RBSP (x2) - Atlas V 401 - Canaveral SLC-41 - 30.08.2012 08:05 UTC

[Space Alien]

0630 GMT (2:30 a.m. EDT)
The anomaly team that was looking at the liquid oxygen fill and drain valve on the first stage reports that when the launch team was cycling that valve earlier they got erroneous indications that the valve had not opened and closed as anticipated. However, further examination of other data confirms the valve is working and the indicator readings were false.
The team has suitable workaround options and can resume fueling operations with no impact to today's countdown and launch.

0625 GMT (2:25 a.m. EDT)
Centaur liquid oxygen is now at flight level.
0624 GMT (2:24 a.m. EDT)
The current configuration of the fill and drain valve is closed. The team is not actively flowing liquid oxygen into the first stage.
0622 GMT (2:22 a.m. EDT)
The Centaur liquid oxygen tank reached the 95 percent level. The topping off process is starting now.
0616 GMT (2:16 a.m. EDT)
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 12,325 gallons of the cryogenic propellant.
0615 GMT (2:15 a.m. EDT)
The anomaly team has been convened to discuss a possible issue with the liquid oxygen fill and drain valve for the first stage.
0612 GMT (2:12 a.m. EDT)
The 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 48,745 gallons of cryogenic oxidizer for the RD-180 main engine.

0610 GMT (2:10 a.m. EDT)
Centaur liquid oxygen is 50 percent loaded.
0607 GMT (2:07 a.m. EDT)
Now exactly two hours until launch!
0603 GMT (2:03 a.m. EDT)
Passing the 20 percent level on the Centaur upper stage's liquid oxygen tank.
0555 GMT (1:55 a.m. EDT)
Filling of the Centaur upper stage with about 4,075 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 two firings to propel the RBSP satellites into their intended orbit this morning.

0548 GMT (1:48 a.m. EDT)
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.
0542 GMT (1:42 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 120 minutes and counting! The launch countdown has resumed on schedule for today's flight of the Atlas 5 rocket on the NASA mission to deploy the Radiation Belt Storm Probes.
Clocks have one more built-in hold planned at T-minus 4 minutes. That pause will last 25 minutes during which time the final "go" for launch will be given. All remains targeted for liftoff at 4:07 a.m. EDT 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.

0539 GMT (1:39 a.m. EDT)
All console operators have reported GO status during the pre-fueling readiness poll. The ULA launch director also voiced his approval for moving forward with the countdown as scheduled today.
Loading of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the Atlas 5 rocket will be getting underway a short time from now.

0537 GMT (1:37 a.m. EDT)
The ULA launch conductor at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center is briefing his team on procedures before entering into the final two hours of the countdown.
0529 GMT (1:29 a.m. EDT)
Weather has just gone "red" for some cloud cover passing overhead that violates the thickness rule for launch. However, forecasters expect this condition to clear shortly and still predict a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather at launch time.
Meteorologists keep managers advised when rules go "red" and "green" throughout the countdown. This current thick cloud rule violation won't hold up fueling or other operations for now, but obviously would need be "green" by the launch window.

0528 GMT (1:28 a.m. EDT)
The final hands-on work has wrapped up at the launch pad and technicians have departed the complex. Safety officials just confirmed that the surrounding danger area has been cleared of all workers for the remainder of the countdown.

[Space Alien]

0727 GMT (3:27 a.m. EDT)
The fuel-fill sequence for the first stage main engine is starting.
0723 GMT (3:23 a.m. EDT)
Pre-launch checks of the rocket's safety system have been completed.
0720 GMT (3:20 a.m. EDT)
Fast-filling of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has been completed. Topping mode is now underway.
0714 GMT (3:14 a.m. EDT)
A check of the current weather shows all conditions remain "go" at the present time.
0711 GMT (3:11 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank is above 80 percent full now.
0707 GMT (3:07 a.m. EDT)
Now 60 minutes from liftoff. Fueling of the Atlas rocket with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is nearly complete as the countdown continues as planned for a liftoff at 4:07 a.m. EDT.
If you are heading out to the beach or Port Canaveral 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.)

And if you are need tips on picking a good viewing spot, check out this authoritative guide on where to go.

