UPDATE (3/1): The Multiple User Suborbital Instrument Carrier or MUSIC payload was successfully launched at 9:50 a.m. today on a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
The payload flew to approximately 115 miles apogee and preliminary analysis shows good data was received. Payload recovery is in progress.
The next launch from Wallops is between 7 and 10 a.m. EST, Monday, March 7. Three space technology payloads will be carried on a Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket.
UPDATE (Feb. 26): The Feb. 29 launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility of the Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying the MUSIC payload has been postponed until March 1. Forecasts show high winds and sea states that are unacceptable for a Feb. 29 launch. Forecasts show acceptable weather conditions for a March 1 launch. The launch window is 9:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.
UPDATE (Feb. 24): The launch of a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying the MUSIC payload has been rescheduled for Feb. 29. The weather at the launch and recovery sites has not been acceptable to conduct the mission this week and is not expect to improve in the next few days. Backup days for the launch are March 1 and 2. The launch window is 9:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
UPDATE (Feb. 22): The launch of a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying the MUSIC payload has been rescheduled for no earlier than Friday, Feb. 26, due to poor weather expected during the week as well as unacceptable sea state conditions for payload recovery. Scheduled for launch Feb. 22, the launch was postponed because of unacceptable weather and sea state conditions in the payload recovery area. Officials will continue to monitor the weather as the week progresses.
UPDATE: Due to high seas and poor weather, the MUSIC launch has been postponed to no earlier than Feb. 23. Officials continue to monitor the weather forecast; back-up launch dates run through Feb. 26.
The Multiple User Suborbital Instrument Carrier (MUSIC) is set for launch Feb. 22 on a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility.
The launch is scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and noon EST. The backup launch days are Feb. 23 – 26.
Originally scheduled for launch in December 2015, MUSIC has been delayed several times because of weather, range clearance and payload issues.
The launch may be seen in the Wallops region from southern Delaware to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
MUSIC will carry several Wallops engineering development projects and experiments from West Virginia University, Morgantown, through the NASA Undergraduate Student Instrument Project.
The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will be open at 8:30 a.m. for viewing the launch.
Live coverage of the launch is available via UStream beginning at 9 a.m. on launch day. The status also can be followed on launch day on Twitter and Facebook.
The launch is supported through NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program at Wallops. NASA’s Heliophysics Division manages the sounding rocket program.
Keith Koehler
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility
keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov