♪♪
>> WELCOME TO THE KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER AS WE CELEBRATE THE SOLAR
ORBITER, BETWEEN THE SPACE
AGENCY AND NASA.
IT WAS DEVELOPED BY AIRBUS, AND
IT WILL CAPTURE THE FIRST IMAGES
OF THE POLES.
AND IT'S MANAGING THE LAUNCH
OPERATIONS, AND LIFT-OFF IS
TARGETED FOR SUNDAY, AT 11:03
P.M. EASTERN TIME AT SPACE
LAUNCH COMPLEX 41 AT THE NEWLY
NAMED CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE
STATION.
THE ROCKET IS THE UNITED LAUNCH
ALLIANCE ATLAS 5.
I'VE GOT A PANEL JOINING ME TO
THE LEFT.
CAESAR GARCIA FROM THE EUROPEAN
SPACE AGENCY.
NEXT TO HIM IS IAN WALTERS
PROJECT MANAGER FOR SOLAR
ORBITER AND HE'S WITH AIRBUS
DEFENSE AND SPACE.
NEXT TO HIM IS ALAN ZIY, A
PROGRAM EXECUTIVE AT NASA
HEADQUARTERS AND TO HIS LEFT,
TIM DUNN, NASA'S LAUNCH DIRECTOR
FOR THIS MISSION FOLLOWED BY
SCOTT MESSER, NASA LSP FOR
UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE AND LAST
BUT NOT LEAST, JESSICA WILLIAMS,
LAUNCH OFFICER FROM THE 45TH
SPACE WING AT CAPE CANAVERAL
SPACE FORCE STATION.
WE'LL START WITH BRIEF OPENING
COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE
YOUR QUESTIONS AND CAESAR, LET'S
START WITH YOU, YOU'VE GOT THE
MISSION DOWN HERE.
IT'S AN EXCITING ONE.
YOU WERE JUST TELLING ME IT'S
BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE YOU'VE
LAUNCHED HERE AT THE NASA
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
>> NOT ME PERSONALLY, BUT THE
EUROPEAN STATION LAUNCHED FROM
HERE.
THAT WAS ALSO A MISSION TO
OBSERVE THE SUN.
AND ALSO BUILT IN EUROPE LIKE
THIS ONE AND ALSO LAUNCHED FROM
HERE WITH THE U.S. LAUNCHER
VEHICLE.
SO IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE'RE
HERE TODAY FOR THIS.
>> VERY GOOD.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT
THE MISSION?
>> OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN SEE SOME
OF THE CHARTS THAT WE PREPARED.
OKAY.
THE--
OKAY, SO THE FIRST -- WE WANTED
TO SHOW YOU SOME PHOTOS OF THE
SPACECRAFT AS IT WAS A COUPLE OF
DAYS AGO AND WE HAVE A
SPACECRAFT AND WE'LL TALK MORE
IN DETAIL ABOUT IT WHICH LOOKS
BEAUTIFUL WITHIN THE FARING, AND
I LIKE PARTICULARY THE PHOTO ON
THE RIGHT TAKEN ONCE THE
SPACECRAFT WAS SURROUNDED BY THE
FARING.
ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
OUR MISSION IS WE HAVE TO BE
EXTREMELY CLEAN SO THAT THE
INSTRUMENTS CAN WORK IN SPACE
AND WE HAVE ACHIEVED THAT AND WE
HAVE CERTIFIED THAT YESTERDAY
AND EVERYTHING IS CLEAN FOR THE
MISSION.
AS WE MOVE TO THE NEXT PICTURE,
AS WE DID ALREADY TURN YEARS
AGO, THE SOLAR ORBITER IS AN
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND
THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE KEY
FEATURES OF MOST OF THE MISSIONS
WE DO IN EUROPE AND IN THIS CASE
ALSO WITH NASA, NOT ONLY TWO BIG
AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER, BUT
ALSO INSTRUMENTS AND VARIOUS
COUNTRIES WITHIN EUROPE AND HERE
IN THE STATES AND THIS IS A
UNIQUE MISSION, WE'VE BEEN ABLE
TO PUT ALL OF THESE TO WORK
TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY THEY ALSO
WORK TOGETHER IN ORBITER BECAUSE
WHEN ONE DETECTS AN INTERESTING
FIGURE, IT HAS THE OTHER
INSTRUMENTS LOOK AT IT IN THE
SENSITIVITY OF THE INSTRUMENT.
AS WE MOVE TO THE NEXT -- OKAY.
SO I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE
INSTRUMENTS, TEN INSTRUMENTS ON
THE MISSION AND WE DIVIDE INTO
TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES.
ONE WE MEASURE AND THE
SPACECRAFT ITSELF.
THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE
SPACECRAFT AND ALL THE PARTICLES
THAT COME FROM THE SUN AND WE
ALSO HAVE INSTRUMENTS WE CALL
REMOTE SCIENCE.
REMOTE INSTRUMENTS TAKEN LIKE
YOU GUYS ARE DOING NOW, THEY
TAKE IMAGES FROM THE SUN.
THEY TAKE IMAGES FROM THE
ULTRAVIOLET RANGE AND X-RAY AND
IMAGES NOT ONLY FROM THE SUN
ITSELF.
THEY BLOCK THE SUN.
THEY TAKE IMAGES OF THE CORONA
OF THE SUN AND THEY TAKE IMAGES
OF THE LIGHT SCATTERED IN THE
SOLAR WINDS LOOKING SIDE WAYS
FROM THE SPACECRAFT.
SO IT'S A WIDE RANGE OF
INSTRUMENTS.
ALTOGETHER TAKING VERY, YOU
KNOW, UNIQUE MEASUREMENTS AND
IMAGES FROM THE SUN.
IF WE MOVE -- THERE IS ANOTHER,
TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
OKAY.
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY DO IT?
WE LAUNCH FROM HERE WITH ATLAS
FIVE AND PUTS US IN THE SOLAR OR
BIT, AND IN THE SUN, WHAT WE
CALL THE MINIMUM DISTANCE TO THE
SUN.
SO AFTER A FEW YEARS, WE REDUCE
THAT DISTANCE TO ABOUT THE
DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SUN AND
MERCURY AND THAT WILL ALLOW US
TO TAKE UNPRECEDENTED IMAGES OF
THE SUN.
AT THE SAME TIME WE WILL USE
VENUS TO DO SLINGSHOT MANEUVERS
AROUND IT TO CHANGE THE ORBITAL
PLANE SO THE IMAGE WILL LOOK AT
THE PULSE OF THE SUN AND THIS
WILL BE THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT
WE WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE
SOLAR POLES.
OKAY.
MAYBE IF WE MOVE TO THE NEXT
PHOTOGRAPH.
I THINK WITH THIS, THE LAST
THING THAT I WANTED TO REALLY
SAY ABOUT OUR MISSION IS THAT
ONCE WE LAUNCH AND ONCE WE
SEPARATE FROM THE SPACECRAFT,
ALL THE OPERATIONS WILL BE RUN
FROM ESA, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
CENTER IN GERMANY.
WHAT YOU SEE IN THE IMAGE IS THE
CONTROL CENTER.
THEY GET READY AND WE DID A
DRESS REHEARSAL WITH OUR CONTROL
CENTER AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
THE SPACECRAFT AND GROUND WILL
BE DONE VIA ANTENNA ABOUT 100
FEET WIDE AND PLACED IN
LOCATIONS AROUND THE EARTH.
