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Swift |
| Mission |
Swift |
| Launch
Vehicle |
Delta
II 7320 |
| Launch
Pad |
17-A
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida |
| Launch
Date |
November 20, 2004
|
| Launch
Time |
12:16
p.m. EST |
|
|
Status (processing
notes) |
NASA
successfully launched the Swift spacecraft on Saturday,
Nov. 20 at 12:16:00.611 p.m. EST. About 80
minutes after launch, the spacecraft was successfully
separated from the Delta II second stage and the
solar arrays were properly deployed.
Currently in space, the observatory systems are being
activated and on-orbit checkout is beginning.
The
satellite will pinpoint the location of distant yet
fleeting gamma-ray bursts, explosions that appear
to signal the births of black holes.
Swift
is a medium-class Explorer mission managed by NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The
observatory was built for NASA by Spectrum Astro,
a division of General Dynamics. The Kennedy Space
Center in Florida was responsible for Swift's integration
with the Boeing Delta II rocket and the countdown
management on launch day. |
Deep
Impact |
| Mission |
Deep Impact |
| Launch Vehicle |
Delta
II 7925 |
| Launch
Site |
SLC
17-B Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Launch
Date |
No
earlier than January 8, 2005 |
| Launch Time |
2:39:50 p.m. (EST) instantaneous |
|
|
Status (processing
notes) |
A decision has been made to reschedule the launch of the Deep Impact spacecraft to no earlier than Jan. 8 to allow more time for evaluation of mission software. While there are no significant problems associated with the spacecraft hardware, additional time is necessary to be ready for launch. Spacecraft functional and mission readiness tests continue.
The
stacking of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle on Pad
17-B began on Nov. 22 with the hoisting of the first
stage into the launcher. Hoisting of the nine strap-on
solid rocket boosters, in sets of three, began on Nov.
23 and will continue on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1. The second
stage will be hoisted into position atop the first stage
on Dec. 3.
The
overall Deep Impact mission management for this Discovery
class program is conducted by the University of Maryland
in College Park, Md. Deep Impact project management is
handled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball Aerospace
and Technologies Corporation. |
DART |
| Mission |
Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART )
|
| Launch Vehicle |
Pegasus
XL |
| Launch
Site |
Vandenberg
Air Force Base, Calif. |
| Launch
Date |
No
earlier than March 2, 2005
|
|
|
Status (processing
notes) |
The review of projected loads data, or the G-forces that the DART payload will experience upon ignition of the Pegasus second stage, continue to be reevaluated to assure mission success. However, the final launch date will depend on availability of the Western Range, the P-3 tracking aircraft, and the McMurdo Tracking Station in Antarctica.
The
Pegasus rocket with DART has been returned to its hangar
for the present time. A new launch date will be determined
once the loads analysis concern has been resolved, the
Western Range availability is determined, and support
of the four worldwide tracking stations necessary for
the mission are confirmed. The launch is currently targeted
for no earlier than Mar. 2 based on work in progress
and DART mission windows.
DART
was designed and built for NASA by Orbital Sciences Corporation
as an advanced flight demonstrator to locate and maneuver
near an orbiting satellite. The DART spacecraft weighs
about 800 pounds and is 6 feet long and 3 feet in diameter.
The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL vehicle will launch DART
into a circular polar orbit of approximately 475 miles.
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