Rocket Launch notification thread

[MartG]

Regulator on the pad malfunctioned. Aiming for a 24 hour turnaround, but weather is looking dicey for tomorrow. Could be at least 48 hours.

[MartG]

New launch date no earlier than Thursday due to weather

[Beati Dogu]

The Atlas V got away OK and the Solar Orbiter probe was placed in the correct orbit.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-514...

[MartG]

Trying Antares again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ApQ8k_Gt0

[MartG]

Lots of trouble with the audio

Wind noise, launch control background noise, and someone managed to patch in a phone call

[Beati Dogu]

Yes, bit of amateur hour there with the coverage. Then the animation went haywire to cap it off.

Still it got away OK and will take 3 days to get to the ISS.

[MartG]

Astra 3.0 test launch attempt tonight

https://spacelaunchnow.me/launch/astra-rocket-30-o...

Edit - delayed to the 28th

Edited by MartG on Wednesday 26th February 11:31

[MartG]

Now showing as launching on the 29th

Edited by MartG on Friday 28th February 11:10

[MartG]

Another 24 hr delay for Astra due to bad weather

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/29/astra-darpa-...

[MartG]

And yet another 24hr delay - maybe Alaska in winter isn't such a good location for a launch site...

https://www.darpalaunchchallenge.org/

[RobDickinson]

https://youtu.be/ti5dN97qs3w

Astra Darpa challenge might be going soon

[MartG]

Hold called at T-54s - waiting to see what the issue is and whether they can recycle for today or scrub to tomorrow

[MartG]

Scrubbed again

[MartG]

Off topic - just a heads up on a forthcoming book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NASAs-Lost-Missions-Opera...

[Eric Mc]

Expect to see it in The Works for £7 any time soon.

[Beati Dogu]

Arianespace suspended all launches until further notice from French Guiana a few days ago due to virus fears. Part of the French government's lock down policy.

https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/covid-19...

[Beati Dogu]

Rocket Lab are also postpostoning launch operations now. They had an Electron rocked due to launch on Monday 30th March, but they're following the New Zealand government's lock down order.

Not everyone has stopped activities though. The Chinese launched a Long March 2 rocket yesterday carrying three spy satellites.

The Americans have an Atlas V rocket ready to launch the AEHF-6 satellite from Cape Canaveral on Thursday 26th March. The window opens at 2:57 pm local time (6.57 pm UK time). They've loaded the fuel already.

It's in the 551 configuration, so has the full complement of 5 strap on boosters. Should be quite a show. I saw its sister-satellite (AEHF-4) launch a couple of years ago.

[MartG]

AEHF-6 - hold called at T-46s

Window runs to 20:47 so still possible to launch today if they can sort the issue

[Beati Dogu]

I love how even ULA will resort to turning it off and turning it back on again.

[MartG]

T0 20:18