0702 GMT (3:02 a.m. EDT)
First stage liquid oxygen tank is 60 percent 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 minutes of flight today. The 25,000 gallons of RP-1 were loaded into the rocket after rollout.
0659 GMT (2:59 a.m. EDT)
The liquid hydrogen tank in the Centaur upper stage just reached the 97 percent level. Topping is now beginning.
0652 GMT (2:52 a.m. EDT)
Passing the 50 percent level on the Centaur upper stage's liquid hydrogen tank.
0649 GMT (2:49 a.m. EDT)
Centaur's liquid hydrogen tank is 30 percent full. The cryogenic propellant will be consumed with liquid oxygen by the stage's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne-made RL10 engine.
0646 GMT (2:46 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank has reached the 20 percent mark.
0641 GMT (2:41 a.m. EDT)
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.
0640 GMT (2:40 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen loading is transitioning from slow-fill to fast-fill mode.
0639 GMT (2:39 a.m. EDT)
The weather status board is all "green" again. The earlier "red" condition for the cloud thickness rule has passed. The outlook for today's launch window remains 70 percent favorable.
0637 GMT (2:37 a.m. EDT)
Now 90 minutes till launch!
0634 GMT (2:34 a.m. EDT)
The Centaur engine chilldown sequence is being initiated.

[Space Alien]

Остановка на T-4 min

[Space Alien]

Новое время 12:25 ЛМВ.

[Space Alien]

Отбой на сутки....

0820 GMT (4:20 a.m. EDT)
SCRUB! Today's attempt to launch NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes aboard an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral has been postponed at least 24 hours because of a technical problem with the tracking beacon. The trouble could not be resolved in time for liftoff during the morning's launch window.

[Space Alien]

Запуск зондов RBSP для изучения радиационных поясов отложен на сутки[/size]

Запуск с космодрома на мысе Канаверал двух зондов RBSP, предназначенных для изучения радиационных поясов Земли, отложен как минимум на сутки за несколько минут до планировавшегося старта из-за технических проблем с наземной инфраструктурой.

Двадцатиминутное стартовое окно открылось в 12.07 мск, но из-за проблемы с маяком слежения запуск был сначала перенесен на 12.25 мск, а затем отложен на сутки.

http://ria.ru/science/20120824/729779100.html

[Сергио]

в "мультике" в котором показано выведене сабжа, 3я ступень Центавр вращается перед осттрелом спутников. при это работают двигатели ориентации поперёк оси вращения, и находятся они в самой корме, возле главного двигателя далеко от центра масс. если бы ступень не вращалась - то всё понятно, ступень сменит направления оси, сменит ориентацию, "перенацилится". если (не зависимо вращается или нет) - будут одновременно работать двигатели ориентции как в корме так и в носу (возле payloаd'a) в одном векторе - ступень изменит направление движения без изменения ориентции.
насколько я понимаю ( и если "мультик" правильный) - если ступень вращается и работают движки ориентации на изгиб - ступень должна будет сменить ориентацию по оси прецессии. вопрос - у нас остаются свободные поверхности, гуляют волны остатков топлива - как изменится ориентация Центавра?

[Сергио]

естессно остатки топлива до работы движков ориентации равномерно разазно по стакам изза центробежной силы.

[Старый]

В нормальном полёте Центавр имеет трёхосную стабилизацию и не вращается. Возможно медленное вращение для целей терморегулирования, но оно очень медленное и проблем с подачей топлива к двигателям ориентации не создаёт.
 И вообще мне так кажется что в баках гидразина мембраны.

[Сергио]

Старый спасибо!

то есть мультик можно проигнорировать - так видит художник?
тут что то с физикой не так:



15:22,5 - между включениями на вращение

15:26-15:27 - до включения на вращение

15:33 - до включения на вращение.

[Старый]

Там показана очевидно финальная закрутка Центавра необходимая для стабилизации космических аппарпатов вращением. И видимо изменение направления оси вращения чтобы отделить второй КА в другом направлении.

[мастер_лукьянов]

Какая планируется орбита спутников? Кроме того что апогей 30000 км?

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/677837main_rbsp_pk_final81712_lores.pdf

[мастер_лукьянов]

Спасибо

[Wetino]

вот как надо у них проводятся телеконференции до пуска и после, а у нас вообще ничего и какая после этого мы космическая держава,
незапустили за последние время ни одного научного спутника или межпланетную станцию

[instml]

RBSP Awaits Liftoff Aboard Atlas V Rocket

Launch managers at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida are preparing for this morning's scheduled liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes spacecraft. At Space Launch Complex-41, the rocket's Centaur upper stage has been loaded to flight level with liquid oxygen, while the propellant continues to flow into the larger first-stage booster.

Weather forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of conditions favorable for liftoff at the 4:07 a.m. EDT launch time. Today's launch window lasts 20 minutes.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/rbsp/main/index.html

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RBSP launch windows

Editor's Note: The daily launch window for the Atlas 5 rocket carrying NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes extends 20 minutes in duration.

All times are Eastern.

DATE................WINDOW OPEN

23 AUG 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
24 AUG 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
25 AUG 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
26 AUG 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
27 AUG 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
28 AUG 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
29 AUG 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
30 AUG 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
31 AUG 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
01 SEP 2012.........04:04:00.000 a.m. EDT
02 SEP 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
03 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
04 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
05 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
06 SEP 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
07 SEP 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
08 SEP 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
09 SEP 2012.........04:05:00.000 a.m. EDT
10 SEP 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
11 SEP 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
12 SEP 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
13 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
14 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
15 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
16 SEP 2012.........04:06:00.000 a.m. EDT
17 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
18 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
19 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
20 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
21 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
22 SEP 2012.........04:08:00.000 a.m. EDT
23 SEP 2012.........04:07:00.000 a.m. EDT
24 SEP 2012.........04:10:00.000 a.m. EDT

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av032/windows.html

Atlas launch ground track
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av032/groundtrack.html

[instml]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av032/status.html

0645 GMT (2:45 a.m. EDT)
First stage liquid oxygen tank is 60 percent 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 minutes of flight today. The 25,000 gallons of RP-1 were loaded into the rocket after rollout.

0641 GMT (2:41 a.m. EDT)
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.

0640 GMT (2:40 a.m. EDT)
Interrogations of the C-band tracking beacon on the Atlas 5 rocket have been going well in this morning's countdown, NASA launch director Tim Dunn says.

After yesterday's scrub, troubleshooting revealed the transponder aboard the rocket was producing slightly "out-of-family" readings that engineers ultimately determined were acceptable for flight as-is. The rocket team and the Range got comfortable with the beacon performance and concluded it was safe to launch the Atlas without needing any hardware replacements.

0637 GMT (2:37 a.m. EDT)
Now 90 minutes till launch of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes to explore the extremes of space weather! There are no technical problems being reported in the countdown, NASA says, and the current weather conditions are green.

0633 GMT (2:33 a.m. EDT)
The Centaur engine chilldown sequence is being initiated.

0628 GMT (2:28 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen tank has reached the 20 percent mark.

0624 GMT (2:24 a.m. EDT)
Centaur liquid oxygen is now at flight level.

0623 GMT (2:23 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen loading is transitioning from slow-fill to fast-fill mode.

0621 GMT (2:21 a.m. EDT)
The Centaur liquid oxygen tank reached the 95 percent level. The topping off process is starting now.

0616 GMT (2:16 a.m. EDT)
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 12,325 gallons of the cryogenic propellant.

0615 GMT (2:15 a.m. EDT)
Now at 70 percent on Centaur liquid oxygen.

0614 GMT (2:14 a.m. EDT)
The 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 48,745 gallons of cryogenic oxidizer for the RD-180 main engine.

0610 GMT (2:10 a.m. EDT)
Centaur liquid oxygen is 50 percent loaded.

0607 GMT (2:07 a.m. EDT)
Now entering the final two hours to the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket flight with the Radiation Belt Storm Probes payload for NASA. This will be the civilan space agency's seventh use of Atlas 5 over the past seven years.

The first NASA mission sent the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to the red planet on Aug. 12, 2005. The New Horizons probe on a three-billion-mile voyage to fly by Pluto and explore the frigid edge of the solar system followed on Jan. 19, 2006. Then came the dual launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the LCROSS impactor to the Moon's South Pole on June 18, 2009. The Solar Dynamics Observatory was placed into orbit on Feb. 11, 2010. The Juno spacecraft to study the planet Jupiter was launched on Aug. 5, 2011. And most recently was the Mars Science Laboratory with the Curiosity rover leaving Earth on Nov. 26, 2011.

