BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the countdown and launch of the Orbital Science Taurus rocket carrying the OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS satellites. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2001

Two satellites that were supposed to give new perspectives of Earth never achieved orbit Friday and likely fell into the Indian Ocean after a botched launch of Orbital Sciences' Taurus rocket from California. Read our full story on the failure.

Video coverage for subscribers only:

   VIDEO: TAURUS LAUNCHES, GYRATES DURING STAGING QT or RV
   VIDEO: REPLAY VIEW OF GYRATION QT or RV
   MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX

2100 GMT (5 p.m. EDT)

MISSION FAILURE. Today's launch of the Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket has ended in complete failure. Something went wrong during the second stage firing, causing the vehicle to wildly gyrate in the sky. Orbital says the rocket did recover on its own and flew the rest of its mission as planned.

However, the trouble meant the rocket was unable to reach the intended altitude and velocity to achieve orbit. The OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS satellites were deployed from the upper stage and reentered the Earth's atmosphere without completing an orbit of Earth. Impact occurred in the Indian Ocean.

Launch officials will convene an investigation into the mishap. Today's failure was the first for Taurus in six flights.

We will have a full story later tonight.

2030 GMT (4:30 p.m. EDT)

The silence from launch officials is deafening. There is still no official word whether today's launch has been success or if the Taurus failed. However, given the wild gyrations the rocket made as the second stage ignited, it would not be surprising if the orbit achieved was significantly lower than planned. Then there is the question whether the orbit was too low and the payloads could reenter soon.

1905 GMT (3:05 p.m. EDT)

At this point we do not have enough information to confirm mission success. There was no announcement of the fourth stage burn, though that doesn't mean a problem occurred. The simple fact is there was no audio from the launch team confirming that event.

Also, there was a very noticeable yaw of the rocket as the second stage ignited, causing all reporters watching the live tracking camera video to become very nervous! The rocket seemed to stabilize to some degree as it the stage firing continued before going out of sight.

We will update this page as soon as more information becomes available.

1903 GMT (3:03 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 14 minutes, 50 seconds. Telemetry indicates NASA's QuikTOMS spacecraft has been deployed from the Taurus rocket's upper stage.

1902 GMT (3:02 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. The Aft Payload Capsule -- the barrel-like structure around QuikTOMS -- has been jettisoned.

1901 GMT (3:01 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 12 minutes. There is now a report that OrbView-4 has been deployed. However, the lack of audio means we can't confirm much at this point.

1858 GMT (2:58 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes. We are not receiving any updates from Orbital at this point. The fourth stage should have ignited by now.

1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes. The Taurus will continue in the coast period for another two minutes or so before the spent third stage separates and the four stage ignites.

Orbital has not reported any problems, however, there was a noticeable yaw of the vehicle just after first stage separation as the second stage ignited.

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes, 30 seconds. The third stage has burned out. The Taurus rocket is now in a coast period.

1852 GMT (2:52 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 45 seconds. The third stage burn continues. No problems reported.

1852 GMT (2:52 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 15 seconds. Fairing separation has occurred.

1852 GMT (2:52 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 5 seconds. The rocket's second stage has burned out and separated. Ignition of the third stage -- the Orion 50 solid-propellant motor -- is confirmed.

1851 GMT (2:51 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes. Orbital reports all systems are nominal as the second stage continues to burn.

1850 GMT (2:50 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 30 seconds. The rocket's second stage -- the Orion 50S solid-fueled motor -- has ignited and the spent first stage Castor 120 has separated to fall into the Pacific Ocean.

1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. Pitch over has occurred as the vehicle heads southward away from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Guidance and control nominal. Current and voltage reported as expected.

1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket launching OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS for new perspectives of planet Earth.

1848 GMT (2:48 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 30 seconds. Navigation accuracy of Taurus rocket's guidance system is go for launch.

1848 GMT (2:48 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 1 minute and counting. The rocket's navigation unit is in free inertial.

1847 GMT (2:47 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 90 seconds. All systems remain go for launch of the sixth Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket.

