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.
Since i happen to live in the vicinity, but not the _near_ vicinity, of this launch, it would sure be nice if you guys said something, one way or another, about the possibility (or impossibility) of viewing this launch. Viewing the Vandenberg website, one would be completely unaware that this was occurring at all, much less whether one would be allowed near enough to see it. Is there something being concealed or are you just not proud enough of what you are doing to publicize it?
Hi Dave – For viewing information, try this page: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/viewing.html. For more about the OCO-2 spacecraft and the mission it’s embarking on, visit https://www.nasa.gov/oco2/.
Interesting..