Rocket Launch notification thread
Discussion
They've been working over the ground support equipment at Vandenberg recently. This after the recent problems they had with the aging and barely-used pad in Florida. So hopefully this launch doesn't have any technical issues & delays like the last one. This is their 13th Delta IV Heavy launch. Filling up the tanks has already started.
Beati Dogu said:
They've been working over the ground support equipment at Vandenberg recently. This after the recent problems they had with the aging and barely-used pad in Florida. So hopefully this launch doesn't have any technical issues & delays like the last one. This is their 13th Delta IV Heavy launch. Filling up the tanks has already started.
Would have been incredible to have seen a Shuttle fly out of Vandenberg but the risk analysis was shocking. 
I'm not sure what the problem with the surrounding mountains might have been. It might make a return to launch site (RTLS) abort a bit more sporty but, to be honest, an RTLS was very iffy no matter where the launch site was.
Weather is more of a problem at Vendenberg - particularly fog. And that would have affected launch schedules no doubt. Although many rockets launch at Vandenberg through fog, with a Shuttle, an RTLS abort would be out of the question in fog, so fog at the launch site would definitely mean a scrub.
Weather is more of a problem at Vendenberg - particularly fog. And that would have affected launch schedules no doubt. Although many rockets launch at Vandenberg through fog, with a Shuttle, an RTLS abort would be out of the question in fog, so fog at the launch site would definitely mean a scrub.
SpaceX also had unique issue with their returning boosters at Vandenberg. They weren't allowed to do so until the local seals had finished having babies as I recall.
They'll be doing Starlink launches out of there once they get their new Pacific coast landing ship set up. They'll be too heavily loaded to fly back to the launch site this time though. It remains to be seen if they'll able to loft the usual 60 satellites on a polar orbit.
They'll be doing Starlink launches out of there once they get their new Pacific coast landing ship set up. They'll be too heavily loaded to fly back to the launch site this time though. It remains to be seen if they'll able to loft the usual 60 satellites on a polar orbit.
Eric Mc said:
I'm not sure what the problem with the surrounding mountains might have been. It might make a return to launch site (RTLS) abort a bit more sporty but, to be honest, an RTLS was very iffy no matter where the launch site was.
Weather is more of a problem at Vendenberg - particularly fog. And that would have affected launch schedules no doubt. Although many rockets launch at Vandenberg through fog, with a Shuttle, an RTLS abort would be out of the question in fog, so fog at the launch site would definitely mean a scrub.
One of the points of concern was the shockwave from launch (even after the water deluge sound suppression system was installed) reflecting off the mountains and damaging either the shuttle stack on the pad infrastructure. Weather is more of a problem at Vendenberg - particularly fog. And that would have affected launch schedules no doubt. Although many rockets launch at Vandenberg through fog, with a Shuttle, an RTLS abort would be out of the question in fog, so fog at the launch site would definitely mean a scrub.
There was also a risk that the more compact infrastructure, coupled with the mountains that trigger the fog you mention, could lead to pockets of unbound hydrogen vent gas accumulating and triggering a fire hazard.
...and the core stage will come down...somewhere...soon 
Tin hat time !
https://spacenews.com/huge-rocket-looks-set-for-un...
Tin hat time !
https://spacenews.com/huge-rocket-looks-set-for-un...
Chinese rocket tracker:
https://youtu.be/UWrGX-ibraU
Viruses, more greenhouse gas emissions than the developed world put together and now the rocket on the head lottery. China really is the gift that keeps on giving.
https://youtu.be/UWrGX-ibraU
Viruses, more greenhouse gas emissions than the developed world put together and now the rocket on the head lottery. China really is the gift that keeps on giving.
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