ULA "go" for Thursday night Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral
James Dean
A 194-foot Atlas V rocket is scheduled to roll to its launch pad Wednesday morning in preparation for a 7:52 p.m. Thursday blastoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Mission managers on Tuesday concluded a readiness review with a “go” to roll the United Launch Alliance rocket from a processing tower to the pad at Launch Complex 41.
The mission would be United Launch Alliance’s second in a week, and first of the year from Florida, following last Friday’s flight of a Delta IV rocket from California.
The weather looks favorable during Thursday's 40-minute window, with only a 20 percent chance that cumulus clouds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean might violate launch rules.
“Overall, we’re looking at really good weather conditions, with partly cloudy skies for the next couple of days,” said Todd McNamara, the launch weather officer from the Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron.
McNamara expects a launch time temperature of about 51 degrees, and winds from the north up to about 18 mph. A fast-moving shower could blow through, but overall conditions should be dry.
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The weather odds are the same should the launch slip to Friday night.
On top of the rocket is the Air Force’s fourth Space Based Infrared System satellite bound for an orbit high over the equator.
Built by Lockheed Martin, the satellites known as SBIRS carry scanning and staring sensors designed to detect missile launches early and feed data to missile defense systems. They also support troops in the field and intelligence agencies.
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