NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => ULA - Delta, Atlas, Vulcan => Topic started by: DaveJes1979 on 09/09/2010 12:40 am
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Also sources still state Monday, September 20th, launch window TBA.
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Any word on the launch window for this one? Also sources still state Monday, August 20th, launch window TBA.
You mean Sept. 20th, correct ;)? Yeah, I'm wondering about this one too. I noticed what looked like a Wet Dress Rehearsal going on out there a couple weeks ago...the MST was rolled back, and when I took my binoculars and scoped out the pad, the 1st and 2nd stages were hooked up to the UT, all iced over and venting LOX.
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http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/index-vafb.html
LV visible on third webcam on left
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Interesting. It says WINDOW OPENING TIME (and expected liftoff) 263:20:29:00. That is apparently GMT, so 1:29 p.m. Pacific Time. Launch window is open for 59 minutes.
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FDF gives the launch time as 03:29 UTC on 21 September. MSDB gives the date as 21 September (UTC) but does not give a time.
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Ahh, so that is Pacific Time, not GMT. So the launch will be at 8:29 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
Too bad it couldn't have been just a bit earlier. Sunset will be at 7:01 p.m. PDT, so it just missed being a spectacular twilight launch.
Actual Sunset: 7:01 PM PDT
Civil Twilight: 7:27 PM PDT
Nautical Twilight: 7:56 PM PDT
Astronomical Twilight: 8:26 PM PDT
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Ahh, so that is Pacific Time, not GMT. So the launch will be at 8:29 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
Too bad it couldn't have been just a bit earlier. Sunset will be at 7:01 p.m. PDT, so it just missed being a spectacular twilight launch.
Actual Sunset: 7:01 PM PDT
Civil Twilight: 7:27 PM PDT
Nautical Twilight: 7:56 PM PDT
Astronomical Twilight: 8:26 PM PDT
Yeah, the twilight launches are really something to see.
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TitanFan, I've only been to Delta 2 launches before, so perhaps you can enlighten me on publicly-accessible viewing opportunities for Atlas V launches? It looks like you can get pretty darn close on W Ocean Avenue. Assuming they put up a roadblock at 13th street, that still gets you to about 2.5 miles of the pad just outside the base gates.
The pad itself may be obstructed at this location, since it sits on at hill at about 470 feet, whereas Ocean Avenue is essentially sea level.
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TitanFan, I've only been to Delta 2 launches before, so perhaps you can enlighten me on publicly-accessible viewing opportunities for Atlas V launches? It looks like you can get pretty darn close on W Ocean Avenue. Assuming they put up a roadblock at 13th street, that still gets you to about 2.5 miles of the pad just outside the base gates.
The pad itself may be obstructed at this location, since it sits on at hill at about 470 feet, whereas Ocean Avenue is essentially sea level.
DaveJes,
Ocean Ave. is an OK spot. You're so close that you can feel the RD180's shaking the ground. Just east of 13th st. gate (where, yes, there is roadblocks on launch days) there's a little farm road turnoff called Renwick Ave. (keep your peepers popped...blink and you miss it. Also, stay off the RR tracks), but you're right, the pad view is obscured. If you're going for public viewing with a line of sight to SLC-3E, on Hwy. 1, maybe 1/2 to 1 mile south of the main gate, you'll see a road blocked with concrete barriers in a "U" shape. Pull in there (you'll be far enough out of the way of the highway traffic) and look southwest...you can't miss the pad...it'll be the one drowning in floodlights...LOL. To access that side road, you must be traveling on southbound Hwy. 1. There's a cement wall blocking left turn access from the northbound side. This spot is a bit further away than Ocean Ave., but it's the closest line of sight area if you don't have base access. Any more questions, feel free to PM me or ask here. I'll help you the best I can.
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I meant to post this link in my above reply but forgot. It's a thread about launch viewing from Lompoc/VAFB area. I mention Harris Grade Road in my post there, but Harris Grade is closed due to road construction until the first part of December.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19085.msg494120#msg494120
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Thanks, Titanfan. Harris Grade Road appears to be a good 12 miles or so from the pad, it won't be all that loud or bright at that distance. So I'd rather take my chances at Ocean Avenue.
