NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => NGIS (Formerly Orbital ATK) - Antares/Cygnus Section => Topic started by: jacqmans on 07/25/2008 03:36 pm
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IBEX SPACECRAFT HEADS WEST, TAKES MAJOR STEP TOWARD LAUNCH
Greenbelt, Md. — NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, designed to image global interactions at the outer reaches of the solar system, today began its move to Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Calif.
The IBEX spacecraft was loaded into a truck at Orbital Sciences Corporation, Va., where engineers integrated the science payload with the spacecraft and completed numerous tests to ensure optimum performance during the launch and operational phases of the mission.
“This is a huge milestone for the IBEX mission. It’s great to have our spacecraft making its road trip west,” said Dr. David McComas, IBEX principal investigator and senior executive director of the Space Science and Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute. “At Vandenberg, IBEX will undergo some final testing, fueling, and spin balancing prior to being mated to a Pegasus launch vehicle.”
IBEX will move once more before its scheduled October 5 launch. In late September, the spacecraft will be transported to a facility on Kwajalein Island, a part of the Marshall Islands, roughly equidistant between Hawaii, Japan and Australia. There it will undergo final preparations for its unique launch. An L-1011 aircraft is set to carry IBEX and the Pegasus rocket out over the South Pacific, fly toward the east, and drop it. Shortly after drop, the rocket will ignite and carry IBEX up to about 130 miles above Earth, spin it up to 60 RPM, and release it.
“This move to VAFB begins the final sequence of ground processing for the IBEX mission,” said Greg Frazier, IBEX Mission Manager. “We are all looking forward to completing the ground processing, integrating with the Pegasus launch vehicle and having a successful launch.”
Using a concept never before attempted, the IBEX team integrated its own additional solid rocket motor and internal propulsion system to transport the spacecraft all the way up to its final high-altitude orbit (about 200,000 miles high) — most of the way to the Moon. This groundbreaking, relatively inexpensive launch method holds great promise for delivering future small government and commercial spacecraft to high-altitude orbits.
During its science investigation, IBEX will use a pair of energetic neutral atom “cameras” to image interactions between the million mile-per-hour solar wind continually blown out by the Sun and the low-density material between the stars, known as the interstellar medium — interactions never before imaged. The spacecraft begins imaging the edge of the solar system within a couple of weeks after it reaches final orbit. Every six months, the spacecraft will complete an all-sky map of the interstellar boundaries, expected to reveal much about our home in the galaxy.
“The IBEX mission will provide a much deeper understanding of the Sun’s interaction with the galaxy and will also address a serious challenge facing manned exploration by studying the region that shields us from the majority of galactic cosmic ray radiation,” said McComas.
IBEX is the next in NASA’s series of low-cost, rapidly developed Small Explorers spacecraft. The IBEX mission was developed by Southwest Research Institute with a national and international team of partners. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Explorers Program for the Science Mission Directorate.
For more information about the IBEX mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
or
http://ibex.swri.org
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As you may note, IBEX is an example of a spacecraft built (probably "assembled" is a better term, like Ford "assembles" cars) by Orbital launched on an LV made ("assembled"?) by Orbital. Unless I'm wrong (aero313 and all of you who make a living of pointing out my mis-satemements, please correct as needed) Orbital may have been the first company in the US to launch on its own LV a satellite it built (Orbcomm OXP-1, secondary payload on the third Pegasus flight on 9 Feb 1993).
Then Lockheed and Martin merged in 1995 and Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997, becoming LV and satellite manufacturers themselves. But now that EELV and Delta II are products of ULA, to the degree that ULA is a separate company from its parents (as the Consent Decree requires) it seems to me that Orbital has once again become the only US company to launch its satellites in its LV's.
Now that I think of it, is there such a company elsewhere? (I guess the PLA, it you consider it a "company"...)
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This small mission has been delayed quite a lot. Any idea why?
Analyst
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Now that I think of it, is there such a company elsewhere? (I guess the PLA, it you consider it a "company"...)
Well, not the PLA in fact. The launch vehicles are Chinese Academy of Space Tech (Beijing)
and Shanghai Bureau of Astronautics; the satellites are Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle
Technology (Beijing) and Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering. At least that's my understanding; of course the degree to which these organizations are really separate parts of the government is another issue. But Israeli Aircraft Industries meets your criterion I think.
In the US one might argue for NRL as prime contractor for Vanguard both LV and payload, although Martin of course made the first stage. But I think one that probably dethrones you is Martin Marietta, which did build some spacecraft launched on Titans - namely the VIking Landers and the classified LACROSSE radar satellite. I think McDonnell Douglas built the Delta 180 and Delta Star payloads launched in the 1980s for SDIO on Deltas. And GD/Convair in San Diego built the USAF OV1 research satellites in the 1960s launched on GD/Convair Atlas missiles.
In Russia/Ukraine/USSR it is/was much more common: Energiya, Khrunichev, Yuzhnoe are all both LV and spacecraft makers and have been since the 1960s.
Cheers, Jonathan
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Now that I think of it, is there such a company elsewhere? (I guess the PLA, it you consider it a "company"...)
Martin Marietta [...] build some spacecraft launched on Titans - namely the Viking Landers and the classified LACROSSE radar satellite. I think McDonnell Douglas built the Delta 180 and Delta Star payloads launched in the 1980s for SDIO on Deltas. And GD/Convair in San Diego built the USAF OV1 research satellites in the 1960s launched on GD/Convair Atlas missiles.
You are correct, as usual, Jonathan. I didn't know about the GD OV1 but I certaily knew - but forgot - the Martin spacecraft.
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Oh cool! It's been a long time since a Pegasus mission, at least one that's likely to be on NASA TV and thus will get the full live coverage here. Although I hope it doesn't conflict with Shuttle Atlantis and STS-125 if they move the launch date up to the 5th.
