Launch News COSMO-SkyMed 4 on Delta II from Vandenberg AFB

[Star Voyager]

Do you mean, it's appropriate to address her with addition of patronymic name? :lol:

Since when did they have male names? I thought all space ships and water vessels are feminine, but I could be mistaken :lol:. Wait a minute, I see where you're coming from (Thor !).

Since this has been a grueling week for the launch team, the launch has been moved to Thursday night at 10:20 p.m. EDT:

After three consecutive days of trying to launch, officials will give team a chance to rest Wednesday before making the next launch attempt on Thursday night at 7:20 p.m. PDT (10:20 p.m. EDT).

 

[SiberianTiger]

Since when did they have male names? I thought all space ships and water vessels are feminine, but I could be mistaken :lol:. Wait a minute, I see where you're coming from (Thor !).

I thought of some person who stood behind design of the first Delta. Can he be considered the Delta's father? If so, tell me his name and I suggest a fitting patronymic. Example:

R-7 (Semyorka) conceived by Sergey Korolev. Therefore, she is Semyorka Sergeevna. :lol:

 

[Wishbone]

Success hath many fathers. Failure is an orphan.

 

[Star Voyager]

I thought of some person who stood behind design of the first Delta. Can he be considered the Delta's father? If so, tell me his name and I suggest a fitting patronymic. Example:

R-7 (Semyorka) conceived by Sergey Korolev. Therefore, she is Semyorka Sergeevna. :lol:

Maxwell Hunter was father of the Thor IRBM:

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell_Hunter"]Maxwell Hunter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[SiberianTiger]

Delta Maxwellovna, nice to meet you! :tiphat:

 

[Star Voyager]

Along with STS-133, this launch is also being targeted for Friday because mission managers say it's a more technically appropriate time to. Here is the forecast for Friday:

A frontal system pushes into northern California bringing an increase in upper level clouds, marine layer clouds and stronger winds," forecasters say. "At the surface, winds remain from the west-northwest at 5-10 knots for (mobile gantry rollback) and will turn northwest and increase to 10-15 knots, gusting to 20 knots for T-0. Upper-level winds will be from the south-southwest, with max winds of 90 knots at 38,000 feet."

 

[SiberianTiger]

Is it launching today? Do we have a timer and TV links?

 

[orb]

Is it launching today? Do we have a timer and TV links?

There's no information about further postponement, so I guess it's launching. Launch timer is as always in this calendar event, and there is this live coverage stream provided by Boeing/ULA. The webcast [eventtimer]2010-11-6 1:15?will begin in|began;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2010-11-6 1:15?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]

 

[Star Voyager]

The MST rolled back at 1:30 p.m. EDT, so they should be going today. Liftoff is still at 10:20 p.m. EDT and the weather is looking good so far.

 

[orb]

Now at T-90 minutes and counting, L-2 hours. Fueling with RP-1 propellant was performed earlier today, before start of terminal countdown an hour ago to give the Delta II rocket added weight and stability while she's exposed to the weather. Filling of the stage with cryogenic liquid oxygen will begin soon.

Liftoff is scheduled for 7:20:03 p.m. PDT / 10:20:03 p.m. EDT / 02:20:03 UTC. Today's available launch window, like for earlier attempts, is open for just one second.

---------- Post added at 02:35 ---------- Previous post was at 01:17 ----------

The launch coverage at Boeing/ULA stream will begin at 9:45 p.m. EDT / 01:45 UTC, but you can watch the Delta II just now on the Spaceflight Now's livestream channel.

---------- Post added at 02:45 ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 ----------

The live coverage has started.

---------- Post added at 03:13 ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 ----------

T-4 minutes and counting.

 

[Star Voyager]

T-4 minutes and counting!

---------- Post added at 10:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------

Liftoff of the first and last Delta II of 2010, carrying COSMO 4!

 

[orb]

The Delta II rocket mission was successful. Spacecraft separated at T+58:03 minutes, at 8:18 p.m. PDT / 11:18 p.m. EDT / 03:18 UTC.

NASASpaceFlight: Delta II finally launches with COSMO-4:

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II launch vehicle has finally launched at the fourth attempt, lofting COSMO-4 - the fourth and last COSMO-SkyMed radar imaging satellite – into orbit for the Italian government. The vehicle lifted-off at 7:20pm PDT from Space Launch Complex 2W at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The mission marks the 350th launch of a Delta rocket.
...

 

[Pyromaniac605]

T-4 minutes and counting!

---------- Post added at 10:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:14 PM ----------

Liftoff of the first and last Delta II of 2010, carrying COSMO 4!

This was the only Delta II this year? :blink:

Darren

 

[Star Voyager]

Yes, and the very last Delta II will go off next year.

Oct. 18 Delta 2 • NPP
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-2W, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

The United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket will launch NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) mission for NOAA and NASA. The rocket will fly in the 7920-10 configuration. NPP will collect data on atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity, land and ocean biological activity, and cloud and aerosol properties. [Oct. 27]

 

[astrosammy]

The very last? Hey, I never saw one live!

What launcher is going to replace it?

 

[Star Voyager]

I would think Delta IV or Atlas V. They're both equally capable.

 

[RisingFury]

I would think Delta IV or Atlas V. They're both equally capable.

Both of these have much higher capacity then Delta II.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Both of these have much higher capacity then Delta II.

Taurus II, I think.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: 350 launches and counting for family of Delta rockets.
________________________________________

The very last? Hey, I never saw one live!

Per Spaceflight Now's MSC:

8:20 p.m. PDT (11:20 p.m. EDT)

This is the 93rd consecutive successful Delta 2 rocket launch dating back to May 1997. The Delta 2's overall history since debuting in 1989 has achieved 146 successes in 148 flights.

Three more Delta 2 rockets are scheduled for next year, including NASA's Aquarius oceanography spacecraft on June 9 from from Vandenberg, NASA's GRAIL mission to the moon on September 8 from Cape Canaveral and the NPP polar-orbiting civilan weather satellite on October 18 from Vandenberg.

ULA also has five additional Delta 2 vehicles it hopes to use for additional launches in the future.

---------- Post added 7th Nov 2010 at 01:47 ---------- Previous post was 6th Nov 2010 at 17:26 ----------

ULA: United Launch Alliance Launches 350th Delta in Program's 50-Year History.

Photos from the liftoff:

Video replays of the launch:

• Longer, but without visible liftoff:
  

  Launch of Delta 2/COSMO-SkyMed 4 recorded from Boeing/ULA stream by "spacearium"

  
  
• Shorter, but of higher quality and with visible liftoff:
  

  Video replay of the launch by "30SWVandenberg"