Northern Ireland Aviation Enthusiast's Forum

General Aviation Discussion => General Aviation Discussion => Topic started by: smudge on December 12, 2016, 09:00:47 AM

Title: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: smudge on December 12, 2016, 09:00:47 AM

TriStar N140SC (https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n140sc) Due to depart Cape Canaveral at 12:19 UTC to release a Pegaus XL launcher sometime in a 60-minute launch window starting at 13:19 UTC.

The launch will convey eight CYGNSS sateliites:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/cygnss/

Coverage on NASA TV from 12:00 UTC.

Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: smudge on December 12, 2016, 01:01:13 PM

Airborne now

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n140sc#bde932f

Live feed of the gorgeous TriStar, vlc can play this directly.  Shame about the low-res of the inflight footage though.

http://nasatv-lh.akamaihd.net/i/NASA_101@319270/master.m3u8

Now anticipating 13:30 launch.

Temporarily aborted at 13:34 due to hydraulic pump issue.

"We need someone to go down into the galley and to remove the cannon plug".  Sounds like a Hollywood script!

New launch time 14:05. Still flicking circuit-breakers.

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Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: jasT1981 on December 12, 2016, 01:52:42 PM

Live web stream (2nd video) http://airportwebcams.net/cams/iss-webcam.html

Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: smudge on December 12, 2016, 02:03:23 PM

Final launch countdown commencing 14:05.

"Keep pushing the breaker until we have to say the word"

"PEG IS RED PEG IS RED"

"ABORT ABORT"

This stuff is better than the movies.

Mission aborted, returning to Canaveral at 14:06.

Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: gadwall58 on December 12, 2016, 02:12:45 PM

Up-to-date technology and 70's steam-driven technology didn't gel today.

Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: smudge on December 13, 2016, 06:31:26 PM

They're having another go tomorrow ( 2016-12-14 ) at the same time.  They've had to fly-in a replacement hydraulic pump for the release mechanism on the TriStar.

Title: Re: Orbital Sciences TriStar due up this afternoon
Post by: jasT1981 on December 15, 2016, 06:33:40 PM

Video of today's launch http://nbcnews.to/2hS3AK3