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ULA Atlas V with the NRO mission still set for Sept. 20, 8:29 p.m. PDT from SLC-3 at Vandenberg.
ULA note that due to the classified nature of this mission a mission booklet wasn’t created for this launch.
The weather stands at 70 percent acceptable for Monday. The main concern will be surface winds
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ULA Atlas V with the NRO mission still set for Sept. 20, 8:29 p.m. PDT from SLC-3 at Vandenberg.
ULA note that due to the classified nature of this mission a mission booklet wasn’t created for this launch.
The weather stands at 70 percent acceptable for Monday. The main concern will be surface winds
And the main viewing concern will be...fog, like always. Must be Vandenberg...
Oh well, Atlas launches are usually at least good for turning the fog a bright orange...LOL.
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Here's some pictures of the payload being craned up to the top of the launch vehicle after it was delivered to SLC-3E:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av025/preflight/
Also...according to prelim weather reports, apparently fog shouldn't be an issue for viewing. Woo :D!
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Any clue about the nature of the cargo on board?
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Launch poster and Mission patch
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Any clue about the nature of the cargo on board?
From the first use of the 501 configuration, so I guess it's relatively light with a big dish.
The rumors have it that the first DIVH from Canaveral (NROL-32) is a signals intelligence payload and the second from Vandenberg (NROL-49) is an optical imaging payload of the Keyhole lineage.
Maybe some kind of synthetic aperture radar?
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Launch poster and Mission patch
As always, counting "ornaments" in a NRO graphic can be intriguing... Seven stars with one greyed out ... :-\
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1033/1
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Launch poster and Mission patch
As always, counting "ornaments" in a NRO graphic can be intriguing... Seven stars with one greyed out ... :-\
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1033/1
Three obvious clues in the patch:
1) Owl eyes - Nocturnal predator;
2) Flight path over Africa shown - Africa isn't a signals hotbed the way Asia is beyond Satelite Phones and a few urban cell networks;
3) The phrase 'We Own The Night'.
I'm calling this one as a thermal imaging or radar mapping sat, possibly with detectors sensitive enough to detect small groups of individuals in wilderness areas.
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Ben, that is not the patch for this mission
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My apologies for causing any confusion. The patch is mentioned in the linked story and as was included as an example of "ornamental" detective work. :-X
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I'm hoping to get free of other commitments on base tonight to see this thing go- first because I'd love to see the launch, and second because I really want the range clear for the launch after this one.
It's been very foggy, I may only get to hear it go- but even that should be fun.
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Moved for live coverage
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ULA:
Vandenberg AFB, CA. (Sept. 20, 2010) – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket sits on its Space Launch Complex-3 launch pad surrounded by fog, but ready for launch. The launch of the Atlas V with a NRO payload in support of national defense is set for 8:29 p.m. PDT tonight. There is a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather for the launch. Photos by Pat Corkery, ULA.
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The marine layer (dense low clouds along the coast line) is hindering my view from the west side of Los Angeles. Folks further in-line and up in the hills may have better luck tonight. I'll guess I have to wait for the official pictures from the Air Force.
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L-3 hours.
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Some scattered sunlight near the western horizon but my forecast shows no fog until late at night.
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ULA note that Ddue to a collision avoidance requirement, new T-0 of 8:31.30 p.m. PDT
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I'm going to be watching from Las Vegas, NV. Will report back on what I can see, if anything!
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Excellent launch preview by William Graham:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/09/live-ula-atlas-v-set-to-launch-with-nrol-41/
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coverage starting
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Now that's a fat fairing!
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2:30 added to hold
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Gonna watch this one from ASO...
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entered t-4 minute hold for 12 minutes, green for all criteria
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mission coverage will be about 3 and a half minutes (plf jettison)
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range working clearance issue, located a pov
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s/c to internal power
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fyi pov is a privately owned vehicle, could be in safety area
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Going to extend hold time for 5 minutes, t-0 will be 3:36 30 GMT 8:36 PDT
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Spacecraft now on internal power
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Need to add time to hold, no new t-0 time, 3 minutes till pick up hold
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Extending hold by 5 minutes, still on internal power for the spacecraft, t-0 8:41 local time.
