United Launch Alliance Atlas multisat launch 3/8/07

[moonmadness]

A successful launch will mark the first time an Atlas 5 has delivered payloads into two completely separate orbits. In the broader picture for the Atlas family of rockets, it would be the 80th consecutive successful mission extending back to 1993. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[moonmadness]

0257 GMT (9:57 p.m. EST Thurs.)<br /><br />NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff time has been officially targeted for 10:10 p.m. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[moonmadness]

0305 GMT (10:05 p.m. EST Thurs.)<br /><br />Countdown clocks will resume in one minute. We are now five minutes from launch. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[docm]

New Scientist article....<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>'Grease monkey' satellite set for space tune-up</b><br /><br /><font color="yellow"><b>A 'mechanic' satellite designed to refuel and repair a partner in space is set to launch on Thursday. The feats would be the first of their kind and will lay the groundwork for future autonomous robotic missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.<br /><br />The US military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to launch its two Orbital Express satellites on an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US. The available launch time extends from 2137 to 2342 EST (0237 to 0442 GMT on Friday).</b></font><br /><br />The $300 million Orbital Express mission is comprised of the Autonomous Space Transfer and Robotic Orbiter (ASTRO) servicing satellite and the NextSat target satellite. ASTRO is designed to approach NextSat and dock with it autonomously, without help from ground controllers – something no US spacecraft has previously been able to do.<br /><br />The technology to accomplish this will be important for future missions to the Moon and Mars.<br /><br />"The alternatives are expensive and painful," says Lieutenant Colonel Fred Kennedy, Orbital Express programme manager. There is a time lag of more than one second for commands from Earth to reach robotic craft operating near the Moon, for example, and the lag would be even worse at Mars. So enabling robotic missions to do some things on their own would be far more efficient. <br /><br /><b>Filling station</b><br /><br />To that end, ASTRO will use a NASA-developed advanced video guidance system to bounce laser beams off cube-shaped reflectors on NextSat. Then, it will use pattern recognition to determine the target satellite's location, speed and orientation, which will allow ASTR</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[moonmadness]

So far so good! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[vulture2]

Launch was delayed about 30 minutes, apparently by spurious radio transmissions leaking from an adjacent ham band. We were watching from the KSC gate on SR3 when a USAF "Frequency Analysis and Control" van that had been looking for the errant tranmitter stopped. But they were unable to locate it and the rocket launched at 10:10 EST with its Energomash RD-180 engine apparently without the problems that befell the Sea Launch. The rocket was clearly visible apparently until the initial second stage cutoff.

 

[no_way]

The coolest thing on it, of course, is DARPA Orbital Express, or ASTRO and NextSat pair that will do some nice coreography on orbit. Namely, test out autonomous rendezvous and docking, and refuelling of future satellites.<br /><br />Stil non-cryogenic refuelling, hydrazine, but still a step forward. If this is validated, autonomously servicing satellites, or putting up an autonomous fuel depot and space tugs working with hydrazine are quite doable.<br /><br />http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/oe.htm<br />http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw060506p1.xml<br /> <br />EDIT: Duh, beaten to it above already, of course.

 

[moonmadness]

Was a bit surprised Orbital Express didn't get more "press".<br /><br />This conceivably could be a giant step foward for many aspects of space operations.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>I'm not a rocket scientist, but I do play one on the TV in my mind.</p> </div>

 

[bpfeifer]

Anyone have any updates on Orbital Express. Now that it's on orbit, I was wondering when it will do the refuelling, repair, rendezvous, and docking tests? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Brian J. Pfeifer http://sabletower.wordpress.com<br /> The Dogsoldier Codex http://www.lulu.com/sabletower<br /> </div>