Now comes RBSP at 4:07 a.m. EDT.

0603 GMT (2:03 a.m. EDT)
Passing the 20 percent level on the Centaur upper stage's liquid oxygen tank.

0555 GMT (1:55 a.m. EDT)
Filling of the Centaur upper stage with about 4,075 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 two firings to propel the RBSP satellites into their intended orbit this morning.

0548 GMT (1:48 a.m. EDT)
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.

0542 GMT (1:42 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 120 minutes and counting! The launch countdown has resumed on schedule for today's flight of the Atlas 5 rocket on the NASA mission to deploy the Radiation Belt Storm Probes.

Clocks have one more built-in hold planned at T-minus 4 minutes. That pause will last 25 minutes during which time the final "go" for launch will be given. All remains targeted for liftoff at 4:07 a.m. EDT 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.

0539 GMT (1:39 a.m. EDT)
All console operators have reported GO status during the pre-fueling readiness poll. The ULA launch director also voiced his approval for moving forward with the countdown as scheduled today.

Loading of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the Atlas 5 rocket will be getting underway a short time from now.

0537 GMT (1:37 a.m. EDT)
The ULA launch conductor at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center is briefing his team on procedures before entering into the final two hours of the countdown.

0516 GMT (1:16 a.m. EDT)
Weather is back to a green status again. The anvil rule is no longer being violated by the current conditions.

0515 GMT (1:15 a.m. EDT)
The final hands-on work has wrapped up at the launch pad and technicians have departed the complex. Safety officials just confirmed that the surrounding danger area has been cleared of all workers for the remainder of the countdown.

0512 GMT (1:12 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 2 hours and holding. The countdown has just entered the first of two planned holds over the course of the morning that will lead to the 4:07 a.m. EDT launch of the Atlas rocket.

This initial pause was designed to give the team some margin in the countdown timeline to deal with technical issues or any work that could fall behind schedule before fueling starts. But all is going very smoothly this morning.

The final hold is scheduled to occur at T-minus 4 minutes.

0458 GMT (12:58 a.m. EDT)
Flashes of lightning are prevalent in the skies around Cape Canaveral tonight as weather to the southeast of the spaceport moves ashore from the Atlantic. The northern fringes of that disturbed weather is skirting just south of the launch site at this hour.

The "attached anvil cloud rule" is red in the current observations.

But the launch weather officer still predicts a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather at the 4:07 a.m. EDT liftoff time for the Atlas 5 rocket.

The outlook for launch calls for scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken deck at 22,000 feet, isolated coastal showers, good visibility, easterly winds of 12 gusting to 16 knots, a temperature of 78 degrees F and humidity level of 91 percent.

[instml]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

[Space Alien]

0720 GMT (3:20 a.m. EDT)
The weather status board has gone "red" due to cumulus clouds and lightning.
Meteorologists keep managers advised when rules go "red" and "green" throughout the countdown.

0709 GMT (3:09 a.m. EDT)
A check of the current weather shows all conditions remain "go" at the present time. The forecast is unchanged and odds of acceptable weather at launch time are 60 percent.
0707 GMT (3:07 a.m. EDT)
Now 60 minutes from liftoff. Fueling of the Atlas rocket with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen is nearly complete as the countdown continues as planned for a liftoff at 4:07 a.m. EDT.
If you are heading out to the beach or Port Canaveral 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.)

And if you are need tips on picking a good viewing spot, check out this authoritative guide on where to go.

0704 GMT (3:04 a.m. EDT)
Fast-filling of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has been completed. Topping mode is now underway.
0700 GMT (3:00 a.m. EDT)
The liquid hydrogen tank in the Centaur upper stage just reached the 97 percent level. Topping is now beginning.
0655 GMT (2:55 a.m. EDT)
Centaur's liquid hydrogen tank is 37 percent full. The cryogenic propellant will be consumed with liquid oxygen by the stage's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne-made RL10 engine.

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av032/status.html