Strike three. That's three missed launches in a row, but at least the rumble from the rocket woke me up at 4am so I experienced part of the launch and acknowledge that it actually did happen. I set my alarm for the beginning of the launch window at 1:25am and was up in time to test my camera (see image below). I was dazed and following updates on Twitter tagged with #SpaceX and #AsiaSat8, but then the time came and went and the launch was aborted at T-12 seconds! I saw tweets that the media was being escorted off base and to me that indicated at least a 30-min delay before another attempt could be made. I wasn't willing to stay up all night with an unknown launch window, so I decided to call it a night. Three launches in a week is pretty fantastic even if I missed watching them all!
 |
| Red sky at night is usually sailor's delight, but not today. I guess since it was 1:20am that "red sky at morn, sailors be warn" is more appropriate. This moment was captured leading up to the T-12 seconds abort of +SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket waiting to launch AsiaSat 8. It did finally go at 4am. |
Most importantly on this date, is that it's Jen and I's 2nd wedding anniversary! We had a rover land on Mars for our wedding party post-reception (5 August 2012 - Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity) and now a rocket launch on year 2! We missed the landing as well in 2012, because there's not much reception at Yellowstone National Park!
The stats (to be updated in past-tense later):
| Aug. 5 | Falcon 9 • AsiaSat 8 |
| Launch window: 0525-0811 GMT (1:25-4:11 a.m. EDT) Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the AsiaSat 8 communications satellite. AsiaSat 8 will support direct broadcasting, private networks and broadband connectivity for customers in China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Delayed from April, May, June and Aug. 4. [Aug. 3] | |
Space!
Ryan
No comments:
Post a Comment