T-27 minutes and counting – The teams of engineers and launch managers from the spacecraft, rocket and mission sides of the DSCOVR partners are conducting their polls to proceed with the final phase of today’s countdown, known as the Terminal Countdown. The mission director and launch conductor will conduct their own polls in about 10 …
Here’s a rundown of the next hour or so as the launch teams make the final preps for launch, followed by the liftoff and ascent of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as it places NOAA’s DSCOVR spacecraft on course for its L1 location about a million miles from Earth. 5:45:12 p.m. Terminal countdown poll 5:50:12 …
Check out our latest photos from the DSCOVR mission along with processing photos at the mission’s album on Kennedy’s Flickr account. Launch pictures also will be posted there as they become available.
The weather is now 100 percent ‘go’, reports Mike McAleenan of the 45th Space Wing as he delivered an overwhelmingly positive launch forecast. With less than an hour to go before liftoff at 6:10 p.m. EST today, there are not technical issues with NOAA’s DSCOVR spacecraft nor with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will …
Although DSCOVR is a spacecraft for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration better known as NOAA, NASA has placed two instruments including a camera dubbed EPIC that will be able to see the entire sunlit side of Earth as demonstrated in the picture to the right. You can read a lot more about the EPIC …
The Merlin engines powering the SpaceX Falcon 9 run on kerosene and liquid oxygen. Ground controllers are overseeing the loading of cryogenic liquid oxygen this afternoon aboard the rocket. The propellant is super cold, measuring minus-297 degrees F. As the Falcon rocket sits at the pad, a portion of the propellant warms up enough to …
All conditions are go this afternoon as we count down to liftoff of NOAA’s DSCOVR spacecraft at 6:10 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Air Force is providing the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for today’s launch. DSCOVR is slated to go to a deep space location about a million miles …
The DSCOVR spacecraft will take readings for NOAA that will be used by the Space Weather Prediction Center. You can find out more about the center here or by going to www.spaceweather.gov.
NOAA’s DSCOVR will launch to a place about a million miles away from Earth where the gravity of Earth and the sun is balanced. The spacecraft will be able to remain in roughly the same place in order to keep a view of the Earth and sun simultaneously. The area is called Lagrange 1, named …
Good afternoon from Florida where NOAA’s newest spacecraft stands ready for liftoff at 6:10 p.m. EST. The spacecraft, called DSCOVR, will be sent to an orbit 1 million miles away from the Earth where it will be able to watch the Sun and Earth at the same time. A SpaceX Falcon 9 is being fueled …
