LIVE: Wallops Island Minotaur - TacSat 2 - Dec 16

• LIVE: Wallops Island Minotaur - TacSat 2 - Dec 16 by edkyle99 on 05 Aug, 2006 21:04
• Minotaur to launch from Wallops Island in November
  
  http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-04-2006/0004410554&EDATE=
  
  "Wallops Flight Facility Selected as Launch Site for Air Force Satellite
  
      WALLOPS ISLAND, Va., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The NASA Wallops Flight
  Facility, Wallops Island, Va., has been selected by the Space and Missile
  Systems Center's Detachment 12 as the launch site for the Air Force
  Research Laboratory's TacSat 2 satellite. The launch is scheduled for
  November 2006.
      The satellite will be launched on an Air Force four-stage Minotaur I
  space launch vehicle contracted through Orbital Sciences Corporation's
  Launch Systems Group. The mission will be conducted from the Mid-Atlantic
  Regional Spaceport launch pad on the south end of Wallops Island.
      "The Wallops Flight Facility has a 61-year heritage of providing fast
  response launch services to government, academia and commercial
  organizations. We are very pleased to be able to support this Air Force
  mission," said Jay Pittman, chief of the Range and Mission Management
  Office.
      In addition to supporting the TacSat 2 launch, Wallops also will be the
  launch site for a Minotaur I rocket carrying the Near-Field Infrared
  Experiment (NFIRE) satellite.
  
  
  SOURCE NASA"
  
   - Ed Kyle
• #1 by MKremer on 06 Aug, 2006 04:47
• I wonder if they had to go throught additional studies to get EPA approval to launch those larger solid-fuel boosters in that area?
  
• #2 by Jim on 06 Aug, 2006 08:32
• they have launched bigger vehicle from there
• #3 by aero313 on 06 Aug, 2006 14:21
• Quote

  Jim - 6/8/2006  4:19 AM
  
  they have launched bigger vehicle from there

  
  What, Conestoga?  I'm not sure how that compares to a Minuteman II from an environmental standpoint.  Prior to that, Scout had been the largest vehicle launched from WFF.  On the other hand, WFF and the Virginia Spaceport (now the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport - MARS - as a concession to Barbara Mukulski) have already done the environmental assessments required to launch a Castor 120 sized vehicle from the island.  The limiting factor is actually the weight limit on the bridge connecting the island to the mainland.  I'm not sure if the MMII motors are being brought in by road or barge, actually.
• #4 by Jim on 06 Aug, 2006 15:40
• exactly.
• #5 by antonioe on 26 Aug, 2006 21:22
• Quote

  aero313 - 6/8/2006  9:08 AM
  
  

  Quote

  Jim - 6/8/2006  4:19 AM
  
  they have launched bigger vehicle from there

  
  What, Conestoga?  I'm not sure how that compares to a Minuteman II from an environmental standpoint.  Prior to that, Scout had been the largest vehicle launched from WFF.  On the other hand, WFF and the Virginia Spaceport (now the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport - MARS - as a concession to Barbara Mukulski) have already done the environmental assessments required to launch a Castor 120 sized vehicle from the island.  The limiting factor is actually the weight limit on the bridge connecting the island to the mainland.  I'm not sure if the MMII motors are being brought in by road or barge, actually.

  
  Actually, there have been six Pegasus launches from WFF for which we had to file an Environmental Impact Statement.  I think we also did the homework to launch a Taurus from WWF and that the C120 was transported by road from the assembly building at the base to the Virginia Spaceport pad (I can check).
• #6 by MWDog on 03 Sep, 2006 15:06
• I'm from Pennsylvania, so it's not that long of a drive to Wallops. I'm thinking of viewing the November launch. Does anyone have suggestions for the best viewing location?
• #7 by TitanFan on 14 Sep, 2006 06:29
• Were these launches transferred from VAFB, or were they always scheduled from there?  I remember hearing that there was more launches booked on Minotaur from Vandy.
• #8 by Jim on 14 Sep, 2006 11:36
• Quote

  TitanFan - 14/9/2006  2:16 AM
  
  Were these launches transferred from VAFB, or were they always scheduled from there?  I remember hearing that there was more launches booked on Minotaur from Vandy.

