Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report - January 23, 2009

wrote:
STATUS REPORT: ELV-012309

EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT

...

Mission: Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)
Launch Vehicle: Taurus XL (Orbital Sciences)
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 576-E, Vandenberg Air Force Base,
Calif.
Launch Date: Feb. 23, 2009
Launch Time: 1:51 a.m. PST (7 min., 30 sec. launch window)

In processing activities on the Taurus launch vehicle in Building
1555 on north Vandenberg, thermal blanket and avionics subsystem
installation is under way. Stage 1 is planned to be mated to Stage 2
between Jan. 24 and Jan. 26. Flight Simulation No. 2 is currently
planned for Jan. 27. Flight Simulation No. 3 is currently planned
for Feb. 11.

Stage 0, the stage providing the initial liftoff thrust, will be
hoisted into position at the launch pad on Jan. 30. The spacecraft
will be encapsulated into the payload fairing on Feb. 7. The
spacecraft is planned to be integrated with the Taurus third stage
on Feb. 3. Finally, the payload/upper launch vehicle integrated
stack is planned to be hoisted atop Stage 0 on Feb. 16.

Stage 0? Am I correct in assuming that is the Castor 120 mentioned
in:

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

rick jones
--
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