1847 GMT (2:47 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 minutes and counting. Auto sequence start. The countdown is under computer control.

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

T-minus 3 minutes and counting.

1845 GMT (2:45 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Arming being completed.

1844 GMT (2:44 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 4 minutes, 30 seconds . The final launch team polls have been completed with a "final to launch" announced.

1844 GMT (2:44 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 5 minutes and counting. The rocket's rate gyro guidance system has been started.

1842 GMT (2:42 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 7 minutes and counting. The Taurus rocket's avoinics have gone to internal power for launch.

1840 GMT (2:40 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 8 minutes, 30 seconds and counting. The launch team has given its "go" to switch the rocket's avionics to internal power in one minute. Also the SIGI flight experiment transmitter has gone to internal power.

1839 GMT (2:39 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 10 minutes and counting.

1833 GMT (2:33 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 16 minutes and counting. The launch team was just told an issue had arisen with the QuikTOMS spacecraft. But moments later the issue was cleared. All systems are now "go" for lifoff at 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. PDT).

In about six minutes, the launch team will be polled to give approval for switching Taurus' avionics to internal power. That switch will occur once the countdown passes T-minus 8 minutes.

1829 GMT (2:29 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 20 minutes and counting. The launch team has given a "go" to power on the rocket's flight termination system. The FTS would be used to destroy the Taurus in the event of mishap during launch today.

1819 GMT (2:19 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 30 minutes and counting. The countdown continues smoothly for an on-time launch today of the Taurus rocket from the SLC-576E pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

1814 GMT (2:14 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 35 minutes and counting. Upper level winds have been verified acceptable for launch today at 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. PDT).

1807 GMT (2:07 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 42 minutes and counting. The Launch Weather Officer has just provided another update to management. Weather conditions remain acceptable and there are no concerns today. However, the fog at the launch pad has not burned off as expected. There is complete overcast skies at 200 feet and two miles visibility. Although those are poor viewing conditions, the situation does not violate any launch weather rules.

Also, the Western Range reports the final assessment of toxics and debris predictions are "go" for launch. These predictions are made to ensure public safety if a launch accident were to occur today.

1804 GMT (2:04 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 45 minutes and counting. Power up of the OrbView-4 spacecraft, the primary payload of today's launch, is reported complete. The satellite was built by Orbital Sciences for ORBIMAGE. The craft will orbit 470 km above the Earth to snap high-resolution color, black and white and hyperspectural images of the planet for selling to commercial customers, the government and military.

The secondary payload riding on this launch is NASA's QuikTOMS ozone monitoring satellite. The spacecraft is tucked inside a barrel-like structure with OrbView-4 mounted atop. This system allows two satellites to launch aboard one Taurus rocket.

1754 GMT (1:54 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 55 minutes and counting. A readiness poll of the launch management team has been performed by the Orbital Sciences Test Conductor just verified all systems remain "go" for today's liftoff.

1749 GMT (1:49 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 60 minutes and counting. In the next minute the transient power will activated for the vehicle. In the past little while the Western Range has conducted interrogation tests of the links to the rocket.

1729 GMT (1:29 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 80 minutes and counting. The launch team has powered up the SIGI flight experiment atop the Taurus rocket. This test involves flying a new Inertial Measurement Unit guidance computer design as a payload to determine how well it functions. If the system test goes well, Orbital will be able to replace Taurus' current computer with the new model on future launches. The computer now used by Taurus is no longer in production.

1724 GMT (1:24 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 85 minutes and counting. The Space Launch Complex 576E area has been cleared of all workers as preparations continue for today's planned 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. PDT) liftoff. In the next few minutes the launch team will power up the rocket's avionics and verify the receipt of telemetry from the vehicle at the launch control centers.

1719 GMT (1:19 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 90 minutes and counting. Here are some factoids for today's launch. This will be the sixth Taurus rocket to fly since it debuted in 1994. This four-stage vehicle stands 91 feet tall and weighs 161,000 pounds at liftoff. With the power of its first stage Castor 120 solid rocket motor, the Taurus will accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and reach Mach 1 in 23 seconds.

1649 GMT (12:49 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 2 hours and counting. The countdown has started for today's launch of the Taurus rocket. Countdown clocks are ticking backwards at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for a planned 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT) liftoff.

The rocket initial status checks of systems revealed "go" conditions across the board. At the pad 576E complex, crews are completing final steps to ready the vehicle for launch. The site then will be cleared of all workers, which is expected very shortly.

1630 GMT (12:30 p.m. EDT)

Good day and welcome to our live launch coverage of the Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket with ORBIMAGE's OrbView-4 and NASA's QuikTOMS spacecraft. The launch team has gathered as Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and voice checks on the countdown communications network have been completed.

Today's launch window opens at 1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. PDT) and extends to 1906:50 GMT (3:06:50 p.m. EDT; 12:06:50 p.m. PDT). At this time the target launch time is the opening of the window.

The Launch Weather Officer has just completed a briefing to management and the forecast has improved to a 100 percent chance of acceptable conditions today. The launch time forecast is calling for a deck of stratus clouds at 900 feet with tops at 1,500 feet and 5/8ths sky coverage, no precipitation, unrestricted visibility, a temperature of 59 degrees F and west-northwesterly winds 10 gusting to 14 knots.

The U.S. Air Force says Range Safety assessment of where debris from a launch accident would fall and the vent covers are also predicted to be within allowable limits today based on the winds and other factors.

1500 GMT (11:00 a.m. EDT)

Launch day has arrived for the sixth Taurus rocket and the OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS spacecraft. Liftoff remains on schedule for today during a window of 1849 to 1906:50 GMT (2:49 to 3:06:50 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. to 12:06:50 p.m. PDT). There are no problems being reported by Orbital Sciences.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2001
1900 GMT (3:00 p.m. EDT)

Orbital Sciences is moving forward with Friday's planned launch of its Taurus rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base along California's Central Coast, about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

"We are set for our launch date for tomorrow," Bill Wrobel, Orbital's Taurus program manager, told reporters during a news briefing today. "We think we are in pretty good shape."

The launch window extends from 1849 to 1906:50 GMT (2:49 to 3:06:50 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. to 12:06:50 p.m. PDT).

"At this point, all testing is complete on the vehicle. We are in the process of just doing some closeouts, and we will be arming this afternoon," Wrobel added.

The launch countdown process will begin about four hours prior to liftoff on Friday. During that time the Taurus rocket will be powered on, the OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS satellite payloads will be configured for launch and final Range Safety checks completed. If there are no problems, the countdown will continue into the final minutes and the Taurus' avionics switched to internal power. The last two minutes will be computer-controlled by the auto sequencer.

The four-stage, solid-fueled rocket will deliver the OrbView-4 and QuikTOMS spacecraft into a circular 470 km sun-synchronous orbit inclined 97.29 degrees to the equator. QuikTOMS will use its onboard propulsion system to maneuver into an 800 km operational orbit during the first three weeks in space.

We have posted a detailed launch timeline that shows the key events that will occur during the Taurus' climb to orbit.

The weather forecast for Friday remains promising for an on-time liftoff with a 90 percent of acceptable conditions. There is only a slight concern for thick layered clouds. Launch Weather Officer Capt. Greg Fox released this updated forecast summary earlier today:

"The previously discussed low pressure system is still in the Gulf of Alaska keeping all significant weather in the Pacific Northwest. The marine layer remains firmly entrenched along the Central Coast as a high pressure system continues to dominate the region. Models still show upper level moisture approaching the central coast late Friday evening - only slightly worried about violating the Thick Cloud Layer constraint. Surface winds will be west-northwesterly at 5 to 8 knots with upper level winds from the west; expect maximum winds from 30 - 40 knots at 40,000 feet."

The launch time conditions are predicted to include stratus clouds at 1,000 feet with tops at 2,000 feet and 6/8ths sky coverage, cirrus clouds at 25,000 feet with tops at 28,000 feet and 1/8ths sky coverage, unrestricted visibility, winds from 270 to 290 degrees at 5 to 8 knots and a temperature of 59 to 61 degrees F.

