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Unmanned Spaceflight.com > Mars & Missions > MSL
Oersted
Following the launch proceedings on
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html (Live NASA TV)
and on
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27385.0 (Live thread with updates, including images)
and of course chomping peanuts furiously...

Any fellow UMSF'ers out there, and where are you at?

- Go MSL!
Seryddwr
Go MSL - I should coco! Things are looking good for launch; currently at T-4 minutes and holding.
Seryddwr
I'm at home in north Wales. Blowing a gale outside. Starting to get rather excited about it all - after months (years) of budget trouble and uncertainty, there was a time when I reckoned it would never get off the ground.

On the live feed, the NLM just wished Curiosity Godspeed.
lyford
I'm in San Diego watching on USTREAM:

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

Fingers crossed! All GO!
Seryddwr
My link to NASA Spaceflight forum is about thirty seconds in front of my NASA TV feed - it's a very odd experience watching people post about things that appear not to have happened yet... huh.gif

90 seconds to go!
akuo
GO GO!
lyford
MECO! Centaur looks good! smile.gif
Seryddwr
Booster sep, fairing sep all accomplished - that's looking as smooth as ice so far.
tasp
Nice shots of payload fairing separation and staging !

(Edited to add; look how slowly I type and post from prior post, LOL)
nprev
So far, so good...
imipak
That unexpected data loss moment gave me a nasty turn for a few moments there...ph34r.gif
Very happy to hear everything's back to normal. Go Curiosity!
Seryddwr
Hmm. Still getting data losses - 'though when we do get some data back, all levels are as expected'.
imipak
These continuing intermittent data drop outs are getting a bit worrisome (or is it just me?) Anyone know if this telemetry's being transmitted from the actual cruise stage, or from the still-attached Centaur?
Oersted
According to the commentary all looks well. We will soon get data via a South African ground station instead of the satellite relay, so I guess that will be better.

I plan to post the first 26 minutes of the mission on youtube, it should be uploaded in HD by tomorrow.

Great clean launch so far, woohoo!!!! - This is wonderful. Now crossing fingers for trans-Mars injection.
nprev
Not sure, but let's remember that the comm chain has many links (TDRS, ground stations, commercial satcom links, landlines, etc.) and there are many variables, chief among them geometry. There's no reason to assume that this indicates a problem with MSL or the booster.
Seryddwr
The data quality has just been described as 'marginal', but it seems that every time they do get figures, the figures look OK. Around five minutes to MECO.
ilbasso
Don't recall ever seeing payload fairing sep from the ground before - pretty cool!
imipak
Thanks folks, pardon my nerves wink.gif
*Gorgeous* on-board video now via Diego Garcia approaching cruise stage separation...
Ron Hobbs
Cool view of the spacecraft.
ilbasso
Live video of separation - how sweet is that????
lyford
Just beautiful! Thanks to everyone's hard work that made this possible... GO CURIOSITY! smile.gif
Seryddwr
Beautiful!
Oersted
Spacecraft separation went well!!! WOOHOO!
Oersted
Amazing view of the Centaur stage and rotation thrusters reflecting in the pristine solar panel of the cruise stage. Sep nominal, all went well and lots of clapping in the control room.

- Now for a quiet, eventless cruise until EDL and more peanuts!
akuo
Beautiful video during separation. I think crescent Earth was visible as a reflection on the cruise stage solar panel cells around spin-up time.
TheChemist
Have a safe trip home little robot ! wheel.gif smile.gif
Fran Ontanaya
Congratulations to all the teams involved!

So... are we there yet? tongue.gif
nprev
smile.gif ...a sweet launch.

FYI all, new thread now for MSL cruise. This thread will be closing in the near future.
belleraphon1
Beautiful indeed!

Safe cruise Curiosity....
Oersted
To cap this thread: a link to the thread at NASASpaceflight which gives a blow by blow account of the launch:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27385.0

- 22+ pages...
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