I got called in to troubleshoot and integrate an experimental embedded electrical payload for a sounding rocket launch that went off on the 5th. I was too busy, but sub'd it out to a very capable friend and helped with some troubleshooting issues. Hope more of this work comes around and I get to design some of these payloads.
Here's the data from control:
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 06:00:06
Summary of today's mission
Launch: 5:35 a.m.
Preliminary apogee: ~152 km. (76 miles) predicted was ~80 miles.
Impact: 122km downrange (75 miles as predicted)
Payload recovery in progress
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:55:12
5:55 Payload has landed in the ocean
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:48:12
5:48 a.m. 3.0 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:45:04
5:45 a.m. 4.6 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:43:38
Confirm payload on chute
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:43:16
T+8 minutes 11 seconds chute deployed
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:41:48
18 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:41:21
Parachute will deploy at 20,000 feet.
Payload is now hitting the atmosphere
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:39:17
Good TM data
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:39:02
Payload seperation
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:38:39
Apogee About 152 km
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:37:17
paylaod despin, good data, good altitude, GPS working good
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:36:26
Orion burnout on schedule
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:35:37
Orion ignition
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:35:06
5:35 launch
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:34:33
30 seconds Go for launch
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:34:03
T-1 minute Ignition circuit armed
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:33:00
T-2 minutes
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:32:41
Payload on internal power
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:32:14
5:32 T-3 minutes and counting
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:29:30
This is expected to be a short hold. Awaiting surveillance aircraft to leave avodiance area. Should be out in about 3 minutes
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:27:24
5:27 a.m. T-3 minutes and holding
T-O Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:25:00
5:25 T- 5 minutes
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:21:08
5:21 External power on
Terrier-Orion Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:19:59
At 5:20 a.m. we are now at T-10 minutes. Range is clear.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:10:00
At 5:10 a.m. we are T-20 minutes to the opening of the launch window. Preliminary launcher settings have been put in place.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:02:21
At 5 a.m. we are at T-30 minutes and counting. The rocket this monring is a 35-foot long, 2-stage, Terrier-Orion sounding rocket. It is predicted to fly to about 100 miles altitude and the flight should run a little over 18 minutes. The payload will descend by parachute and ispredicted to land in the Atlantic Oean about 75 miles from Wallops Island. Recovery is planned with the payload returning to Wallops later today.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:47:35
At 4:45 we are T-45 minutes and counting towards the opening of today's launch window. The weather at Wallop Island is clear skies, temperature is 50 degrees and the winds are running 7-10 mph out of the east. From the first ship report we have a few vessels on the outer edge of the ship avoidance area in the Atlantic Ocean. The range reports everything still looks good for a launch this morning.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:30:32
At 4:30 a.m. we are at T-1 hour and counting. The first ship reports are now coming in from the surveillance aircraft in the vehicle impact area. The vertical checks of the payload have been completed. Report in that payload is looking good.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:16:33
4:15 a.m. the countdown is now at T- 1 hour and 15 minutes to the opening of the launch window which runs from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. The vehicle is now being raised to the launch position. Shortly the launch team will begin to check out the payload systems with the vehicle in the vertical position. Today's launch is a demonstration mission that includes an experiment provided by students from Old Dominion University in Virginia and Salisbury University in Maryland. The experiment is examining the effects of microgravity on metastasizing cancer cells.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Wallops Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 03:47:31
At 3:45 a.m. on May 5 the countdown is at T- 1 hour and 45 minutes to the opening of the window for the launch of a Terrier-Orion sounding rocket. Testing of the payload while the rocket is in the horizontal position has been completed. Launch crews are now on the pad preparing the vehicle for placement in the launch position.
Here's the data from control:
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 06:00:06
Summary of today's mission
Launch: 5:35 a.m.
Preliminary apogee: ~152 km. (76 miles) predicted was ~80 miles.
Impact: 122km downrange (75 miles as predicted)
Payload recovery in progress
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:55:12
5:55 Payload has landed in the ocean
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:48:12
5:48 a.m. 3.0 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:45:04
5:45 a.m. 4.6 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:43:38
Confirm payload on chute
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:43:16
T+8 minutes 11 seconds chute deployed
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:41:48
18 km altitude
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:41:21
Parachute will deploy at 20,000 feet.
Payload is now hitting the atmosphere
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:39:17
Good TM data
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:39:02
Payload seperation
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:38:39
Apogee About 152 km
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:37:17
paylaod despin, good data, good altitude, GPS working good
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:36:26
Orion burnout on schedule
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:35:37
Orion ignition
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:35:06
5:35 launch
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:34:33
30 seconds Go for launch
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:34:03
T-1 minute Ignition circuit armed
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:33:00
T-2 minutes
TO Posted by RCC on 2005-05-05 05:32:41
Payload on internal power
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:32:14
5:32 T-3 minutes and counting
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:29:30
This is expected to be a short hold. Awaiting surveillance aircraft to leave avodiance area. Should be out in about 3 minutes
T-O Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:27:24
5:27 a.m. T-3 minutes and holding
T-O Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:25:00
5:25 T- 5 minutes
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:21:08
5:21 External power on
Terrier-Orion Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:19:59
At 5:20 a.m. we are now at T-10 minutes. Range is clear.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:10:00
At 5:10 a.m. we are T-20 minutes to the opening of the launch window. Preliminary launcher settings have been put in place.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 05:02:21
At 5 a.m. we are at T-30 minutes and counting. The rocket this monring is a 35-foot long, 2-stage, Terrier-Orion sounding rocket. It is predicted to fly to about 100 miles altitude and the flight should run a little over 18 minutes. The payload will descend by parachute and ispredicted to land in the Atlantic Oean about 75 miles from Wallops Island. Recovery is planned with the payload returning to Wallops later today.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:47:35
At 4:45 we are T-45 minutes and counting towards the opening of today's launch window. The weather at Wallop Island is clear skies, temperature is 50 degrees and the winds are running 7-10 mph out of the east. From the first ship report we have a few vessels on the outer edge of the ship avoidance area in the Atlantic Ocean. The range reports everything still looks good for a launch this morning.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:30:32
At 4:30 a.m. we are at T-1 hour and counting. The first ship reports are now coming in from the surveillance aircraft in the vehicle impact area. The vertical checks of the payload have been completed. Report in that payload is looking good.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 04:16:33
4:15 a.m. the countdown is now at T- 1 hour and 15 minutes to the opening of the launch window which runs from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. The vehicle is now being raised to the launch position. Shortly the launch team will begin to check out the payload systems with the vehicle in the vertical position. Today's launch is a demonstration mission that includes an experiment provided by students from Old Dominion University in Virginia and Salisbury University in Maryland. The experiment is examining the effects of microgravity on metastasizing cancer cells.
Terrier-Orion Posted by Wallops Range Control Center on 2005-05-05 03:47:31
At 3:45 a.m. on May 5 the countdown is at T- 1 hour and 45 minutes to the opening of the window for the launch of a Terrier-Orion sounding rocket. Testing of the payload while the rocket is in the horizontal position has been completed. Launch crews are now on the pad preparing the vehicle for placement in the launch position.
