The @ulalaunch #AtlasV booster for @NASAInSight's Mars mission was recently lifted to vertical in preparation for the first interplanetary launch from the west coast on May 5.
What direction will the Atlas be launching to from Vanderberg? I believe all the previous Mars launches have been due east, to get the benefit of Earth's rotation.
Slightly OT perhaps, but why is this launching from Vandy? Why not FL? This is the first interplanetary launch from Vandy and that makes sense to me given that launching towards a pole or west doesn’t seem helpful to get to somewhere else in the solar system. So why is this one launching from Vandy?
In the early morning hours of May 5, millions of Californians will have an opportunity to witness a sight they have never seen before - the historic first interplanetary launch from America's West Coast. On board the 189-foot-tall (57.3-meter) United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will be NASA's InSight spacecraft, destined for the Elysium Planitia region located in Mars' northern hemisphere. The May 5 launch window for the InSight mission opens at 4:05 am PDT (7:05 EDT, 11:05 UTC) and remains open for two hours."If you live in Southern California and the weather is right, you'll probably have a better view of the launch than I will," said Tom Hoffman, project manager for NASA's InSight mission from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "I'll be stuck inside a control room looking at monitors -- which is not the best way to enjoy an Atlas 5 on its way to Mars."
This is probably a stupid question but: why Vandenberg? Sure, it's a light payload so it can be done but that's not a very good reasons to actually do it.Maybe this is ULA trying to balance its workforce between the coasts?
Quote from: DreamyPickle on 04/16/2018 10:58 pmThis is probably a stupid question but: why Vandenberg? Sure, it's a light payload so it can be done but that's not a very good reasons to actually do it.Maybe this is ULA trying to balance its workforce between the coasts?I asked the same thing in post 46 and got an answer in post 47. Less traffic from Vandy and so less chance of range conflicts.
#InSight and Mighty Atlas are together. Looking foward to a very unique Cinco De Mayo
Like a pea in a pod, I’m in my rocket’s protective nose cone. The nose cone was transported and placed atop the @ulalaunch #Atlas V rocket in preparation for my scheduled launch to #Mars on Cinco De Mayo, just seven days from today. go.nasa.gov/2w20vTJ