BY JUSTIN RAY

July 24, 2000 -- Follow the countdown and launch of a U.S. Air Force Minotaur rocket with the Mightysat 2.1 technology demonstration satellite. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

MONDAY, JULY 24, 2000

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Mightysat 2.1 spacecraft is making good progress in its orbital checkout after four days circling Earth, officials reported Sunday. Read our full story.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2000
2145 GMT (5:45 p.m. EDT)

The U.S. Air Force's $21.5 million Mightysat 2.1 research and development satellite was successfully delivered into Earth orbit today by a $13 million Minotaur rocket, Orbital Sciences officials have confirmed. The company conducted the launch for the Air Force from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Ground controllers have established contact with Mightysat through a tracking station, confirming the craft had been released from the rocket's upper stage. Initial data from the satellite indicates it is in good health, the two power-generating solar arrays are deployed and the orbit achieved is nominal.

Mightysat 2.1 is embarking on a year-long demonstration of its 10 onboard advanced technology experiments. Mission operation costs are projected at $2.5 million.

The Spectrum Astro-built craft's prime object is to test for the first time in space a new camera system called the Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager. The system might be flown on future military reconnaissance satellites because it should be able to distinguish the type of terrain or composition of objects being observed by studying the spatial signature.

Today was the second flight of the Minotaur space launch vehicle. The rocket features decommissioned first and second stages from a Minuteman 2 ICBM missile and its third and fourth stages are solid-fuel motors used by Orbital's Pegasus vehicle.

No further Minotaur launches are firmly scheduled currently. There are three more sets of Minuteman stages earmarked for Minotaur missions, however. But the rocket can only used for launches of national need carrying government or university payloads.

2100 GMT (5:00 p.m. EDT)

As expected, it is taking a little while for engineers to sort through data relayed from the rocket to determine if the Mightysat 2.1 satellite was successfully released from the Minotaur's fourth stage. We will report confirmation as soon as it is available.

2048 GMT (4:48 p.m. EDT)

The rocket's spent fourth stage passed out of range from the McMurdo tracking site at 2047:10 GMT, which was exactly at the time predicted. That indicates the rocket achieved the planned orbit around Earth today. Still waiting for verification the Mightysat spacecraft was deployed from the fourth stage.

2040 GMT (4:40 p.m. EDT)

Acquisition of signal! The McMurdo ground station in Antarctic reports picking up the Minotaur rocket's signal at 2039:52 GMT. Now awaiting for confirmation that spacecraft deployment successfully occurred.

2021 GMT (4:21 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes. By this time, if everything has gone according to plan, the Mightysat 2.1 spacecraft should be flying on its own after deployment from the Minotaur rocket's fourth stage. However, that event will have occurred outside of any real-time communications session with ground tracking stations. So the rocket's onboard computer should have collected all the data to be downlinked to the McMurdo tracking station in Antarctica starting at T+plus 30 minutes, 50 seconds.

Once the data is relayed, engineers must pick through the information to determine a successful mission. We will provide updates as soon as they become available.

2020 GMT (4:20 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 11 minutes. At this point there will be nothing more to report for at least another 20 minutes or so. That is when officials will receive stored data from the rocket's onboard computer to confirm a successful fourth stage burn and spacecraft separation.

2019 GMT (4:19 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes. LOS of data. The rocket's transmitter has been turned off as Minotaur passes out of range from the tracking station at Vandenberg. At the time of signal loss, the fourth stage burn continued normally with good motor pressures.

2018 GMT (4:18 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 15 seconds. Confirmation of fourth stage stage start.

2018 GMT (4:18 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. The third stage has been jettisoned from the fourth stage. Coming up on ignition.

2017 GMT (4:17 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. The Minotaur rocket continues to perform normally in the coast period. Good data link still established with the vehicle.

2016 GMT (4:16 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 40 seconds. Now less than 90 seconds to ignition of the rocket's upper stage to complete today's powered phase of launch.

2015 GMT (4:15 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes. The rocket continues its quiet coast period through space. The onboard guidance computer has determined, based upon performance so far in the launch, the third stage will separate at 8 minutes, 51 seconds, followed 11 seconds later by fourth stage ignition. The apogee achieved so far is 297.86 miles.

2013 GMT (4:13 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 40 seconds. The solid-fueled third stage has burned out, and the rocket is now in a coast period.

2012 GMT (4:12 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 40 seconds. Third stage ignition confirmed as the spent second stage falls way. This sheds the Minuteman 2 portion of Minotaur and the Pegasus heritage takes over.

2012 GMT (4:12 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 15 seconds. The rocket's payload fairing nose cone has separated. Second stage still firing.

2011 GMT (4:11 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. Second stage pressures reported normal.

2010 GMT (4:10 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 75 seconds. The first and second stages have separated. Second stage has ignited.