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Now that I think of it, is there such a company elsewhere? (I guess the PLA, it you consider it a "company"...)
Martin Marietta [...] build some spacecraft launched on Titans - namely the Viking Landers and the classified LACROSSE radar satellite. I think McDonnell Douglas built the Delta 180 and Delta Star payloads launched in the 1980s for SDIO on Deltas. And GD/Convair in San Diego built the USAF OV1 research satellites in the 1960s launched on GD/Convair Atlas missiles.
You are correct, as usual, Jonathan. I didn't know about the GD OV1 but I certaily knew - but forgot - the Martin spacecraft.
Of course, you're quite right that you're the only US company doing that these days... unless, I suppose, you consider Sea Launch just an arm of Boeing.
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-080108
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Pad: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 5, 2008
Launch Window: 12:41:54 p.m. EDT (4:41:54 a.m. local time)
The IBEX spacecraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California
on Monday, July 28. It was taken to the Astrotech Space Operations
facility for processing. The following day the spacecraft was removed
from its shipping container and placed on a test stand in the clean
room high bay. IBEX was powered on July 31 to begin the
state-of-health checks of the spacecraft's operating systems. Next
week, testing of the spacecraft science instruments is scheduled.
At the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar, prelaunch processing of
the Pegasus XL rocket is under way. Work to attach the second and
third stages is scheduled to begin Aug. 6. Integration of the first
and second stages is planned to start Aug. 8. Fairing preparations
also are scheduled to begin next week.
The L-1011 carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX is currently
planned to depart from Vandenberg on Sept. 26. After a stop in
Hawaii, the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site
at Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific on Sept. 28.
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-080808
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 5, 2008
Launch Window: 12:42 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. EDT
(04:42 a.m. - 04:45 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California this week, the IBEX
spacecraft is undergoing testing of its science instruments. On
Monday, Aug. 11, the spacecraft will be fueled. Meanwhile, the upper
stage motor was spin-balanced on Aug. 7. This will be followed by
spacecraft spin balancing on Aug. 14. On Aug. 15, IBEX will be mated
to the upper stage, and the integrated stack spin-balanced the
following day.
At the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar, prelaunch processing of
the Pegasus XL rocket continues on schedule. Mating of the second and
third stages is under way. Mating of the first and second stages is
scheduled for next week.
The L-1011 carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX is currently
planned to depart from Vandenberg on Sept. 25. After a stop in
Hawaii, the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site
at Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific on Sept. 26.
For information about IBEX and its mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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Oh cool! It's been a long time since a Pegasus mission
Well, since April... is that a "long time"?...
I agree about the video but, barring a chase aircraft there is precious little to watch... setting up a chase at Kwaj is a very, very expensive proposition, and both we and our customers are unwilling to spend the $$$'s...
To make it worse, April's was a night launch, and an L-1011 taking off at night from Kwaj is not very exciting, even if it carries a 24 MT rocket underneath...
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-081508
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 5, 2008
Launch Window: 12:42 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. EDT
(04:42 a.m. - 04:45 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the IBEX spacecraft was fueled
with hydrazine control propellant on Aug. 12. This was followed by
spacecraft spin balancing on Aug. 14. Friday, IBEX is scheduled to be
attached to the upper stage booster. Technicians will then perform a
final spin-balance test of the entire flight stack on Aug. 16. After
de-integration, the upper stage will be transported to the Pegasus
launch vehicle hangar on Aug. 19. The IBEX spacecraft will be moved
there on Aug. 20.
At the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar, prelaunch processing of
the Pegasus XL rocket continues to occur on schedule. Mating of the
first and second stages was completed yesterday. Attachment of the
second and third stages was done on Aug. 12.
The L-1011 aircraft carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX currently
is planned to depart from Vandenberg on Sept. 25. After a stop in
Hawaii, the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site
at Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific on Sept. 26.
For information about IBEX and its mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-082908
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 5, 2008
Launch Window: 12:42 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. EDT
(04:42 a.m. - 04:45 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, final spin-balance testing
of the integrated IBEX spacecraft and upper stage booster flight
stack was successfully completed on Aug. 16. The upper stage motor
and the IBEX spacecraft were then moved to the Pegasus launch vehicle
hangar Aug. 19-20. They will be attached to the Pegasus rocket Sept.
8-9.
Meanwhile, at the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar, prelaunch
processing of the Pegasus XL rocket continues to occur on schedule.
Mating of all of the three stages now is complete, and the interface
verification test is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 2.
The L-1011 carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX currently is
planned to depart from Vandenberg on Sept. 25. After a stop in
Hawaii, the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site
at Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific on Sept. 26.
For information about IBEX and its mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-091908
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 19, 2008
Launch Time: 2:58 p.m. - 3:06 p.m. EDT
(06:58 a.m. - 07:06 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
The IBEX spacecraft, its upper stage booster and the Pegasus XL rocket
are in the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar at Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California.
Integrated verification testing of the IBEX spacecraft and the Pegasus
XL rocket, originally scheduled for Sept. 13 and 14, was delayed due
to some problems found in the IBEX flight stack electrical harnesses.
The issues were resolved and the initial integrated testing on
IBEX/Pegasus was completed on Sept. 17 with no major complications.
The complete IBEX flight system tentatively is planned to be attached
to the Pegasus launch vehicle Sept. 22-24.
Departure of the L-1011 carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX from
Vandenberg currently is planned for Oct. 10. After a stop in Hawaii,
the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein Atoll in the south Pacific on Oct. 11.
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-092608
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 19, 2008
Launch Time: 2:58 p.m. - 3:06 p.m. EDT
(06:58 a.m. - 07:06 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
The IBEX spacecraft, its upper stage booster and the Pegasus XL rocket
are in the Orbital Sciences launch vehicle hangar at Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California.
