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After scrubbed launch on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, when the ground control system erroneously indicated a "hold-fire" safe command had been issued, the launch of NASA's Glory spacecraft aboard an Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket is scheduled for March 4, 2011. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 576-E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is targeted for 2:09:43 a.m. PST (5:09:43 a.m. EST; 10:09:43 UTC) in the middle of a 48-second launch window.
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Launch date:|{colsp=3}
March 4, 2011
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Launch time:| 10:09:43 | 5:09:43 a.m. | 2:09:43 a.m.
Launch site:|{colsp=3} SLC-576E, VAFB, California
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There is created calendar event for this launch. You can can request a reminder for it which will be sent to you on set time before the beginning of the event.
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Launch Coverage:
Payload:
Launch Vehicle:
Links:
Glory mission news and updates:
Launch Timeline:
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UTC
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EST
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PST
Launch time:| 10:09:43 | 5:09:43 a.m. | 2:09:43 a.m.
Launch site:|{colsp=3} SLC-576E, VAFB, California
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[highlight]L[eventtimer]2011-3-4 10:09:43;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
There is created calendar event for this launch. You can can request a reminder for it which will be sent to you on set time before the beginning of the event.
Mission Insignia
Launch Coverage:
You can view the launch live on NASA TV. The beginning of live coverage is scheduled at 08:30 UTC / 3:30 a.m. EST / 2:30 a.m. CST.
Live video coverage of the launch should be available via:
Live video coverage of the launch should be available via:
- NASA Television - NASA webpage
- NASA HD-TV - USTREAM
- Spaceflight Now's Livestream
- Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center
- NASA TV Media Player stream - Low broadband: 150 kbit/s
- NASA TV Media Player stream - Low broadband: 150 kbit/s (alternate)
- NASA TV Media Player stream - Mid broadband: 300 kbit/s
- NASA TV Media Player stream - High broadband: 500 kbit/s
- NASA TV Media Player stream - Full speed: 1200 kbit/s
Payload:
Glory:
E1P (Explorer 1 Prime):
KySat 1:
HERMES:
Spacecraft:|
Type / Application:|Earth Science|Technology
Operator:|NASA|Montana Space Grant Consortium
Contractors:|Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)|Montana Space Grant Consortium
Equipment:|Aerosol Polarimeter, Total Irradiance Monitor Instrument|
Configuration:|LEOStar|CubeSat
Propulsion:|45 kg, monopropellant blowdown, 4 x 4N thrusters|
Power:|2 solar arrays|
Lifetime:|3 years (5 years goal)|
Mass:|545 kg|1 kg
Orbit:|705 km, 98.2°|
Appearance:|
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Spacecraft:|
Type / Application:|Technology|Technology
Operator:|Kentucky Space|Colorado Space Grant Consortium (CoSGC)
Contractors:|Kentucky Space|Colorado Space Grant Consortium (CoSGC)
Configuration:|CubeSat|CubeSat
Mass:|1 kg|1 kg
Appearance:|
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The Glory satellite is a earth science mission, which uses the refurbished bus of the cancelled VCL satellite. It will feature an instrument to measure atmoshperic aerosols and a Total Irradiance Monitor to continue the mission of SORCE. Another instrument will measure the levels of man-made pollutants in the atmosphere.
The on-board instruments:
The on-board instruments:
- Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS) will collect global aerosol data based on measurements of light reflected within the solar reflective spectral region of Earth's atmosphere. Since clouds can have a significant impact on the quality of these measurements, an onboard cloud camera will be used to distinguish between clear and cloud filled scenes. A three-year mission life (five-year goal) provides a minimum time period to observe seasonal and regional trends and characterize the evolution of aerosols during different climate events, such as El Niño, volcanic eruptions, etc.
- The cloud camera is a high-spatial-resolution two-band radiometer intended to facilitate the identification of cloudcontaminated APS pixels and to determine the fraction of the pixel area occupied by clouds. Over ocean, the cloud camera will be used to determine aerosol load and fine mode fraction based on the aerosol microphysical model determined from APS measurements. The Cloud Camera is not a separate instrument, but rather is used to identify clouds in the APS nadir pixel.
- Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), developed and provided by the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), will collect high accuracy, high precision measurements of total solar irradiance (TSI), or the amount of solar radiation in the Earth's atmosphere over a period of time. The TIM is a heritage-design instrument that was originally flown on the SORCE satellite, which was launched in January 2003.
E1P (Explorer 1 Prime):
Explorer 1 [PRIME] (E1P) is a Montana Space Grant Consortium Cubesat-class satellite in development by the Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) at Montana State University.
Its mission is to detect the Van Allen radiation belts in honor of the 50th anniversary of Explorer-1, America's first satellite that first discovered the cloud of highly energetic electrons trapped in the Earth's magnetic field.
E1P will carry a miniature Geiger tube donated by Dr. Van Allen using it to measure the intensity and variability of these electrons in low earth orbit.
E1P will demonstrate software technology developed at SSEL that uses a popular chip radio to close a digital data link with standard ham radio hardware allowing people around the world to contact the satellite and download science and housekeeping data.
Its mission is to detect the Van Allen radiation belts in honor of the 50th anniversary of Explorer-1, America's first satellite that first discovered the cloud of highly energetic electrons trapped in the Earth's magnetic field.
E1P will carry a miniature Geiger tube donated by Dr. Van Allen using it to measure the intensity and variability of these electrons in low earth orbit.
E1P will demonstrate software technology developed at SSEL that uses a popular chip radio to close a digital data link with standard ham radio hardware allowing people around the world to contact the satellite and download science and housekeeping data.
KySat 1:
KySat-1, the first satellite ever built in Kentucky, is a cube shaped picosat-class CubeSat satellite powered by solar energy, weighs 1 kg and measures 10cm on a side. Once KySat's on-board computers confirm its release into orbit, Kentucky Space ground controllers in Kentucky will operate the satellite for the duration of its expected 18-24 month mission. After proper operation is confirmed, KySat-1 will be made available to K-12 students throughout Kentucky, and the world, to allow them to issue select commands to the satellite and download the data received.
HERMES:
Hermes plans to improve CubeSat communications through the on-orbit testing of a high data-rate communication system that will allow the downlink of large quantities of data, making CubeSat imaging or high-data quantity science easily feasible.
Another objective of the project is to create a reproducible and extensible spacecraft bus in the support of future missions. This will allow future CoSGC CubeSat teams to focus more on the science aspects of low-earth orbit spaceflight, rather than the logistics of designing a spacecraft.
Similarly, the final specified mission objective is to characterize the typical CubeSat environment. This will occur through the gathering of temperature and magnetic field data throughout the flight.
Another objective of the project is to create a reproducible and extensible spacecraft bus in the support of future missions. This will allow future CoSGC CubeSat teams to focus more on the science aspects of low-earth orbit spaceflight, rather than the logistics of designing a spacecraft.
Similarly, the final specified mission objective is to characterize the typical CubeSat environment. This will occur through the gathering of temperature and magnetic field data throughout the flight.
Glory
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E1P (Explorer 1 Prime)
Type / Application:|Earth Science|Technology
Operator:|NASA|Montana Space Grant Consortium
Contractors:|Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)|Montana Space Grant Consortium
Equipment:|Aerosol Polarimeter, Total Irradiance Monitor Instrument|
Configuration:|LEOStar|CubeSat
Propulsion:|45 kg, monopropellant blowdown, 4 x 4N thrusters|
Power:|2 solar arrays|
Lifetime:|3 years (5 years goal)|
Mass:|545 kg|1 kg
Orbit:|705 km, 98.2°|
Appearance:|
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Spacecraft:|
KySat 1
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HERMES
Type / Application:|Technology|Technology
Operator:|Kentucky Space|Colorado Space Grant Consortium (CoSGC)
Contractors:|Kentucky Space|Colorado Space Grant Consortium (CoSGC)
Configuration:|CubeSat|CubeSat
Mass:|1 kg|1 kg
Appearance:|
Launch Vehicle:
Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It has been created by adding the stages of Pegasus (without wing and fins) to a Peacekeeper first stage or a Castor-120. It has been designed as a quick reaction launch vehicle, which can be launched from minimaly prepared places in a matter of a few days.
