A 13-story Delta 2 rocket is gassed up and almost ready to go as NASA marches toward an early morning launch for its Dawn spacecraft, which is destined to fly a $450 million mission to the asteroid belt.
Liftoff from launch pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station remains scheduled for 7:20 a.m. EDT. The launch window will extend until 7:49 a.m., and there would be a cutout between 7:27 a.m. and 7:34 a.m. to avoid a potential collision with a spacecraft passing through the same orbit Dawn will be launched into.
Engineers now will be turning on command carriers and checking out command receivers on the rocket. The equipment must be working properly in case the rocket veers off course, threatens a populated area and must be deliberately destroyed by range safety officers.
Also coming up: the rocket's engines will be slewed to make certain the Delta 2 can be steered properly as it thunders away from its Cape Canaveral launch pad.
Looking for a good spot to watch the launch? Consider heading out to Jetty Park at Port Canaveral. It's located just across from Launch Complex 17, which is one of the southern-most on the Cape. Anywhere along Cocoa Beach would provide a good view, too.
3 comments:
Can I just drive my boat out there to watch?
as long as you stay out of the Launch Hazard area.
See the map posted below in the 5 a.m. item below.
NASA save this program it is a national resource
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