2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 45 seconds. Vehicle has passed through maximum dynamic pressures. Attitude is normal.

2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. First stage motor pressure nominal.

2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Minotaur rocket launching the Air Force's Mightysat 2.1 spacecraft -- a vanguard mission to demonstrate advanced satellite technologies.

2008 GMT (4:08 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 seconds.

2007 GMT (4:07 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 90 seconds. The rocket has been armed.

2007 GMT (4:07 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes. Auto sequence start. Flight computer is controlling the countdown.

2006 GMT (4:06 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Coming up on auto sequence start in 30 seconds.

2005 GMT (4:05 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 4 minutes. The flight computer is armed. Range is clear for launch.

2004 GMT (4:04 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes. The Range recorders are now running, and the rocket's avionics are switching to internal power.

2003 GMT (4:03 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 6 minutes. Ground ordnance has been enabled and the rocket's onboard safety system batteries have been activated. These batteries cannot be recycled if the launch does not go today, so the countdown has passes a major milestone.

2002 GMT (4:02 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The final readiness poll of the launch team has been conducted and all systems are "go" for liftoff at 2009 GMT (1:09 p.m. PDT; 4:09 p.m. EDT).

2001 GMT (4:01 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes. The flight termination system has now been armed. Also the air conditioning duct to the rocket's payload fairing is being retracted.

2000 GMT (4:00 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 9 minutes. The rocket's flight termination system is switching to interal power. The FTS would be used to destroy the rocket should a problem arise during flight.

1959 GMT (3:59 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting. Now in the final phase of today's countdown. No problems are being worked and liftoff remains slated to occur on-time at 2009 GMT.

1954 GMT (3:54 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. There are no problems being reported and the countdown is continuing toward launch as planned today for the Minotaur rocket and Mightysat 2.1 spacecraft.

Once the rocket lifts off from the Commercial Launch Facility on southbase of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the vehicle will head southward toward a polar orbit. The four stages of the vehicle will need 11-1/2 minutes to deliver Mightysat 2.1 into an orbit about 340 statute miles above the planet.

And now a reminder -- like the previous Minotaur launch the Air Force is will not have an airborne telemetry relay plane to collect data from the rocket once it passes out of range from the Vandenberg tracking station. Therefore, about 10 minutes into the flight the rocket's signal will be lost while the fourth stage is still firing. Confirmation of a good fourth stage burn and separation of Mightysat won't come until passage over the McMurdo ground station in Antarctica about 30 minutes after launch.

1948 GMT (3:48 p.m. EDT)

The Western Range reports the C-band beacon aboard the rocket is in good working order. The beacon will be used to track the vehicle during flight. Also, the S-band data links have been checked.

The countdown is proceeding very smoothly toward an on-time 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT) launch today.

1946 GMT (3:46 p.m. EDT)

Launch team members are verifying good links have been established with the Minotaur rocket to relay telemetry to stations at Vandenberg.

1939 GMT (3:39 p.m. EDT)

Now inside the final 30 minutes of the countdown to launch a four-stage Minotaur rocket today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The countdown is being guided by the U.S. Air Force while Orbital Sciences employees are conducting the procedures to ready the rocket for flight.

The Minotaur rocket uses decommissioned Minuteman 2 first and second stages with new third and four stages from the Orbital's Pegasus launcher. This will be the second flight of the rocket, which is designed to loft small government and university satellites into Earth orbit.

Officially known as the U.S. Air Force Orbital/Suborbital Program-Space Launch Vehicle, or OSP-SLV, the rocket was given the marketing name Minotaur by Orbital Sciences, which is responsible for integrating and launching the vehicle.

1935 GMT (3:35 p.m. EDT)

Safety officials have confirmed the launch pad area has been cleared of all personnel.

1929 GMT (3:29 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 40 minutes and counting. Alignment of Minotaur's guidance computer is now complete. Liftoff remains scheduled for 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT).

1924 GMT (3:24 p.m. EDT)

Removal of the thermal blanket covering the Minotaur rocket's Minuteman stages has been completed. This cover is affectionately called the "banana" because of its color and since it's peeled away in sections. The launch pad is now being cleared of all workers.

Also, the launch team verifies the rocket's inertial navigation system guidance computer is in ground align mode.

1915 GMT (3:15 p.m. EDT)

All personnel have launch pad workers have cleared the danger area with the exception of a small team responsible for removing the thermal blanket covering the bottom half of the rocket.

Meanwhile, upper level winds have been verified "go" for launch and alignment of the rocket's navigation unit is starting.

1909 GMT (3:09 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 minutes and countdown. Activities are continuing as planned at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for liftoff of the U.S. Air Force's Minotaur rocket at 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT). The launch team is currently in the midst of arming the rocket.

