US East Coast:: Antares Launch Tonight

ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 27 Oct 14, 16:31

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va.—NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket at 6:45 p.m. EDT, October 27.

The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station.

http://www.nasa.gov/content/how-to-view ... E5yoBb_L0L

Should be visible, at some point in its flight, from Rhode Island down to (just) South Carolina.

My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.

AndesSMF (Founding Member) 28 Oct 14, 22:43

The rocket got all blowed up, live video from NASA. Interesting perspective that we don't often see.

Einstein said two things were infinite; the universe, and stupidity. He wasn't sure about the first, but he was certain about the second.

JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 28 Oct 14, 23:23

AndesSMF wrote:The rocket got all blowed up, live video from NASA. Interesting perspective that we don't often see.

Just saw the headline. That sucks.

It's reported here there's "significant" property damage at Wallops Island:

http://www.sfgate.com/news/local/article/NASA-rocket-explodes-on-liftoff-5854001.php

Video:

CO777ER (Database Editor & Founding Member) 28 Oct 14, 23:37

Paging Suresh!

JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 03:42

Wallops Rocket Explosion 4 by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

Wallops Rocket Explosion 3 by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

Wallops Rocket Explosion 2 by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

Wallops Rocket Explosion 1 by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

Wallops Rocket Explosion by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 04:20

Here's another:

Wallops Rocket Explosion 5 by 4myrrh1, on Flickr

CO777ER (Database Editor & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 04:30

ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 05:33

CO777ER wrote:{bugeye}

Ditto!

Now what of the supplies to the ISS???

LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!

vikkyvik 29 Oct 14, 05:36

Saw this soon after it happened. Caused a bit of, um, interest, I guess, around the office.

Glad it was an unmanned launch, though. That was a hell of an explosion.

Now what of the supplies to the ISS???

From what I read, a Russian supply mission is launching soon anyway. Nothing urgent on this one (apparently).

Fumanchewd 29 Oct 14, 05:51

Space launches are like NASCAR races........

(finish as needed).

"Give us a kiss, big tits."

JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 06:32

A couple more shots from NASA:

Orbital Sciences Antares Launch (201410280009HQ) by NASA HQ PHOTO, on Flickr

Orbital Sciences Antares Launch (201410280010HQ) by NASA HQ PHOTO, on Flickr

bhmbaglock 29 Oct 14, 13:13

It will be interesting to see if NASA asks SpaceX to accelerate their launch schedule.

ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 29 Oct 14, 14:30

And I thought I was having a bad day.

My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 Oct 14, 14:40

Some insurance company is having conniptions...

And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen

Click Click D'oh (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 14:43

So, I guess I never noticed it until reading about this accident... but these rockets use 40 year old Soviet era NK-33 motors? Not saying, "WELL DUH IT BLEW UP!"... but... um..

We sleep peacefully in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf

ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 15:29

Click Click D'oh wrote:So, I guess I never noticed it until reading about this accident... but these rockets use 40 year old Soviet era NK-33 motors? Not saying, "WELL DUH IT BLEW UP!"... but... um..

I just heard that on the news this morning. . . .

Exactly . . . Soviet era made rocket motors? Really?

Morons.

LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!

miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 29 Oct 14, 15:42

ANCFlyer wrote:
Click Click D'oh wrote:So, I guess I never noticed it until reading about this accident... but these rockets use 40 year old Soviet era NK-33 motors? Not saying, "WELL DUH IT BLEW UP!"... but... um..

I just heard that on the news this morning. . . .

Exactly . . . Soviet era made rocket motors? Really?

Morons.

And those were probably copies of the engines Von Braun designed for the A4/V2.

And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen

Queso (netAirspace ATC Tower Chief & Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 15:50

Well, it's not like all the economical sources of heavy-lift liquid propellant space-capable engines have not dried up in the US these days, right? {boxed}

Slider... <sniff, sniff>... you stink.

AndesSMF (Founding Member) 29 Oct 14, 16:09

The explosion was impressive, but the live views after that were certainly a first for me and others.

The better question is how much damage has been done to the launch complex, all that fuel burning for hours can't be good.

bhmbaglock wrote:It will be interesting to see if NASA asks SpaceX to accelerate their launch schedule.

If I could only purchase some SpaceX stock...

Queso wrote:Well, it's not like all the economical sources of heavy-lift liquid propellant space-capable engines have not dried up in the US these days, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_Heavy

Einstein said two things were infinite; the universe, and stupidity. He wasn't sure about the first, but he was certain about the second.

vikkyvik 29 Oct 14, 18:07

Click Click D'oh wrote:So, I guess I never noticed it until reading about this accident... but these rockets use 40 year old Soviet era NK-33 motors? Not saying, "WELL DUH IT BLEW UP!"... but... um..

They are Soviet-era motors modified by Aerojet, yes.

Zak (netAirspace FAA) 29 Oct 14, 23:46

Here's an aerial video taken from a Cessna.

Gives a better idea on how much of a fireball that was.

Ideology: The mistaken belief that your beliefs are neither beliefs nor mistaken.

JeffSFO (Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 30 Oct 14, 04:09

The morning after...

Aerial Survey of Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport by NASA HQ PHOTO, on Flickr

ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 30 Oct 14, 10:13

That's NOT gonna buff out.

How long will it be out of commission?

How long will the investigation take to say the old school Russian engines weren't up to the task?

LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!

ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 30 Oct 14, 11:03

Admittedly I don't know how much got vaporised, but I'm actually amazed at how much is still there... especially after seeing that video from the Cessna.

Going to be amusing if it turns out to be the fault of the cutting-edge American engineering bolted to those decrepit Russian engines. {mischief}

My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.

vikkyvik 30 Oct 14, 16:42

ShanwickOceanic wrote:Admittedly I don't know how much got vaporised, but I'm actually amazed at how much is still there... especially after seeing that video from the Cessna.

Me too. I thought the damage would be way more extensive.

I mean, geez, it didn't even knock down the water tank.

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