Conflict on the U.S. Air Force's Eastern Range, Boeing has reserved July 28 for a Delta 4 launch

Something not mentioned much yesterday in the rush of news about NASA's
intent to go try to launch on Tuesday was a potential conflict on the U.S.
Air Force's Eastern Range. It's not a big deal, but here goes:

NASA only has July 26-27 scheduled for the shuttle launch. Boeing has
reserved July 28 for a Delta 4 launch of a weather satellite. That's sure to
move out of the way, if necessary, to allow the shuttle launch.

Negotiations are ongoing. Boeing's rocket can't fly the 28th even if the
shuttle is gone by the 27th because of time needed to turn the range around
to support an expendable rocket launch.

If something happens in the next few days to scuttle the shuttle launch
plans, however, Boeing could retain the July 28 date for its Delta 4. All of
this is likely to be fluid on the calendar for a few days.

NASA is going to get priority because of its need to get the shuttle off the
ground in July or early August. Lighting restrictions aimed at getting the
best possible pictures of the shuttle's redesigned fuel tank mean NASA must
fly in the next couple weeks or wait until September. Boeing's likely to
support that need and be flexible.

--
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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info

Jacques van Oene wrote:
Negotiations are ongoing. Boeing's rocket can't fly the 28th even if the
shuttle is gone by the 27th because of time needed to turn the range around
to support an expendable rocket launch.

Can anyone explain what "turn the range around" means ?

One goes off KSC, PAD 39x, the other goes off from Cape Canaveral, different
launch pad. Which facilities are shared for both launches ?

"Jacques van Oene" wrote:

NASA is going to get priority because of its need to get the shuttle off the
ground in July or early August. Lighting restrictions aimed at getting the
best possible pictures of the shuttle's redesigned fuel tank mean NASA must
fly in the next couple weeks or wait until September.

For what reason? Do NASA know its going to be cloudy until September?


--

I'd just like to mention that the "DELTA FOUR" is based on Russian
warehoused technology from the late 80's. And *dig* I think the term
"NASA engineer" is quickly becoming non-sequitor.

Thanks,

Rick


Martin Evans wrote:
"Jacques van Oene" wrote:


NASA is going to get priority because of its need to get the shuttle off the
ground in July or early August. Lighting restrictions aimed at getting the
best possible pictures of the shuttle's redesigned fuel tank mean NASA must
fly in the next couple weeks or wait until September.


For what reason? Do NASA know its going to be cloudy until September?

Rick Nelson wrote in
:

I'd just like to mention that the "DELTA FOUR" is based on Russian
warehoused technology from the late 80's. And *dig* I think the term
"NASA engineer" is quickly becoming non-sequitor.

Wrong on every count.

--Damon

In article 1121968990.c68d1e6d58c1b7ea2729fd1ff1de8309@teran ews,
John Doe wrote:
Negotiations are ongoing. Boeing's rocket can't fly the 28th even if the
shuttle is gone by the 27th because of time needed to turn the range around
to support an expendable rocket launch.

Can anyone explain what "turn the range around" means ?
One goes off KSC, PAD 39x, the other goes off from Cape Canaveral, different
launch pad. Which facilities are shared for both launches ?

All the range-safety infrastructure -- radars, tracking, destruct-command
transmitters, etc. -- is shared. There's no *fundamental* reason why it
takes a couple of days to reconfigure that stuff for a new launch, but
nobody has felt like putting in the investment needed to streamline the
process.
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |

In article ,
Martin Evans wrote:
...Lighting restrictions aimed at getting the
best possible pictures of the shuttle's redesigned fuel tank mean NASA must
fly in the next couple weeks or wait until September.

For what reason? Do NASA know its going to be cloudy until September?

Read what the man wrote: lighting restrictions. ISS's orbit shifts
slowly around Earth (mostly a side effect of Earth's equatorial bulge),
and that determines the time of day when an ISS shuttle flight must
launch. Going to ISS in August would require a night launch.

(I oversimplify somewhat, but that's the general picture.)
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |

"John Doe" wrote in message
news:1121968990.c68d1e6d58c1b7ea2729fd1ff1de8309@t eranews...
Jacques van Oene wrote:
Negotiations are ongoing. Boeing's rocket can't fly the 28th even if the
shuttle is gone by the 27th because of time needed to turn the range
around
to support an expendable rocket launch.

Can anyone explain what "turn the range around" means ?

One goes off KSC, PAD 39x, the other goes off from Cape Canaveral,
different
launch pad. Which facilities are shared for both launches ?

The Atlantic Ocean for one. Recovery of the Shuttle SRBs takes some time,
perhaps they don't want those ships and personnel out on the range when they
launch the Boeing rocket.

JD

Jacques van Oene wrote:
Something not mentioned much yesterday in the rush of news about NASA's
intent to go try to launch on Tuesday was a potential conflict on the U.S.
Air Force's Eastern Range. It's not a big deal, but here goes:

NASA only has July 26-27 scheduled for the shuttle launch. Boeing has
reserved July 28 for a Delta 4 launch of a weather satellite. That's sure to
move out of the way, if necessary, to allow the shuttle launch.

This won't be a problem, since both launches are
for NASA (or NASA/NOAA). Any conflicts will be
decided by NASA, in NASA's favor. And, since
GOES-N is only being launched to be stored in
orbit, it can wait. I suspect that it will even
have to wait until after NASA's Mar's Orbiter is
launched by an Atlas V in early August.

- Ed Kyle

"Rick Nelson" wrote in message
...
I'd just like to mention that the "DELTA FOUR" is based on Russian
warehoused technology from the late 80's.

What are you talking about?

Exactly what Russian technology is used in the Boeing Delta IV?

You may be thinking of Atlas V, but you're still wrong on the details. The
Atlas V's first stage is powered by a Russian RD-180 liquid fueled rocket
engine, but that's the extent of the "Russian technology" in it. The
assertion that the entire launch vehicle is "based on Russian warehoused
technology from the late 80's" simply isn't true.

Jeff
--
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