Should the launch slip to Saturday for some reason, the forecast now calls for an 80 percent chance of good conditions. Thick layered clouds will again be the main threat.

"Models continue to show upper level moisture through the weekend only slightly increasing the possibility of violating the Thick Cloud Layer constraint," Capt. Fox said. "Surface winds will be from the west-northwest at 5 to 8 knots. Upper level winds will increase slightly and will start flowing just south of westerly with maximum winds in the 45 knot range at 35,000 feet."

Spaceflight Now will provide complete live coverage of Friday's countdown and launch. Watch this page!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2001

Final preparations are underway for Friday's launch of Orbital Sciences' Taurus rocket carrying a commercial Earth-imaging satellite, a NASA ozone monitoring probe and cremated human remains.

Blastoff from pad 576E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is slated for 1850 GMT (2:50 p.m. EDT; 11:50 a.m. PDT). The day's available launch window extends from 1849 to 1907 GMT (2:49 to 3:07 p.m. EDT; 11:49 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. PDT).

The primary launch cargo is ORBIMAGE's OrbView-4, a commercial eye-in-the-sky spacecraft designed to snap high-resolution pictures of Earth for consumer and government uses. The satellite's camera will take one-meter resolution black and white (panchromatic) and four-meter resolution color (multispectral) images. OrbView-4 also carries a hyperspectral imaging instrument for the Air Force Research Laboratory's Warfighter-1 program.

The satellite was built for ORBIMAGE by Orbital Sciences in Germantown, Maryland.

After OrbView-4 is deployed from the rocket approximately 12 minutes into flight, the dual-payload structure used to stack two satellites for one launch will be ejected to reveal NASA's Quick Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer spacecraft, or QuikTOMS. Also built by Orbital, QuikTOMS is scheduled to be released from the Taurus rocket to complete the launch about 14 minutes after liftoff.

QuikTOMS will continue a 23-year legacy of monitoring global ozone levels. The craft is being launched now to take over from the aging TOMS-Earth Probe satellite lofted into space five years ago.

The Taurus' fourth stage is also carrying tiny capsules of human ashes for Celestis, Inc. Each capsule is inscribed with the deceased's name and a personal message. Dubbed the "Odyssey Flight," this launch will carry the remains of people from the U.S., Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom to circle Earth for more than a year before the spent rocket stage reenters the atmosphere and burns up.

Friday's weather forecast is favorable with a 90 percent chance of acceptable launch conditions. There is only a slight concern for thick layered clouds. Air Force Launch Weather Officer Capt. Greg Fox issued this summary on Wednesday:

"A low pressure system is forecast to remain in the Gulf of Alaska on the day of launch keeping any significant cloud layers and strong winds north of California. With a strong high pressure system dominating the region, the marine layer has been, and will continue to be, the dominant weather feature affecting Vandenberg. However, models are now thickening the cirrus clouds that are approaching the central coast (remnants of Tropical Storm Ivo). If these clouds are greater than 4,500 ft thick and are between the 0 degree Celsius and -20 degree Celsius levels, they would violate the Thick Cloud Layer Constraint -- only a slight concern at this time. Surface winds will be west-northwesterly at 10 to 12 knots with upper level winds from the west; expect maximum winds from 30 - 40 knots at 40,000 feet."

The launch time conditions are predicted to include stratus clouds at 1,000 feet with 6/8ths sky coverage, cirrus clouds at 25,000 feet with 2/8ths sky coverage, visibility of 7 miles, winds from 290 to 320 degrees at 10 to 12 knots and a temperature of 61 to 64 degrees F.

Should the launch slip to Saturday for some reason, the forecast remains essentially the same with a 90 percent chance of conditions within limits for liftoff.

"With only minor short waves moving through central California over the weekend, scrub weather will be a carbon copy of the launch forecast," Capt. Fox said. "The cirrus clouds are still a slight concern, but are forecast to remain south of Vandenberg. Surface winds will be from the west-northwest at 10 to 12 knots. Upper level winds will increase slightly, but will remain from the west with maximum winds in the 50 knot range at 35,000 feet."