Click here for more photos of New Horizons' launch preparations.
NEW HORIZONS Update: Only 10 days till launch... It has been relatively quiet at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida over the past two weeks because of the holidays, but things are scheduled to pick up on Monday when final preparations are made to launch the world's first ever robotic mission to Pluto. This week, inspection was completed on the Atlas V’s first stage fuel tank after there were concerns over its structural integrity during the rocket’s flight into space. No defects were found. Also, the White House gave NASA final launch approval...since New Horizons is carrying a nuclear generator on board, and all launches that involve the use of nuclear power requires the White House's Office of Science, Technology and Policy to green-light the liftoff. Below is a list of activities that remain before New Horizons lifts off on January 17:
Yesterday, January 6
Completion of launch vehicle ordnance installation. By ordnance I think they mean the explosives used to separate the five solid rocket boosters (SRBs... Three of the boosters can se seen in the pic above) from the Atlas V launch vehicle, the self-destruct mechanism used in case there is a launch mishap and the bolts used to separate the various stages (for the Atlas V carrying New Horizons, there are three stages: The first stage core with the RD-180 engine, the Centaur second stage motor and the Boeing third stage kick motor directly attached to New Horizons).
Monday, January 9
Closeout activity for the Boeing third stage motor.
Tuesday, January 10
The safe and arm devices (SAD) will be installed onto the five solid rocket boosters. The devices are used to ignite the fuel inside the boosters as the countdown hits zero for liftoff on January 17.
January 11 – 13
Closeouts and final documentation of the New Horizons spacecraft will take place. This includes the installation of the nuclear generator (also known as, once again, the radioisotope thermoelectric generator...or RTG) to the space probe. And once again, in case you’re wondering, the nuclear generator consists of non-weapons-grade plutonium.
New Horizons sits within the Atlas V's nose fairing after its nuclear generator (the
gray circular object towards the center of the spacecraft) is installed.
Thursday, January 12
The final power-on integrated test between New Horizons and the Atlas V will be conducted.
Saturday, January 14
The fairing doors (including the door through which the RTG is installed onto New Horizons) will be installed for flight. If you don’t know what a fairing is, it’s the huge white nose cone of the rocket that you see in the photo at the very top of this journal entry.
Monday, January 16
Rollout of the Atlas V from the Vertical Integration Facility (the building where the rocket was assembled) to the launch pad at Complex 41 is scheduled to occur at 7:30 AM, Pacific Standard Time (PST). In the afternoon, the storable RP-1 fuel will be loaded aboard the Atlas first stage tank.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17
The launch pad at Complex 41 will be cleared of personnel in preparation for cryogenic fueling operations, which are scheduled to begin 2 hours before liftoff (8:24 AM, PST). Liftoff is still scheduled for 10:24 AM, PST. Click on my December 19, 2005 entry for more details.
Schedule courtesy of NASA.gov
ABOVE: A chart showing the flight path the Atlas V rocket will take over the planet.
New Horizons will begin its escape boost out of Earth orbit above Australia. Courtesy
of SpaceflightNow.Com
No comments:
Post a Comment