Wallops sounding rocket launch tonight 7-9pm
- Thread starter dgates80
- Start date
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops
It has the old footage. Don't know when they typically start the livecast.
It has the old footage. Don't know when they typically start the livecast.
Live stream is up with current launch tonight.
cheezgrits
Thought pirate
Saw the rocket, burn ended about 40 degrees above the horizon (Mechanicsville) no spectacular colors, though.
I saw the payload release, but it was not very bright and faded in about a minute. Cool colors though!
GWguy
*
Viewed it from Solomons. Pretty unspectacular this time. The payload was deployed much higher in the sky than a previous one, so the effect wasn't as dramatic, and there were high thin clouds which softened it.
But it was still a nice evening for a bike ride and late dinner. Just got home.
But it was still a nice evening for a bike ride and late dinner. Just got home.
Goldenhawk
Well-Known Member
Never saw the rocket plume itself; maybe there were low clouds hiding it. I did clearly see the barium release, a sudden soft bloom of orange and green about the diameter of a full moon, but it faded very quickly, maybe 30 seconds. The lack of a countdown clock was very annoying; the only reason I had any clue was hearing the announcer say that targeted liftoff time was 7:07PM. It also helped that I heard them state that the release time was expected at 7:13, which in fact was what happened. But no clock or indication of timeline on the screen or any of the usual websites.
Grumpy
Well-Known Member
It was a sounding rocket, doesn't go into orbit, takes measurements / does experiments in the upper atmosphere.
Kinnakeet
Well-Known Member
Goldenhawk
Well-Known Member
The NASA site we're discussing is at Wallops Island, VA, just south of Chincoteague.
From the Pax River area, look just south of directly east. You can often see the rocket plume as a bright orange spark rising into the sky; it usually burns out at something like 20-30 deg above the horizon, depending on the kind of rocket. Of course, any clouds make it invisible, and even moderate haze will obscure it. The barium cloud last night was about 45 deg above the horizon (about halfway to directly overhead); that is high enough that you can see even if there's low-altitude haze.
Last year when the rocket exploded on the pad, we could easily see the orange flash in the eastern sky, even though it was well below the visible horizon and behind nearby trees.