[Launch Alert] Pegasus Launch Delayed

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT

			            Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		        E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				         2004 October 27 (Wednesday) 05:32 PDT
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                      PEGASUS LAUNCH POSTPONED

Yesterday's launch of a Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA's DART
satellite was cancelled due to GPS problems with the MUBLCOM target
spacecraft and the probability of bad weather.

The Pegasus is tentatively scheduled for an airborne launch tomorrow
(October 28) between 11:16 and 11:21 PDT.

The Pegasus will be launched 70 miles southwest of Monterey from an
L-1011 jumbo jet at altitude of approximately 39,000 feet. Several
minutes later, the Pegasus should place the Demonstration of
Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft into a polar
orbit.

Once in orbit, DART will locate and rendezvous with its target, the
MUBLCOM satellite. DART will also perform various maneuvers in close
proximity to MUBLCOM.

A weather forecast issued two days ago gave the probability of
acceptable launch weather on Thursday as 60%.

If the weather is clear, observers along the Central Coast and San
Jose area may be able to spot the L-1011 carrying the Pegasus from
Vandenberg AFB to the launch point.

The jumbo jet will leave Vandenberg an hour before launch and fly
north offshore. The plane will later make two right turns south of San
Jose and head south to the launch point. The L-1011 will likely be
accompanied by at least one chase plane.

The actual launch will probably only be visible along the coast
between San Jose and Goleta.

For information on viewing Vandenberg AFB launches including where to
get countdown status, go to www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm.

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                         TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

Just a quick reminder: There will be a total lunar eclipse this
evening. For details go to www.spacearchive.info.

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Copyright © 2004 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
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