Intelsat 14 - Atlas V 431 - 23.11.09 09:55 ДМВ - Canaveral

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Atlas/Intelsat 14 launch timeline
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: November 9, 2009
T-00:02.7   Engine Start
The Russian-designed RD-180 main engine is ignited and undergoes checkout prior to launch.

T+00:01.1   Liftoff
The three strap-on solid rocket boosters are lit as the Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-024, lifts off and begins a vertical rise away from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.


T+02:09   Jettison SRBs
Having burned out of propellant approximately 40 seconds earlier, the spent solid rocket boosters are jettisoned to fall into the Atlantic Ocean.

T+04:27   Main Engine Cutoff
The RD-180 main engine completes its firing after consuming its kerosene and liquid oxygen fuel supply in the Atlas first stage.

T+04:33   Stage Separation
The Common Core Booster first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket separates from the Centaur upper stage. Over the next few seconds, the Centaur engine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are readied for ignition.

T+04:43   Centaur Ignition 1
The Centaur RL10 engine ignites for the longer of the two upper stage firings. This burn will inject the Centaur stage and Intelsat 14 spacecraft into a parking orbit.

T+04:51   Nose Cone Jettison
The payload fairing that protected the Intelsat 14 spacecraft during launch is separated once heating levels drop to predetermined limits.

T+18:24   Centaur Cutoff 1
The Centaur engine shuts down after arriving in a planned parking orbit. The vehicle enters a lengthy coast period lasting nearly 95 minutes before arriving at the required location in space for the second burn.

T+1:53:24   Centaur Ignition 2
The Centaur re-ignites over the southeastern Indian Ocean to accelerate the payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit from the parking achieved earlier in the launch sequence.

T+1:54:57   Centaur Cutoff 2
At the conclusion of its second firing, the Centaur will have delivered the Intelsat 14 spacecraft into the targeted orbit.
T+1:58:03   Spacecraft Separation
The Intelsat 14 commercial communications satellite is released into orbit from the Centaur upper stage to complete the AV-024 launch.

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0835 GMT (3:35 a.m. EST)
T+plus 100 minutes. The vehicle is completing the final roll reversal as planned as it flies over the Indian Ocean.

0820 GMT (3:20 a.m. EST)
T+plus 85 minutes. Centaur is operating well with good battery voltages and tank pressures. Telemetry from the rocket is being routed back to the Cape via NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

0810 GMT (3:10 a.m. EST)
T+plus 75 minutes. This launch came 10 years to the very night of Spaceflight Now's debut on the Internet with coverage of its first rocket flight -- an Atlas 2A vehicle with the Navy's UHF F10 communications satellite.

0800 GMT (3:00 a.m. EST)
T+plus 65 minutes. The upper stage continues in its thermal conditioning roll while quietly coasting in the parking orbit.

0745 GMT (2:45 a.m. EST)
T+plus 50 minutes. Bus and battery voltages, tank pressures and other system measurements look good as the rocket flies over the southeastern Indian Ocean.

0730 GMT (2:30 a.m. EST)
T+plus 35 minutes. The vehicle is soaring above Africa and Madagascar as it climbs away from the planet.

0725 GMT (2:25 a.m. EST)
T+plus 30 minutes. Deployment of the Intelsat 14 spacecraft to complete tonight's launch sequence is expected at 3:53 a.m. EST.

0719 GMT (2:19 a.m. EST)
T+plus 24 minutes. Centaur's onboard systems are stable in this coast period gets underway.

0715 GMT (2:15 a.m. EST)
T+plus 20 minutes. The parking orbit parameters appear right on target.

0713 GMT (2:13 a.m. EST)
T+plus 18 minutes, 33 seconds. MECO 1. Centaur's main engine has shut down following its first burn today, achieving a preliminary orbit around Earth. The rocket will coast in this orbit for about 95 minutes before the RL10 engine re-ignites.