IBEX was attached to the Pegasus XL rocket on Tuesday, Sept. 23. A
check of the critical systems of the spacecraft was performed on the
spacecraft Thursday following mating with the launch vehicle.
The payload fairing will be installed around IBEX on Sept. 29. Arrival
of the L-1011 is scheduled for Oct. 2, with the mate of the Pegasus
rocket to the L-1011 scheduled for Oct. 6.
Departure of the L-1011 carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX from
Vandenberg currently is planned for Oct. 10. After a stop in Hawaii,
the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site at
Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific on Oct. 11.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-188
NASA TO DISCUSS MISSION TO EXPLORE THE EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a media teleconference on Monday, Oct. 6,
at 1 p.m. EDT, to discuss the upcoming launch of the first spacecraft
that will image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where
the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space.
Called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, the spacecraft is
set to launch Oct. 19 from Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall
Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Participants will be:
- Willis S. Jenkins, IBEX program executive, NASA Headquarters in
Washington
- Gregory V. Frazier, IBEX mission manager, NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
- David J. McComas, IBEX principal investigator and senior executive
director of the Space Science and Engineering Division at the
Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio
- Eric R. Christian, IBEX program scientist, NASA Headquarters
Reporters should call 1-888-606-5951 and use the pass code "IBEX" to
participate in the teleconference. International media should call
1-212-547-0184. Supporting information for the briefing will be
available at the start of the briefing on the Web at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
For more information about the mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-100308
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 19, 2008
Launch Time: 3:02 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. EDT
(07:02 a.m. - 07:05 a.m. local Kwajalein time)
The IBEX spacecraft, its associated upper stage booster and the
Pegasus XL rocket are in the Orbital Sciences Corporation launch
vehicle hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. IBEX has
been mated to Pegasus, installation of the fairing around the
spacecraft was completed on Oct. 1, and the Pegasus has been
installed on its transporter.
Orbital Sciences' L-1011 carrier aircraft arrived at Vandenberg on
Oct. 2. The Pegasus will be mated to the aircraft on Oct. 6.
Departure of the L-1011 from Vandenberg, carrying the Pegasus XL
rocket with IBEX, is currently planned for Oct. 10. After a stop in
Hawaii, the flight will continue and arrive at the Reagan Test Site
at Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific on Oct. 11.
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RELEASE: 08-253
NASA SPACECRAFT READY TO EXPLORE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM
GREENBELT, Md. -- The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the
dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into
the cold expanse of space is ready for launch Oct. 19. The two-year
mission will begin from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall
Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer or IBEX, the spacecraft will
conduct extremely high-altitude orbits above Earth to investigate and
capture images of processes taking place at the farthest reaches of
the solar system. Known as the interstellar boundary, this region
marks where the solar system meets interstellar space.
"The interstellar boundary regions are critical because they shield us
from the vast majority of dangerous galactic cosmic rays, which
otherwise would penetrate into Earth's orbit and make human
spaceflight much more dangerous," said David J. McComas, IBEX
principal investigator and senior executive director of the Space
Science and Engineering Division at the Southwest Research Institute
in San Antonio.
The story of the outer solar system began to unfold when the Voyager 1
and Voyager 2 spacecrafts left the inner solar system and headed out
toward the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space.
"The Voyager spacecraft are making fascinating observations of the
local conditions at two points beyond the termination shock that show
totally unexpected results and challenge many of our notions about
this important region," said McComas.
Other spacecraft have continued the exploration of the interstellar
boundary region. Recently, a pair of NASA sun-focused satellites, the
Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory mission, detected a
higher-energy version of the particles IBEX will observe in the
heliosphere. The heliosphere is an area that contains the solar wind.
It stretches from the sun to a distance several times the orbit of
Pluto.
IBEX is poised to thoroughly map this interstellar boundary region of
the solar system. The images will allow scientists to understand the
global interaction between our sun and the galaxy for the very first
time.
IBEX will be launched aboard a Pegasus rocket dropped from under the
wing of an L-1011 aircraft flying over the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus
will carry the spacecraft approximately 130 miles above Earth and
place it in orbit.
"What makes the IBEX mission unique is that it has an extra kick
during launch," said Willis Jenkins, IBEX program executive at NASA
Headquarters in Washington. "An extra solid-state motor pushes the
spacecraft further out of low-Earth orbit where the Pegasus launch
vehicle leaves it."
The IBEX mission is the next in NASA's series of low-cost, rapidly
developed Small Explorers spacecraft. NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the Explorers Program for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The mission was developed
by Southwest Research Institute with national and international
partner participation.
For more information about IBEX, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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Seems orbital is live on the ELV stream channel 1:
http://kscwmserv1.ksc.nasa.gov/ae%20video%20channel%201
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Also so images of IBEX:
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=185
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Seems orbital is live on the ELV stream channel 1:
*SIGH* no, it's not Orbital... thank NASA for that one... we're too cheap ("thrifty"?) to pay for video... :'(
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LOCKHEED MARTIN SENSOR ABOARD FOR INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER (IBEX) MISSION LAUNCH
Palo Alto, Calif, October 08, 2008 -- NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission -- the first designed to globally image the extreme edge of our solar system -- is ready for launch on a Pegasus rocket from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, on October 19. The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Space Systems Company's Advanced Technology Center (ATC) has lead the development of the IBEX-Lo sensor. The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) awarded the contract to the ATC. IBEX-Lo is one of two sensors on the Small Explorer spacecraft that will measure neutral atoms created by the interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar medium - the gas, dust and radiation environment between the stars. Such neutral atoms are created beyond the orbit of Pluto and then enter our solar system. The energy bands are split into two ranges, one measured by IBEX-Lo and the other by IBEX-Hi. A team at Los Alamos National Laboratory and SwRI built the IBEX-Hi sensor.