1857 GMT (2:57 p.m. EDT)

The mobile servicing gantry at the Commercial Launch Facility (CLF) pad where the Minotaur will be flown today has been rolled back. Pad workers reported the tower was fully retracted at 1857 GMT (2:57 p.m. EDT). The safety area is now being cleared of non-essential personnel for this afternoon's scheduled 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT) liftoff.

Today's launch will be the second to occur from the CLF operated by Spaceport Systems International. SSI is a limited partnership between ITT Industries and California Commercial Spaceport, Inc.

The commercial pad is not run by the U.S. Air Force or NASA, and is aimed at a variety of small- to medium-sized rockets like the state-run Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral. The CLF is situated the southern most corner of Vandenberg Air Force Base near Space Launch Complex-6, which would have been used by the space shuttle. Construction of the new pad was completed on May 1, 1999.

SSI also operates a payload processing facility (IPF) located at Space Launch Complex-6, which is where most of the launch team is positioned this afternoon to control the countdown.

1846 GMT (2:46 p.m. EDT)

The Minotaur rocket's nose cone enclosing the Mightysat 2.1 satellite has been closed out for launch as workers have just finished installing a small access door. This procedure in done late in the launch countdown because technicians needed access to the spacecraft to install the enabler plug and disconnect ground power recharging to onboard batteries.

Pad crews are now rolling the mobile service structure, called the "shelter", away from the rocket to parked position for today's launch.

There are no technical problems being discussed by the Air Force/Orbital Sciences launch team and liftoff remains set for 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

1828 GMT (2:28 p.m. EDT)

The enabler plug has been installed and launch pad crews are now closing up an access panel on the Minotaur rocket's protective payload fairing nose cone. Once the fairing is sealed, the mobile service structure enclosing the rocket at the Commercial Launch Facility pad will be rolled back.

1812 GMT (2:12 p.m. EDT)

A readiness poll of the launch team was just conducted and all parties were "go" to arm the Minotaur rocket and begin final vehicle closeouts for today's liftoff, which will slated for the opening of the launch window at 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT). Meanwhile, officials have given approval to the spacecraft technicians at the Vandenberg Air Force Base launch pad to install enabler plug on Mightysat 2.1, halting battery recharge.

Countdown clocks remain on schedule for an on-time liftoff today. There are no problems being worked.

1700 GMT (1:00 p.m. EDT)

The countdown is underway at Vandenberg Air Force Base along Central California's Pacific coastline for today's scheduled launch of the Minotaur rocket carrying the Mightysat 2.1 satellite for the U.S. Air Force. Liftoff remains set for 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT).

Most of the launch team is located inside the Integrated Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex-6. The IPF is just a short hop northeast from the Minotaur's commercially-run launch pad operated by Spaceport Systems International. The IPF was supposed to be the space shuttle payload processing facility at SLC-6, but when plans to launch shuttles from Vandenberg were scrapped SSI leased that one building.

0401 GMT (12:01 a.m. EDT)

The final meeting of senior officials to clear the U.S. Air Force Minotaur rocket and its Mightysat 2.1 research satellite for launch was held Tuesday with the decision made to proceed with the scheduled liftoff. The Launch Readiness Review was conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California where the rocket's 11-minute, $36 million mission will originate.

Launch remains targeted to occur at 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT) today from the commercial pad on South Vandenberg, which is operated not by the government but Spaceport Systems International.

Weather forecasters are still calling for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions. The threat is strong winds violating the 35-knot constraint against rolling back the protective service structure from around the rocket at the pad.

Check back later today as we provide continuous reports throughout the final hours of the countdown and the launch.

TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2000

A small U.S. Air Force research satellite with a "mighty" name is due for launch on Wednesday atop a rocket cobbled together using leftover Minuteman 2 missile sections and new stages from a commercial Pegasus booster.

Liftoff of the second Minotaur rocket from the Commercial Launch Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is scheduled for 2009 GMT (4:09 p.m. EDT), the opening of an 86-minute window extending to 2135 GMT (5:35 p.m. EDT).

The $21.5 million Mightysat 2.1 spacecraft will orbit about 340 statute miles above Earth to test high-risk technologies that satellite designers wouldn't otherwise want to incorporate into operational missions.

A follow-on to Mightysat 1 launched from space shuttle Endeavour in December 1998, Mightysat 2.1 is the first of what was envisioned as a five-satellite series to demonstrate advanced concepts in space. However, the Air Force has scaled back funding and Wednesday's launch could be the last for the Mightysat program, officials say.

Over the next year, Mightysat 2.1 will conduct its tests of 10 onboard experiments under the watchful eye of controllers at Kirtland Air Force Base's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Support Center in New Mexico.

The primary focus of the satellite will be the operation of a new military space camera system called the Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager, or FTHSI. The device will observe selected ground targets to capture spectral images.