0712 GMT (2:12 a.m. EST)
T+plus 17 minutes, 30 seconds. Everything looking normal with one minute to go in this burn.

0711 GMT (2:11 a.m. EST)
T+plus 16 minutes. Centaur systems remain in good shape.

0710 GMT (2:10 a.m. EST)
T+plus 15 minutes, 10 seconds. Vehicle acceleration is smooth at 0.69 g's.

0709 GMT (2:09 a.m. EST)
T+plus 14 minutes, 30 seconds. About four minutes are left in this burn of Centaur.

0709 GMT (2:09 a.m. EST)
T+plus 14 minutes. RL10 engine parameters still look good.

0708 GMT (2:08 a.m. EST)
T+plus 13 minutes, 5 seconds. Orbital velocity has been achieved.

0707 GMT (2:07 a.m. EST)
T+plus 12 minutes, 40 seconds. Centaur remains on course as it passes the 17,000 mph mark.

0706 GMT (2:06 a.m. EST)
T+plus 11 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket is 136 miles in altitude, some 1,925 miles downrange and traveling at 16,300 mph.

0706 GMT (2:06 a.m. EST)
T+plus 11 minutes. The rocket is heading for a parking orbit with a targeted low point of 109 statute miles, a high point of 16,158 statute miles and inclination of 25 degrees.

0705 GMT (2:05 a.m. EST)
T+plus 10 minutes. The RL10 continues to perform well, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

0704 GMT (2:04 a.m. EST)
T+plus 9 minutes, 30 seconds. Centaur is 142 miles in altitude, some 1,400 miles downrange.

0703 GMT (2:03 a.m. EST)
T+plus 8 minutes. All systems reported stable as the Centaur fires to reach an initial Earth orbit.

0702 GMT (2:02 a.m. EST)
T+plus 7 minutes, 50 seconds. Now 336 miles in altitude, 1,051 miles downrange from the launch pad

0702 GMT (2:02 a.m. EST)
T+plus 7 minutes, 5 seconds. The rocket is performing a planned 90-degree roll to improve the link with NASA's orbiting Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

0701 GMT (2:01 a.m. EST)
T+plus 6 minutes, 5 seconds. Centaur engine readings look good as this burn continues. The rocket is tracking right down the planned track.

0659 GMT (1:59 a.m. EST)
T+plus 4 minutes, 59 seconds. The two-halves of the Atlas 5 rocket nose cone encapsulating the spacecraft have separated.

0659 GMT (1:59 a.m. EST)
T+plus 4 minutes, 50 seconds. Centaur has ignited! The RL10 engine is up and running at full thrust for its first of two planned firings tonight.

0659 GMT (1:59 a.m. EST)
T+plus 4 minutes, 38 seconds. The Atlas 5's Common Core Booster first stage has been jettisoned, and the Centaur upper stage's liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are being readied for engine start.

0659 GMT (1:59 a.m. EST)
T+plus 4 minutes, 31 seconds. BECO. Booster Engine Cutoff is confirmed as the RD-180 powerplant on the first stage completes its burn. Standing by to fire the retro thrusters and separate the spent stage.

0659 GMT (1:59 a.m. EST)
T+plus 4 minutes, 15 seconds. Good engine throttle profile reported.

0658 GMT (1:58 a.m. EST)
T+plus 3 minutes, 55 seconds. The RD-180 main engine continues to fire, burning a mixture of highly refined kerosene and liquid oxygen.

0658 GMT (1:58 a.m. EST)
T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. The rocket is 43 miles in altitude, some 138 miles downrange and traveling at 7,900 mph.

0658 GMT (1:58 a.m. EST)
T+plus 3 minutes. RD-180 has throttled down to 95 percent.

0657 GMT (1:57 a.m. EST)
T+plus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. Reaction control system has been activated.

0657 GMT (1:57 a.m. EST)
T+plus 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Boosters one, two and then three have jettisoned. The Aerojet-made solid rocket motors have successfully separated from the Atlas 5, having completed their job of adding a powerful kick at liftoff.

