[Launch Alert] Monday Vandenberg Launch

[Brian Webb]

Hi Mark:

Since the Delta II/Gravity Probe B is a daytime launch, the visibility will
be limited to locations along the coast. Off hand, I can't provide any
altitude and azimuth data, but from Thousand Oaks in Ventura County the
Delta II will probably attain a maximum elevation during launch of about 20
degrees. Of course, it will be considerably lower from your location since
you're inland.

Another problem is atmospheric transparency. The forecast call for a lot of
moisture in the atmosphere at launch time. Even if there aren't many clouds,
moisture limits the maximum launch visibility.

Atmospheric moisture could also cause problems for the launch team. The
weather forecast issued at 09:00 PDT this morning calls for 60% probability
of acceptable weather. They're worried about the moisture spawning cumulus
clouds (I assume the real concern is over the possibility of electrostatic
discharge as the Delta climbs through the clouds).

Regard,

Brian Webb
www.spacearchive.info

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Hanning-Lee [mailto:markhl@prodigy.net]
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 12:51 PM
To: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Launch Alert] Monday Vandenberg Launch


At that time I will be at work in Hamilton Sundstrand
in Pomona CA, www.hssensorsystems.com . (Contractors
supplying parts for ISS, building the NASA OCO.)

What do you estimate as the max. elevation and azimuth
please? You could even cross-post to SeeSat-L.

Thanks, Mark

--- Brian Webb <kd6nrp@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>                              LAUNCH ALERT
>
> 			            Brian Webb
> 		         Ventura County, California
> 		        E-mail: kd6nrp@earthlink.net
> 	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info
>
> 				              2004 April 18 (Sunday) 08:13 PDT
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>                       MONDAY VANDENBERG LAUNCH
>
> A Delta II booster carrying NASA's Gravity Probe B
> scientific
> satellite is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg
> AFB tomorrow
> morning. The Delta is set to lift-off from
> Vandenberg at 10:01:20 PDT,
> the start of a one-second launch window.
>
> Following lift-off, the Delta II will head
> southward. Several minutes
> later the vehicle will place Gravity Probe B into a
> polar orbit.
> Weather permitting, tomorrow's launch could be
> visible from Paso
> Robles to coastal Orange County.