George Diller/NASA Launch Commentator: This is Delta Launch Control.
At this time we�re preparing to de-tank the Delta II rocket based on our decision
to
not try a launch today.
And here to discuss the situation is Tim Dunn, our NASA launch manager for today�s
countdown for the Launch Services Program.
So, Tim, tell us how we began to gradually lead up to what ultimately came to pass.
Tim Dunn/NASA Launch Manager: OK, I�ll be glad to do that George. So obviously
it�s a slight disappointment to the team that we weren�t able to launch today, but
we
understand the factors involved in upper level winds.
If I could take a moment, we had a beautiful countdown. Everything on the Delta II
rocket was rock solid. And the spacecraft had absolutely no issues.
I�d like to thank our 30th Space Wing Air Force partners. They had a clean and green
range. All range instrumentation was terrific.
So we had a very nominal countdown as we loaded liquid oxygen on the vehicle.
The one thing that was kind of dogging us through the countdown was those upper-
level winds. All of our surface-level winds on the ground were green. However we
released weather balloons to track the upper-level atmospheric conditions for wind
speed, wind direction, so we know how to fly through those regions of maximum
dynamic pressure.
Unfortunately today, both from a loading on the rocket and a controllability of the
rocket, we were in a condition with upper-level winds that we just did not have the
capability to fly the Delta II safely through the maximum dynamic pressure region of
flight. That�s disappointing but those are our launch
rules and we understand how to
handle those. And we did everything we could at the last portion of the countdown to
try to manipulate that upper-level wind data against a number of different curve-fits
that we can fly differently through those regimes. Just none of those would
accommodate our flight path and trajectory today.
So what we�ve done, we�ve executed a scrub for today�s countdown, we�ll de-tank
the rocket and we�re setting up for a 24-hour turnaround. So we�ll be at it again
tomorrow.
George Diller/NASA Launch Commentator: So it the launch window exactly the
same as it was today?
Tim Dunn/NASA Launch Manager: The launch window remains exactly the same.
The same T-0 and the same three-minute launch window.
George Diller/NASA Launch Commentator: So at this point there is really no
trouble shooting for the team to do. It�s pretty much just be a standard 24-hour scrub
due to upper-level winds.
Tim Dunn/NASA Launch Manager: That�s absolutely the case. So we have a very
professional team both on the range side, on the spacecraft side, and on the launch-
vehicle side.
Everyone is executing their procedures right now to safe their systems. And to set us
up for an opportunity. We�ll go ahead and roll the mobile service tower back around
the rocket. That�ll occur sometime around noon local here on the California coast at
Vandenberg.
And then we will go into our return to operations where tomorrow evening, or
actually, later this evening we�ll begin to retract the MST about in the 8:30 to 9
o�clock timeframe.
And then be back on console about 1 a.m. tomorrow morning
George Diller/NASA Launch Commentator: Well Tim, thank you very much and I
guess we�ll be back again tomorrow and take it again from the top.
Tim Dunn/NASA Launch Manager: Sounds good.
George Diller/NASA Launch Commentator: Thanks so much. Tim Dunn, our
launch manager. So at this point this is going to conclude our launch coverage for
tonight and we will be back at 4 a.m. on Friday morning Pacific time, tomorrow, to
resume our launch coverage and hopefully to a toward a successful liftoff of the
United Launch Alliance Delta II with NASA�s SMAP observatory
This is Delta Launch Control.