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Destination Mars




Mission: Phoenix lander
Launch: Aug. 4, 2007
Launch times: 5:26 and 6:02 a.m. EDT
Site: Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida
Rocket: Delta 2 (7925)
Landing: May 25, 2008

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Phoenix launch timeline
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: July 25, 2007

T-00:00 Liftoff
The ULA Delta 2 rocket's main engine and twin vernier steering thrusters are started moments before launch. The six ground-start strap-on solid rocket motors are ignited at T-0 to begin the mission.
T+01:03.1 Ground SRM Burnout
The six ground-start Alliant TechSystems-built solid rocket motors consume all their propellant and burn out.
T+01:05.5 Air-Lit SRM Ignition
The three remaining solid rocket motors strapped to the Delta 2 rocket's first stage are ignited.
T+01:06.0 Jettison Ground SRMs
The six spent ground-started solid rocket boosters are jettisoned in sets of three to fall into the Atlantic Ocean.
T+02:11.5 Jettison Air-Lit SRMs
Having burned out, the three spent air-started solid rocket boosters are jettisoned toward the Atlantic Ocean.
T+04:23.3 Main Engine Cutoff
After consuming its RP-1 fuel and liquid oxygen, the Rocketdyne RS-27A first stage main engine is shut down. The vernier engines cut off moments later.
T+04:31.3 Stage Separation
The Delta rocket's first stage is separated now, having completed its job. The spent stage will fall into the Atlantic Ocean.
T+04:36.8 Second Stage Ignition
With the stage jettisoned, the rocket's second stage takes over. The Aerojet AJ10-118K liquid-fueled engine ignites for the first of its two firings to boost the Phoenix spacecraft.
T+05:03.0 Jettison Payload Fairing
The 9.5-foot diameter payload fairing that protected the Phoenix spacecraft atop the Delta 2 during the atmospheric ascent is jettisoned is two halves.
T+09:20.5 Second Stage Cutoff 1
The second stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch after reaching an 86.4 by 96.5 nautical mile orbit at 28.5 degrees inclination. The rocket and attached spacecraft are now in a coast period before the second stage reignites.
T+73:47.2 Second Stage Restart
Delta's second stage engine reignites for a firing that accelerates the payload further.
T+76:02.3 Second Stage Cutoff 2
The stage shuts down to complete its second burn having reached an 87.7 by 3,128.1 nautical mile orbit at 28.5 degrees inclination. Over the next minute, tiny thrusters on the side of the rocket will be fired to spin up the vehicle in preparation for stage separation.
T+77:05.5 Stage Separation
The liquid-fueled second stage is jettisoned from the rest of the Delta 2 rocket.
T+77:42.8 Third Stage Ignition
The Thiokol Star 48B solid-fueled third stage is ignited to propel Phoenix on its departure trajectory from Earth.
T+79:10.3 Third Stage Burnout
Having used up all its solid-propellant, the third stage burns out to completed the powered phase of the launch sequence for Phoenix.
T+84:10.3 Phoenix Separation
NASA's Phoenix spacecraft is released from the third stage to begin the nine-month cruise to the Red Planet.

Data source: ULA

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