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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Earth Observations _ NOAA-N launching today

Posted by: Vultur Feb 5 2009, 06:48 AM

It looks like NOAA-N, a weather observation satellite, is scheduled to launch in a few hours (5:22-5:32 EST), according to the NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NOAA-N-Prime/launch/index.html

Posted by: volcanopele Feb 5 2009, 07:33 AM

Looks like that won't launch until tomorrow morning.

Posted by: stevesliva Feb 5 2009, 05:13 PM

N-Prime.

It has the distinction of having been dropped from a height of about a meter, and then repaired.

Posted by: ugordan Feb 5 2009, 05:23 PM

Apparently, it was always called N-Prime, even before the drop. NOAA-N launched in May 2005.

Posted by: djellison Feb 5 2009, 06:50 PM

Funny how the word 'drop' would mean delay or cancellation for any other mission. For this one - it's an accurate vowel for what happened.

Posted by: imipak Feb 5 2009, 08:16 PM

Pics of the accident: http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/03/satellite-that-went-splat-now-ready-for-liftoff/

Posted by: nprev Feb 6 2009, 12:17 AM

I'll be very surprised if it goes tonight; raining like hell in LA right now, supposed to be on & off all night.

Posted by: maschnitz Feb 6 2009, 02:53 AM

Forecast here in LA is for steady rain throughout the night; heavy rain tomorrow; passing thunderstorms and broken skies Saturday.

It's a big storm, for LA. It'll be Sunday, earliest, looks like.

Posted by: nprev Feb 6 2009, 03:49 AM

Clear now, but not looking good around launch time; http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/USCA0629?begHour=1&begDay=37 of rain @ 2AM local (launch time is 2:22L, 1022 GMT).

However, they did apparently fuel the booster anyhow. Maybe they know something we don't?

Posted by: mchan Feb 6 2009, 05:06 AM

They will launch when the eye of the storm passes over the pad.

Posted by: nprev Feb 6 2009, 05:14 AM

Er...would that make them a bunch of maroons if it didn't work?

Posted by: ugordan Feb 6 2009, 10:17 AM

Looks like it's GO at this time, some 5 minutes before liftoff.

EDIT: And it's off. 2nd stage burn is underway as I'm typing this, T+5 min.

Posted by: Zvezdichko Feb 6 2009, 10:27 AM

We have a liftoff!