Nh - The Launch Thread, Godspeed little one |
Nh - The Launch Thread, Godspeed little one |
 Jan 16 2006, 03:08 PM
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#1
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Founder  Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1  |
I thought it was time, with the Atlas V about to roll out - for a new thread for NH for the launch etc.
Someone asked over at the HZ just how NH can go so fast, this was my reply.... QUOTE How do you get a spacecraft to Jupiter in under a year? Easy. Make it very very light, and put it on a very very big rocket. The config of Atlas V rocket being used to launch NH (551 - 5m fairing, 5 solids, and one engine on the Centaur stage ) would typically put 8,670kg into GTO or 20,520 into LEO. New Horizons is 478kg, and it's Star 48B 3rd stage is 2,137kg - so instead of hauling 20 tons, this vehicle is hauling about 2.5 tons thus you get a HUGE velocity out of it. AND, once it's done that, you have the final kick of the 48B, 591 thousand kgs-s (thus accelerating is all a further 3.5 - 4km/s ball park speed, if my maths is right) At launch - the vehicle is 573,160kg. NH is 0.083% of it. Imagine the Apollo entry capsule on top of a Saturn V...tiny tiny tiny... that was 5,800 kg on a 3,038,500kg rocket - 0.191% - more than double that percentage of NH. The cutaway's are almost comical, with this tiny gold-clad box on an enormous vehicle. Basically - it's a LOT of rocket, and not a lot of payload. For comparison, look how much fuss was made of Stardust that entered so quickly. It took >16 hrs to get from the distance of the moon to Utah. NH makes that journey in 9 hours  One thing the NH mission is not short of, is superlatives. I'm not one for good luck charms (although I'll eat peanuts during a Martian EDL with the best of them), but this mission has been so long in coming, that it deserves every ounce of luck it can have - the best, most accurate launch possible, the cleanest checkout, and incident free cruise to Jupiter. Goodluck and Godspeed little one, we're with you every step of the way. Doug PS - Alan, you're a credit to your field, spending so much time answering questions and writing the PI Perspectives, it's been a hell of a journey! |
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Jan 17 2006, 03:36 PM
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#61
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
QUOTE (Toma B @ Jan 17 2006, 04:33 PM) When will they start pumping LOX and LH into rocket?  IIRC, first stage LOX loading begins at T-75 minutes. I have no idea when Centaur fueling begins, LH2 probably gets fueled last, though. -------------------- |
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Jan 17 2006, 03:44 PM
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#62
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 Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 17 2006, 04:32 PM) Kudos to Bill Hardwood who said "I'm going to ask a question about New Horizons seing as no one else has" Doug There was one other question (Would NH be turned off post encounter if it had been a success at Pluto) I missed who asked it though. I was very disappointed with the seemingly endless "What about the Shuttle?" questions. Seems like most of the folks there didn't care about NH, next time we should ask to have a UMSF rep to ensure that there are more relevant questions. |
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Jan 17 2006, 03:49 PM
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430 |
QUOTE (helvick @ Jan 17 2006, 10:44 AM) There was one other question (Would NH be turned off post encounter if it had been a success at Pluto) I missed who asked it though. I was very disappointed with the seemingly endless "What about the Shuttle?" questions. Seems like most of the folks there didn't care about NH, next time we should ask to have a UMSF rep to ensure that there are more relevant questions. Don't dump on the media too much - they are simply reflecting what the general public does and does not know about space exploration and where their interests do lie on the subject. It's up to NASA and the space community to make a better effort to educate the public and media about what is going on. I guarantee you most people don't even have a clue right now until they see the evening news that a probe is about to be launched to Pluto. And what do they know about Pluto - well, it's either Mickey's dog or a place that's really far away, and oh yeah, it's pretty cold. Maybe the space agencies and astronomers should ask the public more often what they want to see done with space exploration. Dan Goldin did that in the late 1990s on an informal basis, and he was very disappointed when he couldn't find anyone who wanted to know or see anything done about the International Space Station. They wanted NASA to put humans on Mars and find alien life. -------------------- "After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined,
and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance. I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard, and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft." - Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853 |
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Jan 17 2006, 03:57 PM
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 183 Joined: 22-October 05 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Member No.: 534 |
QUOTE (Toma B @ Jan 16 2006, 03:02 PM) NEW IMAGES at Spaceflightnow.com http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av010/...t/rollout1.html Isn't she a beauty? [attachment=3415:attachment] [attachment=3416:attachment] [attachment=3417:attachment] Thanks. At the launch site now, cameras at the pad ready to go. Beautiful weather. Go Atlas, Go Centaur, Go New Horizons! -------------------- |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:01 PM
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#65
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 648 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Subotica Member No.: 384 |
QUOTE (BPCooper @ Jan 17 2006, 06:57 PM) Go Atlas, Go Centaur, Go New Horizons! You forgot "Go Star48B!"...  