WE'RE USING MOSTLY ONE OF THE
THREE ANTENNAS, AND WE WILL BE
ABLE TO TALK TO OUR SPACECRAFT
EIGHT HOURS A DAY AND THIS IS
THE GRAND SUMMARY OF THE
MISSION.
>> A LOT OF TALK TIME WITH THAT,
THAT'S GOOD AND THEY TALK TO
EACH OTHER, THAT'S GOOD.
THANK YOU, CESAR.
IAN, TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
INSTRUMENTS IN THE SPACECRAFT
ITSELF.
>> WELL, THE SPACECRAFT IS
REALLY BUILT AROUND THE IDEA
THAT WE HIDE BEHIND A HEAT
SHIELD FOR THE WHOLE MISSION
BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURES ARE SO
HIGH, WE COULDN'T EASILY BUILD A
SPACECRAFT THAT COULD TOLERATE
THOSE TEMPERATURES.
SO WE BUILT A HEAT SHIELD THAT
CAN TOLERATE THE TEMPERATURES
AND WE HIDE BEHIND THAT SHIELD.
AND AS WE GO TO THE NEXT
PHOTOGRAPH YOU'LL SEE THAT
CLEARLY.
AND HERE YOU SEE THE HEAT
SHIELD, A BIG RECTANGULAR THING
ON FRONT OF THE SPACECRAFT.
BEHIND THE SPACECRAFT -- BEHIND
THE HEAT SHIELD THE REST OF THE
SPACECRAFT IS HIDING AND WE HAVE
TO KEEP THAT POINTING AT THE SUN
FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION UNLESS
WE'RE DOING MANEUVERS AND THE
REASON IS, AS I SAID, WE DON'T--
ABLE TO EASILY TOLERATE ANY HEAT
ON THE SIDES OF THE SPACECRAFT.
SO THAT HEAT SHIELD GETS UP TO
ABOUT 600 DEGREES CENTIGRADE,
THAT'S MORE THAN 1,000 DEGREES.
AND WE DO SOMETHING THAT PARKER
DOESN'T DO AND THAT'S OPEN
APERTURES AND TAKES PICTURES OF
THE SUN.
AND PARKER COULD NOT DO IT
BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT, BUT WEEK
DO IT IN THE INTENSELY HEATED
ENVIRONMENT.
THE INSTRUMENTS ITSELF GET RID
OF THE HEAT QUICKLY AND WE DO
THIS WITH A SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY
WHICH WE CALL A RADIATOR
ASSEMBLY AND TAKES THE HEAT AS
FAST AS POSSIBLE, CONDUCTS IT
VERY EFFICIENTLY THROUGH THE
SIDE OF THE SPACECRAFT.
AND IF WE MAYBE JUMP BACK TO
THAT SLIDE AGAIN, IT'S
CLASSICALLY GOT THE SOLAR
ARRAYS.
YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
POWER WHEN YOU'RE THAT CLOSE TO
THE SUN.
WHAT YOU HAVE IS A TEMPERATURE
PROBLEM.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE SOLAR ARRAYS ARE NOT
SUFFERING FROM THE EXTREME
TEMPERATURE THE HEAT SHIELD GETS
TO BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T
TOLERATE THOSE TEMPERATURES, WE
ALSO HAVE TO TILT THE SOLAR
ARRAYS AWAY FROM THE SUN.
SO THE FLY IS ALMOST EDGE ON
WHEN WE'RE CLOSE TO THE SUN.
AN ANGLE 78 DEGREES AWAY FROM
THE SUN LINE WHICH IS QUITE AN
EXTREME DEGREE ANGLE WITH THE
SOLAR ARRAYS.
YOU CAN SEE TWO, THREE, RATHER,
LONG ANTENNAS OUTSIDE OF THE
SIDE.
THE WAVE ANTENNAS, LOOKING FOR
RADIO SIGNALS IN THE PLASMA AND
YOU CAN JUST ABOUT MAKE OUT AN
INSTRUMENT BOOM AND YOU CAN SEE
IT BETTER IN THE VIDEO IN A
MINUTE.
THAT'S OVER FOUR METERS LONG AND
CONTAINS AS WELL THE SENSITIVE
INSTRUMENTS THAT WANT TO BE AS
FAR AWAY FROM THE SPACECRAFT AS
POSSIBLE AND WE PUT THEM ON A
LONG BOOM.
AND NOW IS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME
TO GO TO THE VIDEO.
SO THIS VIDEO SHOWS THE SEQUENCE
OF EVENTS THAT WILL HAPPEN
IMMEDIATELY AFTER LAUNCH BECAUSE
OF COURSE, THE LAUNCH IS A
FANTASTIC EVENT, BUT IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THAT, A NUMBER OF VERY
INTERESTING THINGS WILL HAPPEN
TO THE SPACECRAFT.
A LOT OF THEM, IN FACT,
AUTOMATIC.
THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS,
I'M SURE AS IS MENTIONED LATER
IS THE FARING WILL SEPARATE
BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET TO A
CERTAIN LOAD IN THE ATMOSPHERE,
THE SPACECRAFT ITSELF CAN
TOLERATE THE HEATING AND FLY
FREE FROM THE FARING.
THE NEXT ACTIVITY IS TO
CELEBRATE FROM THE UPPER STAGE,
THE CENTRAL STAGE AND THEN WE'RE
FREE FLYING AND THEN WE START AN
AUTOMATIC SOFTWARE PROGRAM, THE
FIRST THING THAT IT WILL DO IS
TO RELEASE THE SOLAR ARRAYS AS
SHOWN HERE AND WHEN THEY'RE
RELEASED WE DRY THEM OUT UNTIL
THEY'RE FULLY EXPANDED.
AND THEN THE SOLAR ARRAYS, WE'VE
USED THAT TECHNOLOGY BEFORE FOR
THE MERCURY MISSION, WE FLU 18
MONTHS OGG AGO ON THE WAY TO
MERCURY RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN THE ANTENNAS, AND THE
BOOM, AND DEPLOY THE ANTENNA ON
TOP AND THEN THE BOOM AND
RETATING THE SPACECRAFT AND GET
A NICE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT
BECAUSE WE WANT THE HINGES TO BE
WARM AND SECOND AND THIRD
ANTENNA IS DEPLOYED AND ALL OF
THIS IS THREE OR FOUR HOURS
IMMEDIATELY AFTER LAUNCH.
A LOT OF EXCITING STUFF STILL
GOING ON.
AND THEN THE LAST THING WE'LL DO
IS DEPLOY THE HIGH ANTENNA, YOU
CAN SEE THE BOTTOM TWO METER
DISH WE USE TO TRANSMIT DATA
BACK TO THE EARTH AND DEPLOY
THAT THE SECOND DAY.
THEN THE FRONT OF THE HEAT
SHIELD, ONCE WE GET TO AN
OPERATIONAL ORBIT WE'LL START TO
TAKE PICTURES.
AND HERE YOU SEE US IN THE
OPERATION A LITTLE BIT.
WE ACTUALLY CO-ROTATE WITH THE
SUN.
THE SUN ROTATES ONCE OVER 25
DAYS.
WHEN WE'RE AT THE CLOSEST POINT
WE CO-ROTATE AT THE SAME SPEED
AND ALLOWS US TO FOLLOW ANYTHING
ON THE SUN SURFACE, A NUMBER OF
DAYS CO-ROTATE WITH IT AND STUDY
IT AS IT EVOLVES.
WHICH IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING
MISSION.
>> ALL RIGHTY AND THANK YOU VERY
MUCH VERY MUCH.
MOVING ON TO ALAN.
