WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:10.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: This is Atlas Launch Control. We're now 49 minutes, 55 seconds into the flight of LRO/LCROSS. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:16.000 And joining us now, here in the Atlas Space Operations Center at the public affairs console, 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.000 is Chuck Dovale, our NASA launch director for today's flight. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:30.000 And Chuck, I guess on the one hand, if you just look at the launch vehicle it seemed to be a pretty smooth countdown. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:35.000 It didn't sound like we worked any issues to speak of, did we? Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:40.000 No, it was amazingly smooth on the launch vehicle side. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:49.000 Both spacecraft behaved well throughout the count, range assets were quiet and well supportive. 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:54.000 The noisy one was the weather and it certainly was a noisy one. George Diller/Launch Commentator: 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:01.000 Yeah, it seemed like for awhile there, like there was almost no hope and then it came around our way. 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:07.000 But tell us what the discussion was like about what was going on. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:10.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: Well, the one thing that was concerning us, you know, 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:15.000 we had instantaneous windows, or periods, or opportunities, to launch. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:22.000 We didn't have a large period to work with and they were separated by 10 minutes. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:29.000 So it was hard to predict the forecast that the weather officer was giving us as to 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:35.000 whether or not we should try for the first period, or the second, or the third. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:45.000 If we hesitated on a decision, it could've been problematic to gather the team and coordinate a new 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:52.000 T-0 quickly and we could possibly lose the one good opportunity we would have, 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:57.000 providing the weather was good. George Diller/Launch Commentator: 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:01.000 Well, that's why we didn't, even though the weather cleared a couple of minutes before the opening of that second window. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.000 We went to the... 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:08.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: We went to the end. We had committed earlier based on what the forecast was. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:20.000 We were told it was going to clear about 21:30, 5:30 p.m. So, based on that information we went to the 5:32 p.m. T-0. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Turns out it cleared a little bit early, but it would have been very harrowing to go for that 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.000 middle opportunity because when it cleared was about 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:39.000 5:19 p.m. and the middle opportunity would've been at 5:22 p.m. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:47.000 So we would've had to of polled the team and started counting even when the range was "red" 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:52.000 and they would have gone" green" between four minutes and one minute. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: Would've been pushing your luck? 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: And we can do that, but we would like to avoid that if we can. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:02.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: What do you know about the flight so far? How has this gone? 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:10.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: All's well so far. We just accomplished LRO separation, which was obviously a great milestone. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:21.000 We wish LRO and our friends at Goddard Space Flight Center good luck on their mission. We look forward to the returns on it. 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:28.000 And obviously we're not done. We've got a few hours more to go for LCROSS. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:35.000 At about four hours after launch, we should be seeing the handover from the 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:44.000 Centaur-led, ULA-led, mission over to the Ames project and LCROSS-led. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:54.000 So we're looking forward to that, but we've got a few hours to go. But all appears well for LRO and we wish them luck. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:01.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: Well, looking ahead as far as our next expendable launch here from the cape, 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:05.000 it's not far away is it? We've got something coming up next week. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:14.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: Yeah, we've got a Delta IV, our NASA GOES mission, slated for the (June) 26. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:22.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: So that is something that we're also looking forward to. Not very far away, 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:28.000 and should be as fascinating and fun to watch as this Atlas has been. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:34.000 So Chuck, thank you very much for speaking with us, and we're glad this mission is off to a very good start. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.000 Chuck Dovale/NASA Launch Manager: Alright, thank you George. We are too. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.000 George Diller/Launch Commentator: And we're now at 54 minutes, 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:44.000 30 seconds into the flight of LRO/LCROSS. This is Atlas Launch Control. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.000