Spaceflight Now Home



Mission Briefing




Mission preview - Our story looking at this Delta rocket launch of the GPS 2R-12 satellite.

Launch timeline - Chart with times and descriptions of events to occur during the launch.

Ground track - See the trajectory the rocket will follow during its flight.

Global Positioning System - Description of the U.S. Air Force's space-based navigation network.

Delta 2 rocket - Overview of the Delta 2 7925-model rocket used to launch GPS satellites.

Pre-launch flow - Illustration of the rocket checkout and assembly at Cape facilities.

SLC-17 - The launch complex where Delta rockets fly from Cape Canaveral.

Delta directory - See our coverage of previous Delta rocket flights.




Launch weather forecast
Posted: June 19, 2004

 Forecast for Saturday, June 19

Issued: Saturday, June 19
Launch Weather Officer: 2Lt. Travis Longmire, 45th Weather Squadron

Synoptic Discussion: "The axis of the Subtropical Ridge has moved south resulting in increased instability and improved conditions for thunderstorm development. With weak steering flow aloft the storms that develop will have very little movement. The Cape will see isolated showers and thunderstorms forming west of the Indian river with the onset of the sea breeze, throughout the afternoon hours.

"The primary concern on launch day will be isolated showers and thunderstorms building back over launch pad 17B early in the launch countdown."

Clouds: Few at 1,500 feet with 1/8ths sky coverage; Broken at 2,500 feet with 2/8ths sky coverage; Broken at 25,000 feet with 5/8ths sky coverage

Visibility: 10 miles

Launch Pad Winds: Southwesterly from 220 degrees at 8 gusting to 12 knots

Temperature: 81 to 83 degrees F

Relative Humidity: 75 percent

Weather: Vicinity rain showers and thunderstorms

Probability of Violating Weather Constraints: 30 percent

Concerns: Anvil Cloud Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule and flight through precipitation

 

 24- and 48-hour Delay Forecasts

Sunday's Probability of Violating Constraints: 60 percent
Concerns: Anvil Cloud Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule and flight through precipitation

Monday's Probability of Violating Constraints: 70 percent
Concerns: Anvil Cloud Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule and flight through precipitation

 

Soviet Space
For the first time ever available in the West. Rocket & Space Corporation Energia: a complete pictorial history of the Soviet/Russian Space Program from 1946 to the present day all in full color. Available from our store.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Viking patch
This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 7 DVD
For 11 days the crew of Apollo 7 fought colds while they put the Apollo spacecraft through a workout, establishing confidence in the machine what would lead directly to the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon just 2 months later.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Gemini 12
Gemini 12: The NASA Mission Reports covers the voyage of James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin that capped the Gemini program's efforts to prove the technologies and techniques that would be needed for the Apollo Moon landings. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide
MISSION STATUS CENTER

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

ADVERTISE

© 2012 Spaceflight Now Inc.