Remember to join us right here at 12:45 a.m. PDT, 3:45 a.m. EDT for live coverage of the OCO-2 launch countdown!
In the meantime, we’ve posted a couple of videos to bring you up to speed on the mission to come — and how the OCO-2 spacecraft and the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket got to this point.
Check out this webcast, which explains OCO-2’s quest for carbon dioxide:
Learn how the observatory and rocket were readied for liftoff:
Managers gave a “go” to proceed toward the launch of OCO-2 at the conclusion of today’s Launch Readiness Review. The spacecraft is sealed atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket set to lift off from Space Launch Complex 2 on Tuesday, July 1 at 2:56 a.m. PDT, 5:56 a.m. EDT. Tuesday, July 1, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. There are no issues or concerns with either the observatory or the rocket, and weather is not expected to be a problem.
Monday is L-1, meaning “one day before launch.” That’s when RP-1 fuel will be loaded aboard the Delta II’s first stage, followed by rollback of the gantry-like mobile service tower surrounding the vehicle (pictured). Cryogenic liquid oxygen loading is scheduled to start early Tuesday, at 1:11 a.m. PDT, setting the stage for liftoff at 2:56 a.m.
It’s been a busy week for the teams preparing the OCO-2 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The nearly 1,000-pound observatory has been sealed inside the protective payload fairing atop the Delta II since Saturday, June 21. Fuel was loaded aboard the rocket’s second stage yesterday, wrapping up two days of hypergolic propellant loading activities. OCO-2’s onboard batteries will be charged today, followed by a powered health check tomorrow. NASA managers and launch officials will gather for the the Launch Readiness Review at 1 p.m. PDT on Sunday.
Launch is scheduled for July 1 at 2:56 a.m. PDT, 5:56 a.m. EDT. Our live countdown coverage begins right here at 12:45 a.m. PDT, 3:45 a.m. EDT.