0656 GMT (1:56 a.m. EST)
T+plus 1 minute, 40 seconds. The RD-180 is revving back to full throttle.

0656 GMT (1:56 a.m. EST)
T+plus 93 seconds. Solid rocket booster burnout has occurred. But the spent motors will remain attached to the first stage for about 40 seconds, until the Atlas 5 reaches a point where the airborne dynamic pressure reduces to an allowable level for a safe jettison.

0656 GMT (1:56 a.m. EST)
T+plus 60 seconds. One minute into the ascent. It will take an hour and 58 minutes for the two-stage rocket to deploy the satellite into the desired orbit.

0655 GMT (1:55 a.m. EST)
T+plus 45 seconds. Throttling down to 64 percent as planned.

0655 GMT (1:55 a.m. EST)
T+plus 30 seconds. The Atlas 5 is lighting up the nighttime sky with its RD-180 main engine and three solid rocket boosters.

0655 GMT (1:55 a.m. EST)
T+plus 15 seconds. The vehicle is rapidly thundering away from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 and beginning to head eastward for the trek downrange.

0655 GMT (1:55 a.m. EST)
LIFTOFF! Liftoff of Atlas 5 rocket and the Intelsat 14 communications satellite, an international broadcaster spanning both sides of the Atlantic.

0654 GMT (1:54 a.m. EST)
T-minus 20 seconds. "Go Atlas" and "Go Centaur" was just called by launch team during a final status check.

0654 GMT (1:54 a.m. EST)
T-minus 40 seconds. Centaur's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks are stable at flight pressures.

0654 GMT (1:54 a.m. EST)
T-minus 1 minute. Now 60 seconds from launch.

0653 GMT (1:53 a.m. EST)
T-minus 90 seconds. The safety system has been armed.

0653 GMT (1:53 a.m. EST)
T-minus 1 minute, 50 seconds. Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant topping to the Centaur upper stage is being secured.

0653 GMT (1:53 a.m. EST)
T-minus 1 minute, 55 seconds. The launch sequencer has been commanded to start.

0653 GMT (1:53 a.m. EST)
T-minus 2 minutes. The Atlas first stage and Centaur upper stage are now switching from ground power to internal batteries.

0652 GMT (1:52 a.m. EST)
T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The first stage RP-1 kerosene fuel tank and the liquid oxygen have stepped up to proper flight pressure levels.

0652 GMT (1:52 a.m. EST)
T-minus 3 minutes. The Atlas first stage liquid oxygen replenishment is being secured so the tank can be pressurized for launch.

0652 GMT (1:52 a.m. EST)
T-minus 3 minutes. The Atlas first stage liquid oxygen replenishment is being secured so the tank can be pressurized for launch.

0651 GMT (1:51 a.m. EST)
T-minus 3 minutes, 50 seconds. The ground pyrotechnics have been enabled.

0651 GMT (1:51 a.m. EST)
T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Clocks have resumed for the final minutes of tonight's countdown to launch the Atlas 5 rocket carrying the Intelsat 14 payload. Liftoff is set to occur at 1:55 a.m. EST.

0650 GMT (1:50 a.m. EST)
Countdown clocks will resume in one minute.

0649 GMT (1:49 a.m. EST)
The ULA launch director has given his "go" for today's liftoff.

0648 GMT (1:48 a.m. EST)
Polling of the team by Atlas launch conductor just occurred. All systems are reported "go" to continue with the countdown for liftoff at 1:55 a.m. EST.

0647 GMT (1:47 a.m. EST)
The latest flight profile has been deemed good to go! The program has been loaded into the Atlas 5 rocket's guidance system for liftoff at 1:55 a.m. EST.

0637 GMT (1:37 a.m. EST)
The teams working hard to get a good flight profile based on the wind data hopes to have a design ready by 1:40 a.m. EST. If that one is out limits like previous runs tonight, one last profile would be finished at 2:05 a.m. EST, according to information provided by ULA.

0630 GMT (1:30 a.m. EST)
Aside from this wind balloon data hold up, the other launch weather rules remain "go" for liftoff. The weather had been violating of the anvil cloud rule for much of the night until clearing late in the countdown. Then a short time later, the news of the upper level wind and balloon situation was announced by ULA.

0624 GMT (1:24 a.m. EST)
Additional balloon data is being gathered at Cape Canaveral for relay to facilities in Denver where engineers develop a flight profile based upon the wind conditions the rocket will see during ascent. That profile program is then loaded into the Atlas' guidance system.

"So far each of the attempts to build a flight profile have not been able to meet the requirements for launch," a ULA spokesman says.

0617 GMT (1:17 a.m. EST)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff is being delayed to 1:55 a.m. EST.

0613 GMT (1:13 a.m. EST)
The latest weather balloon did meet requirements in the region between 20,000 and 25,000 feet. So the team is waiting for more data from additional balloons being released to measure speeds and directions of the winds aloft.

0603 GMT (1:03 a.m. EST)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff is being delayed to 1:35 a.m. EST as launch team continues to assess the wind balloon data.

0601 GMT (1:01 a.m. EST)
The earlier weather balloon data was not satisfying requirements for launch, ULA says.

0551 GMT (12:51 a.m. EST)
The launch team readiness poll is planned for 1:08 a.m., leading to resuming the countdown at 1:11 a.m. and liftoff of the Atlas 5 rocket at 1:15 a.m. EST.

0550 GMT (12:50 a.m. EST)
The launch team continues its work to program the rocket's guidance computer based on the latest weather balloon data, a spokesman reports.

0545 GMT (12:45 a.m. EST)
The 25-minute delay was requested to evaluate the upper level winds and the flight profile, a spokesman says.

0543 GMT (12:43 a.m. EST)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff is being pushed back to 1:15 a.m. EST.

0540 GMT (12:40 a.m. EST)
Now 10 minutes away from the scheduled launch time.

0539 GMT (12:39 a.m. EST)
Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:
The 601st launch for Atlas program since 1957
The 315th Atlas to occur from Cape Canaveral
The 19th launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
The 17th Atlas 5 to occur from the Cape
The 11th Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
The 9th commercial launch for the Atlas 5 family
The 5th Atlas launch of 2009
The 2nd Atlas 5 to fly in the 431 configuration
The 31st Intelsat spacecraft to fly on Atlas since 1971
The 44th satellite built by Space Systems/Loral for Intelsat

0537 GMT (12:37 a.m. EST)
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0536 GMT (12:36 a.m. EST)
T-minus 4 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the planned 10-minute hold to give the launch team a chance to review all systems before pressing ahead with liftoff. Today's launch opportunity stretches from 12:50 to 2:20 a.m. EST.

0535 GMT (12:35 a.m. EST)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank and Centaur's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks are reported at flight level.

0535 GMT (12:35 a.m. EST)
T-minus 5 minutes. Standing by to go into the final built-in hold.

0532 GMT (12:32 a.m. EST)
Weather conditions are looking favorable for the opening of the launch window at 12:50 a.m. EST, forecasters say.

0525 GMT (12:25 a.m. EST)
The Intelsat 14 spacecraft nestled inside the nose of the Atlas 5 rocket is switching to internal power for launch.

0524 GMT (12:24 a.m. EST)
The fuel-fill sequence for the first stage main engine is starting.

0520 GMT (12:20 a.m. EST)
Thirty minutes from liftoff. The countdown clocks are heading to the T-minus 4 minute mark where a planned 10-minute hold will occur. Launch of Atlas 5 remains scheduled for 12:50 a.m. EST, if the weather permits.

0516 GMT (12:16 a.m. EST)
Weather is now "go" for launch!

0510 GMT (12:10 a.m. EST)
Today's launch of the Atlas 5 rocket will be the second flight of the vehicle's 431 configuration, which is distinguished by the combination of a four-meter payload fairing, three solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. The first use of this version occurred in March 2005 with the launch of the Inmarsat 4-F1 mobile communications satellite.

Depending on a payload's weight, mission planners add strap-on solid boosters to the Atlas 5 to incrementally increase the amount of cargo the rocket can carry.

For the Atlas 5's 400-series, up to three solids can be used. The 500-series is capable of flying with as many as five, such as the launch of NASA's New Horizons space probe bound for Pluto.

The Russian RD-180 first stage main engine can accomplish the entire job of steering the Atlas 5 during launch, thus the solid boosters feature simple, fixed nozzles.

Each Aerojet-built SRB stands 67 feet tall, has a diameter of just over five feet and weighs about 100,000 pounds at launch. The slender white rockets have a lightweight graphite epoxy casing with an erosion-resistant insulation. The solid fuel is high-performance class 1.3 HTPB propellant.

Atop the booster is an aerodynamically-shaped graphite epoxy nose fairing. Each motor has forward and aft attachment structures to the Atlas 5's first stage. The motor nozzle is carbon-phenolic.

The motor burns for 90 seconds, producing a maximum thrust of approximately 400,000 pounds and an average around 250,000 pounds.

0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
We're trying an experimental test tonight with live streaming video available on your iPhone. Check it out!

0501 GMT (12:01 a.m. EST)
The launch team is going through normal post-fueling valve and system checks.

0500 GMT (12:00 a.m. EST)
Fast-filling of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has been completed. Topping mode is now underway.

0458 GMT (11:58 p.m. EST Sun.)
The liquid hydrogen tank in the Centaur upper stage just reached the 97 percent level. Topping is now beginning.

0456 GMT (11:56 p.m. EST Sun.)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank is 90 percent full now.

0453 GMT (11:53 p.m. EST Sun.)
A current check of the weather shows conditions remain "no go" for launch due to the violation of the attached anvil cloud rule. The odds of weather cooperating during the 90-minute launch window is 40 percent.

0452 GMT (11:52 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur liquid hydrogen tank is half loaded so far. The cryogenic propellant will be consumed with liquid oxygen by the stage's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne-made RL10 engine.

0451 GMT (11:51 p.m. EST Sun.)
Some 80 percent of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has been loaded.

0450 GMT (11:50 p.m. EST Sun.)
Now 60 minutes from liftoff. Fueling of the Atlas rocket with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is proceeding as planned for a liftoff at 12:50 a.m. EST.

If you are heading out to Titusville or the beach to watch the launch, sign up for our Twitter feed to get occasional countdown updates on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

0446 GMT (11:46 p.m. EST Sun.)
Centaur's liquid hydrogen tank is 20 percent full.

0441 GMT (11:41 p.m. EST Sun.)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank is 60 percent full.

0438 GMT (11:38 p.m. EST Sun.)
Chilldown of the liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished. The launch team has received the "go" to begin filling the Centaur upper stage with the supercold fuel.

0432 GMT (11:32 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur engine chilldown sequence is being initiated.

0430 GMT (11:30 p.m. EST Sun.)
First stage liquid oxygen tank is about a third full thus far. Chilled to Minus-298 degrees F, the liquid oxygen will be used with RP-1 kerosene by the RD-180 main engine on the first stage during the initial four-and-a-quarter minutes of flight today. The 25,000 gallons of RP-1 were loaded into the rocket earlier.

0425 GMT (11:25 p.m. EST Sun.)
Upper stage liquid oxygen has reached flight level.

0420 GMT (11:20 p.m. EST Sun.)
Now 90 minutes from liftoff. There haven't been any reports from the launch team of technical troubles. Weather is the main concern in the countdown.

0419 GMT (11:19 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur liquid oxygen tank reached the 95 percent level. The topping off process is starting now.

0418 GMT (11:18 p.m. EST Sun.)
The first stage liquid oxygen loading is switching from slow-fill to fast-fill mode.

0414 GMT (11:14 p.m. EST Sun.)
The chilldown conditioning of liquid hydrogen propellant lines at Complex 41 is starting to prepare the plumbing for transferring the Minus-423 degree F fuel into the rocket. The Centaur holds about 13,000 gallons of the cryogenic propellant.

0414 GMT (11:14 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur liquid oxygen tank is 75 percent full now.

0409 GMT (11:09 p.m. EST Sun.)
The chilldown conditioning of the systems for the first stage liquid oxygen tank have been completed. And a "go" has been given to begin pumping supercold liquid oxygen into the Atlas 5's first stage.

The Common Core Booster stage's liquid oxygen tank is the largest tank to be filled today. It holds about 50,000 gallons of cryogenic oxidizer for the RD-180 main engine.

0408 GMT (11:08 p.m. EST Sun.)
Half of the Centaur liquid oxygen tank has been filled so far.

0404 GMT (11:04 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur liquid oxygen tank is nearing one-third full.

0353 GMT (10:53 p.m. EST Sun.)
Filling of the Centaur upper stage with about 4,300 gallons of liquid oxygen has begun at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 following the thermal conditioning of the transfer pipes.

The liquid oxygen -- chilled to Minus-298 degrees F -- will be consumed during the launch by the Centaur's single RL10 engine along with liquid hydrogen to be pumped into the stage a little later in the countdown. The Centaur will perform a pair of firings today to send the Intelsat 14 payload on its way.

0345 GMT (10:45 p.m. EST Sun.)
The Centaur liquid oxygen pad storage area has been prepped. The next step is conditioning the transfer lines, which is now beginning to prepare the plumbing for flowing the cryogenic oxidizer.

0340 GMT (10:40 p.m. EST Sun.)
T-minus 120 minutes and counting! The launch countdown is continuing on schedule for tonight's flight of the Atlas 5 rocket with the Intelsat 14 spacecraft aboard.

Clocks have one more built-in hold planned at T-minus 4 minutes. That pause will last 10 minutes during which time the final "go" for launch will be given. All remains targeted for liftoff at 12:50 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41.

In the next couple of minutes, chilldown thermal conditioning of the mobile launch platform upon which the rocket stands will begin. This is meant to ease the shock on equipment when supercold cryogenic propellants start flowing into the rocket.
0338 GMT (10:38 p.m. EST Sun.)
All console operators in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center reported a "ready" status during the pre-fueling poll just completed by the launch conductor. The ULA launch director voiced his approval as well. Loading of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the Atlas 5 rocket will be getting underway a short time from now. Liftoff remains targeted for 12:50 a.m. EST.

0335 GMT (10:35 p.m. EST Sun.)
Atlas launch conductor is briefing his team on procedures before entering into the final two hours of the countdown. A readiness check of the team members is next.

0325 GMT (10:25 p.m. EST Sun.)
We're trying an experimental test tonight with live streaming video available on your iPhone. Check it out!

0320 GMT (10:20 p.m. EST Sun.)
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text messages on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

0310 GMT (10:10 p.m. EST Sun.)
T-minus 2 hours and holding. The countdown has just entered the first of two planned holds over the course of the night that will lead to the 12:50 a.m. EST launch of the Atlas-Centaur rocket. This initial pause lasts 30 minutes, giving the team some margin in the countdown timeline to deal with technical issues or any work that is running behind. The final hold is scheduled to occur at T-minus 4 minutes and will last for 10 minutes.
0306 GMT (10:06 p.m. EST Sun.)
Workers have cleared the Complex 41 pad and the blast danger area in advance of this afternoon's propellant loading and launch of the Atlas 5 rocket.

0301 GMT (10:01 p.m. EST Sun.)
The hold-fire checks have been performed to ensure safety officers have the capability of halting the countdown if a problem occurs.

Meanwhile, the official clearing of personnel from the launch pad for rest of the countdown has begun.

And a short while, the the guidance system testing was reported complete.

0255 GMT (9:55 p.m. EST Sun.)
The latest check of the weather shows current conditions are "no go" due to anvil clouds streaming across Central Florida. Meteorologists say they expect periods when the weather rules are violated and other times when there will be acceptable holes to fly through tonight.

The launch window's outlook includes scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, broken decks at 10,000 and 25,000 feet, isolated showers in the area, good visibility, southerly winds of 14 to 18 knots and a temperature of 72 to 73 degrees F.

Overall, there remains a 40 percent chance of launching or 60 percent chance of weather prohibiting liftoff.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
An Atlas 5 rocket is being readied for its late-night launch to deploy an international telecommunications satellite that will span the Atlantic and serve four continents.

Mounted atop the launcher is Intelsat 14, a spacecraft headed for geostationary orbit to relay television, data and other services to North and South America, Africa and Europe.

The 12,375-pound satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral and features 40 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders. It was designed to last 15 years for global network operator Intelsat.

Tonight's launch window extends from 12:50 to 2:20 a.m. EST.

The RD-180 engine will ignite at T-minus 2.7 seconds, shooting a giant cloud of steam from the pad's main exhaust duct while undergoing a check to ensure its vital signs are healthy. The three strap-on solid rocket boosters are lit at T+plus 0.8 seconds, leading to liftoff of the 19-story Atlas vehicle at T+plus 1.1 seconds.

The Aerojet-made solid boosters will burn for about 90 seconds to assist the RD-180 in propelling the rocket skyward. The SRB casings remain attached to the first stage for another 40 seconds until the rocket reaches a suitable region of flight for jettison.

After the spent boosters are shed, the kerosene-fueled first stage will continue to fire until T+plus 4 minutes, 27 seconds. The bronze stage separates about six seconds later, leaving the hydrogen-fueled Centaur upper stage to ignite for a burn lasting nearly 14 minutes that will inject itself and Intelsat 14 into a preliminary orbit with a low point of 109 statute miles, a high point of 16,158 statute miles and inclination of 25 degrees.

Centaur completes its first burn over the central Atlantic Ocean and enters a 95-minute coast over Africa, Madagascar and the southern Indian Ocean. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 cryogenic engine then restarts for a 93-second firing to propel the Intelsat spacecraft into the targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit stretching from 3,743 statute miles at its lowest point to 23,830 statute miles at its highest and inclined 22.48 degrees to the equator.

Release of the payload from the rocket to complete the launch is expected at T+plus 1 hour and 58 minutes.

The satellite will maneuver itself into a circular geostationary orbit, eventually matching Earth's rotation and appearing fixed over the equator at 45 degrees West longitude.

The craft is slated to replace the Intelsat 1R satellite currently operating in that orbital slot. It was launched aboard an European Ariane 5 rocket nine years ago this month.

2250 GMT (5:50 p.m. EST)
The countdown clocks are starting to tick for tonight's commercial flight of the Atlas 5 rocket to deliver the Intelsat 14 spacecraft into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The launch team is beginning to power up the rocket and commence standard pre-flight tests. Over the next few hours, final preps for the Centaur's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen systems will be performed, along with a test of the rocket's guidance system and the first stage propulsion and hydraulic preps, internal battery checks and testing of the C-band system used to track the rocket as it flies downrange, plus a test of the S-band telemetry relay system. The Complex 41 site will be cleared of all personnel at 9:55 p.m.

A planned half-hour hold begins at 10:10 p.m. when the count reaches T-minus 120 minutes. Near the end of the hold, the team will be polled at 10:37 p.m. to verify all is in readiness to start fueling the rocket for launch.

Supercold liquid oxygen begins flowing into the Centaur upper stage around 10:57 p.m., followed by the first stage filling around 11:10 p.m. Liquid hydrogen fuel loading for Centaur will be completed a short time later.

