Category Archives: NASA’s Wallops Activities

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Activites

We have a “GO” for launch (Sunday July 13, 12:52pm EDT)

At a Launch Readiness Review Saturday, managers for Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, and NASA gave a “go” to proceed toward the Sunday, July 13 launch of the Orb-2 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Orbital is targeting a 12:52 p.m. EDT launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at noon.

There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather at the time of launch.

NASA TV will broadcast a prelaunch news briefing today from the Wallops visitors center at 4:30 p.m. The briefing will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency’s website at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/orbital and http://www.nasa.gov/station.

SubTec-6 – Sounding Rocket Flight Ends Prematurely with a Crash

Sounding Rocket Flight Ends Prematurely:

After a few days not launching due to boats in the range area, early this morning the Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket launched. Just seconds into the launch there was an issue with the second stage motor. This caused the rocket to go into a tumble and crash about one mile down range into the ocean at the northern edge of the hazard zone established by NASA. Good thing NASA makes sure the range is clear for boats.
Check out this video “NASA-TV Wallops” on @Ustream http://ustre.am/:3lwLt !
NASA Posted on July 2, 2014:

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va.—The flight of a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility ended prematurely today at 4:36 a.m. EDT about 19 seconds after its launch.

Range controllers detected a flight anomaly with the second stage Improved Malemute motor; the vehicle flew to an altitude of 27,000 feet and impacted about one nautical mile downrange.

There were no injuries or property damage as the vehicle landed in the established hazard zone in the Atlantic Ocean, which was cleared prior to launch.

A NASA team will investigate the cause of the flight anomaly and more information will be released as it becomes available

For more mission information: Subtec-6 – NASA To Test Suborbital Rocket Technologies


 

SubTec-6 – UPDATE: Tuesday, July 1 Launch scrubbed

UPDATE: The SubTec-6 launch scheduled for Tuesday, July 1, has scrubbed due to boats in the hazard area and poor science conditions.  The countdown got to the last minute but the range remained RED due to boats in the area and the launch was scrubbed again.

The next launch attempt is Wednesday, July 2, with a launch window from 4 to 5 a.m., targeted launch time of 4:36 a.m.

The webcast should begin at 3 a.m. or so – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops

Full Story: Subtec-6 – NASA To Test Suborbital Rocket Technologies

SubTec-6 – UPDATE: Monday, June 30 Launch scrubbed

UPDATE: The SubTec-6 launch scheduled for Monday, June 30, has scrubbed due to boats in the hazard area and poor science conditions. The next launch attempt is Tuesday, July 1, with a launch window from 4 to 5 a.m.

The webcast will begin at 3 a.m.  – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops

Full Story: Subtec-6 – NASA To Test Suborbital Rocket Technologies

SubTec-6 – NASA to Test Suborbital Rocket Technologies

The Launch (SubTec-6):

On Saturday, June 28th 2014 NASA plans to launch a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.  The launch is expected between 4 and 5 a.m.  The backup launch days are June 29 through July 2.

Credit: NASA
Credit: NASA

There are a number of ways to view or track the launch (besides USAinSpace).

Launch status also is available by phone on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.

Or Android users can download the “What’s Up at Wallops” app, which contains information on the launch as well as a compass showing the precise direction for launch viewing. The app is available for download at: http://go.nasa.gov/17veCYT

Credit: NASA
Credit: NASA

 The Mission:

The mission is to deploy a system for forming vapor clouds used to track the winds for studies of the ionosphere. This will be done using a CubeSat. CubeSats are low-cost satellites that come in a verity of configurations.  They have been deployed by small rockets, large rockets with other payloads and also sent to the ISS on cargo missions and deployed straight from the ISS.

This flight will test a sub-payload deployment method using small rocket motors like those used in model rockets to eject the sub-payloads from the main payload. Two sub-payloads contain mostly barium and small amounts of lithium and strontium.  They will burn these rapidly vaporizing them to form a cloud that will be used to help  measure the wind in the transition region between the Earth’s atmosphere and space. The vapor releases occur at approximately 220 seconds after vehicle lift-off between 68 and 86 miles above the Earth.

According to reports, the may be seen by residents in the mid-Atlantic region. So if you live anywhere even close, look up, you may see NASA clouds.