NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => ULA - Delta, Atlas, Vulcan => Topic started by: Chris Bergin on 05/01/2008 08:37 pm
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NASA to Launch GRAIL Satellite on United Launch Alliance Delta II in 2011
Denver, Colo., (May 1, 2008) – NASA has designated the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to fly aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket. The launch will be provided under terms of a launch service agreement procured previously by NASA for this vehicle. The liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in the third quarter of 2011.
Part of NASA's Discovery Program, GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission will also answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon and provide scientists a better understanding of how the Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
“We are pleased this unique mission to study the moon will launch on a Delta II Heavy vehicle,” said Michael Gass, ULA president and chief executive officer. “Delta II is an exceptional product that provides the most cost effective assured access to space for medium class payloads. Delta II has served NASA’s science community superbly for decades and will continue to serve our nation for many years to come.”
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will manage the GRAIL mission, and Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver, Colo., will build the spacecraft. Scientists will use the gravity field information from the two satellites to X-ray the moon from crust to core to reveal the moon's subsurface structures and, indirectly, its thermal history.
“The Delta II’s record of mission success is unprecedented as a space launch vehicle for NASA, the Air Force and commercial missions,” said Rick Navarro, ULA Delta II program director. “We are committed to the medium market for the long-term and our current program transformation will continue to position the Delta II as the leader in this market.”
Since 1997, the Delta II record of success is unparalleled in the industry. There are 15 launches currently manifest for the Delta II over the next four years.
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo., supported by transition employees in Huntington Beach, Calif. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Texas, San Diego, Calif., and Denver, Colo. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
For more information on the ULA joint venture, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321).
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Interesting. Late 2011. Everything else could be cheap talk, but Delta has died once already in the early 1980ies.
Analyst
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Analyst - 2/5/2008 2:20 PM
Interesting. Late 2011. Everything else could be cheap talk, but Delta has died once already in the early 1980ies.
Analyst
In this case, it is de facto not a new launch contract, but a old one assigned a new payload. The Delta-IIH was earlier ordered for the LRO mission, which was moved to an Atlas-V launch vehicle.
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First stage of the Delta II has been lifted:
http://twitpic.com/photos/NASAKennedy
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Since no-one else has posted it, launch is currently showing as Sept 8, 2011 with lift-off nominally 8:35 am EDT (window 8:35 to 9:14 am EDT).
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Spacecraft: GRAIL (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II Heavy
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: 17-B
Launch Date: Sept. 8, 2011
Launch Time: 8:35:52 a.m. EDT and 9:14:35 a.m. EDT
The Delta II first stage was hoisted into the launcher at Pad 17-B on
April 7. Tentatively planned for next week, the nine solid rocket
boosters will be lifted and attached to the first stage in sets of
three. The second stage is currently scheduled to be hoisted atop the
first stage on May 10.
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Spacecraft: GRAIL (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 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 NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the final set of three solid
rocket boosters was mated to the Delta II this week. All nine of the
boosters now are attached to the first stage of the rocket. The
second stage currently is scheduled to be hoisted atop the first
stage on May 10. The payload fairing then will be raised into the
white room of the mobile service tower on May 12. The launch vehicle
electrical, mechanical and propulsion system testing will begin on
May 20.
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.
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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. and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the second stage was hoisted atop
the first stage of the Delta II rocket on May 10. The payload fairing
is being raised into the white room of the mobile service tower
today. The launch vehicle electrical, mechanical and propulsion
system testing will begin on May 20. The solid rocket motor thruster
installation and alignment has been completed.
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.
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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. and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT
The GRAIL spacecraft is scheduled to arrive by Air Force C-17 cargo
plane on May 20. It is being shipped from the Lockheed Martin plant
in Denver, Colo.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, with the Delta II fully stacked on
the launch pad, prelaunch testing of the rocket begins on May 20.
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.
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Lockheed Martin Ships Twin GRAIL Spacecraft to Launch Site
23-May-2011 3:58 PM
DENVER, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft were delivered by its builder Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) to Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on May 20. The two vehicles will undergo four months of final testing and processing in preparation for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy launch vehicle in early September.
PHOTOS: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2011/0523_ss_grail.html
The lunar orbiters will fly 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface of the moon in precision formation to determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.
"It has taken a great deal of dedication and hard work from the entire team to bring us to this moment," said John Henk, GRAIL program manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Building two spacecraft simultaneously brought some challenges, but I'm proud that we are delivering them to the launch site on schedule and under budget."
"It has taken a great deal of dedication and hard work from the entire team to build two spacecraft simultaneously and achieve this delivery milestone on schedule and under budget," said John Henk, GRAIL program manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "We look forward to preparing for launch and achieving total mission success on this important program."
Both of the 440-pound (200 kilograms) spacecraft were transported on an Air Force C-17 transport plane in an environmentally controlled container. The plane departed from Buckley Air Force Base near Denver and touched down at 7:40 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. The spacecraft were then transported to Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., for final launch processing.
The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will fly nearly-identical spacecraft in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission will also answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon, and provide scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL mission. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, is home to the mission's principal investigator Dr. Maria Zuber. The GRAIL mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
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News release: 2011-153 May 23, 2011
NASA's Twin Craft Arrive in Florida for Moon Mission
The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-153&cid=release_2011-153
PASADENA, Calif. - NASA's twin lunar probes have arrived in Florida to begin final preparations for a launch in late summer. The two Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory spacecraft (Grail) were shipped from Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, to the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Fla., Friday, May 20. NASA's dynamic duo will orbit the moon to determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.
"NASA's lunar twins have arrived at Cape Canaveral," said Maria Zuber, Grail’s principal investigator, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge. "We're only a few full moons away from a mission that will reveal clues not only into the history of the moon and Earth, but will provide important data for future lunar exploration."
The Grail twins, known as Grail-A and Grail-B, were removed from their shipping containers Monday, May 23. Later this week, they will begin functional testing to verify their state of health after their ride on an Air Force transport jet from Colorado. Over the next four months at the Astrotech facility, the spacecraft will undergo final testing, fueling and packaging in the shroud that will protect them as the Delta II launch vehicle lifts them into space. The spacecraft will then be transported to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for installation atop the rocket that will carry them toward the moon.
Grail will be carried into space aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket lifting off from Launch Complex-19 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch period opens Sept. 8, 2011, and extends through Oct. 19. For a Sept. 8 liftoff, the launch window opens at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT) and remains open through 6:16 a.m. PDT (9:16 a.m. EDT).
Grail-A and Grail-B will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission will also answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon, and provide scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Grail mission. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, is home to the mission's principal investigator, Maria Zuber. The Grail mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information about Grail is online at: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/grail
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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
GRAIL arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility by Air Force C-17 cargo
plane on May 20 from the Lockheed Martin plant in Denver, Colo. After
offloading, it was transported to the Astrotech payload processing
facility located near Kennedy Space Center. The pair of spacecraft
was then placed on individual test stands. End-to-end communications
system testing now is under way with the Deep Space Network. Solar
array inspections now also are occurring.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, with the Delta II fully stacked on
the launch pad, prelaunch testing of the rocket began on May 20.
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.
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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
GRAIL spacecraft functional testing is under way. End-to-end
communications system testing is being conducted with the Deep Space
Network. Installation of thermal blankets is also in work.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, prelaunch testing of the rocket
began on May 20. A major powered-on test of the first and second
stage hydraulic systems was completed successfully May 23-25. The
Delta II launch team is now at NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 at
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California performing pre-launch testing
for the Aquarius/SAC-B launch. The next major launch vehicle test at
Cape Canaveral for GRAIL will be first stage propulsion and pneumatic
system functional checks which are scheduled to begin June 15.
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.
-
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, GRAIL spacecraft functional testing is complete. The
flight batteries were installed June 14. The spacecraft's solar
arrays were attached June 15. Installation of thermal blankets
continues.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the first stage propulsion and
pneumatic system functional checks began on June 15. Electrical and
hydraulic checkout of the rocket will begin June 22. This will be
followed on June 27 by functional checks of the second stage
propulsion and pneumatic systems.
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.
-
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, the deployment test of the GRAIL solar arrays was
conducted June 18.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the first stage propulsion and
pneumatic system functional checks are under way. Electrical and
hydraulic checkout of the rocket began Wednesday. This will be
followed on June 27 by functional checks of the second stage
propulsion and pneumatic systems.
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.
-
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, the deployment test of the GRAIL solar arrays was
conducted June 18.
At NASA's Space Launch Complex 17B, the first stage propulsion and
pneumatic system functional checks are under way. Electrical and
hydraulic checkout of the rocket began Wednesday. This will be
followed on June 27 by functional checks of the second stage
propulsion and pneumatic systems.
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.
Been researching Delta II's from complex 17. Not clear where the launch control is located. iS area 55 on the base the joint ULA control?
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The OB (Operations Building) on Phillips Parkway, north of the old LOX plant
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The OB (Operations Building) on Phillips Parkway, north of the old LOX plant
Thx Jim
Since this is the last Delta II from the Cape, is anyone documenting (video) the assembly etc. Would be great to have. I did a lot of digging to find the old assembly hanger on this. Seems a lot of the Delta II history is locked in AF.
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Since this is the last Delta II from the Cape, is anyone documenting (video) the assembly etc. Would be great to have. I did a lot of digging to find the old assembly hanger on this. Seems a lot of the Delta II history is locked in AF.
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm and search on GRAIL.
Delta II doesn't use Hangar AF. It uses Hangar M.
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Since this is the last Delta II from the Cape, is anyone documenting (video) the assembly etc. Would be great to have. I did a lot of digging to find the old assembly hanger on this. Seems a lot of the Delta II history is locked in AF.
