Author Topic: Pegasus-XL - ICON - Cape Canaveral - October 10/11, 2019 (Read 118272 times)

Rondaz · « **Reply #120 on:** 11/05/2018 10:31 pm »

Launch Week Begins for ICON

Anna Heiney Posted on November 5, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman will hold a Launch Readiness Review at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9 a.m. EST Tuesday, Nov. 6, to ensure preparations are on track for launch of NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite.

ICON is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Nov. 7, by Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket, which will be carried aloft by the company’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft taking off from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 90-minute launch window opens at 3 a.m., with a targeted release at 3:05 a.m. Ignition of the Pegasus XL rocket occurs five seconds after release from the Stargazer.

ICON is designed to study the dynamic zone high in the atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather from above.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/05/launch-week-begins-for-icon/

Rondaz · « **Reply #121 on:** 11/06/2018 06:44 pm »

Launch Readiness Review Completed for ICON

Bob Granath Posted on November 6, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman completed their Launch Readiness Review on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There are no technical issues being worked at this time. NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, satellite mission is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Nov. 7, by Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket, which will be carried aloft by the company’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft taking off from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The 90-minute launch window opens at 3 a.m. EST, with a targeted release at 3:05 a.m. Ignition of the Pegasus XL rocket occurs five seconds after release from the Stargazer.

The official weather forecast calls for a 90 percent chance for favorable conditions for launch. The primary launch weather concerns are cumulous clouds.

ICON is designed to study the dynamic zone high in the atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather from above.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/06/launch-readiness-review-completed-for-icon/

catdlr · « **Reply #122 on:** 11/07/2018 05:02 am »

Tour the Plane Giving NASA’s ICON a Ride to Space

NASA Goddard
Published on Nov 6, 2018

Early in the morning of Nov. 7, 2018, NASA launches the Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, a spacecraft that will explore the dynamic region where Earth meets space. ICON launches on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which is carried aloft by the Stargazer L-1011 aircraft.

Join NASA on a behind-the-scenes tour of this plane, once a jet airliner and now uniquely retrofitted to boost spacecraft into low-Earth orbit. Learn about ICON’s science and meet the people — including an engineer, technician, and pilot — who will help launch the spacecraft into orbit.

CREDITS:
Scott England (Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Berkeley): Talent
Edward Dunlap (Northrop Grumman): Talent
Jim Stowers (Northrop Grumman): Talent
Don Walter (Northrop Grumman): Talent
Karen Fox (ASI): Host
Glenn Benson (ASRC Federal Data Solutions): Videographer
Francis Michaux (ASRC Federal Data Solutions): Videographer
Joy Ng (USRA): Editor
Sarah Frazier (ADNET Systems Inc.): Producer
Kathalina Tran (Wyle Information Systems): Producer
Michael Justice (ASRC Federal Data Solutions): Support
Amber Jean Watson (Abacus Technology Corporation): Support

This video is public domain and along with other supporting visualizations can be downloaded from the Scientific Visualization Studio at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13106

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #123 on:** 11/07/2018 06:32 am »

They have two attempts at launch today.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #124 on:** 11/07/2018 06:33 am »

The launch button!

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #125 on:** 11/07/2018 06:42 am »

Damn! Sorry to hear.

Explains this:

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #126 on:** 11/07/2018 06:45 am »

And now a ticker.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #127 on:** 11/07/2018 06:45 am »

Confirmation of scrub.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #128 on:** 11/07/2018 06:48 am »

https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1060075026366504960

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #129 on:** 11/07/2018 06:54 am »

Article:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/11/nasas-icon-launch-ngis-pegasus-xl-rocket/

- by Chris Gebhardt.

eeergo · « **Reply #130 on:** 11/07/2018 09:13 am »

SFN reports the delays so far have been due to:

* 2017-2018: Mishandling of rocket motors + cutters for fairing and spacecraft adapter.
* June-October: Rudder fin actuator problems.
* October-November: GPS receiver used during the Pegasus drop gets signal but displays error during ferry flight.

Has any of these glitches reocurred, possibly the one with the GPS receiver?

Rondaz · « **Reply #131 on:** 11/07/2018 12:19 pm »

Stargazer Aircraft Airborne with Pegasus XL, ICON Satellite

Bob Granath Posted on November 7, 2018

The Northrop Grumman L-1011 Stargazer aircraft carrying a Pegasus XL Rocket with NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, satellite is airborne after taking off from the Skid Strip runway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Northrop Grumman produces the Pegasus XL, a small expendable rocket that attaches beneath the Stargazer aircraft and is carried to 39,000 feet to be released for launch. It is the only airborne-launched rocket.