WE HEARD IN THE LAUNCH READINESS
REVIEW, THERE ARE MORE THAN 20
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ALL WORKING
ON THIS PROJECT TOGETHER.
TALK ABOUT THAT INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LET ME START OUT WITH A QUICK
SHOUT OUT TO IDA MALDONADO, THE
PROJECT MANAGER, SHE WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AND BECAME
ILL AND WASN'T ABLE TO AND THE
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.
FOR ME IT'S ONE OF THE MOST
EXCITING MISSIONS I'VE WORKED ON
IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I'M AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, THE
INTERACTION OF THE SUN AND HOW
IT INTERACTS WITH THE EARTH AND
OUR DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, IT'S
AMAZING.
YOU KNOW, AS SOCIETY, AS A
MARVEL AS WE MOVE INTO SPACE AND
DO BUSINESS INTO SPACE, NASA,
THE COMMERCIAL COMMUNITIES WILL
ALL BE WORKING TOGETHER.
AND THE DATA FROM MISSIONS LIKE
THIS CREATES PREDICTIVE MODELS
SO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROTECT
OUR ASSETS, PROTECT OUR ASSETS
AS WE MOVE ON.
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION IS
AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WAY
NASA PERFORMS ITS MISSIONS.
SOLAR ORBITER IS A GREAT EXAMPLE
OF THIS.
BASICALLY, ESA AND NASA, YOU
KNOW, DECADES AGO RECOGNIZED
THAT WE HAD A LOT OF THE THINGS
WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE.
WE WORKOUT WORKED TOGETHER AND
REALIZE WHEN YOU DO AN
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION LIKE
THIS, YOU GET A MUCH BETTER
SCIENCE RETURN WITH BOTH
COUNTRIES PUTTING IN THEIR
ASSETS AND RESOURCES AND WE GET
ALL OF THIS DATA AT A BETTER
PRICE POINT.
IT'S WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.
I THINK WE ALSO LEARN A LOT FROM
EACH OTHER AS WE WORK TOGETHER
IN THESE TYPES OF
COLLABORATIONS.
WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S
CULTURES BETTER AND WE
UNDERSTAND HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
IT'S REALLY JUST A GREAT WAY TO
LEARN.
THE SCIENCE TEAMS HAVE JUST
WORKED FABULOUSLY TOGETHER AND
ALL THE SCIENCE WORKING GROUPS.
YOU'VE GOT U.S. TEAMS WORKING
ON, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SCIENCE
INSTRUMENTS FROM ESA AND VICE
VERSA.
IT'S REALLY A TIGHT
COLLABORATION.
BASICALLY IN CONCLUSION,
COLLABORATIONS ARE JUST SUCH A
GREAT VALUE FOR EVERYBODY, YOU
KNOW, BOTH FROM A TECHNICAL,
FROM A SCIENCE, FROM A RESOURCE
PERSPECTIVE.
AND IT REALLY HELPS WITH SPACE
DIPLOMACY AS WELL.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, ALAN.
APPRECIATE THAT.
AND EARLIER, CESAR WAS TELLING
ME I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH A
DIFFERENT ACCENT ON THE DIAS.
ACTUALLY OUR FRIEND TIM DUNN,
AND LAUNCH MANAGER AND
ALABAMAIAN.
TELL US ABOUT THE HARD WORK THAT
LSP PUT IN.
>> THANK YOU, DARRELL.
I'M PROUD TO BE HERE
REPRESENTING NASA'S LAUNCH
SERVICES PROGRAM AND ESPECIALLY
PROUD OF OUR TEAM FOR THE SOLAR
ORBITER MISSION WORKING
ALONGSIDE OUR COLLEAGUES AND
ENGINEERS AND ANALYST OF NASA
LSP WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN
LAUNCHING IN INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIP MISSION.
A SCIENTIFIC MARVEL THAT AMONG
OTHER SCIENCE WILL PROVIDE
UNPRECEDENTED VIEWS OF THE SUN'S
POLES.
NASA LSP HAS A DEMONSTRATED
RECORD OF SUCCESS FLYING ON THE
ATLAS FIVE.
TO DATE WE COUNT SEVEN MISSIONS
SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED ON THIS
MAGNIFICENT ROCKET.
MISSIONS TO PLUTO, JUPITER, THE
MOON, THE SUN, THE RADIATION
BELT.
FOUR SPACECRAFT TO MARS AND EVEN
THE ASTEROID.
SOLAR ORBITER WILL BE THE 18TH
NASA SCIENCE MISSION TO FLY ON
ATLAS FIVE AND SECOND OVERALL
ATLAS FIVE TO LAUNCH.
THE ORBITER WILL LAUNCH ON AN
ATLAS FIVE 411 VEHICLE.
I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE TEAM
ASSEMBLING THE LAUNCH VEHICLE AS
WELL AS PREPARING THE SPACECRAFT
IN TITUSVILLE AT ASTRO TECH.
HERE YOU SEE IT ARRIVING FROM
DECATUR, ALABAMA WHERE IT WAS
MANUFACTURED, COMES IN ON THE
MARINER VESSEL CALLED THE ROCKET
SHIP.
SO THERE IT WAS TRANSPORTED
ACROSS THE CAPE.
HERE IS SOME SPACECRAFT ACTIVITY
OVER AT ASTRO TECH IAN AND
CESAR'S TEAMS WORK QUICKLY,
MAYBE NOT THAT FAST, BUT AMAZING
THINGS.
JANUARY 6TH, JUST AFTER THE NEW
YEAR WE ROLLED THE FIRST STAGE
OF ATLAS FIVE OUT TO THE
VERTICAL INTEGRATION FACILITY AT
THE CAPE WHERE WE ERECTED IT AND
SET IT ON THE MOBILE LAUNCH
PLATFORM, A GORGEOUS DAY.
BACK OVER AT AS TRA TECH, AFTER
WE WRAPPED UP THE ACTIVITY FOR
THE SOLAR ORBITER SPACECRAFT WE
WANTED TO INTO THE ATLAS FIVE
FARING, WITH THE GORGEOUS ART
WORK OF THE LOGO FOR THE MISSION
ON THE SIDE.
AND HERE WE ARE OUT AT THE
EVENT, AND THE BAGPIPES PLAYING,
THE TRADITION.
THE LAUNCH TEAM WE DON'T GET
THAT FOR EVERY MISSION, WE
ENJOYED THAT AND THANKS FOR
PROVIDING US THAT.
AND THAT WAS THE ENCAPSULATED
ASSEMBLY LIFTED TO THE TOP OF
THE ATLAS FIVE AND THE TOP OF
THE CENTAUR FOR MATING JUST LAST
FRIDAY AND THAT HAPPENED ON THE
31ST OF JANUARY.
SO THE SOLAR ORBITER LAUNCH
CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN UNIQUE AND
MEMORABLE.
AS AN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
MISSION COVERING MANY YEARS, WE,
THE LAUNCH TEAM, HAVE
ENCOUNTERED CULTURAL AND
OPERATIONAL DIFFERENCES, AS WELL
AS SOME COMMUNICATION
CHALLENGES, BUT THE ENTIRE TEAM
HAS ALWAYS FOUND COMMON GROUND
AND MOVED FORWARD TOWARD LAUNCH
BECAUSE WE ALL SPEAK THE
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF MISSION
SUCCESS.
OVER THE PAST WEEK, SINCE WE'VE
MATED THE SOLAR ORBITER
SPACECRAFT, THE ATLAS FIVE TEAM
HAS BEEN BUSY WITH LAUNCH
PREPARATIONS.
