pad17 area was off limits.

[jsmjr]

I hope the Delta II has a ton of tarps etc for protection from the storms.
 
This might be a poor question, but why is the Delta II on the pad months before the launch?   
 
What is the name of the program or manual for the moving platform?  I tried to search the NASA site looking for Gantry, moving Gantry or several other terms.  I found some on Moon related programs but none for Atlas or Delta.
 

Tarps aren't needed.  If you can survive one Tstorm, you can survive many. 

The vehicle is at the pad early because DMCO was shut down to save money.

There wouldn't be any NASA documentation, the MST's were built in the late 50's for the USAF

Just catching up on this, but now I can see why the Juno NASAtweetup folks are going to Pad 17B -- it's a twofer, and we'll get to see a second science mission rocket on the pad (including Atlas-Juno).  Can't wait for Thursday!

How close are you allowed to get?  Was under the impression Pad17 area was off limits.

We'll see on Thurday.  I promise to check back in with any photos or info I can get.

[jacqmans]

Spacecraft: GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7920 Heavy
Launch Site:  Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad:  Space Launch Complex 17B
Launch Date:  Sept. 8, 2011
Launch Times: 8:37:06 a.m. and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT

At Astrotech, a solar array illumination test successfully was
performed on GRAIL A and on GRAIL B on July 28. The spacecraft were
moved to a hazardous processing facility July 30 to begin
preparations for fueling. Loading of the propellants into the two
spacecraft is scheduled for Aug. 2-3.

At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the Delta II successfully
completed the Combined Systems Test on July 27. This is a simulated
flight of the rocket.

GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of
the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding
of the thermal evolution of the moon.

[jsmjr]

RELEASE: 11-244

NASA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH TWEETUP FOR GRAIL MOON MISSION

FWIW, NASA social media tells me tweetup people will view the GRAIL launch from Kars Park across the Banana River:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=10339432347974524065

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M28-11

NASA OFFERS MEDIA ACCESS TO LUNAR-BOUND SPACECRAFT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's GRAIL spacecraft, scheduled to launch
to the moon in September, will be the focus of a media opportunity on
Thursday, Aug. 11, at 9:30 a.m. EDT at the Astrotech Space Operations
facility in Titusville, Fla. The event is an opportunity to
photograph the two GRAIL spacecraft and interview project and launch
program officials.

GRAIL, short for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, will be
seen just prior to being transported to NASA's Pad 17-B at nearby
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and attached to the United Launch
Alliance Delta II 7920-H expendable launch vehicle rocket.

The spacecraft's primary science objectives are to determine the
structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance
understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.

For the event, U.S. news media representatives may proceed directly to
Astrotech located in the Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515
Chaffee Drive, Titusville. Access through the gate will start at 9:30
a.m. The event begins at 9:45 a.m.

Media identification and government photo identification, such as a
driver's license or passport, will be required for access to
Astrotech. Journalists who are foreign nationals may attend only if
they possess a permanently issued NASA media accreditation picture
badge from the Kennedy Space Center, or a Kennedy issued white badge
with an affixed green dot.

Media should call Kennedy's update phone line at 321-867-2525 on
Wednesday evening to assure the status of the event has not changed.

For the media event, procedures for optically sensitive spacecraft
must be followed by individuals entering the cleanroom where the
spacecraft is being prepared for launch. Full cleanroom attire (bunny
suits) must be worn and will be furnished. Please do not wear
perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants and closed-toe shoes must be
worn, no shorts or skirts.

Photographers will need to clean camera equipment under the
supervision of contamination-control specialists. All camera
equipment must be self-contained; no portable lights can be allowed.
Non-essential equipment such as suede, leather or vinyl camera bags
or other carrying cases must be left outside the cleanroom. No
notebook paper, pencils or conventional pens are permitted; special
pens and cleanroom paper will be provided. No food, tobacco, chewing
gum, lighters, matches or pocketknives will be allowed.

Flash photography cannot be permitted. There is adequate metal halide
lighting in the facility for photography (white with slight green
cast; suggested exposure for ISO-ASA 400 is 1/30 sec. at f/5.6). Use
of wireless microphones and cellular telephones are not allowed
inside the cleanroom.

Project management for GRAIL is the responsibility of NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The mission is led by the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass. The
launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy
Space Center. Spokespersons from JPL, spacecraft builder Lockheed
Martin, and the Launch Services Program will be available for
questions and interviews.

For more information about the GRAIL mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/grail

[Prober]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M28-11

NASA OFFERS MEDIA ACCESS TO LUNAR-BOUND SPACECRAFT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's GRAIL spacecraft, scheduled to launch
to the moon in September, will be the focus of a media opportunity on
Thursday, Aug. 11, at 9:30 a.m. EDT at the Astrotech Space Operations
facility in Titusville, Fla. The event is an opportunity to
photograph the two GRAIL spacecraft and interview project and launch
program officials.

GRAIL, short for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, will be
seen just prior to being transported to NASA's Pad 17-B at nearby
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and attached to the United Launch
Alliance Delta II 7920-H expendable launch vehicle rocket.

The spacecraft's primary science objectives are to determine the
structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance
understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.

For the event, U.S. news media representatives may proceed directly to
Astrotech located in the Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515
Chaffee Drive, Titusville. Access through the gate will start at 9:30
a.m. The event begins at 9:45 a.m.

Media identification and government photo identification, such as a
driver's license or passport, will be required for access to
Astrotech. Journalists who are foreign nationals may attend only if
they possess a permanently issued NASA media accreditation picture
badge from the Kennedy Space Center, or a Kennedy issued white badge
with an affixed green dot.

Media should call Kennedy's update phone line at 321-867-2525 on
Wednesday evening to assure the status of the event has not changed.

For the media event, procedures for optically sensitive spacecraft
must be followed by individuals entering the cleanroom where the
spacecraft is being prepared for launch. Full cleanroom attire (bunny
suits) must be worn and will be furnished. Please do not wear
perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants and closed-toe shoes must be
worn, no shorts or skirts.

Photographers will need to clean camera equipment under the
supervision of contamination-control specialists. All camera
equipment must be self-contained; no portable lights can be allowed.
Non-essential equipment such as suede, leather or vinyl camera bags
or other carrying cases must be left outside the cleanroom. No
notebook paper, pencils or conventional pens are permitted; special
pens and cleanroom paper will be provided. No food, tobacco, chewing
gum, lighters, matches or pocketknives will be allowed.

Flash photography cannot be permitted. There is adequate metal halide
lighting in the facility for photography (white with slight green
cast; suggested exposure for ISO-ASA 400 is 1/30 sec. at f/5.6). Use
of wireless microphones and cellular telephones are not allowed
inside the cleanroom.

Project management for GRAIL is the responsibility of NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The mission is led by the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass. The
launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy
Space Center. Spokespersons from JPL, spacecraft builder Lockheed
Martin, and the Launch Services Program will be available for
questions and interviews.

For more information about the GRAIL mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/grail

Wow wish I could do this., would be worth the trip.