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Window is for 59 minutes, so we have time
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adding another 5 minutes, now t-0 8:46 pm local time, 3:46 GMT
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Checking to see if the vehicle is abandoned or not, if it is will see if they can go
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extending hold another 5 minutes
t-0 now 8:51 pm local time, 3:51 GMT
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Extending hold another 5 minutes.
Confirmed extended. New T:0 - 8:51:30 PDT.
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Spacecraft is on external power, waiting to go to internal when we pick the count up.
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Extending the hold 5 minutes. T-0: 8:56:30 PDT, 3:56:30 GMT.
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extending hold another 5 minutes
t-0 now 8:56:30 pm local time, 3:56:30 GMT
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Headed towards a resolution with the range issue of the privately owned vehicle.
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Sweep crew should return from the vehicle in 7 minutes
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New T-0: 04:03:30 GMT. 9:03:30 PDT.
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extending hold by 7 minutes
t-0 now 9:03:30 pm local time, 4:03:30 GMT
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Window closes at?
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range is clear now, go to launch
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Range can support the new T-0.
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10 minutes to launch.
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Test Director conducting comm checks
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Everything is currently green, not working any issues. 9:03:30 PDT is the T-0, polling within 90 seconds.
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Launch Conductor Conducting status check poll
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Launch conductor now conducting polls. All go.
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poll is good, go to pick up launch at T-4 minutes
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L-5 minutes.
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is this a due west launch or north or south west?
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T-4 minutes and counting.
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T-3 minutes and counting.
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Fuel tanks have reached flight pressure, FTS internal
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T-2 minutes and counting.
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t-2 minutes, lv internal power,
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Vehicle on internal power.
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fts armed
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LH2 and LO2 secured. Launch enabled. FTS armed.
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range is green
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Range is GREEN.
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T-1 minute.
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T-30 seconds. Go Atlas! Go Centaur!
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Where's the webcast - I scanned this thread but did not see a link..
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LAUNCH!
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Vehicle steering as expected. All looking good. Closed loop on PU.
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Ending roll program.
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Vehicle supersonic. Passing Max-Q.
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Telemetry data has been "very clean".
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Fired the pyro valves, RCS now enabled and looking good.
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Throttling down to 2 and a half G's for payload fairing jettison.
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plf separation, coverage ending
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Have payload fairing jettison. All looking good.
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Showing a replay before ending coverage.
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
Great coverage guys. My feed was behind yours.
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
I was wondering the same thing... ;D
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I was expecting a big "?" as a payload replacement on the CGI view. ;)
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
Yeah, not very representative, not that even I know what it looks like. I don't think the site will be overrun by Iranians offering Ron barrels of oil for his screenshot ;)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBb0rmOuSdE
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
Yeah, not very representative, not that even I know what it looks like. I don't think the site will be overrun by Iranians offering Ron barrels of oil for his screenshot ;)
Now that would be funny/very disturbing :D
Congrats on the launch so far.
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
Yeah, not very representative, not that even I know what it looks like. I don't think the site will be overrun by Iranians offering Ron barrels of oil for his screenshot ;)
Might even be a plot to make us think that this payload is something that it actually isn't?
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I wanted to say thanks for the great updates guys. It allowed me to see the launch all the way north of Reno Nevada. It looked like a faint redish/white star. We were able to follow it for about a minute and a half. Caught sight of it about 3-4 minutes after lift off.
Thanks again!
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That's great, and welcome to the site's forum FXVI.
ULA PAO send out the presser:
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches National Defense Mission
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., (Sept. 20, 2010) – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex-3 East here at 9:03 p.m. PDT today. The mission was in support of national defense.
This mission marked the third Atlas V from the west coast in program history. The inaugural Atlas V launch from Vandenberg occurred March 13, 2008, and the second occurred on Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty additional Atlas V launches have taken place from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., since 2002.
