Spaceflight Now Home



The Mission




Rocket: Atlas 3B
(Atlas/Centaur-206)
Payload: NRO
Date: February 3, 2005
Time: 2:41 a.m. EST (0741 GMT)
Site: Complex 36B, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Broadcast: AMC 4, Transponder 17, C-band, 101° West

Mission Status Center

Pre-launch preview story

Launch events timeline

Ground track map

Launch hazard area

Atlas archive



Launch weather forecast
Posted: February 1, 2005

 Forecast for Thursday, February 3

Issued: Tuesday, February 1
Launch Weather Officer: F. Clay Flinn, 45th Weather Squadron

Synoptic Discussion: "The developing trough in the Gulf of Mexico continues to migrate toward the peninsula and will be over the peninsula on launch day. Expect increasing clouds and isolated showers Wednesday afternoon with the approach of the system. Winds will be Southerly to Southwesterly as we near the launch window with temperatures in the low 60s.

"With the trough over the peninsula during the launch window, expect broken to overcast conditions throughout the window and isolated showers. The main concerns for launch day are thick clouds and disturbed weather.

"In the event of a 24-hour delay, conditions improve as the low pressure system is expected to be East of the peninsula and the atmosphere begins drying; however, thick low level clouds with the close proximity of the low are expected along with a tighter pressure gradient with gusty Northwest winds."

Clouds: Stratocumulus Broken at 2,000 feet with tops at 6,000 feet; Altocumulus Broken at 10,000 feet with tops at 14,000 feet; Cirrus Overcast at 24,000 feet with tops at 30,000 feet

Visibility: 7 miles

Launch Pad Winds: South-southwesterly from 200 degrees at 10 gusting to 15 knots

Temperature: 60 degrees F

Relative Humidity: 95 percent

Weather: Isolated Showers

Solar Activity: Low

Probability of Violating Weather Constraints: 80 percent

Concerns: Thick clouds, disturbed weather, isolated showers

 

 Forecast for 24-hour delay

Friday's Probability of Violating Constraints: 60 percent
Concerns: Thick clouds, gusty northwest Winds

 

Apollo 11 special patch
Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Inside Apollo mission control
An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.
 Choose your store:
U.S.

The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD
This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Next ISS crew
Own a little piece of history with this official patch for the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew. We'll ship yours today!
 Choose your store:
U.S.

Final Shuttle Mission Patch

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

STS-134 Patch

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Ares 1-X Patch
The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Apollo Collage
This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Project Orion
The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.
 U.S. STORE


Fallen Heroes Patch Collection
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE
MISSION STATUS CENTER

INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE
ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE

ADVERTISE

© 2012 Spaceflight Now Inc.