JUST EARLIER THIS WEEK WE
PERFORMED THE INTEGRATED SYSTEMS
TEST BETWEEN THE SPACECRAFT AND
ROCKET TO CHECK THAT OUT ON
MONDAY.
THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE ENTIRE
TEAM GOT TOGETHER, INCLUDING THE
RANGE TEAM, AND WE EXECUTED A
MISSION DRESS REHEARSAL TO BOTH
EXERCISE AND PREPARE THE TEAM.
EARLIER THIS MORNING WE
CONDUCTED THE LAUNCH READINESS
REVIEW FOR THE SOLAR ORBITER
MISSION.
SENIOR MANAGERS FROM ESA,
AIRBUS, NASA, KSC, GODDARD SPACE
FLIGHT CENTER AND NASA
HEADQUARTERS AS WELL AS ULA AND
THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE
ASSESSED THE READINESS OF THE
ROCKET, THE SPACECRAFT, AND
RANGE ASSETS TO PROCEED TO
LAUNCH AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT
WE ALL PARTIES WERE GO AT LRR.
TOMORROW, WE WILL BEGIN OUR
FINAL LAUNCH PREPS AT 10:A.M.
EASTERN TIME.
WE'LL ROLL THE ATLAS FIVE WITH
ITS MATED SOLAR ORBITER
SPACECRAFT ON ITS MOBILE LAUNCH
ONE QUARTER MILE TO THE LAUNCH
PAD MOUNT AT SPACECRAFT 41.
AND THEN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON THE
LAUNCH CREW WILL BEGIN ARRIVING
ON CONSOLE AND BEGIN WITH THE
POWER ON SEQUENCES FOR THE ATLAS
FIVE ROCKET AND SOLAR ORBITER
SPACECRAFT.
THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED SUNDAY
EVENING ABOUT 9 P.M. EASTERN
TIME LOADING SUPER COLD
CRYOGENICS.
WE'LL LOAD LIQUID OXYGEN TO THE
FIRST STAGE AND LIQUID HYDRO
AGAIN.
WE'LL PERFORM FINAL TESTS WITH
THE EASTERN RANGE
INSTRUMENTATION AND THEN WE'LL
ALL BE READY FOR LAUNCH SUNDAY
NIGHT, FEBRUARY 9TH, AT 11:03
P.M. EASTERN TIME AND WE HAVE A
TWO HOUR LAUNCH WINDOW.
IN SUMMARY, THE SPACECRAFT, THE
ATLAS FIVE ROCKET AND THE RANGE
EQUIPMENT ARE ALL READY AND OUR
COMBINED GOVERNMENT AND
CONTRACTOR LAUNCH TEAM IS
PREPARED TO LAUNCH SOLAR ORBITER
ON ITS AMAZING JOURNEY TO STUDY
THE SUN.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND YOU
SAW VIDEO OF THE ROCKET ITSELF.
LET'S CHECK WITH SCOTT AND FIND
OUT HOW THE ROCKET IS DOING.
>> THANKS, DARRELL.
I WANTED TO BEGIN ON BEHALF OF
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED
LAUNCH ALLIANCE I JUST WANT TO
SAY WELCOME TO THE SOLAR ORBITER
LAUNCH.
AS A COMPANY AND AS AN
INDIVIDUAL PERSONALLY, I AND THE
TEAM ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT
PARTICIPATING AND BEING PART OF
THIS GREAT INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATION AND THE SOLAR
ORBITER MISSION.
THIS WILL BE THE FIRST LAUNCH
FOR ULA IN 2020, BUT IT WILL BE
OUR 137th LAUNCH AS A COMPANY.
TO DATE WE'VE HAD 136
CONSECUTIVE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHES
AND WE ARE SUPER EXCITED OF THAT
REGARD.
TIM MENTIONED THAT WE'VE HAD OF
THAT 136, 81 OF THOSE SO FAR
HAVE BEEN THE ATLAS VEHICLE AND
FIVE CONFIGURATION OF TODAY,
WHICH IS THE 411.
CESAR MENTIONED EARLIER, 25
YEARS AGO WHEN THEY LAUNCHED THE
LAST TIME ESA LAUNCHED, THAT WAS
A MISSION CALLED SOHO AND IT
LAUNCHED ON AN ATLAS VEHICLE.
AND OTHER MISSIONS THAT LAUNCHED
ON ATLAS THE SOLAR DYNAMIC
OBSERVATORY AND ALSO THE ULA AND
OUR HERITAGE VEHICLES HAVE
LAUNCHED MISSION CALLED ACE AND
STEREO, BOTH OF WHICH LAUNCHED
ON THE DELTA TWO WHICH WENT TO
THE SUN OR STUDIED THE SUN AND
OF COURSE, JUST LAST--
OR 2018, WE LAUNCHED PARKER
SOLAR PROBE ON THE DELTA FOUR
HEAVY.
SO, ULA HAS A RICH HISTORY OF
LAUNCHING THESE CRITICAL
PAYLOADS TO THE SUN AND IT'S
ALWAYS VERY EXCITING FOR US.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NOTED
THE ATLAS CONFIGURATION THIS
TIME AS A 411.
I'VE SAID WE'VE LAUNCHED THAT
FOUR TIMES -- OR FIVE TIMES SO
FAR.
IT DOES LOOK A LITTLE UNIQUE OUT
THERE ON THE PAD WITH JUST THE
SINGLE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER ON
ONE SIDE, BUT WHEN WE LIFT OFF
ON SUNDAY EVENING, IT WON'T LOOK
ANY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER
VEHICLE THAT WE LAUNCH AND IT'S
VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IT STAND ABOUT 189 FEET TALL OUT
ON THE LAUNCH PAD, OF WHICH I'M
JUST ABOUT SIX SCHOOL BUSES
STACKED ON END, FOR REFERENCE.
AND IT DOES HAVE A VERY
DISTINCTIVE APPEARANCE.
ATLAS IS CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING
THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS TO
BEST FIT THE NEEDS OF THE
SPACECRAFT AND SO THAT'S WHY A
411 IS WAS CHOSEN HERE.
I GUESS ONE LITTLE OTHER TIDBIT
IS THE FIRST TIME THE 411
LAUNCHED WAS BACK IN 2006.
SO, WE DO HAVE A VIDEO NOW THAT
WE'D LIKE TO SHOW THAT HAS--
SHOWS YOU WHAT WILL BE TAKING
PLACE ON SUNDAY NIGHT AFTER
LAUNCH.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND ROLL THAT
VIDEO.
>> AND LIFT-OFF OF THE UNITED
LAUNCH ALLIANCE, ATLAS FIVE
ROCKET.
>> THE ATLAS FIVE RD-180 MAIN
ENGINE AND SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER
IGNITE.
5.3 THRUST ON ITS WAY TO A
HYPERBOLIC ESCAPE TRAJECTORY.
SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, ATLAS
BEGINS A PITCH OVER TO OBTAIN A
FLIGHT PATH AND MINIMALIZE THE
PRESSURE IT EXPERIENCES DURING
FLIGHT.
IT MATCHES MACH ONE, THE SPEED
OF SOUND AT 58 SECONDS.
SINGLE SRB JETTISONED, AT 4:03,
THE PALLET LEVELS DEPLETE AND
THE BOOSTER ENGINES SHUT DOWN.
SIX SECONDS LATER THE SEPARATION
SYSTEM ACTIVATES TO RELEASE THE
BOOSTER STAGE.