  
  Not transfers.  There are still more scheduled at VAFB
  
  PS.  It is not "Vandy"
• #9 by aero313 on 14 Sep, 2006 22:26
• Quote

  Jim - 14/9/2006  7:23 AM
  
  

  Quote

  TitanFan - 14/9/2006  2:16 AM
  
  Were these launches transferred from VAFB, or were they always scheduled from there?  I remember hearing that there was more launches booked on Minotaur from Vandy.

  
  Not transfers.  There are still more scheduled at VAFB

  
  The final orbital inclination requires launch from Wallops.  You can't get there from VAFB
  
  

  Quote

  PS.  It is not "Vandy"

  
  Sadly, I've actually been in meetings at VAFB where Air Force personnel called it "Vandyland"...
  
  
• #10 by Jim on 14 Sep, 2006 22:29
• That is acceptable
• #11 by BFRC on 20 Oct, 2006 04:45
• No AF personnel from VAFB will refer to it as "Vandyland" just the tourists.
• #12 by shuttlepilot on 12 Nov, 2006 17:35
• Is there any live webcast of that launch?
• #13 by edkyle99 on 25 Nov, 2006 16:23
• Here are a couple of informative reports about the upcoming December 11 Wallops Island Minotaur launch.
  
  "Sky-high hopes for future of Wallops
  Va., Md. officials foresee busy niche for launch facility
  By Frank D. Roylance
  Sun reporter
  Originally published November 25, 2006
  The Dec. 11 blastoff of one of the most powerful rockets ever launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia could also boost the region's ambition to become a commercial spaceport."
  
  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.wallops25nov25,0,1183433.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
  
  
  "Wallops looking to grow
  Spaceflight facility already is huge economic boost
  By Ceri Larson Danes
  WALLOPS - It is rocket science.
  NASA's Wallops Flight Facility - part of their Goddard Space Flight Center -- is the only launch range that the space agency owns, and its mission is growing. "
  
  http://www.delmarvanow.com/easternshore/stories/20061125/2349275.html
  
   - Ed Kyle
• #14 by gocamels on 09 Dec, 2006 12:02
• http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=115751&ran=112334
  
  http://media.hamptonroads.com/media/content/pilotonline/2006/12/sat450x316.jpg" width="450" border="0" />
• #15 by dwmzmm on 09 Dec, 2006 12:25
• One of my all time favorites, as far as rocket launches from Wallops is concerned, is the Canadian Black Brant - II sounding rocket.  The Black Brant - II is
  a popular subject of those rocketeers who love to build and fly scale models.
• #16 by Radioheaded on 09 Dec, 2006 12:45
• I am getting up very early to go catch this launch monday.  Is anyone (Jim, ect) familiar with launch requirements wrt weather for the minotaur I? Just don't want to drive 3 hrs for a weather delay  
• #17 by Jim on 09 Dec, 2006 13:27
• Shuttle may interfere with this launch.   Not really familar with the Minotaur
• #18 by sammie on 09 Dec, 2006 13:30
• You better keep track of the Shuttle launch indeed, this article says that the Minotaur won't fly if the Shuttle is still on the ground by monday.
• #19 by Radioheaded on 09 Dec, 2006 13:36
• Quote

  sammie - 9/12/2006  9:13 AM
  
  You better keep track of the Shuttle launch indeed, this article says that the Minotaur won't fly if the Shuttle is still on the ground by monday.

  
  Chris just mentioned that.  Said Wallops people are supporting shuttle for 2 days after launch, and they can only work so many hours.  That had never occured to me.  Just another reason that this site is great