Version|Stage 1|Stage 2|Stage 3|Stage 4
Taurus-3110 (Taurus-XL) | Castor-120 | Orion-50SXLT | Orion-50XLT | Orion-38
Taurus-3110 (Taurus-XL) | Castor-120 | Orion-50SXLT | Orion-50XLT | Orion-38
Links:
- Glory Mission Website
- Goddard Space Flight Center Glory Website
- Goddard Institute for Space Studies Glory Science Website
- Glory Media Gallery at KSC Media Archive (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Glory Twitter
- Glory Facebook
- Spaceflight Now:
- Orbital Sciences:
Taurus Fact Sheet (PDF)
- SPACE.com: NASA Primes New Satellite to Study Earth's Climate
- Santa Maria Times: Taurus ready to blast off
- Scientific American: Glory in the Sky: New Satellite Set to Monitor the Sun and Reflected Heat to Determine Climate Effects
- PR Newswire: Ball Aerospace Cloud Cameras Fly Aboard NASA's Glory Mission
- The Atlantic: Liftoff: NASA's Glory Mission Should Advance the Climate Change Debate
Glory mission news and updates:
- 2009-03-12: NASA's Next Climate-Research Satellite One Step Closer to Orbit
- 2010-01-26: NASA Cues Up University CubeSats for Glory Launch This Fall
- 2010-11-22: Glory Team Overcomes Engineering Obstacles
- 2011-01-11: NASA's Glory Satellite Arrives At Vandenberg Air Force Base for Launch
- 2011-01-20: NASA’s Glory Mission Will Study Key Pieces of the Climate Puzzle
- 2011-02-08: Taurus XL Ready to Launch Glory Spacecraft
- 2011-02-10: Glory Climate Satellite Ready For California Launch On Feb. 23
- 2011-02-10: With A-List Help, Glory Aims to Unravel Uncertainties About Aerosols
Launch Timeline:
T [MM:SS]
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EVENT
+00:00
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Liftoff
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The first stage Castor 120 solid rocket motor is ignited and the Taurus rocket launches from pad 576E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
+01:25
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Staging
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After burning its solid-fuel propellant, the first stage is separated to fall into the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, the Orion 50SXLG solid rocket motor second stage is ignited.
+02:50
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Second stage jettison
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Having completed its firing at T+plus 2:45, the second stage separates from the rest of the Taurus rocket. The spent stage falls into the Pacific Ocean.
+02:52
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Third stage ignition
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The Orion 50XL solid rocket motor third stage ignites to continue the climb to orbit.
+02:58
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Jettison payload fairing
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The payload fairing nose cone that protected the spacecraft during the atmospheric ascent opens like a clam shell and falls away from the rocket.
+04:11
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Third stage burnout
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The Taurus rocket's third stage ends its burn after consuming all the solid-fuel propellant. A ballistic coast period now begins as the rocket heads toward the apogee of its final orbit.
+05:15
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Third stage separation
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The spent third stage is separated from the Taurus rocket's upper stage in preparation for the final push to orbit.
+09:58
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Fourth stage ignition
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The Taurus rocket's upper stage, an Orion 38 solid rocket motor to complete the powered flight for this launch, basically raising the perigee to achieve a circular orbit.
+11:10
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Fourth stage burnout
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The fourth stage completes its firing after consuming all of its solid-fuel propellant, injecting the stage and attached payloads into the desired orbit around Earth.
+13:05
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Glory separation
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NASA's Glory satellite is released into space from the rocket's upper stage to begin its climate-researching mission.
+13:15
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CubeSat separation
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The three tiny cubesats are ejected from the special deployer box attached to the rocket's upper stage, completing the ninth flight of Taurus.
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