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The following are portions of a media update from the United Launch Alliance (the Atlas V rocket manufacturer and launch service provider) regarding Saturday's planned Atlas V / Mars InSight launch from Vandenberg AFB.The launch weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday does not look very encouraging (only a 20% probability of acceptable weather)."Subject: L-3 Media Update: ULA Atlas V InSight Launch Set for May 5Date: May 2, 2018 8:16 PMGood evening - everything is progressing toward the ULA Atlas V InSight mission for NASA. The mission is set to lift off on an Atlas V rocket on Saturday, May 5 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Today’s L-3 forecast shows a 20 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.The two-hour launch window begins at 4:05 a.m. PT ...Launch Forecast Summary:Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 80%Primary concerns: Launch VisibilityOverall probability of violating weather constraints for 24 hour delay: 80%Primary concern: Launch Visibility ..."
LAUNCH ALERTBrian Webblaunch-alert-editor@earthlink.netwww.spacearchive.info2018 May 2 (Wednesday) 13:07 PDT----------------------------------------------------------------------SATURDAY VANDENBERG LAUNCHby Brian WebbAn Atlas V rocket carrying three Mars-bound spacecraft is scheduledfor launch from south Vandenberg AFB this Saturday morning at 04:05PDT, the start of a two-hour launch window. The event will be thefirst-ever planetary mission to launch from the West Coast.Following lift-off, the rocket will climb vertically for severalseconds before it begins a gradual turn and heads south-southeast overthe ocean. If the launch is successful, the Atlas will send NASA'sMars InSight lander and two experimental communications satellites ona seven month trip to Mars.If liftoff occurs during darkness, and they sky is clear, the eventcould be visible as far away as San Francisco, Mammoth, and San Diego,Calif.If liftoff happens after sunrise, and the weather cooperates, theevent should be visible for about 50 miles from the launch pad and therocket's flight path. Observers more than 100 miles away may be ableto see a short white contrail produced by the rocket as it passesthrough altitudes of about 33,000 to 38,000 feet.People in very quiet locations in coastal Santa Barbara and VenturaCounties and the western Santa Monica mountains may hear a distant,muffled rumble or perhaps a sonic boom from the launch some timebetween T+4 and T+12 minutes.Members of the public desiring a close-up view of the launch willprobably congregate west of Lompoc in the vicinity of highway 246(west Ocean Avenue) and Union Sugar Road.Official public launch viewing events are scheduled for the followinglocations:- Lompoc City Airport, 1801 N H St., Lompoc- St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 2800 Harris Grade Rd., LompocHowever, since the above locations are near the coast, there is a veryreal possibility that low clouds or fog will obscure the launch.Regardless of where you plan to go to view the launch, allow yourselfenough time to get there well before liftoff. After you arrive, beaware of your surroundings and possible hazards such as traffic.Also, if you plan to obtain countdown status via an Internet feed, beadvised that the feed may lag far behind the actual countdown.During a launch last year, Pete Heins, N6ZE, discovered the countdownfeed was delayed by approximately 75 seconds.Rather than relying on a feed for launch cueing, use a GPS receiver oranother source to obtain the exact time. You can also set your watchto the exact time from the National Institute of Standards andTechnology (www.nist.gov).To learn more about the Atlas V and launch, go to:www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/launch-booklets/mob_insightfinal.pdfFor launch status, countdown information, and webcasts of the launch,point your browser to:spaceflightnow.comwww.ula.comwww.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#publicTo learn about viewing Vandenberg rocket and missile launches, go to:www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm----------------------------------------------------------------------The following is a Vandenberg AFB news items about the launch andlaunch viewing:ATLAS V INSIGHT SCHEDULED TO LAUNCHPublished April 20VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Vandenberg is scheduled tolaunch the NASA InSight on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocketfrom Space Launch Complex-3E here, Saturday, May 5, with a two-hourlaunch window starting at 4:05 a.m. PDT.Come watch the first interplanetary mission to take off from the WestCoast from one of the following public viewing locations:- The Lompoc City Airport at 1801 N H St., Lompoc, CA 93436. Parkingis off O Street.- St. Mary's Episcopal Church parking lot at 2800 Harris Grade Rd.,Lompoc, CA 93436.Guests can view the launch and see NASA TV commentary from eitherlocation along with NASA/InSight mission team members on-site toanswer questions. Guests should arrive no earlier than 2:30 a.m. PDTand NASA TV coverage begins at 3:30 a.m. PDT.----------------------------------------------------------------------QUESTIONS?Because of scheduling considerations, the editor will be unable toanswer reader questions about this launch.----------------------------------------------------------------------SECURITY POLICYLaunch Alert does not intentionally publish sensitive, potentiallysensitive, or inside information. All information comes from opensources or is approved for public release.----------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2018, Brian Webb. All rights reserved. No portion of thisnewsletter may be used without identifying Launch Alert as thesource and providing a functioning hyperlink or text that point tohttp://www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm.______________________________________________________________Launch-Alert mailing listHome: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/launch-alertHelp: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htmPost: mailto:Launch-Alert@mailman.qth.netMessage delivered to chris@tbo.netThis list hosted by: http://www.qsl.netPlease help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
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Topic: Atlas V Mars launch from Vandenberg Saturday morning (Read 312 times)