Lt. Jacob Freeman of the Mightysat program office explains, "It takes a spectral image of some object, say for instance concrete or dirt. These objects have a special spatial signature; they put out a certain spectrum of reflective light at various frequencies. The imager can then take an image, compare that with known signatures and identify what it is looking at."

Future spy satellites could be outfitted with such an imager to spot and classify hidden enemy targets. Commercial spin-offs include agricultural monitoring from space.

Other technologies on the satellite include testing an advanced, high-speed computer processor against space radiation, new solar array hardware and composite material used to form the satellite's structure.

"With our 10 experiments, we will see a big payoff down the road," said Capt. Mark Mocio, Mightysat mission manager. "There is no substitute for flying these things. We can test them, we can plan them, we can design them, but to actually fly them and see how they work on-orbit, I think we will be a lot smarter when we build the next generation satellite."

Launch countdown activities will get underway at 1509 GMT (11:09 a.m. EDT) Wednesday morning, or five hours prior to the scheduled liftoff time. That is when members of the launch team arrive on console at Vandenberg. Over the course of the following two hours, the team will perform a thorough checkout of the rocket's systems.

With three hours to go before launch, the management team will take their positions to guide the countdown.

The critical milestone in the count, which will determine the liftoff time and length of the launch window, is scheduled to occur at Launch-Minus 2 hours. Technicians at the launch pad will pull the ground power supply to Mightysat 2.1, terminating charging to the craft's onboard batteries.

At that point, the satellite must be launched within three hours or else wait until another day. Since there still will be two hours left in the countdown, the launch window will be shortened to just 60 minutes in duration, said launch vehicle mission manager Lt. Blair Morris.

The 52-member launch team will be split into two locations. Some personnel will be stationed at the Air Force's Launch Operations Control Center, while the members actually running the countdown, mostly Orbital Sciences employees, will be inside the Integrated Processing Facility at Space Launch Complex-6. The IPF is just a short hop northeast from the Minotaur's commercially-run launch pad operated by Spaceport Systems International. The IPF was supposed to be the space shuttle payload processing facility at SLC-6, but when plans to launch shuttles from Vandenberg were scrapped SSI leased that one building.

The weather forecast is calling for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions for launch. The main concern is gusty winds won't permit the mobile service structure to be moved away from the rocket, which is scheduled about an hour and 45 minutes before liftoff. The wind limit is 35 knots and the forecast predicts winds up to 30 knots. The launch-time wind constraint is 47 knots.

Launch Weather Officers Capt. Joe Kurtz and Dr. Chris Crosiar have issued this forecast:

"The long wave, upper level trough that has persisted over the eastern Pacific is forecasted to remain quasi stationary through this week. This trough will produce southwesterly flow in the upper atmosphere. The surface based high pressure area to the west of California and the thermal low in the desert southwest will result in increased wind speeds from the north, northwest direction. The atmosphere remains dry, with cloud cover limited to high cirrus clouds and the ever, present summer marine layer stratus clouds in the morning. For launch window, expect ... maximum upper-level winds at 34,000 ft will be west-southwest at 60 kts."

The launch time forecast shows scattered stratus clouds at 700 feet, scattered cirrus clouds at 30,000 feet, 7 miles of visibility, northwesterly winds 25 to 30 knots, temperature of 60 to 64 degrees F and no significant weather.

Should the launch be delayed to Thursday afternoon for some reason, the forecast improves to an 80 percent chance of good weather. High winds during tower removal again will be the concern, but they are expected to drop to 22 to 28 knots.

Spaceflight Now will have extensive live coverage during the final countdown and launch on Wednesday.

The U.S. Air Force Minotaur rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on July 19 with Mightysat 2.1.
  PLAY (292k, 32sec QuickTime file)
Download QuickTime 4 software to view this file.

Minotaur lifts off. Photo: Orbital Sciences

Flight data file
Vehicle: OSPSLV Minotaur
Payload: Mightysat 2.1
Launch date: July 19, 2000
Launch window: 2009-2135 GMT (4:09-5:35 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: CLF, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Pre-launch briefing
Launch timeline - Chart with description of events to occur during launch.

Minotaur - Facts and background information of OSP Space Launch Vehicle.

Mightysat 2.1 - A look at the satellite to be carried aloft by Minotaur.


Hubble Posters
Stunning posters featuring images from the Hubble Space Telescope and world-renowned astrophotographer David Malin are now available from the Astronomy Now Store.
 U.S. STORE
 U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE

Get e-mail updates
Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose).

Enter your e-mail address:

NEW! The NASA "Meatball" logo appears on a series of stylish baseball caps available now from the Astronomy Now Store.
 U.S. STORE
 U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE

NEW! This beautiful 12" by 12" wall calendar features stunning images of the International Space Station and of the people, equipment, and space craft associated with it, as it takes shape day by day in orbit high above the Earth.
 U.S. STORE
 U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE