Spaceflight Now | Delta 4 Launch Report

BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the preparations and launch of Boeing's Delta 4 rocket carrying the Air Force's DSCS A3 communications satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission. Use our text only page for faster downloads.

Video coverage for subscribers only:
   VIDEO: THE BOEING DELTA 4 ROCKET BLASTS OFF QT
   VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF DSCS SEPARATING QT
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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003

Born in the last decade by the Pentagon's call for a next-generation launcher of satellite cargos, Boeing's Delta 4 rocket did what it was designed to do Monday with the successful deployment of a $210 million military communications spacecraft. Read our full launch story.

0150 GMT (8:50 p.m. EST Mon.)

We'll take a break at this point. Check back tonight for complete wrap-up coverage, including video clips, pictures and story.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Mon.)

The spacecraft deployment orbit has an apogee of 19,215 nautical miles, perigee of 127 nautical miles and inclination of 25.5 degrees, well within the targets according to Boeing.

0142 GMT (8:42 p.m. EST Mon.)

The Delta 4 rocket is two-for-two, successfully carrying out its first two launches.

0141 GMT (8:41 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 42 minutes, 10 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The U.S. Air Force's Defense Satellite Communications System 3-A3 spacecraft has been released from the Delta 4 rocket's upper stage, completing this first flight for the military's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle mission.

0140 GMT (8:40 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 41 minutes. Release of the DSCS spacecraft will occur to the east of Africa.

0139 GMT (8:39 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 40 minutes. About two minutes until payload deployment.

0138 GMT (8:38 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 39 minutes, 5 seconds. The spin rate is about 4.6 rpm as planned.

0137 GMT (8:37 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 38 minutes. Spin-up has started.

0136 GMT (8:36 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 37 minutes. The vehicle is now moving into sunlight as it passes over southern parts of Africa.

0134 GMT (8:34 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 35 minutes, 30 seconds. The upper stage remains in a stable coast mode. In a few minutes, it will begin a spin-up maneuver in preparation for deployment of DSCS.

0132 GMT (8:32 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 33 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle has passed out of range from the Ascension Island tracking station. The Hartebeesthoek station in South Africa has since acquired the rocket's signal. Spacecraft separation to conclude this launch is upcoming at about T+plus 42 minutes, 2 seconds.

0131 GMT (8:31 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 32 minutes, 15 seconds. The good geosynchronous transfer orbit has achieved by the Delta 4 rocket. Data shows an apogee of 19,319.7 nautical miles, perigee of 126.2 nautical miles and inclination of 25.49 degrees. That orbit is very close to perfect, Boeing says.

0129 GMT (8:29 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 30 minutes, 45 seconds. A clean engine shutdown is being reported by Boeing. This second burn of the RL10 lasted just a few seconds longer than expected.

0129 GMT (8:29 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 30 minutes, 14 seconds. SECO 2. The second firing of the upper stage has concluded. The powered phase of the Delta 4's mission to loft DSCS has been completed.

0128 GMT (8:28 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 29 minutes, 15 seconds. About one minute left in this burn.

0127 GMT (8:27 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 28 minutes. Engine chamber pressure verified normal as the powerplant continues to fire, raising the high point of the orbit.

0126 GMT (8:26 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 27 minutes. The engine burn continues with no problems reported.

0125 GMT (8:25 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 26 minutes, 14 seconds. The RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine has been reignited to finish the job of boosting the DSCS satellite into the intended orbit. This will be a four-minute firing.

0125 GMT (8:25 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 26 minutes, 4 seconds. Hydrogen and oxygen pre-start activities have started.

0123 GMT (8:23 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 24 minutes. Restart of the upper stage is about two minutes away.

0121 GMT (8:21 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 22 minutes, 40 seconds. Ascension has acquired the rocket's signal. A normal coast mode is reported for the upper stage of Delta 4.

0119 GMT (8:19 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 20 minutes. The upper stage should have maneuvered itself into the proper attitude for restart by this point. However, the vehicle is out of range from any ground station and the maneuver can't be confirmed in real-time.

0116 GMT (8:16 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 17 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle has passed out of range from the Antigua tracking station. The next live telemetry will come via tracking station on Ascension Island to cover the final burn of the upper stage. The RL10B-2 engine is due to start at T+plus 26 minutes, 3 seconds.

0116 GMT (8:16 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 17 minutes. The orbit achieved has a high point of 216.9 nautical miles, low point of 100.7 nautical miles and inclination of 29.2 degrees to the equator. All parameters are close to target, Boeing says.

0114 GMT (8:14 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 15 minutes. Boeing reports the RL10B-2 engine burned about 10 seconds longer than planned. However, that is within acceptable margin.

0113 GMT (8:13 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 14 minutes, 29 seconds. SECO 1. Confirmation that the second stage engine has shut down after the first of two planned firings to inject the DSCS spacecraft into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

0112 GMT (8:12 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. Upper stage engine performance reported normal.

0111 GMT (8:11 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 12 minutes, 15 seconds. Altitude 250 miles, downrange distance 1,400 miles, velocity over 14,000 mph.

0110 GMT (8:10 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 11 minutes. The RL10B-2 engine is still firing. This burn will last for just over three minutes more.

0109 GMT (8:09 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 10 minutes. Good data still being reported from the Antigua station. Altitude 193 miles, downrange distance 1,030 miles, velocity over 12,000 mph.

0108 GMT (8:08 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 9 minutes. The official liftoff time was 7:59:00.228 p.m. EST.

0107 GMT (8:07 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. The Antigua tracking station has picked up the rocket's signal.

0105 GMT (8:05 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. Altitude 160 miles, downrange distance 636 miles.

0105 GMT (8:05 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 6 minutes. The upper stage engine continues to burn. Boeing says the first stage engine cutoff occurred right on time.

0104 GMT (8:04 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 5 minutes. The protective payload fairing enclosing the DSCS A3 satellite atop the rocket has separated.

0103 GMT (8:03 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 4 minutes, 50 seconds. The cryogenic RL10B-2 upper stage engine has ignited!

0103 GMT (8:03 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 4 minutes, 36 seconds. The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage have been separated in one piece from the Delta 4's upper stage. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle is dropping into position.

0103 GMT (8:03 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 4 minutes, 21 seconds. Main engine cutoff confirmed.

0102 GMT (8:02 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 3 minutes, 40 seconds. The RS-68 powerplant is throttling down from 101 percent to about 58 percent as planned.

0102 GMT (8:02 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 3 minutes. Altitude 28 miles, downrange distance 70 miles, velocity 4,800 mph.

0101 GMT (8:01 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Altitude 13 miles, downrange distance 38 miles, velocity 2,600 mph.

0101 GMT (8:01 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 2 minutes. The RS-68 main engine continues to fire. No problems reported.

0100 GMT (8:00 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 82 seconds. Altitude 3.5 miles, downrange distance 11 miles. The vehicle has passed Mach 1.

0059 GMT (7:59 p.m. EST Mon.)

T+plus 30 seconds. Delta 4 rocket has manuevered to the eastward trajectory away from the Florida coastline, heading downrange over the Atlantic Ocean. Steering reported good. Nominal chamber pressure.

0059 GMT (7:59 p.m. EST Mon.)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Boeing Delta 4 rocket on its first dedicated mission for the U.S. Air Force -- launching a DSCS military communications satellite. And the vehicle has cleared the tower!

0058 GMT (7:58 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 20 seconds. The terminal countdown sequencer will take control at T-minus 8.5 seconds. Ignition of the RS-68 powerplant will follow at T-minus 5.5 seconds. The engine powers up to the 101 percent level of thrust for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff.

0058 GMT (7:58 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 40 seconds counting. Upper stage liquid hydrogen tank is ready.

0058 GMT (7:58 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 1 minute and counting. The Eastern Range has given its "go" for launch. And the ignition parameters for the RS-68 main engine are met.

0057 GMT (7:57 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. First stage liquid hydrogen tank is at flight level and pressure. The first and second stage liquid oxygen tanks are now being secured.

0056 GMT (7:56 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 3 minutes and counting. The first stage propellant is being secured. And pressurization of the tank has started.

0055 GMT (7:55 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Vehicle ordnance is being re-armed.

0054 GMT (7:54 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The systems of the first and second stages of the Delta 4 rocket have switched from ground-fed power to internal batteries for launch.

0054 GMT (7:54 p.m. EST Mon.)

T-minus 5 minutes and counting! The countdown has restarted again for launch of the second Boeing Delta 4 rocket and the Air Force's Defense Satellite Communications System 3-A3 spacecraft. Liftoff is slated for 7:59 p.m. EST (0059 GMT) from pad 37B at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Read our earlier status center coverage.

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Flight data file
Vehicle: Delta 4
Payload: DSCS 3-A3
Launch date: March 10, 2003
Launch time: 6:42-7:59 p.m. EST (2342-0059 GMT)
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Satellite broadcast: AMC 2, Transponder 4, C-band

Pre-launch briefing
Mission preview - Our story looking at this second Delta 4 launch.

Cue card - A quick overview of this mission.

Launch timeline - Chart with times and descriptions of events to occur during the launch.

Ground track - See the trajectory the rocket will follow during its flight.

Launch hazard area - A map of the restricted area during liftoff.

Delta 4 rocket - Technical story of the new Delta 4 rocket family.

Rocket illustration - Graphic showing the main pieces of Delta 4 Medium vehicle.

RS-68 engine - Overview of the new hydrogen-fueled main engine that powers Delta 4.

DSCS - Fact sheet on the Air Force's Defense Satellite Communications System.

Inaugural Delta 4 - Our coverage of the maiden Delta 4 flight.

Delta index - A directory of our previous Delta launch coverage.

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