Vandenberg to launch its tallest rocket

[n2doc]

By W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times
January 20, 2011


Perched in the fog-covered hills of Lompoc north of Santa Barbara sits a massive 23-story rocket ready to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The three-engine Delta IV Heavy rocket, the tallest ever to be launched from the base, will be carrying a top-secret spy satellite for the U.S. government capable of snapping pictures detailed enough to distinguish the make and model of an automobile thousands of miles below, analysts say.

As early as Thursday afternoon, the massive rocket will lift off from the base's Space Launch Complex 6, leaving a thick white plume over the Pacific Ocean as it cuts across the afternoon sky. At 235 feet tall, it's so large that base officials have studied whether the thunderous blastoff will shatter windows nearby.

"We got the word out to people, so they don't think it's an earthquake," said Lt. Ann K. Blodzinski, an Air Force spokeswoman. "Even if you don't see it, you're definitely going to feel it. It's significantly more powerful than our typical launches at Vandenberg."

more
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-vandenberg-rocket-20110120,0,2699692.story

[Richardo]

1. I shipped the liquid nitrogen supply tanks!

There are four of them, about 130' long, 13' diameter.

These supply nitrogen to the vehicle launch pad, they're not on the rocket itself.

[n2doc]

2. That's one big freakin' tank!

[gristy]

4. Oh, my. What were the logistics? Is there a port nearby? Or were you on a freeway some?

[Richardo]

5. VAFB is ~90 miles from the port. We had to truck them over 300 miles.

Et voila!

[RT Atlanta]

6. Wow!

When? At night? Or if not at night, were there special convoys that escorted you? How long did the trip take?

Very cool that you're such a part of the launch team.

Cheers!

[RT Atlanta]

3. Cool

Hope the launch is successful... those heavy-lift boosters are amazingly powerful.

I was always disappointed that the shuttle launches were cancelled from Vandenberg - despite the hundreds of millions spent to get the facility ready for human-rated space launches.

[hunter]

7. Those wheels look inadequate for a land speed record.

Wouldn't it be cool to launch a rocket that big horizontally?

[sofa king]

8. Launch of giant rocket in Southern Ca. heard for miles.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-vandenberg-launch-20110121,0,410521.story

At 1:10 p.m. Pacific time, the 23-story Delta IV Heavy rocket lifted off from the base just north of Santa Barbara. A white plume trailed the massive rocket as it ascended.

Standing 235 feet tall, the rocket was so large that the blast reportedly was heard as far away as 50 miles.

_________________

We appear to be on the verge of a heavy-lift renaissance, with the Delta IV Heavy working out well, the Falcon 9 Heavy on a potentially accelerated schedule, the man-in-mind Ariane 5 fully mature, and the Chinese Long March 5 series well on its way (with the Chinese also considering a rocket five times as powerful as the LM5).

Oh, and no doubt that piece of poo Ares will vampirically suck NASA funding away from efforts to build a good heavy lift vehicle, leaving the U.S. little choice but to hope that SpaceX continues its run of excellent results. One more reason to despise George W. Bush.

[meow mix]

9. new eyes for big brother, hooray!!!