Atlas V launch, 2133 EST 23JAN2014

reply to post by CagliostroTheGreat


Nothing too strange. Just North of PAFB a quiet but large aircraft, about the size of a C-17 which are common here. It had the right lights for an bird. A rough guess is about 2000m high and cruising about 200 knots going east over the ocean. I didn't watch it for long because word got out it was delayed and I wanted to check on the status.

CagliostroTheGreat
reply to post by jrod

 

Like, strange aircraft as in...

I am in T-ville, maybe I was too focused on the rocket, but I didn't see any other aircraft in the vicinity.

Please elaborate jrod, if you will.

Titusville! my home town.

I'm in Melbourne Beach and didnt know a thing about......oh well

grubblesnert

CagliostroTheGreat
reply to post by jrod

 

Like, strange aircraft as in...

I am in T-ville, maybe I was too focused on the rocket, but I didn't see any other aircraft in the vicinity.

Please elaborate jrod, if you will.

Titusville! my home town.

I'm in Melbourne Beach and didnt know a thing about......oh well

Hey! Viera checking in here. I watched it from my backyard, had a great view but a not so great camera.

reply to post by Cherryontop


Dang the "Veira area" I love saying that

Nice pics,

This has got me wondering how many Brevardian are on this site!?!?

P.S. Once in a while, with my job (FD) we would have to move to Somewhere in Veira for coverage.
I'de get on the radio and say "standing by in the "Veira ary errr" the dispatchers like it.
Corny but effective.

Anyone know whats on it?

jrod
reply to post by Aleister

 

TDRS-L

A tracking and relay satellite.

www.nasa.gov...

That is the payload. It did seem to take a long time to clear the pad so I am assuming it was a heavy load for the Atlas V.

reply to post by jrod


One of the three guys that was broadcasting from on top of the VAB said the payload weight was 7500lbs.

crazyewok
Anyone know whats on it?

Here's an article on the tracking and relay satellite, the second of the third generation TRR satellites to go into orbit:

www.pcworld.com...

TDRS-L (say: Tee-Driss) is the second satellite in a trio that will connect the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope and other satellites with NASA control centers on the ground. To date, 11 TDRS satellites have been put into orbit and eight remain operational. TDRS-L joins TDRS-K, an identical satellite that launched last year. The last of the trio, TDRS-M, is slated to go into orbit in 2015.

Before the TDRS fleet became operational in 1983, satellites didn’t have constant contact with the ground. In the 1970s satellites orbiting the Earth relied on NASA’s network of ground stations to provide a communications network. As the satellite passed over one of the ground stations it would exchange information. But the small network could only cover just 15 percent of the satellite’s orbit, according to NASA.