"This is a proud moment for United Launch Alliance knowing this launch is providing our brave men and women fighting for our nation the space assets they need to defend America,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Mission Operations. “I want to thank our NRO customer for entrusting ULA with the responsibility to launch this important mission. I’d also like to recognize all the team members, including our government mission partners and suppliers from around the country and around the world, who worked tirelessly to successfully launch today’s mission. Their professionalism and attention to detail have made this significant launch possible.”
This mission was launched aboard an Atlas V 501 using a 5.4-meter diameter, 77 foot long, Ruag composite payload fairing. The mission was powered by a single common core booster using the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine and a Centaur upper stage using a single Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10A engine.
ULA's next launch, currently scheduled for Oct. 19, is a Delta IV Heavy NRO mission in support of national defense from Space Launch Complex-37 at CCAFS, Fla.
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly, and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Texas, and San Diego, Calif. 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 Web site at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321).
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Did we get a bit more coverage than we should there? Not sure we were supposed to see fairing sep, but likely that CGI view of the payload won't be representative.
Yeah, not very representative, not that even I know what it looks like. I don't think the site will be overrun by Iranians offering Ron barrels of oil for his screenshot ;)
Might even be a plot to make us think that this payload is something that it actually isn't?
it's just a generic com-sat model
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While everyone is fascinated by the S/C, I must say Atlas performed phenomenally tonight, and if the NRO trust it with their stuff, then NASA should feel great abot it being a crew lv. Congrats to ULA!
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Good job ULA... You sure know how to make it *look* easy.
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launch from onlookers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fojyrDwNys
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Also a note to ULA/VAB personnel, lets get a picture of the abandoned car
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Also a note to ULA/VAB personnel, lets get a picture of the abandoned car
There is a Minotaur launch from SLC-8 next Sunday, so it's hard to believe that an abandoned car would have gone unnoticed by the Orbital ground crew, unless the car belonged to someone on their team...
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Just got back from viewing in the San Fernando Valley (NW of Los Angeles). Spectacular launch! The delays stunk, but all in all it was worth it. When my phone said 9:04 and I didn't see anything I was a bit worried, but then it cleared a hill and the bright orange streaking trail crossed the sky. Saw a nice "plume" form around it and then watched it through my binoculars disappear into space.
Sorry to say I also had my camera with me, but I'm "newer" at photography and even more so at nighttime. Let's just say it didn't come out so good. Looks like a small dot when in reality it was nice and bright with the plume forming around it as the 1st stage was burning out. Will definitely try to improve my understanding of night photography and in particular of launches.
Thanks for the great coverage... :)
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Here is what it looked like from 10 miles north of Reno Nevada. It is the red streak. My camera isnt super fancy. This was a 2 second exposure.
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A little longer live stream capture than earlier posted:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUbnC53TyxI
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I am also in the San Fernando Valley. I hapened to open NSF and see the live launch notice at 21:03 local, looked at my computer clock which read 9:03PM, stepped out on my terrace and looked west.
Within a minute the bright red and orange plume rose over the horizon, arcing steeply and gracefully to the south. As the atmosphere waned the exhaust expansion was faintly but definitely visible.
I lost sight as it was obscured by my building, but I could not think of a nicer surprise this evening.
Thanks
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Vandenberg AFB, CA. (Sept. 21, 2010) – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasts off from its Space Launch Complex-3 launch pad at 9:03 p.m. PDT Sept. 20. The Atlas V launched with a NRO payload in support of national defense. Photo by Pat Corkery, ULA.
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Eerie launch photo!
Ted Molczan on the Seesat-L board has noted that the pre-launch NOTAMs were consistent with a *retrograde*, 123 deg orbital inclination! Kind of interesting, and would be consistent with a radarsat since it would not be the sun sync needed by imagers. No one has spotted the bird yet, however.
- Ed Kyle
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Did anyone spot the centaur dump? Sounds like it would have been over the mid-east during daylight.
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That's one of the coolest launch photos ever.