AND IT WEIGHS 15% LESS THAN WHAT
IT DID AT LIFT-OFF.
10 SECONDS LATER THE FIRST BURN
OF THE SENTAR BEGINS AND IT'S
INTO A PARKING ORBIT.
APPROACHING PAYLOAD JETSON, IT'S
BURNING AT 23 KILOGRAMS A SECOND
TRAVELLING MORE THAN 17, 700
KILOMETERS PER HOUR AND 134 PER
HOUR KILOMETERS.
THE PAYLOAD IS JETTISONED.
AND THE VEHICLE WAYS 7% OF WHAT
IT DID AT LIFT-OFF.
AND CUT OFF OF THE CENTAUR MAIN
ENGINE, THERE'S A COAST PHASE IN
PREPARATION OF THE SECOND BURN.
BECAUSE OF THE TARGETED EARTH
TRAJECTORY VARIES FROM
DAY-TO-DAY THE COAST AND THE
SECOND BURN WILL ACCOMMODATE
THIS.
THE CENTAUR MAIN ENGINE 4:58
SECONDS WITH A FINAL AND SECOND
ENGINE BURN.
NEARLY SEVEN MINUTES LATER,
FINAL CUT-OFF OF THE CENTAUR
MAIN ENGINE OCCURS.
2:40, CENTAUR RELEASES FOR THEM
TO HAVE A TWO-YEAR JOURNEY TO
THE SUN.
AT EARTH AND VENUS, SOLAR
ORBITER WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND
HOW OUR STAR CONTROLS THE HELIO
SPHERE, THE PARTICLES BLOWN BY
THE SOLAR WIND THAT PERMEATES
THE WHOLE SOLAR SYSTEM AND
INFLUENCES THE PLANETS WITHIN
IT.
>> SO, IN CONCLUSION, I WILL
JUST NOTE AGAIN THAT WE AT ULA
ARE VERY PROUD TO DELIVER SOLAR
ORBITER TO ITS ORBIT AND
CONTINUE TO RELIABY DELIVER THE
SPACECRAFT WITH 100% MISSION
SUCCESS.
I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO
NASA AND TO OUR ESA PARTNERS AND
THE ULA TEAM LOOKS FORWARD TO
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH.
AND I'LL END WITH A GO ATLAS, GO
CENTAUR AND GO SOLAR ORBITER.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SCOTT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU LOCALLY, YOU
PROBABLY NOTICED A COLD FRONT
THAT ROLLED THROUGH.
SOME WIND, RAIN, A LITTLE BIT OF
LIGHTNING.
JESSICA, TELL US HOW THE
FORECAST IS LOOKING NOW FOR
LAUNCH DAY.
>> WELL, THAT COLD FRONT CLEARED
EVERYTHING OUT FOR US.
SO IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE
SATELLITE IMAGE, YOU CAN SEE
THAT COLD FRONT IS NOW OVER
SOUTH FLORIDA AND OVER THE
NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO.
WE HAVE A CLOUDLESS SKY THAT'S
WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN CONTROL
AND WE EXPECT THAT HIGH PRESSURE
TO SLIDE EASTWARD, AND MOVE INTO
CENTRAL FLORIDA BY TOMORROW
AFTERNOON, WHICH WILL GIVE US AN
EXCELLENT DAY FOR MLA ROLL AND
THE HIGH PRESSURE WILL REALLY
DOMINATE THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK,
WHICH IS GREAT, BECAUSE IT WILL
KEEP ANY COLD FRONTS FROM MOVING
THROUGH CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THROUGH THE 48 HOUR BACKUP
WINDOW.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO OUR LAUNCH FORECAST IS POV OF
20% AND THAT'S FOR ANY CUMULUS
CLOUDS THAT MAY BE IN THE AREA
OR GROUND WINDS AND THAT'S
BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE ON-SHORE FLOW
FROM THE EAST AND THAT'S ON THE
SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE HIGH
PRESSURE RIDGE.
THIS ON-SHORE FLOW COULD BRING
IN SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS THAT
WE'LL BE MONITORING AND WIND
SPEEDS ARE MODERATE, GRADIENT
BETWEEN 18 TO 25 KNOTS AND THOSE
WIND SPEEDS ARE FORECAST AT, AS
SCOTT MENTIONED, THE HEIGHT OF
THE VEHICLE, FORECASTED AT THE
TOP OF THE VEHICLE.
WIND SPEEDS AT THE SURFACE WILL
BE A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND FOR OUR 24-HOUR FORECAST,
CONDITIONS GET A LITTLE BIT
WORSE BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTINUED
ON-SHORE FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST
WHICH WILL BRING A LITTLE MORE
MOISTURE INTO THE AREA AND A FEW
MORE CLOUDS AND WE ALSO HAVE A
VERY SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A RAIN
SHOWER, JUST APPROACHING THE
COAST NEAR COMPLEX 41 BEFORE IT
DIMINISHED INLAND.
WIND SPEEDS DO LIGHTEN UP A BIT.
12 TO 18 KNOTS FROM THE
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST, TEMPERATURES
ARE FAIRLY WARM IN THE UPPER
60'S AS WE MODERATE AS THAT HIGH
PRESSURE SLIDES OFF TO OUR EAST
AND OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS AGAIN
THE CUMULUS CLOUD ROLL.
AND FOR OUR 48-HOUR FORECAST,
OUR POV IS BACK DOWN TO 20%, AS
OUR WIND TURN MORE SOUTHERLY,
AND LESS OF A DIRECTION FROM THE
OCEAN AND WE HAVE A FEW LESS
CLOUDS FOR THE 48-HOUR FORECAST.
TEMPERATURES WARM ANOTHER DEGREE
OR TWO IN THE UPPER 60'S, AND
CUMULUS CLOUD ROLL IS AGAIN, OUR
PRIMARY CONCERN AT 20%.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART
OF THIS MISSION BECAUSE SOLAR
WEATHER IS ALSO ONE OF OUR
CRITERIA AND WE'RE EXCITED TO
HAVE MORE INFORMATION AND DATA
BY SOLAR WEATHER CAUSED BY SOLAR
WIND AND THINGS ARE LOOKING
GREAT.
>> ALL RIGHT, JESSICA, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH FOR THAT FORECAST.
LOOKING GOOD.
WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO
QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM BY MEDIA
AND PRESS WHO HAVE GATHERED
HERE.
I WANT TO REMIND WHEN YOU'RE
CALLED UPON, STATE YOUR NAME,
AFFILIATION AND TO WHOM YOUR
QUESTION IS DIRECTED.
AND SO WE'LL TAKE A SHOW OF
HANDS FOR THOSE WHO WANT AN ASK
A QUESTION.
BEGIN IN THE FRONT ROW RIGHT IN
THE MIDDLE WITH MARSHA.
>> MARSHA DENNIS, ASSOCIATED
PRESS, THE FIRST TWO BRIEFERS,
IT'S SURPRISING TO ME THE AMOUNT
OF TIME FOR THE MISSION TO SO
THE POLES OF THE SUN.
WHY IS THAT AND WHAT DID YOU
HAVE TO OVERCOME ENTAILED IN THE
MISSION?
>> WELL, I THINK THE -- TO BE
ABLE TO FINISH SOMETHING THE
FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS
TAKE THE FIRST STEP AND THE
FIRST STEP FOR THIS MISSION
CONSENSUALLY -- CONCEPTUALLY
WAS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, AND
BACK IN 2011.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT IN TIME,
THERE WAS STARTING THE REAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSION, AND
THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'RE TRYING
TO DO SOMETHING NEW.
THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES.
THERE ARE CHALLENGES FROM THE
INSTRUMENTS, THERE--
MOST OF THE INSTRUMENTS ARE NEW,
THEY HAVE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND
THAT MEANS THAT IT TAKES TIME TO
DEVELOP THOSE AND IN SOME CASES
SOMETIMES YOU HIT A WALL AND
THEN YOU HAVE TO CHANGE
DIRECTIONS AND THAT TAKES TIME
FOR THE INSTRUMENTS AND
SIMILARLY FOR THE SPACECRAFT, WE
HAVE MANY TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES
AS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WE'VE
USED AND REUSED TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPED FOR THE EUROPEAN
MISSION COLUMBO, WHICH WAS
LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR TO
ORBIT MERCURY, AND THOSE ARE
HIGH TEMPERATURE TECHNOLOGIES.
AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME
ORBIT, THAT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE
THE SAME THERMAL CONDITIONS AND
THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO ADAPT THAT
TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR OWN PURPOSE
AND THAT ALSO TAKES TIME.
SO, FOR US, IT'S TAKEN FROM, YOU
KNOW, THE BEGINNING OF 2011
UNTIL NOW BEGINNING OF 2020,
AND, BUT AGAIN, YOU NEED TO
START AT A CERTAIN MOMENT AND
THEN TAKES SO MANY YEARS TO BE
ABLE TO REACH TO WHAT WE ARE
ACHIEVING TODAY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, CESAR.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION, LET'S GO
TO THE FRONT ROW AT THE END HERE
CHRIS.
>> CHRIS WITH NASA SPACE FLIGHT.
THE DOORS ON THE HEAT SHIELD,
ONCE THOSE OPEN ARE THEY OPEN
FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE MISSION
OR DO THEY CLOSE FOR HEAT
PROTECTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP.
>> IT'S THE LATTER, YES.
WE ONLY OPEN THE DOORS WHEN
WE'RE CLOSE TO THE SUN.
WE HAVE THREE SCIENCE WINDOWS WE
CALL THEM, EACH TEN DAYS LONG
AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A SCIENCE
WINDOW WHEN WE'RE CLOSE TO THE
SUN AND WE HAVE TWO OTHER
WINDOWS, ONE AT WHAT WE CALL THE
MAXIMUM HELIO LATITUDE AND
MINIMUM HELIO LATITUDE.
WHICH MEANS THE HIGHEST POINT WE
LOOK DOWN FROM AND LOWEST POINT.
AND ALTOGETHER 30 DAYS OF
SCIENCE AND WE ONLY OPEN THE
DOORS DURING THOSE PERIODS.
>> AND FOR YOU, THE 411 IS SUCH
A UNIQUE, IT'S COOL LOOKING, BUT
IT'S UNIQUE IN HOW IT FLIES.
I'M WONDERING, CAN YOU TALK TO
US SPECIFICALLY WHY THAT SINGLE
SOLID ROCKET WAS SO NECESSARY
FOR THIS PARTICULAR MISSION TO
INJECT INTO HELIO CENTRIC ORBIT?
>> YEAH, OF COURSE.
WHEN WE GET THE REQUIREMENTS
FROM THE SPACECRAFT REGARDING
HOW MUCH VELOCITY THEY NEED TO
GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO,
HOW HEAVY THEY ARE, WE GO BACK
AND WE RUN A TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS
AND SIZE OUR VEHICLE BASED ON
WHAT THE SPACECRAFT REQUIREMENTS
ARE.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT THE
ATLAS VEHICLE IS CAPABLE OF
SCALING UP AND DOWN AND SO, THIS
WAS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE OF THE
VEHICLE FOR THE ENERGY AND THE
MASS OF THE SPACECRAFT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET'S MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE ROOM, AND JIM.
>> JIM SEGAL WITH SPACE FLIGHT
INSIDER.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, KIND OF
MAYBE FOR SCOTT OR TIM.
YOU MENTIONED A NUMBER OF OTHER
PROBES THAT HAVE BEEN SENT TO
THE SUN.
I'M INTERESTED MAYBE IN TOTAL
FOR ALL COUNTRIES AND ALL
AGENCIES, ABOUT HOW MANY PROBES
HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE SUN
STARTING ABOUT WHAT YEAR?
>> AN ACCUMULATION OF--
SO ULA VEHICLES HAVE LAUNCHED
FIVE, YEAH UA AND HERITAGE
VEHICLES LAUNCHED FIVE TO THE
SUN AND CESAR MIGHT KNOW BETTER
THAN ME.
>> I DON'T THINK I CAN GIVE A
FULL ACCOUNT, BUT LET ME RECAP
ONE ALSO BUILT IN EUROPE AND
ALSO LAUNCHED FROM HERE, FROM
THIS PORT AND THAT WAS CALLED
ULYSSES.
THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN 1990, BUT
YOU SAID GOING TO THE SUN, BUT
THAT'S A RELATIVE TERM.
ULYSSES ACTUALLY GOT AWAY FROM
THE SUN BECAUSE AT THE TIME, YOU
KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY WAS NOT
READY TO GET CLOSER TO THE SUN.
BUT I DON'T REALLY HAVE A FULL
LIST OF MISSIONS, YOU KNOW,
WHICH HAVE GONE DIRECTLY INTO
SOLAR ORBIT OTHER THAN THOSE
ORBITING THE EARTH AND STILL
ORBITING THE SUN.
>> A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION?
>> THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP.
ARE THERE ANY FUTURE MISSIONS
THAT ARE ON THE BOARDS, ON THE
PLANNING BOARDS ABOUT ADDITIONAL
PROBES THAT ARE GOING TO BE
PLANNED TO GO TO THE SUN TO
FOLLOWED UP WHAT'S DONE?
>> AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IN THE
NEAR TIME FUTURE, THERE ARE NO
NEW MISSIONS IN THE NEAR TERM.
FOR NOW, THE NEAR TERM IS
BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE
2020'S.
>> AND I BELIEVE THAT DAN FOX
HAS AN UPDATE FOR ONE OF OUR
PEOPLE HERE.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY NASA HAS A
MISSION THAT LAUNCHES I THINK
AROUND 23, 2023.
>> ALL RIGHT, VERY GOOD.
LET'S GO TO THE SAME SIDE OF THE
ROOM ON THE INSIDE HERE.
FLORIDA TODAY, RACHEL THERE.
>> HI, CESAR.
YOU SAID YOU HAVEN'T LAUNCHED IN
20, 25 YEARS, IS THAT WHAT YOU
SAID HERE?
>> WHAT I SAID IS THAT 25 YEARS
AGO WE LAUNCHED THE EUROPEAN
CRAFT FROM HERE.
>> OH, I SEE.
OKAY.
WHEN WAS THE LAST--
THE LAST TIME WE LAUNCHED WAS IN
DECEMBER LAST YEAR.
>> OKAY.
>> WE SENT A MISSION WHICH IS
GOING TO CHARACTERIZE THE
ATMOSPHERE OF EXPLANETS, BUT
THAT WAS FROM PERU, WHICH IS OUR
REGULAR LAUNCH SPACE.
>> VERY GOOD.
LET'S GO BACK OVER TO THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE ROOM.
KEN HAS A QUESTION, THE FRONT
ROW.
>> HI, THANK YOU.
KEN CRAMER, SPACE UP CLOSE AND
ROCKETS.
AND FIRST OF ALL, GOOD LUCK FOR
THE LAUNCH.
