I was inside of one working when the Delta II Deep Impact launched today and didn't get to see it.  It's supposed to send two sattelites speeding towards a target 80,000,000 miles away.  Impact is set for 4 july 2005. I think we built this rocket last year.  Sometimes we know what the mission will be and sometimes we don't.

neet-o  

They don't give you guys a video feed?  Sheesh.  Nice work, man!  They had a one-second window and made it.

Oh yeah!  Beautiful weather too.  You would have loved it too Pangea.

To put this in context, the contract I work on is one of those "teams" with several contractors all working together and Boeing is responsible for the SE - therefore not that many of us.  Anyway, a bunch of us old-fart Range Rats were (as usual) taking a smoke break at the right time and the noobs are smart enough to follow us around so....

One of the noobs asked, "Ya think it'll go on time?"  Another one of us old farts (non-Boeing) pipes up and says, "Of course it will.  It's a Delta II."

Did get a little sweaty when Radar 1.16 kept crashing in the (-) count but the Range O&M guys got it fixed prior to the T(-)4 mandatory hold.  Sure enough. smack on T-0....... er, make that T-0.0000000+/- 0.000000000000000001, the bird spit flames.  Absolute perfection!

Now the down-side....  There's a glitch folks think they can fix in the payload.  More info at Space.com about it but short version - <snip>"....after the launch, while Deep Impact was on its own, that a glitch - mostly likely caused by a too-low temperature limit in propulsion system heaters - triggered the fault-protection mode, which mission engineers hope to fix in the next 24 hours, according to SpaceFlightNow...."<snip>

Lots of optimism regarding payload and the vehicle was dream perfect.  Here's to July and Good Job bro,
Steve

p.s. If y'all ever want a video feed of ER stuff and have enough BW, go to NASA TV.  Just click on either the Real Player or the Windows Media link (when they're broadcasting of course).

Yes. I saw it and one of these days I would like to see one for real, in person. Especially a shuttle launch.

Quoted: Yes. I saw it and one of these days I would like to see one for real, in person. Especially a shuttle launch.

Its just not all that impressive – even up close (like from the viewing stands).   I was raised on the lower island that KSC is on, and they would ring the fire alarm for every launch for us to leave class and watch. Anyhow, very few of us actually watched, most students used it as an opportunity to goof off. IIRC, MI, the local High School, stopped doing it for a while it got so bad.  

If you are in the area doing business, then sure watch it – but I would not make a special trip to do it.  

Quoted: Quoted: Yes. I saw it and one of these days I would like to see one for real, in person. Especially a shuttle launch. Its just not all that impressive – even up close (like from the viewing stands).   I was raised on the lower island that KSC is on, and they would ring the fire alarm for every launch for us to leave class and watch. Anyhow, very few of us actually watched, most students used it as an opportunity to goof off. IIRC, MI, the local High School, stopped doing it for a while it got so bad.   If you are in the area doing business, then sure watch it – but I would not make a special trip to do it.

Each to his own Killbot so don't watch, that's cool.

I had a car pass to see the launch of STS-3.  That was something I will never forget!  The noise and vibration was just unbelieveable, and that was from 3 miles away!  If you ever get the chance to go to a launch, GO!



Vulcan94

Couldn't see it from this side, too much cloud cover.  


Space:    The final frontier.  

Quoted: One of the noobs asked, "Ya think it'll go on time?"  Another one of us old farts (non-Boeing) pipes up and says, "Of course it will.  It's a Delta II."

Haha! I had two weeks of unplanned vacation in Cocoa Beach waiting for a MER liftoff :). At least you can hit the beach...

They may not be puctual but damn they are reliable :)

Quoted: Quoted: One of the noobs asked, "Ya think it'll go on time?"  Another one of us old farts (non-Boeing) pipes up and says, "Of course it will.  It's a Delta II." Haha! I had two weeks of unplanned vacation in Cocoa Beach waiting for a MER liftoff :). At least you can hit the beach... They may not be puctual but damn they are reliable :)

I do remember some delays for weather and a cabling thing on the payload but honestly can't remember a vehicle problem.  No denial dmaas, but I honestly can't recall . Can you help me remember?

<ETA> I'm leaving for work but if you can remember, I'll check back this afternoon.

The issue on MER was cork insulation coming off the interstage area I believe. Then one night all was ready except some jerk in a boat puttered into the restricted zone. The rest was just weather.

BTW we just posted the video from the Delta IV heavy launch on the web:
www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketcam.php
If the DI launch had RocketCams, we'll get the video up as soon as I receive the tapes.

Quoted:  They had a one-second window and made it.

That's the part that impressed me!  Well, OK, rockets in general impress me , but to make that narrow a window means a lot of people did their jobs right!

Quoted: I was inside of one working ...snip.

You work at the Decatur Alabama Facility?

Quoted: Quoted: I was inside of one working ...snip. You work at the Decatur Alabama Facility?

Yup.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I was inside of one working ...snip. You work at the Decatur Alabama Facility? Yup.

Y'all harn?

Nope.  We go "cost plus" next year; with the fedrul gubmint picking up the tab. Maybe they will take on some extra hands then.

cool

Quoted: The issue on MER was cork insulation coming off the interstage area I believe. Then one night all was ready except some jerk in a boat puttered into the restricted zone. The rest was just weather. BTW we just posted the video from the Delta IV heavy launch on the web: www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketcam.php If the DI launch had RocketCams, we'll get the video up as soon as I receive the tapes.

Thanks dmass AND thanks for the link to that Delta IV video.  Man y'all really do a great job on those cameras too.

I saw it.

I saw it. I stepped out my front door looked Northward and there it was. My Fiance was on the Cape (she works there) and said it was unreal. It was her first Rocket Launch she'd seen from the cape.