Liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the NOAA-N Prime satellite is scheduled for 5:22 a.m. EST. The launch window extends 10 minutes.
Air Force meteorologists predict a 40 percent chance of weather that meets launch criteria, but rain showers are possible.
You can watch live NASA TV coverage of the mission here on The Flame Trench starting at 3 a.m. EST. Click the image above to launch a viewer.
An air conditioning unit that cools the rocket's nose cone prior to launch was responsible for scrubbing this morning's planned launch. Officials say the unit has been fixed and tests showed acceptable hydrocarbon levels inside the payload fairing. The mission's first launch attempt, on Wednesday, was scrubbed after a faulty relay card disrupted the gaseous nitrogen pressurization system at Space Launch Complex-2.
NOAA-N Prime is a polar-orbiting satellite owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Built by Lockheed Martin Corp., the satellite was damaged in a 2003 manufacturing mishap. You can read more about it here.
The $564-million mission is expected to improve weather forecasts and search-and-rescue operations.
Here's some additional background material on the mission:
- Official Launch Press Kit
- NOAA-N Prime Fact Sheet
- NOAA-N Prime Booklet
- History of Polar-orbiting Observational Environmental Satellites (POES)
- ULA Mission Overview
- Delta II Product Card
You can also follow the action on these video feeds from Vandenberg - refresh the page for the latest still images and updates:
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the image above, showing lights shining on the Delta II rocket that will carry the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft into polar orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Photo credit: NASA TV.
No comments:
Post a Comment