The IBEX spacecraft will fly in a highly elliptica Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
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I heard at Chandler they have a "straight arrow" box next to the toilet paper rolls... :D
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Nice photos of Pegasus mated to the L-1011 in KSC Media Archive's IBEX section (http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=185):
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-205
NASA TO WEBCAST IBEX SPACECRAFT LAUNCH ON PEGASUS ROCKET OCT. 19
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the
dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into
the cold expanse of space will be launched on Sunday, Oct. 19, at
1:48 p.m. EDT, during a launch window that extends from 1:44 p.m. to
1:52 p.m. The two-year mission will begin from the U.S. Army's Reagan
test site at Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the
south Pacific Ocean.
Called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, the spacecraft
will conduct extremely high-altitude orbits above Earth to
investigate and capture images of processes taking place at the
farthest reaches of the solar system. Known as the interstellar
boundary, this region marks where the solar system meets interstellar
space.
Carrying the IBEX spacecraft into orbit will be a Pegasus XL rocket
built by Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va. The Pegasus will
be deployed from the Orbital Sciences L-1011 aircraft over the
Pacific Ocean about 125 miles north of Kwajalein. The spacecraft also
was built by Orbital Sciences.
Live coverage of the IBEX launch will be provided via the Web. No live
NASA Television coverage is planned. The live streaming video of the
countdown and launch will be available on the NASA home page at:
http://www.nasa.gov
Audio coverage of the launch will be available at 321-867-1220, 1240,
1260, and 7135. Streaming video and audio coverage will begin at
12:15 p.m. on Oct. 19. It will conclude after spacecraft separation
from the Pegasus, approximately 12 minutes after launch.
For more information about IBEX, including a launch blog, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
Umm, that picture isn't the L-1011 with a Pegasus under it, its of a 737NG. What's up?
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
Umm, that picture isn't the L-1011 with a Pegasus under it, its of a 737NG. What's up?
NASA PAO hired the same guy who edited the airplane landing scene in "The Usual Suspects."
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
Umm, that picture isn't the L-1011 with a Pegasus under it, its of a 737NG. What's up?
It's a pathfinder plane.
"From the runway of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a Pathfinder aircraft takes off. The Pathfinder will accompany Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 aircraft carrying NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft and Pegasus XL rocket on its flight to the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pathfinder will carry the contingency crew and launch team members. (...)"
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=37937
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
Umm, that picture isn't the L-1011 with a Pegasus under it, its of a 737NG. What's up?
How about this one. {:O)
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Orbital Sciences’ L-1011 takes off from Vandenberg for the Kwajalein Atoll.
Under its wing is NASA’s IBEX spacecraft on a Pegasus XL.
Sorry for the mistake!
I simply switched the two pictures and posted the wrong one.
Foto: NASA KSC Multimedia
Umm, that picture isn't the L-1011 with a Pegasus under it, its of a 737NG. What's up?
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NASA teleconference - Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Mission.
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4350&Itemid=2
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STATUS REPORT: ELV-101708
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Mission: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer)
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Facility: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Pacific Atoll
Launch Date: Oct. 19, 2008
Launch Time: 1:44 p.m. - 1:52 p.m. EDT
(05:44 a.m. - 05:52 a.m. local Kwajalein time on Oct. 20)
After mating to the Orbital Sciences L-1011 carrier aircraft on Oct.
6, the aircraft carrying the Pegasus XL rocket with IBEX departed
Vandenberg Air Force Base Oct. 11.
After an overnight stop at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, the ferry
flight continued and arrived at the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein
Atoll in the South Pacific Oct. 12. The following day, an IBEX
spacecraft state of health check was performed without problems.
A Combined Systems Test to verify the status of the integrated
Pegasus/IBEX with the L-1011 and data communications interfaces with
the Reagan Test Site was done on Oct. 15. A launch countdown dress
rehearsal was successfully conducted on Oct. 16. Wheels-up from
Kwajalein for the launch is scheduled for 12:50 p.m. on Oct. 19.
Pegasus deployment from the L-1011 carrier aircraft is targeted to
occur within the eight-minute launch window at 1:48 p.m.
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Has anyone seen a press kit for this launch - with times of staging events and SRM burn, payload weights, etc.?
NASA seem to be going out of the press kit business for robotic spacecraft.
- Jonathan
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NASA seem to be going out of the press kit business for robotic spacecraft.
- Jonathan
No press kit. I still look for a GLAST press kit. There are several pdf's from the PIs, but nothing "official" from NASA.
Analyst
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The media resources seem to be angled towards the payload's mission (and I know most of us want resources on the vehicle)
http://www.orbital.com/search/search.asp?zoom_query=ibex
Enough for a launch preview, which will be up tomorrow, leading into full live coverage.
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Moved to the live coverage area.
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Launch preview:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/10/ibex-orbital-pegasus-live/
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Is there going to be a live NASA web cast? If so how can I find it?
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There is some coverage on http://www.ibex.swri.edu/multimedia/video.shtml
I think the launch itself will be broadcast by NASA, but they haven't released a URL for the feed yet.
There's also coverage on the ELV portal:
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
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Ok, I'm confusing myself with the time conversion. Sunrise on Kwaj will occur at 6:37 MHT, so that's ~3 hours from now? So the launch will be just before sunrise? Will there be any daylight, or is this going to be in the dark?
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The L-1011 should be starting its engines about now.
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Streaming feed here, from the link on the ELV page:
http://kscwmserv1.ksc.nasa.gov/ae%20video%20channel%201
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Streaming feed here, from the link on the ELV page:
http://kscwmserv1.ksc.nasa.gov/ae%20video%20channel%201
Let's hope they got to the normal NASA TV stream soon.
Screenshots if you are able guys...
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L-1011 with Pegasus-XL and IBEX...