VERY EXCITING.
WITH PARKER.
MY QUESTION I THINK IS FOR TIM.
YOU DID YOUR LAUNCH READINESS
REVIEW.
YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY YOU HAD THE
ANTARES LAUNCH, AND NOW
PRACTICALLY ON TOP OF ONE
ANOTHER, FIVE HOURS LAUNCHING
FROM VIRGINIA AND YOU.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
CHALLENGES OF TWO LAUNCHES FROM
THE EAST COAST WITHIN A FEW
HOURS?
THANKS.
>> YEAH, I ACTUALLY CAN SPEAK TO
THAT.
WHAT HAPPENED, WE ORIGINALLY AT
ONE TIME WERE ON THE 7TH OF
FEBRUARY AND THE 9TH, THE
EVENING OF THE 9TH WAS A BACKUP
DATE FOR US.
SO WHEN WE REQUESTED THAT BACKUP
DAY, IT QUICKLY BECAME UP IN A
RANGE CONFLICT THAT WHEN THERE
ARE WALLOP LAUNCHES, WE NEED TO
QUIET CERTAIN ANTENNAS HERE ON
THE EASTERN RANGE.
ONE OF WHICH IS OUR COMMAND
TRANSMITTER FOR THE FLIGHT
TERMINATION SYSTEM.
SO, THAT WAS A MINOR CONFLICT
THAT WE KNEW ABOUT SO WE
ACTUALLY HAD A FEW DAYS TO WORK
THAT TO GET OUR BACKUP DATE
APPROVED.
WELL, OUR BACKUP DATE OF THE
EVENING OF THE 9TH HAS NOW
BECOME OUR PRIMARY DATE DUE TO A
WEATHER ISSUE THAT WE HAD AND
NEIGHBORING PAD LAUNCH LAST
WEEK.
SO WE HAD DONE ALL OF THAT
HOMEWORK AND SO IT WAS ACTUALLY
A QUICK TASK FOR THE RANGE, THE
EASTERN RANGE TO DO.
THEY DECONFLICTED THAT AND
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
CHECK OUT THE RADAR, THE FLIGHT
DETERMINATION SYSTEM, ANTENNAS
THAT WE NEED HERE A LITTLE BIT
EARLIER AND THEN SPEED UP THE
PROCESS SO THEY WERE ABLE TO
DECONFLICT THAT.
THE LAUNCH IN VIRGINIA I BELIEVE
AT 5:39 P.M.
WE'RE LAUNCHING AT 11:03.
THE RANGE TEAM AND THE RANGE
SUPPORT TEAM HERE DOES
EXCEPTIONAL WORK AND SO THEY
WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AND
DECONFLICT IT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE RIGHT
NOW, KEN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET'S STAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE
ROOM AND GO THREE ROWS BACK IN
THE MIDDLE.
THE GENTLEMAN THERE.
>> STEVEN YOUNG WITH ASTRONOMY
NOW AND SPACE FLIGHT NOW FOR TIM
AND/OR SCOTT.
YOU'VE GOT A TWO-HOUR LAUNCH
WINDOW, BUT THIS BEING AN EARTH
ESCAPE TRAJECTORY.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO SHOULD
YOU SLIP INTO THAT WINDOW
BECAUSE OF WEATHER OR TECHNICAL
ISSUES TO FINE TUNE THE
TRAJECTORY FOR THIS SPECIFIC
LAUNCH TIME.
>> I'LL TAKE THE WINDOW PART OF
IT AND SCOTT IS GOING TO TELL
YOU HOW AMAZING ATLAS FIVE IS AT
HANDLING THAT.
SO, WHAT WE DID FOR TARGETING
PURPOSES WITH OUR TWO-HOUR
WINDOW WAS, IT TAKES AN
INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ANALYSIS TO
ANALYZE A LAUNCH OPPORTUNITY ON
EVERY SECOND OF A TWO-HOUR
WINDOW SO WE BROKE IT UP INTO
FIVE MINUTE BLOCKS.
SO WE HAVE 25 DISCRETE
OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE TWO
HOURS TO LAUNCH.
BASICALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE
WINDOW, THE END OF THE WINDOW,
AND EVERY FIVE MINUTES IN
BETWEEN.
AND SO, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL
ANALYZE WHAT CAUSED US TO MISS
THE BEGINNING OF THE WINDOW.
WAS IT RANGE INSTRUMENTATION
ISSUE?
WAS IT A BOAT OR AIRPLANE THAT
FOULED THE SURVEILLANCE CONTROL
BOX OR WAS IT WEATHER?
WE'LL WAIT FOR THAT TO CLEAR.
THEN WE WILL TARGET A NEW T-ZERO
AND HOW WE'RE ABLE TO JUST THAT
AN AS SIMPLY AS THAT IS BECAUSE
OF THE AMAZING ATLAS FIVE.
SCOTT, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN
THAT PART?
>> YEAH, SO ATLAS FIVE HAS, AS
FAR AS I KNOW, A UNIQUE
CAPABILITY THAT NO OTHER VEHICLE
HAS.
IT'S CALLED RAND STEERING.
AND IT ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO
STEER ONCE IT GETS UP INTO THE
SECOND STAGE, IS ABLE TO STEER
BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO,
RIGHT, AS TIME GOES, THE EARTH
ROTATES A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO
FLY AND THEN IT STEERS BACK ON
TO THE COURSE AND IS ABLE TO GET
TO THE NEW TRAJECTORY PARAMETERS
IN EVERY FIVE MINUTE PERIOD.
IT'S A UNIQUE CAPABILITY THAT
ATLAS HAS TO DO THAT.
>> IT GIVES THE LAUNCH TEAM
ASSURANCE FOR SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH
WHEN YOU HAVE A TWO-HOUR PERIOD
OF TIME.
>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR EXPLAINING
THAT AND WE'LL GO TO THE SECOND
ROW AT THE END RIGHT HERE.
>> MARY LIZ BENDER WITH COSMIC
PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS FOR PROBABLY CESAR OR
IAN.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'VE
LEARNED FROM PARKER SOLAR PROBE,
IF ANYTHING, THAT'S AFFECTED THE
DESIGN OF THIS MISSION AND
SPACECRAFT.
>> CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION?
>> OH, YES.
MAYBE THIS IS BETTER.
MARY LIZ BENDER WITH COSMIC
PERSPECTIVE.
FOR CESAR OR IAN.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE
LEARNED FROM THE PARKER SOLAR
PROBE SPACECRAFT OR MISSION THAT
HAS AFFECTED THE DESIGN OF THIS
SPACECRAFT OR MISSION?
>> ANYTHING YOU'VE LEARNED FROM
PARKER SOLAR PROBE THAT WOULD
HELP WITH THIS MISSION?
>> YES, NO, THANK YOU.
FROM THE ENGINEERING VIEWPOINT,
TO DEVELOP THE SPACECRAFT OR
DEVELOP EMISSIONS, WE HAVE NOT.
FROM THE INSTRUMENTATION
PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S A DIFFERENT
-- THERE IS A DIFFERENT ANSWER
THERE, TWO INSTRUMENTS ON BOTH
OUR SPACECRAFT, WHICH HAVE HAD
INSTRUMENTS PARKER OR THE
COLLABORATIONS ON PARKER PROBE.
BUT FROM OUR TECHNOLOGIES, OUR
TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS, OUR THERMAL
CONTROL SYSTEM, OUR POWER
CONTROL SYSTEM, THEY HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPED IN EUROPE AND THERE'S
BEEN NO REAL EXCHANGE OF
ENGINEERING DATA.
