George Diller/SDO Launch Commentator: This is Atlas Launch Control, one hour, 55 minutes,
28 seconds into the mission of the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
And joining us here in the broadcast both in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center is Omar Baez.
He was our NASA launch director for today's liftoff.
And Omar, first of all, I know you've gotten some spacecraft status on SDO. Can you tell us what they're reporting, how they look?
Omar Baez/NASA Launch Director: Absolutely. Shortly after separation, they deployed their solar arrays.
They acquired the sun, they are sun-pointing,
they are power-positive. So all the right things that they wanted to do in those crucial first few minutes,
it's happened like clockwork. They have their command carrier up,
they're communicating and watching it through Hawaii tracking station now. So, they're doing great.
George Diller/SDO Launch Commentator: All right, that's good news.
So, now looking back a little bit as far as the Atlas and Centaur, how did they perform during the flight?
Omar Baez/NASA Launch Director: The Atlas and Centaur were flawless. They got us to where the satellite needed to go.
We hit the window right at the beginning, right where we wanted to and weather held in there for us.
And so everything appears nominal for the flight.
George Diller/SDO Launch Commentator: Anything of interest during the countdown that occurred?
Omar Baez/NASA Launch Director: Well, we stared at the wind rose for a long time today,
after our experience yesterday. But nothing surprising.
And you know, we expected a few clouds and the range had their aircraft interrogating clouds for us.
We had some cells that were heading our way toward the end of the window,
but luckily we went at the beginning and none of that affected us. So, it's good to get SDO off.
George Diller/SDO Launch Commentator: All right. Well, thank you, Omar.
It's good to know we've had a good flight. SDO is just fine.
And I guess at this point that means that we can bring to conclusion our coverage of the
Atlas V launch countdown and launch today for the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
At one hour, 57 minutes, 42 seconds into the SDO mission, this is Atlas Launch Control.