Good evening and welcome to the second launch attempt for NASA’s orion Spacecraft on the Exploration Flight Test one mission from Pad 37B at Cape Canaveral.
10::30PM: At this time the count is continuing on schedule, the vehicle is fully fueled with topping of all tanks completed. Weather is GO and we are not tracking any issues with the booster or the spacecraft at this time.
T-15 Minutes and counting with launch 29 minutes from now. The diference in time is due to the final scheduled hold at T-4 minutes, a hold of some 14 minutes duration. At this time Liquid Hydrogen flight conditioning in the Delta 4 Heavy is complete.
10:49PM: we are in the T- 4 Minute hold, with weather remaining acceptable at this time, launch remains on schedule for 11:05PM, some 16 minutes from now.
10:59PM We have permission from the Launch director to launch. At L – 6 minutes, We have a final clear to launch.
11:01PM T – 4 minutes and counting ! entering the terminal count
11:03PM: T – 2:50 seconds all proceeding well, ordnances armed
11:04PM: range is Green. Standby for launch…
11:12PM launch abort separation after a successful lauch from Cape Canaveral, sorry for the dropout we just lost Internet here and have only just got going again
11:13PM 900 miles from the Cape Orion functioning perfectly as it heads due East from KSC
11:15PM now getting pictures down from Orion showing a clouded earth over the American east coast
11:18: 2100 miles downrange from Canaveral, the core boosters of the Delta 4 have separated, the second stage is now burning as Orion drifts in its preliminary orbit. Again, our apologies, the NASA websites crashed, probably due to the demand for access, we’re back up and running now
11:21: Orion now at 221 miles apogee and continuing to climb
11:24PM : preliminary orbit with the second stage shutdown orbit is 554 X 115 miles
11:29PM: launch Replays NOW on NASA TV
11:36PM: NASA TV showing replays of a flawless launch, orion continues in its orbital coast still attached to the second stage booster with the second burn due in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
11:45PM: T + 40 Minutes: Flying east of Madagascar, All quiet in Mission Control: Todays launch was truly unique as it was the only time that the Orion Delta 4 Heavy combination will fly, the next flight will be on the Heavy Lift Vehicle from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39B.
At this moment we have Orion in a BBQ roll mode, damilliar from Apollo days, we rotate the spacecraft to distribute heat evenly over the surface of the spacecraft to prevent overheating of avionics and instrumentation of the spacecraft.
11:52PM: We’ll hold our rolling coverage at the moment and come back for the engine burn in around 1 hour from now.
12:42AM: Weather conditions within the orion recovery area 600 miles SE of San Diego are favourable to support recovery of today’s flight.
12:55AM: 5 minutes to restart of the second stage engine of the Delta 4 Heavy. Burn time 4 Mins 40 seconds. peak altitude will be 3600 miles.
1:00AM: We show the burn in progress at 1hr 56 Mins Mission Elapsed Time
1:01AM Chamber pressure stable in this 4 min 40 second burn, for the first time in 42 years, a spacecraft designed to carry man is leaving Low Earth Orbit, Velocity: 27,000 Feet per Second.
1:08AM: Burn should be complete, no word yet from NASA TV.
1:10AM “A perfect burn”according to NASA TV.
1:15AM: getting set for the tests associated with radiation levels within the Van Allen belts.
1;30AM: We’ll stand by now and come back when we get apogee and provide rolling coverage of entry and splashdown.
1:54AM : orion’s Reaction Control System has been activated, this system of two strings of six hydrozine fueled rocket s will be used to guide the spacecraft’s descent.
2:15AM: Orion has reached its peak atitude of 3,604.2 miles (In excess of 5000KM) with peak altitude reached, decent into the atmosphere will begin shortly.
2:32AM: Orion flies free !!! the second stage, acting in liew of the Service Module has separated, we are 56 minutes from splashdown at this time.
2:54AM: Flight Dynamics Officer has reported that Orion splashdown target is only 1.5 miles off that predicted prior to launch at a point 275 miles west of Baja California. at maximum reentry speed the spacecraft will be subjected to a force equivalent to 8.5 G.
3:03AM: Orion now manoeuvering into position for the “Raise burn” a test of the Reaction Control system, Orion is in the correct angle of attack for entry.
306AM: 806 miles altitude, 22 minutes to splashdown and 12 minutes to entry interface.
3:11AM: 3036 miles to splashdown at an altitude of 500 miles.