WITH THE DEVELOPERS OF PARKER.
>> I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THE
MISSIONS THEMSELVES ARE REALLY
QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT,
BECAUSE PARKER'S GOING SO MUCH
CLOSER TO THE SUN.
GETS SO MUCH HOTTER.
THE TECHNOLOGIES ARE REALLY
QUITE DIFFERENT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND WE'LL GO TO THE FIRST ROW
HERE ON THE END FOR OUR NEXT
QUESTION.
>> HI, KIRBY TAYLOR, SKY NEWS
CANADA.
I GUESS THIS IS FOR SCOTT.
THERE WAS AN ISSUE FOR THE DRESS
REHEARSAL THAT YOU HAD TO ROLL
THE ROCKET BACK TO THE VERTICAL
INTEGRATION FACILITY.
CAN YOU EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON
THAT, WHAT THE FIX WAS?
>> YEAH, SO, WHAT WE RAN INTO
WAS THE WINDS THAT WE SAW DURING
THE WET DRESS REHEARSAL WERE
HIGHER AND MORE SUSTAINED THAN
ANYTHING WE HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE
AND WE HAD A DUCT THAT CAME
LOOSE AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO WE HAD TO GO BACK AND
REEVALUATE THE WIND CONSTRAINTS
IN ORDER TO KNOW WHETHER WE
COULD ROLL OR NOT.
BUT THE TEAM WENT BACK, THEY PUT
THE DUCT ON AND PUT A NEW DUCT
ON AND WE'VE REEVALUATED THE
WIND CONSTRAINTS TO BE OUT THERE
AND WE'RE READY TO GO AGAIN.
>> LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE
HIGHEST WINDS WE'VE EVER SEEN
WHILE THE VEHICLE'S BEEN OUT
THERE SUSTAINED.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT, THE SECOND ROW
HERE, THE GENTLEMAN HERE IN THE
BLUE.
>> A QUESTION FOR JESSICA.
ANY CONCERNS FOR UPPER LEVEL
WIND FOR THIS LAUNCH?
>> I CAN TURN IT OVER AFTERWARDS
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE
SPECIFIC VEHICLE CONSTRAINT FOR
UPPER LEVEL WINDS, BUT BECAUSE
THE HIGH PRESSURE IS MOVING IN
AND WE HAVE A -- WE'RE NOT
EXPECTING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT
OF WIND SHEAR OR 150 KNOTS IN
THE UPPER LEVELS.
>> YEAH, WE HAVE A WHOLE
SCHEDULE OF BALLOONS THAT WE
RELEASE STARTING AT ABOUT FOUR,
FIVE HOURS AHEAD OF LAUNCH THAT
GATHER US THE WIND DATA AS WE GO
UP AND ALLOWS US--
ATLAS AGAIN IS VERY ROBUST WHEN
IT COMES TO UPPER LEVEL WINDS.
SO GIVEN JESSICA'S FORECAST I
WOULD BET THAT WE'RE PROBABLY IN
GOOD SHAPE.
>> ALL RIGHT, ARE THERE ANY MORE
QUESTIONS FOR EITHER SOLAR
ORBITER TEAM OR THE LAUNCH TEAM?
MARSHA ONE MORE QUESTION.
>> COULD YOU ESTIMATE HOW MANY
EUROPEANS HAVE COMFORT LAUNCH,
HOW MANY FROM AIRBUS, ESA, HOW
MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE FOR THE--
>> WHILE THERE ARE PEOPLE DOING
THE WORK AND THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE CAME TO WITNESS THE
LAUNCH.
TO WITNESS THE LAUNCH, I THINK
WE LEARNED TODAY ABOUT 800
PEOPLE AND HERE WORKING WE ARE A
TEAM OF ABOUT 75.
>> BETWEEN THE TWO.
>> YES.
>> BETWEEN AIRBUS AND ESA, ABOUT
75 PEOPLE.
YEAH AND THAT'S AIRBUS AND ESA
AND I GUESS HUNDREDS FROM YOUR
GUYS.
PUTTING THE ROCKET TOGETHER IS A
MAJOR ENDEAVOR.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, GOT TO
MAKE SURE WE GET THIS ROCKET
OFF.
ALL RIGHT, VERY GOOD.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE TEAM
HERE?
MIDDLE ROW.
>> RICK LANDSBY WITH WFIT.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE OVERALL
LENGTH OF THE MISSION IS ONCE
IT'S ORBITING THE SUN?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK I DID.
SO, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
LET'S SAY TEN YEARS.
WE DIVIDE THE MISSION IN PHASES.
FIRST WE HAVE TO GET TO AN ORBIT
THAT TAKES US RELATIVELY CLOSE
TO THE SUN AND FOR THIS WE NEED
A FLY-BY AROUND THE EARTH, A
LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS FROM
NOW AND WE GO--
ONCE YOU GET CLOSER TO THE SUN
AND YOU CAN DO YOUR REGULAR
MISSION AND THEN WE ARE IN THAT
PHASE FOR YEARS, AND THEN YOU
HAVE ANOTHER FLY-BY AROUND VENUS
THAT WILL CHANGE THE ORBITAL
PLANE AND THAT TAKES US UP TO 32
DEGREES OUT OF THE EQUATOR, AND
THEN WE WILL FINISH THE MISSION
AFTER TEN YEARS.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE WHAT WE CALL
CONSUMEABLES LONGER THAN THAT,
AND WITH THE WORSE CASES, WE'VE
DESIGNED TO SUSTAIN FAILURES, SO
OUR EXPECTATION AFTER TEN YEARS
WE'LL HAVE THOSE TO KEEP GOING,
BUT THE MAJOR MISSION OF THE
GOAL WILL HAVE BEEN
ACCOMPLISHED.
>> ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE TIME FOR
ONE LAST QUESTION.
WE'LL GO TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM
OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT-HAND
SIDE.
THE GENTLEMAN IN THE GREEN
SHIRT.
>> HI, BBC, SCOTT KNIGHT.
JUST A QUESTION, REALLY, KNOCKED
BACK SOME PROBLEMS, AND
EVERYONE, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK,
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO
FEEL WHEN IT FINALLY GOES OFF
SUCCESSFULLY?
>> I'M PRETTY SURE I'M GOING TO
FEEL AMAZING.
[LAUGHTER]
>> I ALREADY FEEL AMAZING NOW.
TO SEE THE SPACECRAFT ON TOP OF
THE ROCKET THIS MORNING AND ULA
AND NASA INVITED ME TO DO THE
WALKDOWN THIS MORNING AND IT'S A
FABULOUS SIGHT SO I'M ALREADY
FEELING VERY GOOD.
I KNOW IN 48 HOURS I'M GOING TO
FEEL REALLY GOOD.
[LAUGHTER]
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE
INFORMATION AND THE UPDATE AND
SHARING ALL YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH
US FOR SOLAR ORBITER.
WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE
MISSION, TUNE BACK IN ON NASA TV
AT 2:30 FOR OUR SCIENCE BRIEFING
WITH EXPERTS FROM NASA AND THE
EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY AND FOR
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS MISSION
ONLINE, JUST GO TO
NASA.GOV/SOLAR-ORBITER.
THAT'S SOLAR-ORBITER.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR LAUNCH
COVERAGE ON NASA TV, THE
BROADCAST 10:30 EASTERN TIME ON
SUNDAY.
UNTIL THEN I'M FROM NASA KENNEDY
TO REMIND YOU TO KEEP LOOKING
UP.