Delta IV successfully places GPS IIF-3 satellite in orbit
Date: Friday, October 05 @ 17:39:07 UTC
Topic:
On Thursday 4th October the third of the new range of GPS IIF navigation satellites was launched into orbit. There was a perfect countdown with everything proceeding on schedule to the target T-0 of 8:10am EST. As the countdown clock wound down the weather conditions improved with an 80% chance of launch quoted at the weather briefing during the T-4 minute hold.
The seconds were ticking away when the launch controller polled the 30+ stations monitoring individual functions on the rocket, the launch pad, the flight range and the weather. Each of the stations reported GO across the board and the mission director gave the launch conductor permission to launch. At 8:06am the countdown restarted at T-4.
The terminal countdown continued to T-5 seconds when the main booster was ignited. The lower part of the Delta IV rocket was engulfed in a fireball of hydrogen burn off. As the last few seconds ticked away the main engine built up power until T-0.01 seconds when the twin solid rocket motors were lit. At 8:10 the hold down was released and the rocket blasted off on its 3 and a half hour trip into orbit.
Source www.Wired4Space.com
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