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Streaming feed here, from the link on the ELV page:
http://kscwmserv1.ksc.nasa.gov/ae%20video%20channel%201
Let's hope they got to the normal NASA TV stream soon.
Screenshots if you are able guys...
NASA's Public Channel is showing the 50th anniversary special, and the schedule does not list the launch.
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Let's hope they got to the normal NASA TV stream soon.
No NASA TV coverage on this one. NASA are providing some coverage though:
http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/code/ibex.wmx
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Here's the link to the IBEX webcast URL: http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/code/ibex.wmx
Commentary begins at 12:15 pm EST.
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Here's the link to the IBEX webcast URL: http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/code/ibex.wmx
Commentary begins at 12:15 pm EST.
The NASA TV site off the main page has a link to launch coverage just above the Public Channel selection.
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Very good!
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T-93 minutes. George Diller doing the PAO work.
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30 minutes until take off the L-1011.
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Weather is still acceptable, but has worsened recently. They are looking at ways to avoid the bad weather - which was expected, as it's the rainy season.
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L-1011 taxiing
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Taxi under way...
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Taxing...
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48th launch of OSC Pegasus...
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What's the reason for the spacecraft spinning up?
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From IBEX blog
"NASA's IBEX Launch Blog 12:30 p.m. - The IBEX satellite will be the first to study the "termination shock" that marks the outer boundary of the solar system. It is an area where the solar wind generated by the sun meets with the turbulent gas from the rest of the universe. The two Voyager satellites and Pioneer are the only spacecraft to have traveled to the edge of the solar system. "
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What's the reason for the spacecraft spinning up?
Spacecraft stabilization...
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T-70 minutes. Polling for L-1011 take off coming up.
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Departure in 10 minutes.
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From IBEX blog...
"Launch today is scheduled for 1:48 p.m. EDT. It will be a night launch because the Kwajalein launch site is so far away. The site is the Pacific Ocean east of Hawaii. Because Kwajalein is on the other side of the International Date Line, it is already Oct. 20 there."
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Polling for departure of L-1011, which is now taxing to the end of the runway for a northwards depature to the drop zone 125 miles away.
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Polling is go for departure.
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Launch team polling.
All go for departure.
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L-1011 airborne.
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Long range optical tracker. No chase plane - so any drop video will be via this unfortunately. Not sure if they have rocketcam.
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From IBEX blog...
"It will fly to an area north of the atoll to release the Pegasus rocket. It will also climb to an altitude of about 39,000 feet before launching the rocket. Launch remains scheduled for 1:48 p.m. "
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In the p-climb.
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Pegasus-XL upper-stage arriving at Vandenberg...
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Is the stream dodgy for anyone else?
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Is the stream dodgy for anyone else?
I can't even load it, so yes.
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On schedule...
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Everything going smoothly so far. Good com with L-1011 and Pegasus-XL...
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Some Pegasus-XL processing:
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From IBEX blog...
"The Kwajalein Missile Range was chosen for the launch so the Pegasus can take the most advantage of the energy from the rotation of the Earth. Kwajalein is closer to the equator than Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. "
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Fairing installation and rollout:
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Installation under L-1011:
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Moving Pegasus-XL with IBEX out from the hamgar on October 6th...
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Checklist for ascent phase completed.
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T-30 minutes.
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Anyone know if there are chase planes at all? I'm hoping for a good view of the launch because I have friends watching.
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Light turbulence and no clouds.
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No clouds, good visibility.
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Light turbulance reported by the pilot. Heading to the drop zone race track.
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Anyone know if there are chase planes at all? I'm hoping for a good view of the launch because I have friends watching.
Nope, no chase planes. They will try to 'see' the launch using infrared cameras.
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Anyone know if there are chase planes at all? I'm hoping for a good view of the launch because I have friends watching.
No chase planes.
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Turning now to the nortwest:
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At waypoint PTRN.
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Orbital monitoring facility in Dulles, Va:
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L-1011 seen from Kwaj (infrared):
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IR view of L-1011...
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There'll be a video after launch (maybe not directly after, but will be sometime today) in the free video section. :)
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Past PINS, launch pressures nominal.
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Waypoint PIMS, turning to the west again.
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From IBEX blog...
"All operations remain on track to launch the IBEX spacecraft at 1:48 p.m. The L-1011 called "Stargazer" is continuing toward the launch zone, also called a "drop box.""
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Release mechanism armed.
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Waypoint P-Reverse in 2 minutes, things are picking up pace (less than 15 minutes to launch)
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Past PREV. Now doing a 180.
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Here is a better stream for everyone else:
http://webcast.ksc.nasa.gov/code/ibex.wmx
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IBEX transition to internal power in work.
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IBEX internal.
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Everyone, let's focus on images. We have text updates covered.
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Polling go for FTS internal.
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External power supply off:
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Readiness poll underway.
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Launch vehicle arm command sent.
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Past PIP.
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Weather green, as is the launch window.
Avionics internal.
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Drop waypoint entered in GPS.
Range green.
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L-5 minutes.
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Final launch readiness poll: all is GO.
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L-5 mins.
Final polling is go.
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Go for transient power.
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Steering checks taking place.
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L-3, configuring safety for flight.
It's SIGI. It's the flight computer.
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L-1 minute.
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Go for fin battery activation.
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Into the drop box.
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DROP.
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IGNITION!
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Stage 1 ignition!
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Drop and ignition.
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In the drop box, preparing to drop!
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Launch at 1747:21.421UTC.
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LAUNCH!
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Over 2500 mph.
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Everything nominal, stage 1 burnout.
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Wow, look it go :)
First stage flight norminal. Max Q.
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Stage 1 sep, stage 2 ignition!
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All systems nominal, into second stage.
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Fairing sep!
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Fairing separation!
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Thermal roll #1, for 2 minutes, into stage 2-3 coast period.