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm and search on GRAIL.
Delta II doesn't use Hangar AF. It uses Hangar M.
Great video on Grail......I'm hoping the Delta II is documented. You misunderstood I said AF=Air Force, should have said USAF. They still using hanger M for this last mission? Thought it was shut down.
Jim give a thumbs up to whom ever is doing the docs on this. It's like eye candy !!!
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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.
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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
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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.
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If you like nozzles, you probably like Delta II. ;)
- Ed Kyle
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If you like nozzles, you probably like Delta II. ;)
- Ed Kyle
Nozzles are cool. :)
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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................
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First time I notice, but the three solids that light during ascent have a vacuum optimized nozzle, right?
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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
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No steering for Delta IIH SRM's
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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
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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 :)
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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.
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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/
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
-
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.
-
what happened to 17-A
-
what happened to 17-A
According to this ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17
... "SLC-17A was withdrawn from use" in 2009.
-
what happened to 17-A
According to this ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17
... "SLC-17A was withdrawn from use" in 2009.
Just grabbed a great shot. (wish i could have taken it...sigh)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsmjr/6011349451/in/set-72157627378604804/
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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
Wonder why viewing will not be from Jetty Park area?
-
KARS park is nearly six miles away, whereas they could view in a public area from less than three. And Jetty Park is the best place to view any launch IMO. Seems they are going to be unnecessarily far away. It may have something to do with not being able to host it on AF property, but NASA does host VIPs (if they still use the Delta II VIP viewing area about two miles from the pad).
I'd tell the tweeters to go to Jetty Park and tweet from there for the best experience at launch time. This could be the last chance to experience a Delta II at the Cape.
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what happened to 17-A
According to this ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17
... "SLC-17A was withdrawn from use" in 2009.
Just grabbed a great shot. (wish i could have taken it...sigh)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsmjr/6011349451/in/set-72157627378604804/
Did you sign up to win a spot at the Tweetup?
-
News release: 2011-251 Aug. 11, 2011
GRAIL Launch Less Than One Month Away
The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-251&cid=release_2011-251
NASA's twin lunar probes – GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B - completed their final inspections and were weighed one final time at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Fla., on Tuesday. The two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft will orbit the moon in formation to determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. GRAIL's launch period opens Sept. 8, 2011, and extends through Oct. 19. For a Sept. 8 liftoff, the launch window opens at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT) and remains open through 6:16 a.m. PDT (9:16 a.m. EDT).
Later this week, the two spacecraft will be loaded side-by-side on a special adapter and packaged inside a payload fairing that will protect them during their launch into space. Next week, GRAIL is expected to make the trip from Astrotech to Launch Complex 17 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where it will be mated with its United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket.
GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission will answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon, and provide scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL mission. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, is home to the mission's principal investigator, Maria Zuber. The GRAIL mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information about GRAIL is online at: http://grail.nasa.gov
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Last shots of Grail before packing it up!!!
-
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, the GRAIL A and GRAIL B were separately weighed on Aug.
9, then installed together on the payload adapter ring Aug. 10. GRAIL
was placed inside the payload transportation canister on Aug. 12.
GRAIL is now scheduled to be moved to launch Pad 17B at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station no earlier than Aug. 18. This will allow
a spacecraft review currently under way to be completed. There is
ample time in the schedule to complete the necessary tasks at the pad
before launch on Sept. 8. Once at the pad, GRAIL will be hoisted atop
the Delta II 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.
-
News release: 2011-257 Aug. 18, 2011
NASA's GRAIL Moon Twins are Joined to Their Booster
NOTE: Includes corrected launch vehicle name and date/timing information.
The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-257&cid=release_2011-257
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's lunar-bound GRAIL twins were mated to their Delta II launch vehicle at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 17 at 8:45 a.m. EDT (5:45 a.m. PDT) today. The 15-mile (25-kilometer) trip from Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla., is the last move for GRAIL before it begins its journey to the moon. NASA's dynamic duo will orbit the moon to determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.
"We are about to finish one chapter in the GRAIL story and open another," said Maria Zuber, GRAIL's principal investigator, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. "Let me assure you this one is a real page-turner. GRAIL will rewrite the book on the formation of the moon and the beginning of us."
Now that the GRAIL spacecraft are atop their rocket, a final flurry of checks and tests can begin to confirm that all is go for launch. The final series of checks begins tomorrow, Aug. 19, with an on-pad functional test. The test is designed to confirm that the spacecraft is healthy after the fueling and transport operations. Next week, among all the upcoming final tests, reviews and closeout operations leading up to liftoff, the GRAIL team will install the launch vehicle fairing around the spacecraft.
GRAIL's launch period opens Sept. 8 and extends through Oct. 19. On each day, there are two separate instantaneous launch opportunities separated in time by approximately 39 minutes. On Sept. 8, the first launch opportunity is at 8:37 a.m. EDT (5:37 a.m. PDT). The second launch opportunity is 9:16 a.m. EDT (6:16 a.m. PDT).
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL mission. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, is home to the mission's principal investigator, Maria Zuber. The GRAIL mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
More information about GRAIL is online at: http://www.nasa.gov/grail .
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Had a good question.
Has a mission window been moved up ever?
Got me thinking of the Delta II and payload on the pad. Maybe a Hurricane is in the launch window, yet the payload and window a week before are ready to go.
Understand my hypothetical?
-
MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-175
NASA HOSTS NEWS CONFERENCE ON UPCOMING MISSION TO MOON
WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a news conference at 11 a.m. EDT, on
Thursday Aug. 25, to discuss the upcoming launch of the Gravity
Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission.
Scheduled to launch Sept. 8, GRAIL will help answer longstanding
questions about Earth's moon and provide a better understanding of
how Earth and other rocky planets in our solar system formed.
The briefing will take place in the NASA Headquarters James E. Webb
Auditorium, located at 300 E St. SW in Washington. It will air live
on NASA Television and the agency's website.
The news conference panelists are:
-- Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters,
Washington
-- Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge
-- David Lehman, GRAIL project manager, NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
-- Leesa Hubbard, teacher in residence, Sally Ride Sciences, San Diego
Reporters who are unable to attend may ask questions from
participating NASA centers or by telephone. To participate by phone,
reporters must contact Steve Cole at 202-358-0918 or
[email protected] by 10 a.m. on Thursday.
The news conference will also be streamed live, with a chat available,
at:
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2
For more information about the GRAIL mission, visit:
http://grail.nasa.gov
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
-
Has a mission window been moved up ever?
Got me thinking of the Delta II and payload on the pad. Maybe a Hurricane is in the launch window, yet the payload and window a week before are ready to go.
Understand my hypothetical?
Planetary windows like this can't be moved up or changed.
Other missions (a couple of shuttles, for example) have been moved up a few days.
-
Has a mission window been moved up ever?
Got me thinking of the Delta II and payload on the pad. Maybe a Hurricane is in the launch window, yet the payload and window a week before are ready to go.
Understand my hypothetical?
Planetary windows like this can't be moved up or changed.
Other missions (a couple of shuttles, for example) have been moved up a few days.
Doesn't the moon have 28 period widows in the worst case? or is the plane difference enough to make it a yearly window (or even a sort of lunar eclipse window)?
-
MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-178
NASA SETS GRAIL/DELTA II LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's GRAIL spacecraft is set to launch to
the moon aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on Sept. 8,
2011 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Fla.
There are two instantaneous (1 sec.) launch windows at 8:37:06 a.m.
and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT. The launch period, the last for Delta IIs at
the Cape, extends through Oct. 19. The launch times occur
approximately four minutes earlier each day.
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.
GRAIL Prelaunch News Conference
A prelaunch news conference will be at NASA Kennedy Space Center's
Press Site on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. Participating in the
briefing:
-- Ed Weiler, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate,
NASA Headquarters, Washington
-- Tim Dunn, NASA launch director, Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral, Fla.
-- Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA Missions, United Launch
Alliance, Denver
-- David Lehman, GRAIL project manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
-- John Henk, GRAIL program manager, Lockheed Martin Space Systems,
Denver.
-- Joel Tumbiolo, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, CCAFS
GRAIL Mission Science Briefing
A GRAIL mission science briefing will be at Kennedy's Press Site on
Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. Participating in the briefing:
-- Robert Fogel, GRAIL program scientist, NASA Headquarters,
Washington
-- Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge
-- Sami Asmar, GRAIL deputy project scientist, JPL
-- Sally Ride, president and CEO, Sally Ride Science, San Diego
Accreditation & Media Access Badges for Kennedy Space Center
To cover the GRAIL prelaunch news conference, mission science briefing
and the launch, media must complete the online accreditation process
at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Accreditation for foreign journalists must be received by Sunday, Aug.
28. U.S. media must apply by Monday, Sept. 5. Media may obtain their
NASA access badge at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office located
near Gate 3 on State Road 405, just past the Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex.
Two forms of government issued identification, one with photo, will be
required in order to receive an access badge for Kennedy to cover the
prelaunch news conference and the launch. Badges will be available
for pick-up beginning Sept. 6. The Kennedy Space Center Badging
Office hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information about
accreditation, contact Laurel Lichtenberger at 321-867-4036.
Delta II Mobile Service Tower Rollback
Sept. 7: There will be a media opportunity at CCAFS Pad 17B to observe
rollback of the mobile service tower from the Delta II rocket. Media
should meet in the parking lot of CCAFS Gate 1 Pass & Identification
Building at 9:30 p.m. for transportation by government bus to the
viewing location at the launch pad.
