[Launch Alert] Atlas V Launch
Launch Alert
launch-alert at mailman.qth.net
Tue Jul 31 23:16:23 EDT 2012
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Ventura County, California
launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
www.spacearchive.info
2012 July 31 (Tuesday) 20:11 PDT
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ATLAS V LAUNCH
by Brian Webb
Thursday's early morning launch of an Atlas V booster from Vandenberg
AFB appears to be on schedule. The Atlas is set to lift off from Space
Launch Complex-3 on south base at 00:40 PDT*, the presumptive start of
an undisclosed launch window.
Following liftoff, the Atlas will rise vertically for several seconds
before it begins to slowly pitch over and head downrange. Although
the exact direction of flight is not known, the booster will probably
fly toward the south-southeast, south, or south-southwest. Several
minutes later, the rocket's Centaur second stage should enter orbit.
The Centaur will release a classified payload for the Chantilly,
Virginia-based U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. A dispenser on the
bottom of the second stage will later eject the following 11 small
satellites or "cubesats":
SMDC 1.1 U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
SMDC 1.2 U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
AeroCube 4.0 Aerospace Corporation
AeroCube 4.5A Aerospace Corporation
AeroCube 4.5B Aerospace Corporation
AENEAS University of Southern California
CSSWE Colorado University Boulder
CP5 California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
CXBN Morehead State University
CINEMA University of California, Berkeley
RE Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Launches from Vandenberg are typically scheduled for the start of the
launch window. However, problems at Vandenberg or downrange can delay
a launch for several minutes or longer. Thursday morning's launch
could therefore happen at any time after 00:40 PDT.
Despite the size and power of the Atlas V, the launch will probably
provide a subdued display because of the propellants used and the
presence of the Moon. This variant of the Atlas V uses liquid
propellants and no strap-on solid rocket motors. Unlike solid rocket
motors which produce a brilliant flame, liquid fuel rocket engines
produce a much fainter flame. In outlying areas, the display will
also be impacted by the nearly full Moon, which will be above the
horizon all night and brighten the sky.
Observers at lower elevations within several miles of the coast may
have another problem to deal with: late night and early morning
clouds. To avoid coastal clouds, try to find a location with an
elevation greater than 2,000 feet. The coastal mountains would be
a good place to see the launch. However, driving on strange mountain
roads at night is dangerous, so be careful! Another way to avoid
coastal clouds is by moving inland.
If the sky is clear, the launch could be visible to the naked eye as
far away as King City, Visalia, Bakersfield, Chatsworth, and Santa
Monica. Under very good conditions, experienced observers with an
unobstructed horizon may be able to see the launch with the unaided
eye from Petaluma, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Baker, and San Diego,
California.
*Forty minutes after midnight on Wednesday night-Thursday morning.
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LAUNCH AND COUNTDOWN STATUS
For launch and countdown status for the Atlas V launch, consult the
following sources:
Web Sites with Countdown Status:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av033/status.html
Webcasts:
The launch will be carried live at the following locations
from T-20 to about T+5 minutes:
www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av033/status.html
Twitter Updates:
http://twitter.com/spaceflightnow/
http://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing
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RESOURCES
For additional information related to the Atlas V/NROL-36 launch, go
to the following locations:
Launch Vehicle
www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/product_cards/AV_product_card.pdf
Launch Viewing
www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm
Photographing Launches
www.spacearchive.info/vafbphoto.htm
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VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
As of 2012 July 30
Launch
Time/Window
Date (PST/PDT) Vehicle Pad/Silo
-------- ----------------- ------------- --------
AUG 2 00:40 Atlas V SLC-3E
Vehicle will launch the classified NROL-36 payload for the U.S.
National Reconnaissance Office. The vehicle will also carry the
following secondary payloads: CINEMA (Cubesat for Ion, Neutral,
Electron, Magnetic fields), University of California Berkeley; CSSWE
(Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment), University of Colorado at
Boulder; CP5, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; CXBN
(Cosmic X-ray Background Nanosat) Morehead State University; SMDC 1.1
and 1.2, US Army Space and Missile Defense Command; Aeneas, University
of Southern California; RE, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory;
and three Aerocube spacecraft, the Aerospace Corporation.
NOV 14 To be announced Minuteman III ---
Test launch. The Defense Department may release some details about the
launch a few days in advance.
JAN 22 Dawn Pegasus XL N/A
Vehicle will be air-dropped from an L-1011 jumbo jet flying offshore.
The aircraft will be staged from Vandenberg AFB. Launch occurs shortly
before sunrise and may create a weak Twilight Effect as exhaust at
high altitude is illuminated by the Sun
The above schedule is a composite of unclassified information
approved for public release from government, industry, and other
sources. It represents the Editor's best effort to produce a schedule,
but may disagree with other sources. Details on military launches are
withheld until they are approved for public release. For official
information regarding Vandenberg AFB activities, go to
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil.
All launch dates and times are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format similar to military time (midnight = 00:00, 1:00 p.m. = 13:00,
11:00 p.m. = 23:00, etc.).
The dates and times in this schedule may not agree with those on other
online launch schedules, including the official Vandenberg AFB
schedule because different sources were used, the information was
interpreted differently, and the schedules were updated at different
times.
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