Waiting for update on performance for stage 1 and 2, to calculate ignition time for 3rd stage.
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Passed 115 miles.
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Reorienting for third stage.
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Stage 2 separation, stage 3 ignition.
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Stage 3 start.
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Telemetry lost, vehicule over the horizon.
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IBEX transmitters on.
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Payload separation, beggining thermal roll.
Remember this mission carries an upperstage.
EDIT: I suppose they were referring to the 4th stage+kick motor+IBEX as payload.
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Fourth stage should have ignited.
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The hydrazine system for spin stabilization should have started.
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Still waiting for data.
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first data should come through TDRSS
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Upper stage should have burned out by now.
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Some data received, stage was spinning properly.
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Spin was at proper rate... waiting confirmation for separation (still with motor I assume)
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S/C sep should have occurred.
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Launch half of antonioe breathing again - spacecraft half still holding breath
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Launch half of antonioe breathing again - spacecraft half still holding breath
Slow, deep breaths... keep it steady :-)
Crossing fingers for you
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Perhaps until Ascension we won't have any data (Ascension is in the Atlantic...)
Congratulations for the nominal Pegasus flight, Antonio! Hope you didn't get too blue ;)
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Store-forward data from Ascension in 20 minutes.
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Someone should give them a bit of relaxing music...
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Receiving some sporadic data.
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Payload separation, beggining thermal roll.
Remember this mission carries an upperstage.
EDIT: I suppose they were referring to the 4th stage+kick motor+IBEX as payload.
The Star 27 motor is considered part of the NASA payload for this mission. The three stage Pegasus XL put the Star 27/IBEX package into a roughly 200 km LEO, if all went as planned. The Star 27 was supposed to push IBEX into a highly elliptical orbit. IBEX will raise its own perigee later using an on-board hydrazine system.
- Ed Kyle
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Perhaps until Ascension we won't have any data (Ascension is in the Atlantic...)
Congratulations for the nominal Pegasus flight, Antonio! Hope you didn't get too blue ;)
Thanks - tomorrow at 8 am Houston time I stand before the steely-eyed NASA CRS Source Selection Board... helps to have a good launch AND spacecraft deployment behind me...
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That's what I thought, thanks.
Will they conclude the webcast once they get confirmation of stage 4 separation, or will they wait for the motor to do its job?
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That's what I thought, thanks.
Will they conclude the webcast once they get confirmation of stage 4 separation, or will they wait for the motor to do its job?
The motor should have already done it's job by the time of Ascenion AOS.
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Can someone explain why on the ELV Countdown Portal we have a 'ACT LIFT OFF' time of 1747:21.421UTC and the official drop time was of 1747:22.64UTC?
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So assuming IBEX is doing nominally other wise, what would cause a problem communicating with TDRSS?
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confirmation of separation
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S/C sep confirmed!
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Spacecraft separation confirmed :)
Great job by all concerned.
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Perhaps until Ascension we won't have any data (Ascension is in the Atlantic...)
Congratulations for the nominal Pegasus flight, Antonio! Hope you didn't get too blue ;)
Thanks - tomorrow at 8 am Houston time I stand before the steely-eyed NASA CRS Source Selection Board... helps to have a good launch AND spacecraft deployment behind me...
You've got it ;)
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Ready for the Board ;) Congratulations!
L-1011 back on the ground.
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L-1011 on the ground.
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Omar Baez giving a briefing.
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IBEX signal recieved through TDRS.
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Receiving data from TDRSS, analyzing.
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TDRSS data indicating everything seems OK.
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Launch half of antonioe breathing again - spacecraft half still holding breath
Well congratulations to both sides, seems both IBEX and Pegasus did a great job.
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Webcast ended. Should be getting IBEX health status in a few hours. Looks like everything went according to plan.
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I previously said there was a fourth stage apart from the Star47, I've now realized I'd mixed both of them. Sorry for the confusion, jcm's summary perfectly clarifies.
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Here's a summary so far, based on the prelaunch info from Justin Ray
and my own timings from the webcast:
- L-1011 takeoff from RW06/24 at Kwajalein, 1651 UTC Oct 19
- Pegasus Drop at 1747:22.64 UTC over 167.6E 10.5N, azimuth 81.5 deg
- Stage 1 ignition 1747:28
- Stage 1 burnout Drop + 1:21
- Stage 1 sep Drop + 1:30
- Stage 2 burn Drop + 1:33
- Fairing sep Drop + 2:18
- Stage 2 burnout Drop + 2:47
- Stage 2 sep Drop + 4:57 ?
- Stage 3 burn Drop + 5:05
- Stage 3 burnout Drop + 6:22
Orbit insertion at 200 x 200 km x 11 deg
- Stage 3 spinup Drop + 7:47
- Stage 3 sep Drop + 8:22
- Adapter cone sep - Unknown, guessing Drop + 8:25?
- Star 27H motor burn - Unknown, guessing Drop + 8:30?
- Star 27H motor burnout - Unknown, guessing Drop + 9:16?
- Star 27H sep from IBEX - Unknown, guessing Drop + 12:38?
This leaves four objects in orbit:
(1) Stage 3 Orion 38 motor, in 200 x 200 km x 11 deg orbit
Mass probably 202 kg, cylinder + nozzle size 1.4m long 1.0m dia
(2) Adapter cone, in 200 x 200 km x 11 deg orbit
Mass unknown, maybe around 10 kg,
cone frustrum size 0.6m long 0.7 to 1.0m dia
(3) Star 27H (TE-M-1157) motor, in 200 x 320000 km orbit
Mass 27 kg size 1.2m long 0.7m dia.
Initial mass was 368 kg prior to ignition of solid propellant
(4) IBEX spacecraft, in 200 x 320000 km orbit
Mass 107 kg full 80 kg dry, octagonal cyl. size 0.6m high 1.0m dia
based on Orbital Microstar bus.