Remote Camera Placement at Launch Complex 17
Sept. 7: Photographers who wish to set up remote sound-activated
cameras at the launch pad should meet in the parking lot of Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station's Gate 1 Pass & Identification Building
at 9:45 a.m.
Launch Day Press Site Access
Sept. 8: Media will cover the GRAIL launch from Press Site 1 at CCAFS.
Media must arrive at Kennedy's Press Site by 6 a.m. for
transportation to the viewing site.
Kennedy Press Site Hours
Tuesday, Sept. 6: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept 7: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 8: 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
NASA Television Coverage
NASA Television will carry the GRAIL prelaunch news conference
beginning at 1 p.m. on Sept. 6 and the GRAIL mission science briefing
on Sept. 7 at 10 a.m.
On Sept. 8, NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 6
a.m. and conclude after spacecraft separation from the Delta II
approximately 58 minutes and 45 seconds after launch. Live launch
coverage will be carried on all NASA Television channels and on the
agency's website.
A post-launch news conference will be held at Kennedy's Press Site
after launch. (Time TBD) A post-launch news release also will be
issued when health of GRAIL is determined. NASA personnel will be
available at the Press Site to answer questions and for interviews.
For NASA Television downlink, schedule and streaming video
information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Audio only of the news conferences and the launch coverage will be
carried on the NASA "V" circuits at: 321-867-1220/1240/1260/7135. On
launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor's countdown
activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on
321-867-7135 starting at 6 a.m. Launch will also be available on
local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard
County.
NASA Web Pre-launch & Launch Coverage
For extensive pre-launch and launch day coverage of the GRAIL
spacecraft, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
A prelaunch webcast for the GRAIL mission will be streamed on
Wednesday, Sept. 7, at noon. Live countdown coverage through NASA's
Launch Blog begins at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 8. Coverage features live
updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video
clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.
For questions about countdown coverage, contact Jeanne Ryba at
321-867-7824. To view the webcast and the blog or to learn more about
the GRAIL mission, visit the mission home page at:
http://www.nasa.gov/grail
and
http://grail.nasa.gov
To view live interviews with lunar scientists during the NASA
Scientists in Action webcast, visit:
http://www.livestream.com/grail
Twitter
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch
countdown. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
Recorded Status
Recorded status reports on the launch of GRAIL and updates to the
media advisory will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line
starting Tuesday, Sept. 6. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL
mission for the principal investigator, Maria Zuber. The GRAIL
mission is part of the New Frontiers Program managed at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin
Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for
the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program
at Kennedy.
-end-
-
Doesn't the moon have 28 period widows in the worst case? or is the plane difference enough to make it a yearly window (or even a sort of lunar eclipse window)?
I don't know the details of when the next window is or how this one was determined. But the GRAIL window is September 8 to October 19.
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GRAIL is now encapsulated
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=233
-
RELEASE: 11-275
NASA MOON MISSION IN FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior
Laboratory (GRAIL), mission to study the moon is in final launch
preparations for a scheduled Sept. 8 launch onboard a Delta II rocket
from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
GRAIL's twin spacecraft are tasked for a nine-month mission to explore
Earth's nearest neighbor in unprecedented detail. They will determine
the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and advance
our understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.
"Yesterday's final encapsulation of the spacecraft is an important
mission milestone," said David Lehman, GRAIL project manager for
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Our two
spacecraft are now sitting comfortably inside the payload fairing
which will protect them during ascent. Next time the GRAIL twins will
see the light of day they will be about 95 miles up and
accelerating."
The spacecraft twins, GRAIL A and B, will fly a circuitous route to
lunar orbit taking 3.5 months and covering approximately 2.6 million
miles (4.2 million kilometers) for GRAIL-A, and 2.7 million miles
(4.3 million kilometers) for GRAIL-B.
In lunar orbit, the spacecraft will transmit radio signals precisely
defining the distance between them. Regional gravitational
differences on the moon are expected to expand and contract that
distance. GRAIL scientists will use these accurate measurements to
define the moon's gravity field. The data will allow mission
scientists to understand what goes on below the surface of our
natural satellite.
"GRAIL will unlock lunar mysteries and help us understand how the
moon, Earth and other rocky planets evolved as well," said Maria
Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in Cambridge.
GRAIL's launch period opens Sept. 8 and extends through Oct. 19. On
each day, there are two separate launch opportunities separated by
approximately 39 minutes. On Sept. 8, the first launch opportunity is
8:37 a.m. EDT; the second is 9:16 a.m.
JPL manages the GRAIL mission. It is part of the Discovery Program
managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch
management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch
Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
For extensive pre-launch and launch day coverage of the GRAIL
spacecraft, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
A prelaunch webcast for the mission will be streamed at noon on
Wednesday, Sept. 7. Live countdown coverage through NASA's Launch
Blog begins at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 8. Coverage features live updates
as countdown milestones occur and streaming video clips highlighting
launch preparations and liftoff.
To view the webcast and the blog or to learn more about the GRAIL
mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/grail
and
http://grail.nasa.gov
To view live interviews with lunar scientists from noon to 5 p.m. on
Sept. 8 and 9, visit:
http://www.livestream.com/grail
-end-
-
STATUS REPORT: ELV-083111
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
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
GRAIL was moved from the Astrotech payload processing facility in
Titusville to Pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Aug. 18
and hoisted atop the Delta II rocket. The encapsulation into the
payload fairing was performed on Aug. 23. Wednesday, the spacecraft
was powered on for final testing.
Also on Wednesday, the Flight Readiness Review was held and at its
conclusion a tentative "go" was given for fueling the Delta II rocket
Sept. 1 and 2.
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.
-
KSC VC are taking 2,000 people to the causeway to view this for an extra $20 on top of normal admission
Experience a day of activities surrounding the GRAIL mission to the moon with the purchase of an admission ticket or take in the entire experience with an annual pass.
On September 8, the GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) Mission will launch aboard a Delta II rocket traveling to the Moon. Two spacecrafts will orbit the moon for several months collecting data measurements of the gravity field. GRAIL's observations will help scientists to better understand the interior structure and thermal evolution of the Moon, and will assist in determining landing sites for future missions. The spacecrafts will also document their views by utilizing cameras on board. These images will be available for the public to view from the satellites.
On September 8, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will open at 4:30 a.m ET. Special viewing from the NASA Causeway for the rocket launch will be available for only $20 additional per person. Admission tickets are required. Limited to 2,000 guests.
Launch is scheduled for 8:37 a.m. ET, with a second attempt scheduled at 9:17 a.m. ET if needed. Alternate launch viewing is available at the main Visitor Complex.
http://kennedyspacecenter.com/grail-mission.aspx?ic_campID=4&ic_pkw=GH_GRAIL_Sept11
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;) ;) How much for pad bunker tickets?
-
The causeway is 4.5 to 5.5 miles away from the pad. Jetty Park is 2.9. Don't bother with that.
And the tweetup, as mentioned, is viewing some six miles away. They should just go to the pier too.
-
RELEASE: 11-285
NASA INVITES 150 LUCKY TWITTER FOLLOWERS TO LAUNCH OF LUNAR SPACECRAFT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has invited 150 followers of the agency's Twitter
account to a two-day launch Tweetup Sept. 7-8. 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 is targeted for 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 in unprecedented detail from
crust to core. 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.
Tweetup participants were selected from more than 800 people who
registered online. They will share their Tweetup experiences with
their followers through the social networking site Twitter.
Participants represent the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
India, Indonesia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Attendees from the
U.S. come from 32 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, NASA will broadcast a
portion of the Tweetup when attendees talk with NASA Administrator
Charles Bolden; Jim Adams, deputy director of planetary science at
NASA Headquarters in Washington; Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal
investigator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
Cambridge; Sami Asmar, GRAIL deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.; and Neil deGrasse Tyson,
astrophysicist and Frederick P. Rose Director at the American Museum
of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium in New York. To watch the
broadcast, visit:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tweetup
Participants also will tour NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape
Canaveral, including a close-up visit to the launch pad.
Reporters interested in interviewing Tweetup attendees should contact
Stephanie Schierholz at 202-358-1100 or
[email protected]. Reporters interested in covering the
afternoon program Sept. 7 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
must secure access through Andrea Farmer by 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at
321-449-4318 or [email protected].
Previously, NASA invited groups to attend the launch of the Juno
spacecraft on its way to Jupiter and to five space shuttle launches:
Atlantis' STS-129, STS-132 and STS-135 missions, Discovery's STS-133
mission, and Endeavour's STS-134 mission.
To follow participants on Twitter as they experience the prelaunch
events and GRAIL's liftoff, follow the #NASATweetup hashtag and the
list of attendees at:
http://www.twitter.com/nasatweetup/grail-launch
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the
mission. For more information about GRAIL, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/grail
To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
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http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
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I'm still considering making the trip though it will be a last minute call. I've never been to an ELV launch and would like to see one. I am missing those shuttle trips already of course. :( If I go to Jetty Park for GRAIL are there any restrictions on parking? I wonder if that might fill up. Do any local radio stations have launch coverage? Wondering if I should bring a radio. I suppose if many other launch viewers are there someone will have a scanner or some kind of smart phone to hear the commentary from the PAO. But I would like to keep updated on the countdown status. If anyone has info/advice to offer I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks.
