OSC's Minotaur 5 debuts in night flight to the Moon

NBCNews.com reports:

"NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, rose
from its coastal launch pad in Virginia atop a five-stage Minotaur 5
rocket right on schedule, at 11:27 p.m. ET. "

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/rocket-launch-lights-east-coast-sends-nasa-probe-moon-trip-8C11099234

Only the 2nd US moon shot not to come from Florida, Wallops having been
cleared to launch ex-Peacekeeper components per arms control treaties.

Also, NASA is sorting out payload issues, as the satellite's reaction
wheels shutdown immediately when they were started, perhaps due to
overcurrent.

/dps


--
Ieri, oggi, domani

On 9/8/2013 2:17 AM, Snidely wrote:
Only the 2nd US moon shot not to come from Florida, Wallops having been
cleared to launch ex-Peacekeeper components per arms control treaties.


Yeah, you get this impression immediately upon launch.
This rocket wastes no time on the ground, even with hefty payload.

"Peacekeeper" love whomever comes up with these skewered nom-de-guerres
for a weapon of mass destruction.

A bit of a technological leap over an earlier weapon of "peace",
the Model P, "Peacemaker", M1873 SAA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Single_Action_Army

Personally, I would have preferred a MIRV derivative missile called the
"Gravedigger" or perhaps "Casketfiller".

For this purpose, however, the caged Minotaur seems fitting...

Dave

On 9/8/2013 2:17 AM, Snidely wrote:
Also, NASA is sorting out payload issues, as the satellite's reaction
wheels shutdown immediately when they were started, perhaps due to
overcurrent.

Issues sorted out:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/la...l#.Ui4ZJXdkTpA

Dave

On 9/9/2013 2:52 PM, David Spain wrote:
On 9/8/2013 2:17 AM, Snidely wrote:
Only the 2nd US moon shot not to come from Florida, Wallops having been
cleared to launch ex-Peacekeeper components per arms control treaties.


So an "ex-"Peacekeeper, launched from oh, let's suppose North Dakota,
would that have treaty problems? ;-)

Dave

"David Spain" wrote in message
...

On 9/9/2013 2:52 PM, David Spain wrote:
On 9/8/2013 2:17 AM, Snidely wrote:
Only the 2nd US moon shot not to come from Florida, Wallops having been
cleared to launch ex-Peacekeeper components per arms control treaties.


So an "ex-"Peacekeeper, launched from oh, let's suppose North Dakota, would
that have treaty problems? ;-)


Technically I don't believe so.

Though I'd bet someone might make sure to tell the Russians in advance, just
in case. :-)


Dave





--
Greg D. Moore http://greenmountainsoftware.wordpress.com/
CEO QuiCR: Quick, Crowdsourced Responses. http://www.quicr.net