A Delta IV Heavy rocket stands poised for a 6:06 p.m. blastoff today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mobile service tower at Launch Complex 37 was rolled back this morning, revealing the 23-story United Launch Alliance vehicle with its three orange boosters and towering white upper stage against a blue Atlantic Ocean backdrop.
The payload: a big, heavy and classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite. The weather forecast remains 90 percent "go" today and throughout the weekend, should more attempts be needed.
The Air Force has advised boaters to avoid a launch hazard area east of the Cape between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. The exact length of the launch window won't be disclosed.
The launch -- only the fourth by a Delta IV Heavy -- was delayed a day as ULA technicians replaced a faulty launch pad ordnance line.
We'll provide live countdown coverage here starting at 1 p.m., including a ULA Webcast of the launch scheduled to start 25 minutes prior to liftoff, at 5:41 p.m.
Planning to watch from the beach? You can sign up for text message alerts on the countdown's status here.
5 comments:
The sun will set tonight at 5:29 pm local time. How will that affect the viewing of the launch? will it be fully dark at the launch site by then?
Rick Steele
Sarasota, Florida
Last night at 6:06 the sky was still quite light, though the sun had set. Rocket should leave in the dark and rise into sunlight. Basically perfect viewing... :]
Moon rise is 3:56 while sunset is 5:28. This will be an absolutely beautiful launch.
I am down here in Delray Beach. Will I be able to see any portion of the launch and will it pass over our way?
You should be able to see it in Delray. Remember to look back to the Northwest as you are southeast of the cape. A point of reference, The cape is due north as the crow flies of Pahokee. No it will not passover South Florida or even close. Actually a good place to watch from on the coast is Boynton Inlet.
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