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Anyone have an idea of launch trajectory? Launching toward the NE like shuttles always did would be pretty much straight away from Jetty Park. Of course this one doesn't have to bother with that silly Earth orbit stuff :)
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Anyone have an idea of launch trajectory? Launching toward the NE like shuttles always did would be pretty much straight away from Jetty Park. Of course this one doesn't have to bother with that silly Earth orbit stuff :)
The launch trajectory is given in the ula Grail brochure:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/missionbooklets/DII/dii_grail_mob.pdf
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Anyone have an idea of launch trajectory? Launching toward the NE like shuttles always did would be pretty much straight away from Jetty Park. Of course this one doesn't have to bother with that silly Earth orbit stuff :)
The launch trajectory is given in the ula Grail brochure:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/missionbooklets/DII/dii_grail_mob.pdf
very nice brochure.
Total vehicle weight at takeoff? . When the engines fire would like to know how much weight has to be lifted off the pad. thx
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According to the NASA tweetup group on twitter, they are now watching the launch from the NASA causeway.
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Processing overview via L2 - written by Chris Gebhardt:
Twin GRAIL satellites ready for NASA lunar launch:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/twin-grail-satellites-ready-for-nasa-lunar-launch/
We put Jsmjr's very nice pano to good use too (check your PMs John).
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Anyone have an idea of launch trajectory? Launching toward the NE like shuttles always did would be pretty much straight away from Jetty Park. Of course this one doesn't have to bother with that silly Earth orbit stuff :)
The launch trajectory is given in the ula Grail brochure:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/missionbooklets/DII/dii_grail_mob.pdf
Thanks, the launch to the East probably seals Jetty Park as the best place to watch.
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Another fine piece. I was wondering what the open items at the FRR were.
(Tips hat)
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Good write-up on what looks to be an interesting mission...Based on the picture of the spacecraft being encapsulated by the payload faring, seems to be quite alot of extra room under there...was there no other option (ie. a smaller faring) to use for this launch ???
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Anyone have an idea of launch trajectory? Launching toward the NE like shuttles always did would be pretty much straight away from Jetty Park. Of course this one doesn't have to bother with that silly Earth orbit stuff :)
The launch trajectory is given in the ula Grail brochure:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/missionbooklets/DII/dii_grail_mob.pdf
very nice brochure.
Total vehicle weight at takeoff? . When the engines fire would like to know how much weight has to be lifted off the pad. thx
Page 6 of the launch press kit has the launch weight:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/582116main_GRAIL_launch_press_kit.pdf
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Good write-up on what looks to be an interesting mission...Based on the picture of the spacecraft being encapsulated by the payload faring, seems to be quite alot of extra room under there...was there no other option (ie. a smaller faring) to use for this launch ???
That is the smallest for the required width. It doesn't matter, there is enough performance for it.
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Thanks, the launch to the East probably seals Jetty Park as the best place to watch.
All launches go to the east from Cape Canaveral. Southeast, east, or northeast.
Jetty Park is the best place for Delta II no matter what direction it heads, period. There was no alternative if it headed northeast.
Trajectory out of the Cape really has no bearing on what the launch is like from a particular viewing location.
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Does ULA employ Delta II specialists?
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Does ULA employ Delta II specialists?
Dont understand the question?
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Thanks, the launch to the East probably seals Jetty Park as the best place to watch.
All launches go to the east from Cape Canaveral. Southeast, east, or northeast.
Jetty Park is the best place for Delta II no matter what direction it heads, period. There was no alternative if it headed northeast.
Trajectory out of the Cape really has no bearing on what the launch is like from a particular viewing location.
How would the view from the Causeway compare to Jetty Park?
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Does ULA employ Delta II specialists?
Dont understand the question?
I mean, in view of the phase out, are there people who are totally dedicated to Delta II launch operations or do Atlas and Delta IV personnel get called to do 'double duty'.
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Does ULA employ Delta II specialists?
Dont understand the question?
I mean, in view of the phase out, are there people who are totally dedicated to Delta II launch operations or do Atlas and Delta IV personnel get called to do 'double duty'.
They have cross trained and even bring in people from VAFB, who have recent Delta II experience
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How would the view from the Causeway compare to Jetty Park?
You will be 4.5-5.5 or more miles away, depending on where on the causeway they are taking you with those tickets/tweetup. Whereas at Jetty Park you are just 2.9 miles away. Causeway view is clear, but Jetty Park is clear and you are right there, perfect line of sight, and much closer. And you only pay five dollars. Sound will be twice as loud at Petty Park.
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Thanks!
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How would the view from the Causeway compare to Jetty Park?
You will be 4.5-5.5 or more miles away, depending on where on the causeway they are taking you with those tickets/tweetup. Whereas at Jetty Park you are just 2.9 miles away. Causeway view is clear, but Jetty Park is clear and you are right there, perfect line of sight, and much closer. And you only pay five dollars. Sound will be twice as loud at Petty Park.
How early do you recommend getting there? For an 8:37 AM liftoff if folks wanted to arrive a couple of hours early can anyone get into the park at that time?
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http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
Enjoy the Pad view here. What is the upper left gauge ?
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No Centaur on Delta II
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Had to share this story.....
People are very much interested in going back to the moon.
Saw on my Yahoo the payload fairing pic and this story.
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-launching-twin-moon-probes-measure-gravity-192325316.html;_ylt=Akop2M_g0aqkc7jSMAH3j.0PLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNtcHA1aW43BG1pdAMEcGtnAzE5ZWI4MGJiLTAzZGQtM2M1Yy1hZjEzLTU5ZWU3NmRjMGMyMgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fU3BhY2VBc3Ryb25vbXlfZ2FsBHZlcgNkMGExNTQ5MC1kN2Y4LTExZTAtYTZmYy0zMmNhMDk1NmRlMmY-;_ylv=3
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I wonder if the cameras are sensitive enough to pick up the streamers the moon walkers talked about. Has there ever been any footage or stills of that on any mission?
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How early do you recommend getting there? For an 8:37 AM liftoff if folks wanted to arrive a couple of hours early can anyone get into the park at that time?
Normally, they don't open till sunrise (which this would be 7am), however they might open early since there is a launch. I would say getting there 630-7 is fine in either case.
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ULA:
The launch team completed the Launch Readiness Review in preparation for Thursday’s Delta II GRAIL launch for NASA. There are two instantaneous launch windows at 8:37:06 a.m. and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT. The L-2 forecast shows a 40 percent chance of favorable weather for launch.
L-1: Wednesday, September 7
9:45 a.m.: Remote camera photographers meet at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Gate 1 Pass and Identification Building to be escorted to Space Launch Complex 17 to set up cameras
10 a.m.: Mission science briefing at the KSC News Center
10:30 p.m.: Media meet at the CCAFS Gate 1 Pass and Identification Building for transportation by government bus to Space Launch Complex 17 to observe rollback of the mobile service tower from the Delta II rocket
L-0: Thursday, September 8
6 a.m. - Media arrive at KSC Press Site for transportation to Press Site 1 to cover the GRAIL launch
6 a.m.: Live commentary will begin on NASA Television
8:37:06 a.m.: First launch opportunity
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I hope this is the right subforum and topic to be posting this fairly general question:
As I read about GRAIL's mission, and then read something about Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) I realized that I don't understand how the satellite's orbits behave in relation to the gravitational field.
Do they follow an equipotential surface at constant velocity?
Do they maintain a constant distance to the planet's center of mass, increasing their velocity when they fly through a region of higher gravitational potential, and decreasing it in lower potentials?
Do they lfy somewhere in between those two extremes?
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Another last flight for the Space Coast tomorrow, view of the Delta II from twitter
http://twitpic.com/photos/Smith5se
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Another last flight for the Space Coast tomorrow, view of the Delta II from twitter
http://twitpic.com/photos/Smith5se
Fifty four years and a bit more than seven months since the first Thor, No. 101, blew itself up on that same launch pad. A few weeks short of 54 years since Thor 105 scored the first success for the program, starting what has been a pretty good run. This one will be the 718th Thor family launch.
- Ed Kyle
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The service tower is now rolling back at a perceptible speed.
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A tease
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More
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Closer
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Spectacular! 1143 would look great during launch if a camera had the right shield.
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Does the block house have a periscope?
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News release: 2011-278 Sep. 7, 2011
GRAIL Launch Milestones
The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-278&cid=release_2011-278
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's GRAIL spacecraft are set to launch to the moon aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket on Sept. 8, 2011, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. There are two instantaneous (one-second) launch windows at 5:37:06 a.m. and 6:16:12 a.m. PDT (8:37:06 a.m. and 9:16:12 a.m. EDT). The launch period extends through Oct. 19. The launch times occur approximately four minutes earlier each day.
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.
The lunar orbiters are nestled inside the top of a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7920H-10C rocket, the most powerful Delta rocket in NASA's inventory.
On launch day, Sept. 8, NASA TV commentary coverage of the countdown will begin at 3 a.m. PDT (6 a.m. EDT). The coverage will be webcast at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv .
Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog also begins at 3 a.m. PDT (6 a.m. EDT) at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/grail/launch/grail_blog.html . Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. To access these features, and for more information on GRAIL, visit http://www.nasa.gov/grail and http://grail.nasa.gov .
The launch will also be online, with a live chat available, on Ustream TV, at http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2 . To follow the GRAIL launch on Twitter, visit http://twitter.com/NASAJPL and http://twitter.com/NASA .
Here is a timeline of expected launch milestones:
Launch
At liftoff, the rocket's first-stage engine and six of its nine strap-on solid rocket motors will ignite, and the rocket will be airborne, carrying GRAIL up and over the Atlantic Ocean.
First six solid rocket motors are jettisoned
GRAIL's Delta II is carrying nine strap-on graphite-epoxy motors. The first six will be ignited at the time of liftoff. The remaining three will be ignited shortly after the first six strap-on motors burn out.
