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TacSat-2 Launch Info

courtesy Geoff C, NOVAC

For those of you who aren't planning to take the trip to Wallops, here is some info that may be of use if you plan to try to observe from here.

Launch is currently scheduled for 7:00 am EST. The launch window is from that time until 10:00 am. There will be a live webcast of the launch at www.wff.nasa.gov/webcast/.

Plugging the location of the launch pad into my GPS receiver, the distance & bearing from Alexandria is 109.5 miles at 127 degrees azimuth.

The rocket will launch toward an easterly azimuth, then turn southeasterly. From here it will appear to climb almost straight up, then pitch over and head for the horizon, moving almost directly away from us. First stage burnout occurs one minute after launch at an altitude of 21 miles. Stage 2 ignition occurs at 00:01:01 Mission Elapsed Time (MET). The second stage fires for 72 seconds. At MET 00:02:13 it burns out at an altitude of 80 miles and about 250 miles downrange. 3rd stage ignition occurs 2 seconds later, and continues for 73 seconds. Burnout occurs at MET 00:03:29 at an altitude of 137 miles. There will be a 4 minute coast period as the final stage climbs to 250 miles before ignition.

We will probably get a good look at the first 2 stages burning before the vehicle starts to head for the horizon. If it is anything like some of the Titan-III launches I used to watch from 120 miles south of Cape Canaveral it should be a pretty cool show.

Here's hoping for clear skies and an on-time launch tomorrow!

Elizabeth W.

TacSat-2 Launch

date: 16 December 2006, 06:59, 07:00
location: Alexandria, VA (balcony)
film: CMOS chip ISO 400 equivalent, f/5.6
exposure: 1/80, 1/100
camera setup: Canon EOS 20Da, 65mm (28-135mm lens)
telescope setup:

comments: Was trying to listen to the webcast, but with the buffering etc, there was a bit of a time lag. Luckily, I was outside and could faintly hear a roar. Whether it was from the rocket or not I don't know, but it made me look and I could see that the rocket had launched. So I started taking pictures! You can see the rocket plume on the right side of the right image above.
original image: IMG_5889.JPG, IMG_5890.JPG

date: 16 December 2006, 07:01am
location: Alexandria, VA (balcony)
film: CMOS chip ISO 400 equivalent, f/5.6
exposure: 1/125, 1/125
camera setup: Canon EOS 20Da, 135mm (28-135mm lens)
telescope setup:

comments: Just spectacular!
original image: IMG_5910.JPG, IMG_5915

date: 16 December 2006, 07:02am
location: Alexandria, VA (balcony)
film: CMOS chip ISO 400 equivalent, f/5.6
exposure: 1/80, 1/80
camera setup: Canon EOS 20Da, 28mm, 135mm (28-135mm lens)
telescope setup:

comments: Very colorful with the coming dawn and bright plume.
original image: IMG_5941.JPG, IMG_5942.JPG

date: 16 December 2006, 07:03
location: Alexandria, VA (balcony)
film: CMOS chip ISO 400 equivalent, f/5.6
exposure: 1/100, 1/100
camera setup: Canon EOS 20Da, 28mm (28-135mm lens)
telescope setup:

comments: left: You can still see the rocket as a little 'comet' left and a little up from the plume. right: It didn't take long for the plume to get distorted by the winds.
original image: IMG_5947.JPG, IMG_5953.JPG