Will use hydrazine thruster to raise perigee to 7000 km.
My mass estimates total 485 kg for items 2,3,4 prior to SRM ignition,
which is a little larger than the 462 kg reported by NASA.
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Here's some more background on the Star 27 since people commented on it:
The original Star 27 (TE-M-616) was the apogee motor
for the first generation GPS satellites.
First launch was Jan 1976 for Canada's Hermes CTS
communications satellite. Also used as apogee motor for
- NTS 2, Navstar 1 to Navstar 11 (GPS satellites)
- GOES 4,5,6,7 weather satellites
- Japanese GMS 1,2,3,4,5 weather satellites
- Japanese BSE, CS 2A, CS 2B communications satellites
- NATO 3D comms satellite
Also used for the orbit insertion stage (OIS) for
the P78-1, a US Navy astronomy satellite famous for
ending its days as an ASAT target, and the Geosat
altimeter satellite.
The last two uses were for the Japanese GMS (Himawari) 4 and 5 launches
in 1989 and 1995. The Star 27H is a modernized version developed for
IBEX.
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Thanks to Stephan - there's a launch video clip on the free video section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14685.0
Great work by everyone with the coverage, especially via the dodgy webcast.
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What's the latest. Is the Spacecraft OK. Reading between the lines I don't feel everything went as expected.
--- CHAS
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What's the latest. Is the Spacecraft OK.
Every post in here and every release from NASA says it is successfully in orbit - what lines are you reading between?
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Thanks for the info about the web cast. I recorded over an hour of the launch on WM Recorder.
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What's the latest. Is the Spacecraft OK. Reading between the lines I don't feel everything went as expected.
--- CHAS
I would hardly consider a delay of a few minutes in establishing communications to be a sign of a launch failure.
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You're probably correct but:
a) There didn't appear to be the jubilation usually associated with a perfect mission
b) They couldn't retrieve the separation data at Hawaii tracking site
c) Although satellite relayed telemetry was being received, at the time I inquired, there was no conformation of receipt of signals at the Ascension ground station and that was supposed to have happened.
--- CHAS
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Thanks to Stephan - there's a launch video clip on the free video section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14685.0
Great work by everyone with the coverage, especially via the dodgy webcast.
And I've added a 7 minute clip, which spans from T-10 seconds to LOS, then picks it back up at confirmation of spacecraft sep.
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Oct. 19, 2008
Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
[email protected]
Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Md.
301-286-0039
[email protected]
RELEASE: 08-262
NASA LAUNCHES IBEX MISSION TO OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission, or
IBEX, successfully launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific
Ocean at 1:47 p.m. EDT, Sunday. IBEX will be the first spacecraft to
image and map dynamic interactions taking place in the outer solar
system.
The spacecraft separated from the third stage of its Pegasus launch
vehicle at 1:53 p.m. and immediately began powering up components
necessary to control onboard systems. The operations team is
continuing to check out spacecraft subsystems.
"After a 45-day orbit raising and spacecraft checkout period, the
spacecraft will start its exciting science mission," said IBEX
mission manager Greg Frazier of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md.
Just as an impressionist artist makes an image from countless tiny
strokes of paint, IBEX will build an image of the outer boundary of
the solar system from impacts on the spacecraft by high-speed
particles called energetic neutral atoms. These particles are created
in the boundary region when the 1-million mph solar wind blows out in
all directions from the sun and plows into the gas of interstellar
space. This region is important to study because it shields many of
the dangerous cosmic rays that would flood the space around Earth.
"No one has seen an image of the interaction at the edge of our solar
system where the solar wind collides with interstellar space," said
IBEX Principal Investigator David McComas of the Southwest Research
Institute in San Antonio. "We know we're going to be surprised. It's
a little like getting the first weather satellite images. Prior to
that, you had to infer the global weather patterns from a limited
number of local weather stations. But with the weather satellite
images, you could see the hurricanes forming and the fronts
developing and moving across the country."
IBEX is the latest in NASA's series of low-cost, rapidly developed
Small Explorers spacecraft. The Southwest Research Institute
developed the IBEX mission with a team of national and international
partners. Goddard manages the Explorers Program for the Science
Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about the IBEX mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ibex
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Launch half of antonioe breathing again - spacecraft half still holding breath
Well congratulations to both sides, seems both IBEX and Pegasus did a great job.
Thanks; everything looks fine, but, remember, the fat lady doesn't sing until all the telemetry is analyzed... I've been through FOURTY (40!) Pegasus launches and I STILL get butterflies until I see those plots... this one looks good, though.
Let's not forget the spacecraft, though... we now have TWO beyond the GEO belt!... let's hope it does the entire mission, although I never understood the science that allows you to map the HELIOsphere boundary from just outside the GEOsphere boundary... can anybody explain that to me?
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Let's not forget the spacecraft, though... we now have TWO beyond the GEO belt!... let's hope it does the entire mission, although I never understood the science that allows you to map the HELIOsphere boundary from just outside the GEOsphere boundary... can anybody explain that to me?
this person from slashdot seems to offer a partial definition:
The probe is not going to the edge of the solar system. This is a remote sensing mission. The instruments measure the Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) created through charge exchange at the boundary of the heliosphere and the interstellar medium. Its a cool/novel way to get data without the crazy cost of going to the edge of the solar system.
Amazingly it takes 6 months to make one image (one half an orbit of Earth around the sun)
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1000661
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Launch half of antonioe breathing again - spacecraft half still holding breath
Well congratulations to both sides, seems both IBEX and Pegasus did a great job.
Thanks; everything looks fine, but, remember, the fat lady doesn't sing until all the telemetry is analyzed... I've been through FOURTY (40!) Pegasus launches and I STILL get butterflies until I see those plots... this one looks good, though.