Fairing separates
After the Delta's first stage completes its tour of duty, its second stage, which will provide 9,645 pounds of kick for GRAIL, will begin the first of two scheduled burns.
Shortly after ignition of the rocket's second stage, the Delta's 30-foot-long (8.88-meter-long) nose cone, or fairing, will separate and be jettisoned as planned, providing the GRAIL twins with their first taste of exo-atmospheric existence.
Parking at 17,500 miles per hour
The Delta's second stage will temporarily stop firing, as planned, and the rocket and GRAIL will begin a planned coast phase, also known as a "parking orbit" at about 90 miles (nearly 167 kilometers up).
GRAIL heading from Earth to the moon
The Delta's second stage will begin a second burn. This approximately four-and-a-half-minute-long burn will place GRAIL on its desired trajectory to the moon.
Spacecraft begin to separate from second stage
The GRAIL-A spacecraft begins separation process from the Delta's second stage. The GRAIL-B spacecraft separates about 8 minutes later. At this point, the moon is three-and-a-half months away.
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If the windows are so short, why bother with a parking orbit?
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I had to laugh when I drove across Banana River causeway and saw the launch viewing set-up. All the VIP seating is facing north toward the shuttle and Atlas pads. Obviously, the post-STS situation hasn't caught up in everyone's mind.
I feel sorry for the people who buy launch viewing tickets from the visitor center - the place to see this launch is down on the beach, specifically Jetty Park.
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T-150 min., terminal count start.
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Moved for live coverage. Launch schedule at 1237:06UTC.
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T-0 = 12:37:06 UTC
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Stage 1 prop load start
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T-0 = 12:37:06 UTC
Thanks! Corrected.
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Some images of spacecraft processing...
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At this time we are loading propolent on the first stage
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RP-1 tank loaded.
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Delta-2 and GRAIL stacking operations...
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Preparing for LOX loading into the first stage...
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Photo by Thom Baur, United Launch Alliance
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Weather briefing taking place
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Go fro cryo loading of the first stage...
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Weather is currently green.
T-80 minutes.
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LSP:
Flight computer & guidance system checkouts are complete.Guidance System is healthy. Configuring for Liquid Oxygen Load
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LOX loading underway.
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ULA manager being interviewed. Notes Delta II is currently running at a 99 percent reliability rate.
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17 minutes into LOX Loading.
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Stage 2 engine nozzle being run through its motions.
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Stage 1 vernier engines and main nozzle now being run through range of motion.
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Steering checks completed...
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William Graham's hugely expansive launch preview/overview:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
(Seriously, give that a read!)
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Into a 20 minute BIH.
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Sunrise at 17.
- Ed Kyle
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William Graham's hugely expansive launch preview/overview:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
(Seriously, give that a read!)
I did, that was a great read!!
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Any estimates of crowd numbers that will view the launch?
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Polling to come out of the BIH.
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More weather discussions.
Sounding positive.
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Radar and solar activity.
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Out of the BIH.
T-15 minutes and counting.
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Still at 60 percent no go, but the weather brief is positive!
Still green.
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T-10 minutes.
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T-7 minutes.
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LOX topping.
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T-5 minutes.
Launch enable on.
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Final hold. 10 minutes BIH at T-4 mins.
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Nice :)
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Likely hold at T-2:00 for red winds aloft.
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Any estimates of crowd numbers that will view the launch?
Nothing all that noticeable on the drive in. It's not a Shuttle launch, which are always six figures. This will be low five figures.
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Waiting on Weather Balloon before commit to launch.
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Likely hold at T-2:00 for red winds aloft.
Thanks. So that would be automatic move to the second window.
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2nd window now being set up.
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Likely hold at T-2:00 for red winds aloft.
And a controller just sounded the "break, break" for the above, going to the second window.
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Any estimates of crowd numbers that will view the launch?
Nothing all that noticeable on the drive in. It's not a Shuttle launch, which are always six figures. This will be low five figures.
Thanks Harold! :)
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Any estimates of crowd numbers that will view the launch?
Nothing all that noticeable on the drive in. It's not a Shuttle launch, which are always six figures. This will be low five figures.
Thanks Harold! :)
They got 12k for Juno hoping for at least 10k for this launch
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Additional weather balloons being released.
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NASA LSP:
NASA Launch Director will re-poll his team at approx 9:05 to prepare for the second launch attempt at 9:16am EDT
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SLC-17 next to be torn down?
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NASA PAO mentioned that this will be the 259th Delta to fly from Complex 17. It also will be the 326th launch of any kind from 17 (all Thor-family rockets of course), assuming that Thor 103 (which blew up during propellant loading prior to launch) is counted.
There were 17 additional Thor launches from the Cape that did not take place from Complex 17. They flew from Complex 18 Pad B during the frantic 1958-1960 R&D period.
Delta 356 will be the 718th Thor family launch, which includes launches from about 14 different launch pads on four different launch "bases" in two different hemispheres.
- Ed Kyle
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SLC-17 next to be torn down?
Live update thread! But you need to read this:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
It tells you what you need to know.
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Spacecraft team (Jim?) report the spacecrafts are still in a good condition for the launch.
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I am at home, going to watch from the balcony
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Working on the switch over to the azimuth of 99 degrees.
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
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Weather brief.
"Still looking good, we're holding tight"
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NASA polling in three minutes. Then ULA team.
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
There's still an outside chance for a future launch, though a few years down the road. ULA will apparently be bidding its remaining un-assembled Deltas for a few NASA launches.
- Ed Kyle
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Map of field mills and other weather instruments. Never seen it before.
http://trmm.ksc.nasa.gov/trmm_kscmap508.htm
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I think there is a small error in the article. It says: "Each GRAIL spacecraft has a mass of 307 kilograms, including 106 kilograms of hydrazine fuel."
On the mission's MIT website it is shown a dry mass of 132.6 kg plus 69.9 kg of hydrazine.
http://moon.mit.edu/spacecraft.html
Which one is correct?
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Still going to come down to Upper Level winds. Hoping new balloon data will clear the red condition.
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Winds still red. Recycle
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SCRUB. Booo.
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
There's still an outside chance for a future launch, though a few years down the road. ULA will apparently be bidding its remaining un-assembled Deltas for a few NASA launches.
- Ed Kyle
Thank you Ed! So the history continues... :)
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Oh joy, on station at 3:30 AM again tomorrow....
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Oh joy, on station at 3:30 AM again tomorrow....
Thanks for being around. We all appreciate it!
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I think there is a small error in the article. It says: "Each GRAIL spacecraft has a mass of 307 kilograms, including 106 kilograms of hydrazine fuel."
On the mission's MIT website it is shown a dry mass of 132.6 kg plus 69.9 kg of hydrazine.
http://moon.mit.edu/spacecraft.html
Which one is correct?
From the NASA press kit:
The GRAIL bus is a rectangular composite structure with a dry mass of about 443 pounds (201 kilograms), and fully fueled mass of about 677 pounds (307 kilograms).
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Detanking both LOX and RP-1. MST will return to house the vehicle.
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Reminder of William Graham's overview - modified for the scrub:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
There's still an outside chance for a future launch, though a few years down the road. ULA will apparently be bidding its remaining un-assembled Deltas for a few NASA launches.
- Ed Kyle
My understanding is that all of those launches would be from SLC-2W.
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
There's still an outside chance for a future launch, though a few years down the road. ULA will apparently be bidding its remaining un-assembled Deltas for a few NASA launches.
- Ed Kyle
My understanding is that all of those launches would be from SLC-2W.
Minor addition: at VAFB, not KSC.
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Thanks gentlemen, I could not pick it out from the article, great read! Final launch from SLC-17B period :(
There's still an outside chance for a future launch, though a few years down the road. ULA will apparently be bidding its remaining un-assembled Deltas for a few NASA launches.
- Ed Kyle
My understanding is that all of those launches would be from SLC-2W.
Minor addition: at VAFB, not KSC.
Hmmmm. If true, why isn't NASA saying with certainty that this is the last Complex 17 launch, rather then the last "currently planned" launch?
- Ed Kyle
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Thanks for the amazing pictures there Jim, really a sight to see - some details we normally do not see!
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Since it is mostly likely the last one, I had to go out there.
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Since it is mostly likely the last one, I had to go out there.
I’d stand back if I were you tomorrow morning … :D
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ULA:
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2011) – The launch of a Delta II carrying NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was scrubbed today due to weather. Conditions associated with upper level winds were in violation of the launch criteria.
The Delta II vehicle and GRAIL are safe and secure at this time. The launch is rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 9 from Space Launch Complex-17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. There are two instantaneous launch opportunities at 8:33:25 a.m. and 9:12:31 a.m. EDT. The forecast for Sept. 9 shows a 40 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch tomorrow.
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Since it is mostly likely the last one, I had to go out there.
Thanks for the great pics Jim!
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Check out Ben Cooper's sexy MST rollback timelapsey epicness :o
http://www.launchphotography.com/GRAIL_MST_rollback.html
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Check out Ben Cooper's sexy MST rollback timelapsey epicness :o
http://www.launchphotography.com/GRAIL_MST_rollback.html
Amazing! Very hard not to overexpose the bright white lights on the rocket with a long exposure like that I bet!
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That is a sweet long exposure. They are not easy to get right.
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Since it is mostly likely the last one, I had to go out there.
If you go back can you get some pics of the "blockhouse" and the other bldgs. I've looked everywhere and believe since this was a AF site most of it was closed to the public.
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Can anyone get video of the MST moving back in the morning? Or tell me how and where to get the IP. Would be a great thing to have.
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pretty nasty weather right now
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Can anyone get video of the MST moving back in the morning? Or tell me how and where to get the IP. Would be a great thing to have.
