Rocket Launch notification thread

[Stupeo]

Eric Mc said:

There is a Soyuz launch tomorrow morning to the ISS. Unusually, it is only carrying two crew members as opposed to the normal three.

Launch time is set at 8.40 UTC.

Why only 2 Eric?

[MartG]

Stupeo said:

Why only 2 Eric?

3rd one assigned was removed when the new lab module he was trained for was delayed to next year

[Stupeo]

MartG said:

3rd one assigned was removed when the new lab module he was trained for was delayed to next year

Interesting. I thought the Soyuz needed three "pilots" onboard. Thanks!

[Stupeo]

Seems the launch this morning was aborted mid flight after a booster failure: https://spacenews.com/breaking-soyuz-launch-to-iss...

[Eric Mc]

Stupeo said:

MartG said:

3rd one assigned was removed when the new lab module he was trained for was delayed to next year

Interesting. I thought the Soyuz needed three "pilots" onboard. Thanks!

It can fly with no one on board. Some early missions were single pilot.

In some respects, having only two on board today may have been a blessing.

[Beati Dogu]

Stupeo said:

Beati Dogu said:

Hello!

Yes, the launch is after midnight, so the Kennedy Space Centre and Playalinda Beach will be closed unfortunately.

I was planning to view it from the beach at Titusville, which is about 13 miles away, or maybe one of the causeways roads. I was going to ask around when I got there for some local knowledge.

Are you on holiday there too?

I've been looking at Jetty Beach or the public boat ramp just down the road from it - seems to be a decent spot.

I was originally heading out to see the launch when it was on the 18th, so booked KSC and lunch with an astronaut etc for that day. Sadly it got moved to 4th October, but now luckily back to 17th as you know!

I'm staying in Miami on 15th and then Kissimmee until 29th, no doubt most of my time will be at WDW

I’m in Titusville, Florida now. Close to the Kennedy Space Center. The Atlas V launch is still on for just after midnight local time. The weather if good, so only a technical issue should delay it now.

Still not sure if I should go to the beach here, or to Port Canaveral for the launch. There’s not much in it in terms of distance. Probably the port, as the rocket should be seen curving out to sea better from there.

[Stupeo]

Beati Dogu said:

I’m in Titusville, Florida now. Close to the Kennedy Space Center. The Atlas V launch is still on for just after midnight local time. The weather if good, so only a technical issue should delay it now.

Still not sure if I should go to the beach here, or to Port Canaveral for the launch. There’s not much in it in terms of distance. Probably the port, as the rocket should be seen curving out to sea better from there.

I’m at the back of the Cruise Terminal on 401 - there’s a lot of people here already but have direct line of site to the launch pad. There’s some people here with a trailer mounted telescopic camera thing! Looks impressive.

[anonymous-user]

Hi space fans. I’m a bit inland but feeling a bit rough so might not last until 00:15.

Can you guys in Titusville see the launchpad itself at the moment? It’s one of the northern ones isn’t it?

[Stupeo]

I’m south of the launch pad in Port Canaveral.

Pad 41 is about 10 mile away, but you have direct line of site. You can just make out the vehicle.

[anonymous-user]

Stayed up. Saw a glow then the plume then separation a few minutes later. Worth seeing really.

Any photos from closer?

[MartG]

Launch video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfw9tlupI_w

[Beati Dogu]

I watched the launch from near the boat ramp at Port Canaveral. Had a good view of it curving out to sea and the boosters jettisoning. There’s quite the delay before the sound hits you, but it sure lights up the launch area and the clouds like daylight for a while.

One of the guys there said he works for ULA in Denver, where they design them. It was the first time he’d seen an actual launch though.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

I'm sure that TER is missing a $ alongside the ULA....

[Gandahar]

This weekends Japanese Europe Mercury launch time table

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/20...

[Beati Dogu]

Kccv23highliftcam said:

I'm sure that TER is missing a $ alongside the ULA....

Nope. I have no idea what that means.

[Beati Dogu]

Arianespace a launching a Soyuz rocket tonight from French Guiana at 00.47 GMT. It'll be carrying the MetOp C polar-orbiting weather satellite.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-v...

[MartG]

Video will be here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfbRjjcxzr8

[Beati Dogu]

Interestingly the MetOp-C satellite was built some time ago, but has been kept in storage until now. I read somewhere that one of the British-built sensors on board is 17 years old.

Its two sister satellites were put up in 2006 and 2016 and they're still working fine. The original plan was to operate them one at a time, and launch a replacement every five years, but now they'll all be up there together.

[Beati Dogu]

Rocketlab are planning to launch an Electron rocket from New Zealand in a few hours. - at 16:50 NZDT (03:50 UK time Sunday)

This is their first commercial launch, so good luck to them.

https://www.space.com/42406-rocket-lab-first-comme...

https://www.rocketlabusa.com/

Hosted webcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i19lz89NxRA

[MartG]

Skip to 19:30 for the launch

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