PomfretPlunge
New member
Hey peeps, watched the Mars Rover get launched today on NASA TV. Beautiful, smooth launch on an Atlas-Centaur rocket. It took off from Cape Canaveral, headed southeast over the Atlantic, Centaur separated and fired twice. First Centaur burn put the ship in parking orbit at 101 miles altitude, 16,000 mph speed. Down across Africa, second Centaur burn over the Indian Ocean for eight minutes accelerating at 4.5G to 25,000 mph. Clean spacecraft separation and out she goes into the deep black. Godspeed, and good landing to her on Mars in August 2012.
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Here's some of the mission commentary from the launch.
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This is Atlas Launch Control.
Launch team, this is the NLM on the NLM net with our final launch poll, continuing the launch countdown at T minus four minutes.
NAM? NAM’s ready.
NASA CE? NASA CE, Go.
SMA? SMA is Go.
SMD? SMD is Go.
Mission Manager? Mission Manager is Go.
Copy that. The team’s ready to release the hold at T minus four minutes.
Status check to proceed with Terminal Count. Atlas systems:
Propulsion? Go.
Hydraulics? Go.
Pneumatics? Go.
L O2? Go.
Water? Go.
Centaur systems:
Propulsion? Go.
Pneumatics? Go.
LO2? Go.
LH2? Go.
AS Gas? Go.
Electrical systems:
Airborne? Go.
Ground? Go.
Facility? Go.
RF FTS? Go.
Flight Control? Go.
Instrumentation? Go.
Comm? Go.
GCQ? Go.
Umbilicals? Go.
UCS? Go.
Redline Monitor? Go.
Quality? Go.
OSM? Go.
ULA Safety Officer?
Range, Weather, and Clear to Proceed? Go.
LC, this is the LD on Channel One. LC, you have permission to launch.
Roger, proceeding with the count.
NLM, this is SMD on NLM net.
Go ahead, SMD.
SMD would like to report that the spacecraft is on internal power and it’s configured for launch for a T-zero of 15:02:00.
Copy, SMD. MSL is configured for launch. While I have your attention, I want to wish the entire team that supported MSL – Good Luck and Godspeed. It’s been a long, challenging journey getting here, and we are proud to start you on the way to Mars shortly. NLM Out.
Thank you very much, NLM. We really appreciate the thought.
This is Atlas Launch Control, 90 seconds before coming out of this planned, built-in hold at T minus four minutes. Once we lift off, we’ll be hearing our telemetry manager Rob Gagnon from United Launch Alliance calling the flight events as the vehicle heads downrange. At T minus four minutes and holding, with a minute and a quarter remaining in this planned built-in hold, this is Atlas Launch Control.
:flag:
Here's some of the mission commentary from the launch.
---------------------------------------------
This is Atlas Launch Control.
Launch team, this is the NLM on the NLM net with our final launch poll, continuing the launch countdown at T minus four minutes.
NAM? NAM’s ready.
NASA CE? NASA CE, Go.
SMA? SMA is Go.
SMD? SMD is Go.
Mission Manager? Mission Manager is Go.
Copy that. The team’s ready to release the hold at T minus four minutes.
Status check to proceed with Terminal Count. Atlas systems:
Propulsion? Go.
Hydraulics? Go.
Pneumatics? Go.
L O2? Go.
Water? Go.
Centaur systems:
Propulsion? Go.
Pneumatics? Go.
LO2? Go.
LH2? Go.
AS Gas? Go.
Electrical systems:
Airborne? Go.
Ground? Go.
Facility? Go.
RF FTS? Go.
Flight Control? Go.
Instrumentation? Go.
Comm? Go.
GCQ? Go.
Umbilicals? Go.
UCS? Go.
Redline Monitor? Go.
Quality? Go.
OSM? Go.
ULA Safety Officer?
Range, Weather, and Clear to Proceed? Go.
LC, this is the LD on Channel One. LC, you have permission to launch.
Roger, proceeding with the count.
NLM, this is SMD on NLM net.
Go ahead, SMD.
SMD would like to report that the spacecraft is on internal power and it’s configured for launch for a T-zero of 15:02:00.
Copy, SMD. MSL is configured for launch. While I have your attention, I want to wish the entire team that supported MSL – Good Luck and Godspeed. It’s been a long, challenging journey getting here, and we are proud to start you on the way to Mars shortly. NLM Out.
Thank you very much, NLM. We really appreciate the thought.
This is Atlas Launch Control, 90 seconds before coming out of this planned, built-in hold at T minus four minutes. Once we lift off, we’ll be hearing our telemetry manager Rob Gagnon from United Launch Alliance calling the flight events as the vehicle heads downrange. At T minus four minutes and holding, with a minute and a quarter remaining in this planned built-in hold, this is Atlas Launch Control.