By morning do you mean for launch? Found it here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ZFRAkACtE
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Can anyone get video of the MST moving back in the morning? Or tell me how and where to get the IP. Would be a great thing to have.
By morning do you mean for launch? Found it here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ZFRAkACtE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ZFRAkACtE)
that just made my day.....not bad for 1950's tech.
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Reminder of William Graham's overview - modified for the scrub:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
Fantastic article William. Thanks for the great read.
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The Friday launch attempt is off. We'll try again Saturday.
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The Friday launch attempt is off. We'll try again Saturday.
Why?
Hope you can get some rest!
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The Friday launch attempt is off. We'll try again Saturday.
Thanks! What was the reason?
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Saturday's first window is 08:29 EDT.
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that just made my day.....not bad for 1950's tech.
Not really, It has been upgraded many times. It is no different than other pads.
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that just made my day.....not bad for 1950's tech.
Not really, It has been upgraded many times. It is no different than other pads.
This should show the difference between the Thor days and Delta II.
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The delay is due to the need to review slightly anomalous propulsion system data.
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This morning there was discussion about TS Maria impacting Antigua if they go beyond Friday. Any insight? There is a TS watch in effect as of tonight.
Edit: It appears they plan to work around it and use Jupiter Inlet for their data if they go Saturday or Sunday.
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that just made my day.....not bad for 1950's tech.
Not really, It has been upgraded many times. It is no different than other pads.
This should show the difference between the Thor days and Delta II.
It may still be an example of 1960s or 1970s tech, at least in part. The launch stands themselves were rebuilt from the original when the heavier Improved Delta vehicles started flying in 1965. This included the addition of fixed umbilical towers. Over the years, the umbilical towers have either been replaced or extensively rebuilt (lengthened) several times as the rockets got taller. The final rebuilding, of Pad 17B only, occurred during 1997 when the launch deck was strengthened and a new exhaust deflector and exhaust ducting system was added to handle the higher thrust Delta 3 GEM-46 solids. New LH2 and LOX piping was added to the Umbilical Mast as well, and a new LH2 storage area was constructed southeast of the pad.
The mobile service towers have been repeatedly stretched over time. The original towers were probably completely replaced during the 1960s. The existing towers are rebuilds of towers that have stood since at least the early 1970s, when they were configured for Extended Long Tank Delta.
So there may be some 1960s or 1970s steel still out there, but it has been augmented extensively over the decades.
- Ed Kyle
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After the last Delta II flight, are there any firm plans for what to do with this pad? (17B)
Have Orbital, SpaceX, or any other shown any public interest? Or does ULA have plans for it?
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After the last Delta II flight, are there any firm plans for what to do with this pad? (17B)
Have Orbital, SpaceX, or any other shown any public interest? Or does ULA have plans for it?
It is my understanding that Range Safety will not allow further use of SLC-17 after Delta II has been flown out. It is RS's desire to keep all rocket activity north of SLC-36, away from population to the south. The Canaveral area has grown so much since the days when the south end of the base was used so much.
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The delay is due to the need to review slightly anomalous propulsion system data.
Thanks.
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Launch Saturday 10 Sept:
First window 12:29:45 UTC (08:29:45 am EDT)
Second window 13:08:52 UTC (09:08:52 am EDT)
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Twitter is saying that tomorrow's attempt has been okayed.
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It is my understanding that Range Safety will not allow further use of SLC-17 after Delta II has been flown out. It is RS's desire to keep all rocket activity north of SLC-36, away from population to the south. The Canaveral area has grown so much since the days when the south end of the base was used so much.
In addition to that, ULA PAO has also stated this week they are planning to tear 17 down starting next year.
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After the last Delta II flight, are there any firm plans for what to do with this pad? (17B)
Have Orbital, SpaceX, or any other shown any public interest? Or does ULA have plans for it?
It is my understanding that Range Safety will not allow further use of SLC-17 after Delta II has been flown out. It is RS's desire to keep all rocket activity north of SLC-36, away from population to the south. The Canaveral area has grown so much since the days when the south end of the base was used so much.
So are there any plans for use of SLC-36?
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Any estimates of crowd numbers that will view the launch?
Nothing all that noticeable on the drive in. It's not a Shuttle launch, which are always six figures. This will be low five figures.
Thanks Harold! :)
They got 12k for Juno hoping for at least 10k for this launch
Justification on what was said about the difference in public interest compared to Shuttle.
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NASA:
GRAIL team has confirmed there are no issues with the rocket. Launch set for tomorrow at 8:29:45 amET. 60% chance of favorable weather.
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for those who went on thursday how was parkng at jetty park? What time did you get there? just for planning. probably a few more there on a saturday morning I would think.
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for those who went on thursday how was parkng at jetty park? What time did you get there? just for planning. probably a few more there on a saturday morning I would think.
I got down there at 0630 and there was only about 10 of us there. The guys next to me had arrived at 0500, for prime photographic spots.
The gate doesn't appear to open until 0700, but I can't be certain if you can't drive in before then by going in the exit lane. I'm not local, and I'm staying at Ron Jon's so I walked. Either way I don't think you need to get there that early! There were still plenty of space on the jetty at 0700 until 0730. When I left I noticed people had been parking on the edges of and within grassed areas, so if this is acceptable for the park people there was still plenty of space available.
I have to fly out midday tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Hope my reply is useful and brings me good karma!
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I have to fly out midday tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Hope my reply is useful and brings me good karma!
wishing you luck.
Being a Saturday, there might just be greater crowds.
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MST opening
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3UgG-VCnyg
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Right, we're all set for the second attempt.
William Graham's overview:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
I'll be back about an hour or so prior to launch.
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Morning ;D
NTV coverage starting in five mins.
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All on schedule.
Pressing to load RP-1
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Weather looking a lot better. Aiming for 8:29am local. Second op is 9:08am.
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Good morning everybody! Hope we have a nice launch today!!!
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RP-1 loading being set up.
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Launch windows: 1229:45UTC and 1308:52UTC, both 1 second in duration.
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They sure have a long checklist for that.
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Wet sensors noted - ahhhh, memories of shuttle ET tanking :(
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Controller reporting back at 1000 gallon intervals, with the first just noted, two minutes into the flow.
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And there's 2000 gallons. A bit faster than filling the car ;)
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5,000 galllons of RP-1. Half way to the 10,000.
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Nice chopper shots from the first attempt:
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Aerial views of the Delta-2 during last Thursday launch attempt.
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Thanks for getting some additional ones there Rui. Some very nice views and this is the last time for this pad, so it was important to get a lot.
7,000 gallons.
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Exact amount of RP-1 to be loaded is 9989 gallons.
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9,989 gallons of RP-1 loaded - that'll be $100,000 please. Do you accept VISA? ;D
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Weather brief.
Some thunderstorms have popped up with lightning in the west, but a long way away.
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Sounds pretty good overall.
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Now down to 20 percent chance of weather violation.
T-90 minutes. L-2 hrs.
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This morning there was discussion about TS Maria impacting Antigua if they go beyond Friday. Any insight? There is a TS watch in effect as of tonight.
Edit: It appears they plan to work around it and use Jupiter Inlet for their data if they go Saturday or Sunday.
Maria now projected passing right over Antigua at 10am
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LOX loading next. GO given.
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it's 7 am why is dark ?
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it's 7 am why is dark ?
Getting lighter now.
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L-90 minutes.
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"Here Comes The Sun" a little George Harrison :)
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Now it's brightened up.
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Nice shot...
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That's loading operations complete.
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Coast Guard now implementing the range security zone. Boats, stay away.
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One hour to go until launch.
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Engine slew checks.
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Coming up on the 20 minute BIH at T-15 mins.
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Into the hold.
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Weather brief still good for this first op.
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Anvil clouds may be an issue for the second op.
T-15 minutes and now counting, coming out of the hold.
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Latest weather balloon is showing green upper level winds. One more balloon to go.
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Coming up on the final BIH.
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I will provide a post launch impression. I am at the end of Lighthouse Road, next to the pumphouse for those with access to a Cape map
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And T-4 minutes and holding for 10 minutes.
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Correction, southwest terminal building
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Range is GREEN.
Weather is GREEN.
Final readiness launch poll next.
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It's coming down to that final weather balloon. Apparent chance it could be red on upper level winds.
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RED... Upper level winds
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Yep, red. Stay in the hold. Going to the second op, which is a problem for weather due to anvil clouds heading in.
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Resetting for second launch window.... Not looking good.
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So everything was OK - but that final balloon just couldn't report back green on upper level winds.
9:08am Eastern is the second and final op.
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In the history of launching space rockets were there a moment when someone eat his or someone else hat because of launch delay?
How one manage the frustration of such event?
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In the history of launching space rockets were there a moment when someone eat his or someone else hat because of launch delay?
As Jim would say....No.
They are professionals.
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George Diller sounding less optimistic now we're on this second op. Need the upper level winds to go green and need to avoid those anvil clouds heading in.
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A reminder. This is a live event thread. People are reading this thread for coverage only.
A lot of questions are being posted, which are all available in William Graham's article:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
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Upper Level winds back in the Green!
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And then Diller says that might not be correct.
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Yep, they got it wrong. Upper Level winds are red. Next balloon is L-7 minutes.
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Red & green combo's are always ugly ;) Still plenty of blowoff from Gulf of Mexico showers. No lightning anywhere nearby, but I guess they don't want to tempt it.
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TDRSS configured to the launch azimuth of 99 degrees.
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Weather briefing: Concern with thick clouds and possible anvil clouds to the west.
