DAWN LAUNCH
by Brian Webb
The February 17 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg AFB could
provide an interesting light show visible over a wide area.
The rocket is scheduled to lift off at 06:17 PST, the presumed start
of an unspecified launch window, and carry Spain’s Paz earth-imaging
satellite into a nearly-polar orbit. The window may be relatively
short because Paz needs to be precisely positioned in orbit with
respect to other spacecraft to form an earth-observation satellite
constellation.
The current launch time occurs 29 minutes before Vandenberg sunrise.
Weather permitting, the Falcon 9’s bright orange flame should be
visible in western California at least as far away as San Luis Obispo
and Santa Monica.
A computer simulation by Launch Alert contributor Rick Baldridge shows
the rocket will exit the Earth’s shadow and climb into sunlight at
T+2 minutes 10 seconds.
That would make the launch especially interesting as the Falcon 9’s
exhaust plume is illuminated by the Sun while suspended in a semi-dark
sky. Such a display could be visible from San Francisco to Baja
California.
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LAUNCH AND COUNTDOWN STATUS
For Falcon 9 / Paz launch and countdown status, consult the following
sources:
Web Sites with Countdown Status and Webcasts:
www.spaceflightnow.com
www.spacex.com
Twitter Updates:
twitter.com/spaceflightnow/
twitter.com/30thSpaceWing
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RESOURCES
For additional information related to the Falcon 9 / Paz launch, go to
the following locations:
Launch Vehicle
www.spacex.com
Launch Viewing
www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm
Photographing Launches
www.spacearchive.info/vafbphoto.htm
Weather Forecasts
www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox/main.php?suite=public
cleardarksky.com/csk
