GEORGE DILLER: This is at Launch Pad 17-B,
where the Delta II Heavy vehicle is awaiting its liftoff with the gantry-like mobile service tower
retracted. Launch service being provided to NASA by the
United Launch Alliance. Liftoff of the Delta II.
It will go through the sound barrier approximately 30 seconds after liftoff,
at which time the Jupiter Inlet tracking station will also begin acquiring,
will go through maximum dynamic pressure 39 seconds after liftoff.
And then one minute, 20 (seconds) into the flight,
the six ground-lit solid rocket boosters will separate
and then the three air-lit solids will ignite.
We'll have the main engine cutoff occur four minutes and 22 seconds after launch.
It will fall away and for the second stage beginning to burn,
we'll be getting data through the Antigua Island station.
The fairing jettisons four minutes, 41 seconds after liftoff,
and the second stage continues to burn until eight minutes, 58 seconds into the mission,
at which time it will cut off and we go into a 42-minute coast phase.
We'll have contact through the Dongara station.
The second stage will restart. Tennant Creek acquires,
the second stage cuts off and the third stage ignites after
spin-off and separation from the second
stage. The spacecraft then separates after burnout
of the third stage, and we'll be getting data through the Kawajalein Islands station.
It's the completion of the third-stage burn, the yo-yo de-spin
before we get separation of the spacecraft from the third stage.
The third stage separates and at that point, the solar arrays begin
to deploy as Dawn heads toward the asteroid Vesta.