A final hold is scheduled at the T-minus 4 minute mark starting at 12:36 a.m. That 10-minute pause will give everyone a chance to finish any late work and assess the status of the rocket, payloads, Range and weather before proceeding into the last moments of the countdown for liftoff at 12:50 a.m. EST.

2140 GMT (4:40 p.m. EST)
The odds of having acceptable weather during tonight's 90-minute launch window have decreased to 40 percent. The previous forecasts had indicated a 60 percent chance of good conditions.
2030 GMT (3:30 p.m. EST)
The Atlas rocket team continues to target a 12:50 a.m. EST liftoff tonight.

The launch will come 10 years to the very night of Spaceflight Now's debut on the Internet with coverage of its first rocket flight -- an Atlas 2A vehicle with the Navy's UHF F10 communications satellite.

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0849 GMT (3:49 a.m. EST)
T+plus 114 minutes, 58 seconds. MECO 2. Main engine cutoff confirmed. Centaur has completed its second burn.

0849 GMT (3:49 a.m. EST)
T+plus 114 minutes. The engine is burning well. This is a planned 93-second firing by the Centaur's single Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

0848 GMT (3:48 a.m. EST)
T+plus 113 minutes, 23 seconds. Ignition and full thrust! The Centaur's single RL10 engine has re-ignited to accelerate the Intelsat 14 payload into the planned deployment orbit.

0846 GMT (3:46 a.m. EST)
T+plus 111 minutes. Centaur has reached the desired orientation for the upcoming burn.

0845 GMT (3:45 a.m. EST)
T+plus 110 minutes. The Centaur is targeting a geosynchronous transfer orbit stretching from 3,743 statute miles at its lowest point to 23,830 statute miles at its highest and inclined 22.48 degrees to the equator.

0841 GMT (3:41 a.m. EST)
T+plus 106 minutes, 40 seconds. The rocket is performing its turn to the proper position for the next engine firing. All vehicle parameters still reported normal.

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Второе включение прошло нормально. Ждём отделения аппарата.

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Есть отделение!

0853 GMT (3:53 a.m. EST)
T+plus 118 minutes, 5 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Centaur upper stage has deployed the Intelsat 14 payload into orbit follow tonight's launch from Cape Canaveral.

Global satellite operator Intelsat will use the new spacecraft to provide television, data and other services to North and South America, Africa and Europe from a geostationary orbital slot of 45 degrees West longitude.

The 12,375-pound craft was built by Space Systems/Loral and features 40 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders. It was designed to last 15 years for global network operator Intelsat.

Controllers will to establish contact with the new satellite and begin sending commands via a South African ground station. The twin solar array wings will be unfurled later this morning.

A series of orbit raising maneuvers will occur over the next few days, followed by the antenna deployments and the start of in-orbit testing by month's end.

0852 GMT (3:52 a.m. EST)
T+plus 117 minutes, 10 seconds. Centaur is in the spacecraft deploy position.

0851 GMT (3:51 a.m. EST)
T+plus 116 minutes. Centaur is maneuvering itself to the proper orientation for releasing the payload.

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0900 GMT (4:00 a.m. EST)
"ULA congratulates our commercial space partners Intelsat, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, and Space Systems/Loral on their mission success," said Mark Wilkins, ULA vice president of the Atlas product line. "ULA also appreciates the dedicated and professional support from the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center and 45th Space Wing in the success of today's launch. With this launch, nine of the Atlas 5's 19 launches since 2002 have been commercial missions, demonstrating the outstanding flexibility of the Atlas 5 team to support both government and commercial customers."
 
0858 GMT (3:58 a.m. EST)
"I'm thrilled the launch went so well and the mission is a success," said 2nd Lt. Drew Peterson of the Air Force's 5th Space Launch Squadron. "I'd like to thank the entire team for this great achievement."

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Фото пуска:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av024/press/