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Here's my home video of the launch (skip to 45 seconds if you want to just see liftoff). This was filmed through a telescope from Harris Grade Road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69jq8pTx2Jk
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@ edkyle99, kevin-rf,
I suspect that one of the reasons why ULA's broadcast was cut off before BECO/MEI was so that it would be that much harder to guesstimate final trajectory from the footage. Is Centaur powerful enough for a plane change manoeuvre after insert to parking orbit?
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OTV was found in a different inclination than its launch azimuth indicated; so, yes.
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@ edkyle99, kevin-rf,
I suspect that one of the reasons why ULA's broadcast was cut off before BECO/MEI was so that it would be that much harder to guesstimate final trajectory from the footage. Is Centaur powerful enough for a plane change manoeuvre after insert to parking orbit?
Yes, but it depends, as always, on payload mass and orbital altitude. 501 might be able to lift 6 tonnes to a 700 km sun synchronous orbit from Vandenberg AFB, but only 5 to 5.3 tonnes to a 120 deg-ish orbit at the same height. Add 500 kg of payload for a 200 km orbit. Subtract 500 kg for a 1,200 km orbit. Etc. Note that two Centaur burns are needed for altitudes greater than about 500 km.
- Ed Kyle
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Here's my home video of the launch (skip to 45 seconds if you want to just see liftoff). This was filmed through a telescope from Harris Grade Road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69jq8pTx2Jk
Where were you at on the Grade taking that video? That is phenomenal! I was going to head up there if the pad was still fogged in, but the fog lifted in time so I headed out to a (rather creepy when you are alone) backwoods area my grandpa showed me many years ago on base.
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and 24 hours after launch, Ted has reported on SeeSat an orbit based by observations this evening by Bob and Brad... these guys are just darn impressive.
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and 24 hours after launch, Ted has reported on SeeSat an orbit based by observations this evening by Bob and Brad... these guys are just darn impressive.
...and the Orbit is?
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and 24 hours after launch, Ted has reported on SeeSat an orbit based by observations this evening by Bob and Brad... these guys are just darn impressive.
...and the Orbit is?
Jonathan ("jcm") has reported a 1057 x 1072 km x 123.0 deg orbit at his long-lived, authoritative, hyper-vital web site. You can find the latest info at: http://planet4589.org/space/jsr/latest.html
The "amateur" (more like "semi-professional", IMO, though without pay ;) ) tracking effort is described at the Seesat-L discussion board at http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Sep-2010/index.html
There, Ted Molczan has listed (a semipro educated guess) the payload as "FIA Radar 1".
- Ed Kyle
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Ed, thanks...
Interesting quote:
"That costs extra fuel since you are fighting the Earth's
rotation instead of gaining from it. The altitude is also rather higher
than earlier surveillance satellites."
Add that to the use of an Atlas 501, probable deorbit of the Centaur and one wonders how light was that bird under the 5 meter fairing?
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Here's my home video of the launch (skip to 45 seconds if you want to just see liftoff). This was filmed through a telescope from Harris Grade Road.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69jq8pTx2Jk
Where were you at on the Grade taking that video? That is phenomenal! I was going to head up there if the pad was still fogged in, but the fog lifted in time so I headed out to a (rather creepy when you are alone) backwoods area my grandpa showed me many years ago on base.
I was at the first major pull-off on Harris Grade Road (34 43 41.91 N, 120 26 36.24 W) where there were probably another 30-40 cars by the time of the launch. I'd like to find somewhere closer for Atlas V and Delta IV launches that still has a good view, but I don't know the area well enough to know which areas are closed by the Air Force during launches
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Ed, thanks...
Interesting quote:
"That costs extra fuel since you are fighting the Earth's
rotation instead of gaining from it. The altitude is also rather higher
than earlier surveillance satellites."
Add that to the use of an Atlas 501, probable deorbit of the Centaur and one wonders how light was that bird under the 5 meter fairing?