At this time it won't be in the area at T-0! They are currently observed transparent.
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L-20 minutes. This has got a chance as they are working an alternative flight profile! :)
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Latest balloon is GREEN!!
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With the sun now illuminating the clouds on the visible satellite image, they don't look thick enough to me to cause any trouble.
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Final poll coming up.
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All green. Polling:
All GO for launch!
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Launch Readiness Poll:
All GO.
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Two minutes to go until we come out of the hold.
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ULA LD permission to launch.
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GRAIL spacecraft "told" (Diller) to prep to go to internal power.
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Out of the hold. T-4 minutes and COUNTING!
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Perform Vehicle Arm - Active.
Solids to Arm - Arm.
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Vehicle press in work.
GRAIL is GO.
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T-2 mins.
Press first stage LOX. Topping.
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HYD to internal power.
RCO Range GO.
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Launch enable to flight.
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LAUNCH!!
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Mach 1 - Detla II racing off the pad as usual!
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T+60 seconds
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Ground lit solids sep.
Airlit ignition.
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Good control.
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Airlit Solids sep.
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Epic ascent footage there!
Now on telementry view.
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T+4 mins. 11,000 mph
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It kicked a$$, it was up and gone. I forgot how fast Delta II goes and this is a heavy.
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MECO.
Staging.
1-2 Sep.
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Second stage ignition (something weird with sep, where the first stage started burning again - CGI fault I guess).
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T+6 mins. Good flight.
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16,000 mph. On TDRSS.
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SECO-1
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Second burn in 57 minutes.
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In the coast phase for another 55 mins. No issues being worked.
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Showing some launch replays during this coast phase.
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First launch success since the two Russian and one Chinese failures.
U-S-A. U-S-A ;D
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First launch success since the two Russian and one Chinese failures.
U-S-A. U-S-A ;D
Easy Tiger ;) Got to get to S/C Sep first!
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GRAIL Launch
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7088
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T-31 mins. Another 35 mins on the coast phase.
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ULA note the first and second stages performed absolutely nominally - and that's ULA absolutely nominally, not SpaceX absolutely nominally (sorry, couldn't resist ;D)
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Oh, ok then....
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GRAIL Launch Replays
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7089
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Coverage is back.
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Second stage second burn, but we're not seeing it on the graphics.
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19,000+ MPH.
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Great beard!
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23,000mph!
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SECO at 23,900mph.
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Standing by for S/C Sep.
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GRAIL-A first. Potential rocketcam.
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Rocketcam!
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GRAIL-A Sep!
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Great view!
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Change of attitude to sep GRAIL-B.
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GRAIL-B S/C Sep coming up.
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This could be the first time we've seen live TV of Earth from this altitude since Apollo 16 in 1972!
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GRAIL-B Sep!
Congrats to all involved! :)
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General Bolden's wandered into shot now it's a success.
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They muted the speech.
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Well done... We need some "Happy Hats" :)
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Reviewing the countdown with the upper level winds.
Right, that'll conclude that!
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William Graham's overview article, updated for post launch:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/live-ula-deltaii-launch-grail-spacecraft-to-moon/
We'll move to a spacecraft thread on the robotic section later, to cover the two GRAILs on their mission.
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Post-launch news conference is coming sometime between 11:45am EDT and 12pm EDT.
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This could be the first time we've seen live TV of Earth from this altitude since Apollo 16 in 1972!
there have been cameras on other planetary missions (MER)
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Thanks for the great coverage Chris.
Congrats to the teams on the successful launch!
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A sweet way to end Thor/Delta at Cape Canaveral.
150th Delta 2. 95th consecutive success. 259th Delta and 325th Thor-family rocket to launch from Complex 17. 718th Thor family launch.
To the Moon!
- Ed Kyle
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From JPL via Twitter:
Engineers have received communications from both GRAIL spacecraft, and their solar arrays have deployed
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From JPL via Twitter:
Engineers have received communications from both GRAIL spacecraft, and their solar arrays have deployed
woot!
Thanks for the note.
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Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2011) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket carrying the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft for NASA lifted off from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-17B here at 9:08 a.m. EDT today. This launch marks the 9th flight for ULA in 2011, the 49th Delta II mission for NASA and the last currently-planned flight from this launch complex. The GRAIL mission will place two spacecraft into the same orbit around the Moon. 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.
Photo by Thom Baur, United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches GRAIL Moon Mission for NASA on Final Flight from Space Launch Complex 17
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (Sept. 10, 2011) - A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket carrying the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft for NASA lifted off from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-17B here at 9:08 a.m. EDT today. This launch marks the 9th flight for ULA in 2011, the 49th Delta II mission for NASA and the last currently-planned flight from this launch complex.
“With the final launch from SLC-17, we reflect on the tremendous historical significance of this complex and the impact of the military and scientific payloads that began their missions from this site,” said Michael Gass, ULA president and CEO. “From the Global Positioning System satellites launched for the U.S. Air Force, to NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, in total this complex has been the origin for 259 critical Delta missions to protect our country and explore our universe.”
The GRAIL mission was launched aboard a Delta II Heavy 7920H-10 configuration vehicle featuring a ULA first stage booster powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine and nine Alliant Techsystems (ATK) strap-on solid rocket motors. An Aerojet AJ10-118K engine powered the second stage. The payload was encased by a 10-foot-diameter composite payload fairing.
"ULA is extremely proud to be a part of NASA’s team for the GRAIL mission and we sincerely congratulate all of our mission partners,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Mission Operations. “Today’s successful launch is the third NASA mission ULA has launched in just three months with two more to come in October and November. The timing and precision of this campaign along with a one-launch-at-a-time focus are testaments to our commitment to providing reliable and cost-effective space launch services to our customers.”
The GRAIL mission will place two spacecraft into the same orbit around the Moon. As they fly over areas of greater and lesser gravity, caused both by visible features such as mountains and craters and by masses hidden beneath the lunar surface, they will move slightly toward and away from each other. An instrument aboard each spacecraft will measure the changes in their relative position very precisely, and scientists will translate this information into a high-resolution map of the Moon's gravitational field. 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.
ULA's next launch is the Delta II NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) mission for NASA currently scheduled for Oct. 25, 2011 from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
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Congratulations to the Delta team.
My understanding is that after parking orbit at 167 x 167 km x 29.2 deg,
the spacecraft were inserted into an orbit that's roughly 200 x 1120000 km
- but, if the sources can provide state vectors for GRAIL and the post-depletion Delta that would be of great interest....
I am assuming that the depletion burn will leave Delta in a loosely bound Earth orbit
that won't end up passing close to the Moon in the near term. Or will it be ejected to solar orbit?
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GRAIL Post Launch Coverage
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7090
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GRAIL Post Launch News Conference
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7091
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Well, I'm just back from the KSC Press Site, after we were bussed to the CCAFS Press Site #1 (for the first time in years) to cover the launch. I've got some photos to share woot! We also had a remote launch pad camera and two video cameras and I'll get those up here as soon as they're ready.
These were taken by our photographer Mike Killian while I shot video of the launch. Much credit and tremendous thanks to him for all his hard work.
It's been awhile since I've been on here, so this is my way of sayin re-hi to everyone.
Cheers! Matt
http://www.aresinstitute.org
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Thanks Matt, great shots!
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GRAIL shots posted:
http://www.launchphotography.com/GRAIL.html
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GRAIL shots posted:
http://www.launchphotography.com/GRAIL.html
Someone sure has the "eye" and skills to turn photos into "ART"
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GRAIL shots posted:
http://www.launchphotography.com/GRAIL.html
Someone sure has the "eye" and skills to turn photos into "ART"
Ben's one of the best, that's for sure. There are a lot of professionals in our media family here and, for the most part, they're all pretty cool people.
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Processing of photo and video continues today. Here's one of our videos. It starts at T-30 seconds. Of course, YouTube once again picked the worst point to create the video thumbnail :( The video turned out fairly decent... except for the few seconds after ground-list booster sep when the camera fell of the tripod (I predicted it would happen) and I had to catch it in mid-air and keep shooting.
More to come I hope. Still waiting on return of our remote pad shots....
Matt
http://www.aresinstitute.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z5QeoOb6gk
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Awesome photos :o
Mission coverage thread for GRAIL on the robotic section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=26746.0
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7091 and 7111 are quite nice. In 7111, I wonder if that hook feature in the plume is the area that was causing the violation in upper-level winds.
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Wow, I had not seen the launch until now. That thing just flew off the pad!
Awesome job by ULA as usual.
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RELEASE: 11-293
NASA LAUNCHES MISSION TO STUDY MOON FROM CRUST TO CORE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's twin lunar Gravity Recovery and
Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT Saturday to study the
moon in unprecedented detail.
GRAIL-A is scheduled to reach the moon on New Year's Eve 2011, while
GRAIL-B will arrive New Year's Day 2012. The two solar-powered
spacecraft will fly in tandem orbits around the moon to measure its
gravity field. GRAIL will answer longstanding questions about the
moon and give scientists a better understanding of how Earth and
other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
"If there was ever any doubt that Florida's Space Coast would continue
to be open for business, that thought was drowned out by the roar of
today's GRAIL launch," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "GRAIL
and many other exciting upcoming missions make clear that NASA is
taking its next big leap into deep space exploration, and the space
industry continues to provide the jobs and workers needed to support
this critical effort."
The spacecraft were launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II
rocket. GRAIL mission controllers acquired a signal from GRAIL-A at
10:29 a.m. GRAIL-B's signal was eight minutes later. The telemetry
downlinked from both spacecraft indicates they have deployed their
solar panels and are operating as expected.