The Pegasus XL can carry a payload up to 992 pounds to low-Earth orbit. The rocket weighs about 51,000 pounds and measures 55.4 feet in length and 50 inches in diameter. Pegasus has a wing span of 22 feet

With the Stargazer aircraft flying over the Atlantic Ocean about 50 miles offshore from Daytona Beach Florida, the Pegasus rocket will be released. Five seconds later, the solid propellant engine will ignite and boost the ICON satellite to orbit.

Did you know!

The L-1011 Stargazer is a mobile launch platform and the only one of its kind in the world.

The 90-minute launch window opens at 3 a.m. EST, with a targeted release at 3:05 a.m. EST about 50 miles east of Daytona Beach, Florida. Ignition of the Pegasus XL rocket occurs five seconds after release from the Stargazer.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/07/stargazer-aircraft-airborne-with-pegasus-xl-icon-satellite/

Rondaz · « **Reply #132 on:** 11/07/2018 12:20 pm »

ICON Launch Update

Bob Granath Posted on November 7, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman have postponed today’s launch attempt of NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission due to off-nominal data observed on the Pegasus XL rocket, during the captive carry flight. The L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft returned to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and the team will begin an investigation into the issue. The ICON spacecraft remains healthy. The team is evaluating the next launch attempt.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/07/icon-launch-update/

Rondaz · « **Reply #133 on:** 11/08/2018 01:19 pm »

ICON Launch Update

Bob Granath Posted on November 8, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman have postponed the Nov. 7 launch attempt of NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission due to off-nominal data observed on the Pegasus XL rocket, during the captive carry flight. The L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft returned to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and the team will begin an investigation into the issue. The ICON spacecraft remains healthy. The team is evaluating the next launch attempt.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2018/11/08/icon-launch-update/

MattBaker · « **Reply #134 on:** 11/08/2018 02:50 pm »

Are there any restrictions on a launch window like there were when it was originally supposed to be flown out of Kwajalein? Or now that it's at the Cape whenever things are ready to go they'll set a new date X days away and go?

And would the Range have any problems with for example launching a Falcon 9 in the afternoon and then the Pegasus the same night? Then again there isn't a whole lot scheduled at the Cape for the rest of the year, so even if you'd want a gap it wouldn't be all too hard.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #135 on:** 11/08/2018 04:23 pm »

Cross-post; ER is not as open as may initially appear:

Quote from: Salo on 11/08/2018 09:44 am

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/06/pegasus-xl-icon-mission-status-center/
Quote
11/08/2018 03:37

NASA and Northrop Grumman are not expected to attempt a launch of the Pegasus rocket Thursday, as officials continue evaluating pesky problems plaguing the launcher after an aborted try to send NASA's ICON ionospheric probe into orbit early this morning.

A new launch date has not been determined, but the availability of the Air Force's Eastern Range to support the mission is in question the next few days.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set for a static fire attempt at the Kennedy Space Center as soon as Sunday, followed by a launch no earlier than Nov. 15 carrying a commercial communications satellite.

That mission, coupled with other maintenance activity on the range, could be problematic for NASA and Northrop Grumman managers to find an opening for a launch attempt in the coming days, assuming the Pegasus is cleared for flight.

Rondaz · « **Reply #136 on:** 11/09/2018 09:03 pm »

ICON Launch Update

Bob Granath Posted on November 9, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman are continuing to investigate the off-nominal data observed during the Pegasus XL rocket’s Nov. 7 launch attempt for the agency’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission. The next launch attempt will be evaluated once the investigation is complete. The ICON spacecraft remains healthy.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/09/icon-launch-update-2/

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #137 on:** 11/15/2018 03:21 pm »

What is now a word going around, starting in L2, but more since.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1063104184793337856

Kim Keller · « **Reply #138 on:** 11/15/2018 07:24 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 11/15/2018 03:21 pm

What is now a word going around, starting in L2, but more since.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1063104184793337856

ICON cannot reach its target orbit from the west coast.

Skyrocket · « **Reply #139 on:** 11/15/2018 11:23 pm »

Quote from: Kim Keller on 11/15/2018 07:24 pm

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 11/15/2018 03:21 pm
What is now a word going around, starting in L2, but more since.

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1063104184793337856

ICON cannot reach its target orbit from the west coast.

Yes, the launch site has to be either Kwajalein or Cape Canaveral.