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originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: dezertdog
i was also trying to find the significance of the lady, the purple hair (seen on the mission patch and the poster) and the trident.
So far I've only made a connection to Ursula (from The Little Mermaid), Nue Houjuu (a Japanese video game character that had the ability to hide an objects true identity), and Andromeda (from Marvels Guardian) that had the ability to see deep under water.
originally posted by: Shadowhawk
I was at Vandenberg for that launch, with "front row seats" just a few miles from the pad. Countdown and fueling began on schedule even though there was only a predicted 40-percent chance of acceptable weather conditions at launch time. The launch director had already delayed liftoff by 24 hours due to the fast moving storm that drenched California. This proved to be an excellent decision. The rocket lifted off into mostly clear skies, with mild temperatures and light winds, just as the the trailing edge of the storm system crossed the coastline. As a night launch of an Atlas V with four solid-propellant boosters it was a truly spectacular sight (and sound!). The Atlas was visible through booster separation and staging before disappearing over the cloudy horizon. Two NRO public affairs representatives present at the viewing site refused to provide any details on the nature of the payload, but most analysts believe it is one of a new generation of signals intelligence collection spacecraft. It may carry other sensors as well.
originally posted by balanc3:
I got to see the launch from my home in Los Angeles, including the separation...
I'm still at a loss to wrap my brain around the flight path I witnessed, seeing as Vandenberg AFB is to my north, by like 90miles or so, how did i watch this thing go from apparently WSW in the sky to SSE? it was friggin awesome to say the least and actually inspires me to learn more math.
but how common is a launch path like that? it seemed to be heading over mexico...
originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: DigitalJedi805
Polar orbit. That's the best reason why it went that way.
As far as I know, for now at least all geosynchronous launches are out of Vandenberg.
originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: DigitalJedi805
Polar orbit. That's the best reason why it went that way.
As far as I know, for now at least all geosynchronous launches are out of Vandenberg.
originally posted by: Imperium Americana
originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: dezertdog
i was also trying to find the significance of the lady, the purple hair (seen on the mission patch and the poster) and the trident.
So far I've only made a connection to Ursula (from The Little Mermaid), Nue Houjuu (a Japanese video game character that had the ability to hide an objects true identity), and Andromeda (from Marvels Guardian) that had the ability to see deep under water.
If I had to guess I would say Hecate. The purple and the Alchemy symbols would make sense.
Hecate is the daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria. She is the Greek goddess of magic, sorcery, witchcraft, crossroads, trivial knowledge, and necromancy.
originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: dezertdog
In the poster, these are alchemical symbols. The bottom triangle symbolizes fire, while the middle one is for Earth and the top one is air.
As for it's significance, I don't know.
Although associated with other moon goddesses such as Selene, she ruled over three kingdoms; the earth, the sea, and the sky. She had the power to create or hold back storms, which influenced her patronage of shepherds and sailors.
originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: cmdrkeenkid
.....The newer ones are capable of doing more than just watching for launches.