[SPESS] Launches over the week of 7/28 - 8/4
drasnor
Starship OperatorHawthorne, CA Icrontian
Howdy folks, it's time to go to spess!
2014-07-28 22:00 - 02:00 UTC (18:00 - 22:00 EDT), Cape Canaveral, FL: United Launch Alliance will be making a fifth attempt to launch a Boeing Delta IV-9240 medium-lift launch vehicle with a payload of two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites for the United States Air Force. These satellites are part of a declassified program to provide neighborhood watch capability for the region of the Clarke belt above the United States. The satellites are manufactured by Orbital Sciences of Dulles, VA.
The weather is currently forecast to have a 60% chance of being favorable for launch due to thunderstorms in the area. The launch window is four hours long and T-0 is currently scheduled for 6:43 PM EDT. ULA will be providing live streaming coverage of the launch at http://www.ulalaunch.com/webcast.aspx
2014-07-29 23:44 UTC (20:44 GFT), Kourou, French Guiana: Arianespace will be launching an Ariane 5 medium-lift launch vehicle carrying the Georges Lemaître for the ATV-5 resupply mission to the International Space Station. This is the final planned launch of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle. This mission is manifested to carry 6.6 metric tons of experiments, parts, and supplies and test out a new navigational sensor for rendezvous and capture of uncooperative targets such as space debris. The spacecraft also includes a break-up camera which will record the vehicle's disintegration at the end of the mission. The Georges Lemaître is named for the eponymous Belgian astronomer who proposed the Big Bang theory for the expansion of the universe in 1927.
Unfortunately, I don't have a weather forecast for the Guiana Space Center. As usual for launches to ISS rendezvous, the launch window is instantaneous and and delay will cause the launch to slip at least a day. NASA will be streaming the launch on NASA TV: http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv
08-01-2014 19:23 UTC (23:23 EDT), Cape Canaveral, FL: United Launch Alliance will be launching a Lockheed Martin Atlas V-401 medium-lift launch vehicle with a payload of the GPS IIF-7 next-generation Global Positioning System navigation satellite for the United States Air Force. The Global Positioning System provides accurate position and time for both military and civil applications. Odds are pretty good that you own at least one GPS receiver.
The weather is currently forecast to have a 70% chance of being favorable for launch. The launch window is only 18 minutes long and T-0 is currently scheduled for 11:23 PM EDT. I've seen a night launch of an Atlas V-401 in person and it is spectacular. ULA will be providing live streaming coverage of the launch at http://www.ulalaunch.com/webcast.aspx
2014-08-05 05:25 - 07:25 UTC (01:25 - 03:25 EDT): SpaceX will be launching a Falcon 9 medium-lift launch vehicle carrying the AsiaSat 8 satellite for the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company of Hong Kong, China. AsiaSat 8 is a geostationary communications satellite providing Ku and Ka band coverage for southeast Asia and the Middle East. The spacecraft is manufactured by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, California and is based on their LS-1300LL large satellite bus.
The weather forecast is 70% favorable for launch. The launch window is 2 hours long and SpaceX is targeting a T-0 time at the opening of the window. This will be an early morning launch and is sure to be spectacular if you stay up late to watch it. SpaceX will be providing live streaming coverage of the launch on their webcast at http://www.spacex.com/webcast/.
Have fun and fly safe!
Comments
The Delta IV launch earlier today went off with nary a hitch! Nice work ULA, good luck and good hunting GSSAP!
Congratulations Arianespace on another successful launch!
The Georges Lemaître is on its way to the International Space Station with a rendezvous slated for 8/12.
Congratulations to United Launch Alliance and the Air Force GPS team on another successful launch!
I was able to watch this one up close and it was spectacular. I had a chance to meet with a gentleman from the Atlas team this morning and congratulate them on their fine work. Truly a fine job getting this one off in adverse weather conditions.
That's cool!! I should have tried to get down there and watch that one. I love night launches.
Awesome thread, thanks for the updates!
Correction, typo in the SpaceX launch date; they're flying tomorrow.
Congratulations to SpaceX and AsiaSat on the successful launch of AsiaSat8!
Tune back in in a couple of weeks as SpaceX attempts to duplicate the feat with AsiaSat6 on 8/26!