[Launch Alert] Atlas V Launch

[Launch Alert]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                        www.spacearchive.info
		       
                              2012 September 11 (Monday) 19:32 PDT
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                           ATLAS V LAUNCH
                            by Brian Webb

Thursday afternoon's launch of an Atlas V booster from Vandenberg
AFB remains on schedule. The Atlas is set to depart Space Launch
Complex-3 on south base at 14:39 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. The rocket
will probably produce a short contrail as it climbs through a zone
ranging in altitude from about 33,000 to 38,000 feet.

Although the exact direction of flight is not known, the booster will
probably fly toward the south-southeast, south, or south-southwest.
Sometime 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 even lead to cancellation of the
launch attempt. Thursday afternoon's launch could therefore happen at
any time after 14:39 PDT or it could be rescheduled for another day.

Despite the size and power of the Atlas V, the vehicle will probably
provide a lackluster display in outlying areas because of the
propellants it uses and the time of day. This Atlas V variant uses
liquid propellant engines and has no strap-on solid rocket motors.
Unlike solid rocket motors which produce a brilliant flame, liquid
propellant engines produce a much fainter flame. At launch time, the
Sun will be well above the horizon, creating a bright sky background
that will greatly diminish the visibility of the first stage's orange
flame.

Under very good conditions, the first stage flame may be visible to
the naked eye as far away as Carpinteria, Pismo Beach, and Taft.
Observers in these areas may be able to see the launch up through
first stage cutoff and stage 1/2 separation. The short contrail from
the first stage may be visible as far away as Pasadena, King City,
and Bakersfield.

Southern Ventura County may also be treated to a sonic boom from the
Atlas some four to twelve minutes after liftoff.

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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:

      http://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

   Satellite Feeds:

      Begin Transmission (bars and tone) - 13:45 (September 12)
      Broadcast Start - 14:19 (September 13)
      Satellite: AMC 1
      Carrier: SES Americom
      Transponder: C15
      Band: C-Band Analog
      Orbital Position: 103 degrees west
      Bandwidth: 36 MHz (Full Transponder)
      Uplink Freq: 6225 MHz Vertical
      Downlink Freq: 4000 MHz Horizontal

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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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Copyright 2012, Brian Webb. All rights reserved. No portion of this
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