"Our GRAIL twins have Earth in their rearview mirrors and the moon in
their sights," said David Lehman, GRAIL project manager at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. "The mission team is
ready to test, analyze and fine-tune our spacecraft over the next
three-and-a-half months on our journey to lunar orbit."
The straight-line distance from Earth to the moon is approximately
250,000 miles (402,336 kilometers). NASA's Apollo moon crews needed
approximately three days to cover that distance. However, each
spacecraft will take approximately 3.5 months and cover more than 2.5
million miles (4 million kilometers) to arrive. This low-energy
trajectory results in the longer travel time. The size of the launch
vehicle allows more time for spacecraft checkout and time to update
plans for lunar operations. The science collection phase for GRAIL is
expected to last 82 days.
"Since the earliest humans looked skyward, they have been fascinated
by the moon," said GRAIL principal investigator Maria Zuber from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. "GRAIL will take
lunar exploration to a new level, providing an unprecedented
characterization of the moon's interior that will advance
understanding of how the moon formed and evolved."
JPL manages the GRAIL mission. It is part of the Discovery Program
managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. Launch
management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch
Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
For more information about GRAIL, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/grail
and
http://grail.nasa.gov
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Boy that thing really, REALLY gets out of there fast!
Question - has there ever been an significant in-flight anomaly of a H-1 derived engine? I don't mean associated solids, or even avionics, but actual engine hardware. These things might be lo-tech, but they just don't fail!
P
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Boy that thing really, REALLY gets out of there fast!
GRAIL was a light payload heading out of town. It reached parking orbit in only 7 minutes 10 seconds.
Question - has there ever been an significant in-flight anomaly of a H-1 derived engine? I don't mean associated solids, or even avionics, but actual engine hardware. These things might be lo-tech, but they just don't fail!
P
The only RS-27 first stage failure that comes to mind was Delta 178 on May 3, 1986, but that was an electrical short circuit that simply caused the main engine and verniers to shut down completely 71 seconds after liftoff (the solids continued to burn of course, but since there was no steering the rocket started flying sideways). That one I remember well because I was there.
An H-1 engine failed or had an unplanned shutdown on a Saturn I, SA-8 I believe.
Atlas booster engines failed in 1977 and 1993, but I don't believe that those were H-1 conversions.
Rocketdyne had to fight through a lot of early failures to reach this level of reliability. The Navaho program provided a big head start, allowing the company to start testing the "120K, "135K", and "150K" engines that led to H-1 during the mid 1950s.
- Ed Kyle
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I remember Delta 178 too. Lisa Malone - who was with us at the press site today since she heads KSC Public Affairs - did the launch commentary for the GOES-G mission. Definitely not the best thing to have happen on NASA's first post-Challenger launch.
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I've got a few shots from our remote camera which we had located to the southeast of the launch pad on the perimeter of the concrete apron. I'm not sure why Mike edited them rather dark, but the Sun's shadow was pretty much directly in front of the rocket, above, at launch time.
Sharing is caring, so I hope you enjoy!
Matt
http://www.aresinstitute.org
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A couple of shots I took this morning from the Jetty Park pier. This was my first time seeing a Delta 2 from anywhere closer than 35 miles away. Wow, that thing is fast getting off the pad!
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I remember Delta 178 too. Lisa Malone - who was with us at the press site today since she heads KSC Public Affairs - did the launch commentary for the GOES-G mission. Definitely not the best thing to have happen on NASA's first post-Challenger launch.
I too remember the launch failure of Delta 178.
Ironically, we were driving back from Washington, D.C. after attending the funeral that morning for Challenger pilot Michael Smith, when it came over the radio.
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This being the last (scheduled) Delta 2 launch from LC-17, I thought this link may be interesting.
It actually includes photos of every Delta (except Delta 4) launch to date...enjoy!
http://kevinforsyth.net/delta/
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I've got a few shots from our remote camera which we had located to the southeast of the launch pad on the perimeter of the concrete apron. I'm not sure why Mike edited them rather dark, but the Sun's shadow was pretty much directly in front of the rocket, above, at launch time.
Sharing is caring, so I hope you enjoy!
Matt
http://www.aresinstitute.org
Fantastic images, all around. Thanks so much for sharing!
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-091211
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
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. 10, 2011
Atop the Delta II rocket, GRAIL was launched successfully from Pad 17B
on Sept. 10 at 9:08:52 a.m. After GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B separated from
the Delta II's second stage, the Deep Space Network's Goldstone
tracking station acquired them as planned. It verified that solar
arrays were deployed and both GRAIL spacecraft were operating
normally.
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.
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I wondered about the way the exhaust plume swept up over the vehicle on the pad at launch (per Chris B's screen cap attached). Seemed off-nominal. But here's a twitter-sourced explanation:
@ottaross: @NASA_LSP Question: were #GRAIL pre-liftoff launch moments nominal? There seemed to be excessive exhaust accumulation around the vehicle.
@ottaross: @NASA_LSP ... Would have thought this was failure of sys that clears exhaust. Smoke, hot gases not a risk to vehicle? http://t.co/W3EtECs
@nasa_lsp: @ottaross Thanks for the Q. I'm waiting on a technical response from our engineer. Hope to give you a better answer than what I know
@nasa_lsp: @ottaross exhaust was due to pad design & ducting/water suppressant system on 17B & DIIH uses 46" GEMS vs. 40". Everything is nominal
Now, can someone interpret the answer for me?
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It is standard for that pad. The larger GEMs cause it.
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I wondered about the way the exhaust plume swept up over the vehicle on the pad at launch (per Chris B's screen cap attached). Seemed off-nominal. But here's a twitter-sourced explanation:
@ottaross: @NASA_LSP Question: were #GRAIL pre-liftoff launch moments nominal? There seemed to be excessive exhaust accumulation around the vehicle.
@ottaross: @NASA_LSP ... Would have thought this was failure of sys that clears exhaust. Smoke, hot gases not a risk to vehicle? http://t.co/W3EtECs
@nasa_lsp: @ottaross Thanks for the Q. I'm waiting on a technical response from our engineer. Hope to give you a better answer than what I know
@nasa_lsp: @ottaross exhaust was due to pad design & ducting/water suppressant system on 17B & DIIH uses 46" GEMS vs. 40". Everything is nominal
Now, can someone interpret the answer for me?
The attached image provides part of the answer. Look closely and you'll see several important details. Two angled exhaust ducts that were added to SLC 17B to handle the GEM-46 exhaust plumes (for Delta 3 originally) are visible (with rollaway sections that allow the mobile service tower to roll up to the vehicle. A vent covered with louvers is visible on the downrange (away from the mobile tower) side of the vehicle (in the case Delta 323 from 2007). This vent was added, as I recall, to prevent RS-27A flames from being sucked back toward the vehicle when the SRMs ignited (but I may be mis-remembering this). It could be that they were added merely to vent exhaust from the two downrange ground-lit SRMs. Now, when the SRMs ignite, some of their gases escape from the vent, rising to embrace the rocket as it starts to rise. Launches from SLC 17A - and SLC 2W at Vandenberg AFB - don't produce this effect.
- Ed Kyle
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Noticed @ T-4.0 that a scramble looked like it took or takes place.
Talking about the Lox area. Noticed that (if memory serves) they were like at 79 % filled? Anyhow, at the count you could hear the updates to get Lox up to full.
From a viewr POV it looked like the LoX just made the time with a couple of secs to spare.
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The attached image provides part of the answer. Look closely and you'll see several important details. Two angled exhaust ducts that were added to SLC 17B to handle the GEM-46 exhaust plumes (for Delta 3 originally) are visible (with rollaway sections that allow the mobile service tower to roll up to the vehicle. A vent covered with louvers is visible on the downrange (away from the mobile tower) side of the vehicle (in the case Delta 323 from 2007). This vent was added, as I recall, to prevent RS-27A flames from being sucked back toward the vehicle when the SRMs ignited (but I may be mis-remembering this). It could be that they were added merely to vent exhaust from the two downrange ground-lit SRMs. Now, when the SRMs ignite, some of their gases escape from the vent, rising to embrace the rocket as it starts to rise. Launches from SLC 17A - and SLC 2W at Vandenberg AFB - don't produce this effect.
- Ed Kyle
Thanks for your inputs !
These exhaust ducts look very impressive.
Is the main duct completely "flat" or is it going deep under the Delta 2 rocket and then coming back to the ground surface towards the exit ?
And I was also wondering how were made the lateral ducts...
On the first image attached we can clearly see that the fixed part of the lateral duct is "closed" towards the rocket but open on the sides. Looks like concrete or something, but not a door.
On the 2nd image, though, it is clear that the lateral part has been closed to open the duct and let the exhaust flow.
Here, it looks more like doors.. but with the temperature of the GEM plume i'm quite surprised that a door could be sufficient.
+ we don't really see doors on the other pictures, I can imagine them installing doors for each flight, but it seems quite constrainful what do you think ?
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The doors swing inward and close off the duct at both openings. The exhaust isn't that hot and it is for a short duration.
Look at the other pad and you will see the main duct is missing. The trench does not go much past ground level.
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Yeah I saw that the 17A was much lighter and didn't have the lateral ducts.
Do they have a water deluge like on many launchers ? (to cool down the exhaust and noise ?)
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Yeah I saw that the 17A was much lighter and didn't have the lateral ducts.
Do they have a water deluge like on many launchers ? (to cool down the exhaust and noise ?)
A little. The ducts were added to B for the noise of the 46" SRMs. Water is only for cooling
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Oh, ok I see.
I was trying to see where is the water thrown.. but it might be well hidden into the duct...