Let's not forget the spacecraft, though... we now have TWO beyond the GEO belt!... let's hope it does the entire mission, although I never understood the science that allows you to map the HELIOsphere boundary from just outside the GEOsphere boundary... can anybody explain that to me?
Well, we can map external galaxies by using HST, which is in LEO... because light travels in straight lines, so if you measure the direction the light rays are coming from (that's what a camera is for) you can map the shiny thing making the light rays.
What was realized more recently is that you can do the same trick with neutral atoms, which also travel in straight lines. (ions and electrons are no good, because magnetic fields bend their trajectories into loops and you lose track of what direction they came from). Shock fronts can accelerate neutral atoms to high speeds. An ENA camera can measure the direction and speed
for the incoming neutral atoms (the speed is analogous to the color of a light photon).
So, it turns out that in a certain speed range (think of it as a certain band of ENA colors), the shiniest, brightest thing around is the heliosphere boundary. And, the denser parts of the boundary are brighter than the less dense parts. So by scanning your ENA camera around the sky, you can see which directions correspond to brighter and denser heliosphere boundary.
The only snag is that you need the sky to be 'dark', i.e. not swamped with neutral atoms going to and fro that have nothing to do with the heliosphere. That's a problem in LEO, where there's still some thin neutral Earth atmosphere, but not at IBEX's apogee. Hence the choice of IBEX orbit.
Caveat: I am not a heliospheric physicist -- extragalactic sources are my speciality. But I think that's roughly the story.
- Jonathan
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So, it turns out that in a certain speed range (think of it as a certain band of ENA colors), the shiniest, brightest thing around is the heliosphere boundary. And, the denser parts of the boundary are brighter than the less dense parts. So by scanning your ENA camera around the sky, you can see which directions correspond to brighter and denser heliosphere boundary.
The only snag is that you need the sky to be 'dark', i.e. not swamped with neutral atoms going to and fro that have nothing to do with the heliosphere. That's a problem in LEO, where there's still some thin neutral Earth atmosphere, but not at IBEX's apogee. Hence the choice of IBEX orbit.
Thanks, Jonathan, very enlightening.
Caveat: I am not a heliospheric physicist -- extragalactic sources are my speciality.
Oh, well, everybody knows that extragalactic astrophysicists have extraordinarily broad insights into nearly everything...!
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Nice to see Pegasus back in action after all the hype about SpaceX. Clever reference in Chris' article about Pegasus being "the" first.
Makes a note to use the "I'm a extragalactic astrophysicist" the next time I come across an interested lady in a bar. I reckon that'd work well ;)
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Makes a note to use the "I'm a extragalactic astrophysicist" the next time I come across an interested lady in a bar. I reckon that'd work well ;)
No comment..... ;-)
SpaceTrack is now giving the Peg third stage and the adapter cone in
210 x 413 km x 11.0 deg orbits. No data yet on IBEX and the Star 27H, and there may not be - Stratcom isn't set up for tracking cislunar stuff. Antonio, any info your side on the actual orbit achieved?
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SpaceTrack is now giving the Peg third stage and the adapter cone in
210 x 413 km x 11.0 deg orbits.
One NASA official said something about Pegasus having flown at bit "hotter" than expected. One report said that the expected initial orbit was supposed to be 202 km circular. Perhaps this explains the difficulty with initial telemetry tracking efforts (esp. via. TDRS)?
I believe this was the heaviest-ever Pegasus payload. Perhaps Pegasus has a bit more capability than cataloged. ;)
- Ed Kyle
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Yes indeed; Pegasus was a bit hotter than expected and the spacecraft's Star 27 a bit under, so both canceled out and the spacecraft is "right on the money". Communications were poor yesterday with the NASA GN (Santiago) but we had good communications overnight as we were back on USN stations, and acquisition was performed using estimated orbital elements, not by searching!!!
All hardware and software remains nominal at this time. S/C despin (60 rpm to 22 rpm) was successfully performed late last night. Radial thruster performance appeared nominal (including catbed behavior and valve soak back). Checkout (brief test burn) of the two 22N axial thrusters is planned for Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the first perigee raising burn at apogee. The actual burn is scheduled for approximately 11pm local time Tuesday night. Orbit raising maneuvers will continue over the next week or so until we achieve our final 7000km x 50 Re orbit
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Radial thruster performance appeared nominal (including catbed behavior and valve soak back).
Erm. Probably a dumb question. Nominal valve soak back concerns feed temperatures? And how do you measure it to know that it's nominal?
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thermocouples or thermosisters I believe
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Perhaps Pegasus has a bit more capability than cataloged. ;)
- Ed Kyle
Actually, this mission - like some but not all we fly - benefited from a "gimme the highest non-injection-apse you can" guidance strategy.
The launch vehicle injection orbit apogee becomes the initial perigee of the IBEX orbit, with the spacecraft's propulsion system taking care of raising this perigee to the desired 7,000 km (not very costly, since the apogee is 35 Earth Radii!!!). The higher the Pegasus apogee, the lower the spacecraft's fuel needed to raise its perigee... everybody happy!
In these kinds of flights we do NOT manage energy (which needs an energy reserve) and we get all we can get. Typical velocity reserves for an energy-managed flight add up to about 150 f/s (50 m/s). Notice it takes 61 m/s of extra velocity at injection to increase the apogee from 202 km to 413 km!!!
It computes.
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IBEX orbit now reported by SpaceTrack as 219 x 250281 km x 11.0 deg
- Jonathan
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IBEX is now in its final orbit:
http://spacespin.org/article.php/81125-ibex-reaches-orbit-commissioning
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Not locating another mission thread IBEX turns 14 following a long term mission extension and life extending major orbit change in 2011 to significantly reduce propellant use and increase the useful science to at least 40 years after launch:
https://sscspace.com/14-years-of-observing-the-boundary-of-our-solar-system/