-------------------- The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.
Jules H. Poincare My "Astrophotos" gallery on flickr... |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:02 PM
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#66
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Good luck to you as well Ben - we're counting on your for the picture's we'll put on our walls of this one
Doug |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:12 PM
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#67
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Member Group: Members Posts: 648 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Subotica Member No.: 384 |
Spaceflight Now.com
1607 GMT (11:07 a.m. EST) Winds at the pad have gusted up to 29 knots. The limit is 33 knots at launch time. Not so good news... -------------------- The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.
Jules H. Poincare My "Astrophotos" gallery on flickr... |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:24 PM
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#68
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Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
QUOTE (Toma B @ Jan 17 2006, 05:12 PM) Spaceflight Now.com 1607 GMT (11:07 a.m. EST) Winds at the pad have gusted up to 29 knots. The limit is 33 knots at launch time. Not so good news... The clouds in the NASA TV feed are zipping along at a noticable clip but there doesn't seem to be any indication of worry from the NASA side ATM. |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:29 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
Ok, there are obviously some serious problems with the streaming videos. I get constant "buffering" on both WMV and RM streams.
Looks like major network congestion... grrrrr! And I was really looking forward to watching this live 
-------------------- |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:44 PM
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Dublin Correspondent Group: Admin Posts: 1799 Joined: 28-March 05 From: Celbridge, Ireland Member No.: 220 |
QUOTE (ugordan @ Jan 17 2006, 05:29 PM) Ok, there are obviously some serious problems with the streaming videos. I get constant "buffering" on both WMV and RM streams. Looks like major network congestion... grrrrr! And I was really looking forward to watching this live I've been getting a good rm feed for the past hour or so, no bufferring issues. Just switched to WMV, better audio and video quality. No connection issues from this side of the atlantic. |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:48 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
QUOTE (helvick @ Jan 17 2006, 05:44 PM) No connection issues from this side of the atlantic. It figures. I'll remember this when someone starts to complain about poor webcast quality of ESA press conferences... -------------------- |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:50 PM
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#72
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Member Group: Members Posts: 648 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Subotica Member No.: 384 |
Cryogenic oxidizer is being filled into Centaur and First stage now...
-------------------- The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.
Jules H. Poincare My "Astrophotos" gallery on flickr... |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:53 PM
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#73
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Forum Contributor Group: Members Posts: 1372 Joined: 8-February 04 From: North East Florida, USA. Member No.: 11 |
QUOTE (Toma B @ Jan 17 2006, 04:50 PM) Cryogenic oxidizer is being filled into Centaur and First stage now... You mean liquid Oxygen, right ? lol. |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:54 PM
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#74
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Member Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: 2-March 05 Member No.: 180 |
QUOTE (MahFL @ Jan 17 2006, 11:53 AM) You mean liquid Oxygen, right ? lol. Well oxygen oxidizes, right? Or does it reduce? I never could keep oxidation/reduction straight.... |
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Jan 17 2006, 04:56 PM
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#75
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 510 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Southeast Michigan Member No.: 209 |
QUOTE (ugordan @ Jan 17 2006, 11:29 AM) And I was really looking forward to watching this live Don't feel bad - someone scheduled a meeting at 2:00pm EST, so my late lunch trip to the library is out. No streaming allowed in the building, so it's text-based launch observing for me. I knew I should have marked that that time in Outlook as "unavailable".
-------------------- --O'Dave
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