I would guess 4 tonnes or less, emphasis on the "less". Obviously this is much lighter than the 14-ish tonne Lacrosse radarsats. But then again Lacrosse is a probably a dinosaur by comparison with modern radar imagers like Germany's X-band Sar Lupe, which only weighs 0.8 tonnes but reportedly has 50 cm resolution. It is also possible that whatever this is, it is not performing a super-detailed reconnaissance mission like Lacrosse.
- Ed Kyle
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Reading through the SatObs discussions, the bird's low magnitude (6.5 at best conditions) drew my attention. It seems to me to be low for such a "big volume" satellite as this is estimated to be, being at around 1000 km altitude, but I'm not really sure what the typical magnitudes are for these orbits.
Of course, I realize not many observations have been made and better lightning conditions may increase magnitude, and also any big reflector it may have probably hasn't been deployed yet, but just wondering if there may be other factors at play.
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Reading through the SatObs discussions, the bird's low magnitude (6.5 at best conditions) drew my attention.
It's logical that a military satellite would have a low-observable coating of some kind to make it difficult to track optically. A lot depends on the angle of the solar arrays to the sun too.
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It's logical that a military satellite would have a low-observable coating of some kind to make it difficult to track optically.
That would only be logical if it was sufficiently low-observable to affect potential adversaries ability to track it. If the "pro-amateurs" on Seesat-L can reliably track it, this is unlikely.
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It's logical that a military satellite would have a low-observable coating of some kind to make it difficult to track optically.
That would only be logical if it was sufficiently low-observable to affect potential adversaries ability to track it. If the "pro-amateurs" on Seesat-L can reliably track it, this is unlikely.
I dunno, sometimes I think that these 'enthusiastic amateurs' are actually better (and more creative in counter-measures) than the 'official' intelligence agencies. Certainly the guys who located X-37 had the NRO pulling their hair out.
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Certainly the guys who located X-37 had the NRO pulling their hair out.
The X-37B is a USAF Spacecraft, not NRO:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/04/live-atlas-v-launch-x-37b-otv/
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I was at the first major pull-off on Harris Grade Road (34 43 41.91 N, 120 26 36.24 W) where there were probably another 30-40 cars by the time of the launch. I'd like to find somewhere closer for Atlas V and Delta IV launches that still has a good view, but I don't know the area well enough to know which areas are closed by the Air Force during launches
Where you were at is actually less than 5 minutes from my house. I was going to try to go up there and get a time-lapse streak shot of it, but I can see SLC-3 off in the distance from the end of my street, so when I left my house to go watch, and I saw the pad was fairly clear, I couldn't pass up the base. I didn't want to chance taking pictures out there on base, even though at my viewing location out there, about the only folks who would've been aware of my picture taking would've been myself and the coyotes...LOL.
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It's logical that a military satellite would have a low-observable coating of some kind to make it difficult to track optically.
That would only be logical if it was sufficiently low-observable to affect potential adversaries ability to track it. If the "pro-amateurs" on Seesat-L can reliably track it, this is unlikely.
I dunno, sometimes I think that these 'enthusiastic amateurs' are actually better (and more creative in counter-measures) than the 'official' intelligence agencies. Certainly the guys who located X-37 had the NRO pulling their hair out.
The amateurs are good at finding satellites because hiding satellites is hard (as far as we know). But I think most of the amateurs would admit that having more money would make their job easier, so it's reasonable to suppose that interested state actors can track satellites at least as well as the amateurs.
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I can confirm that viewing Atlas V launches from Ocean Avenue does indeed make for an excellent show. Fog wasn't really a problem, so I don't know why so many folks were way back at Harris Grade. It was quite easy to get within 2.5 miles of the pad, where many spectators had parked. It was FANTASTICALLY loud, even without any solid boosters. It was much louder than my experiences viewing Delta II's (5 miles away) or the Space Shuttle (6.5 miles away). Yes, the rocket is partially obscured while on the pad, but from certainly locations along the road you could make out most of it.
The lack of boosters on this Atlas made for an interesting show. The RP-1 and LOX do not burn nearly as bright as solid motors do. However, the fact that the Atlas' ascent was so much slower really increased the dramatic impact to viewers on the ground. Launchers with solids just leap off the pad and the show simply does not last very long.