Updated Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. EST
The launch of SpaceX's Dragon rocket and NOAA's DSCOVR was called off yet again due to high winds.NASA released a statement on the DSCOVR blog:
"The launch teams are resetting for another launch attempt tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6:03 p.m. EST. The weather forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions. We will update the countdown status as events warrant here on the blog and our continuous coverage will begin at 5 p.m. along with that of NASA TV."
Updated Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 1:45 p.m. EST:
NASA released an update upgrading weather favorability for Tuesday's Falcon launch:
"Forecasters upgraded today's expected weather to 80 percent chance of favorable conditions for the launch of NOAA's DSCOVR spacecraft at 6:05 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 will place the spacecraft on a course to L1, an area about a million miles from Earth where DSCOVR will observe the sun and the Earth. Should it be necessary to attempt launch on Wednesday, the forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of favorable weather."
Live stream coverage (below) starts at 5 p.m. EST.
Schedule is as follows, according to NASA:
1:05:34 p.m. Launch Pad clear complete
1:25:34 p.m. Weather briefing
2:35:34 p.m. Falcon 9 ready for propellant load
2:46:34 p.m. Tanking polls
3:05:34 p.m. Propellant load begins
3:20:34 p.m. RF checks
3:35:34 p.m. First motion checks
4:20:34 p.m. Flight Termination System checks
4:35:34 p.m. Launch vehicle provided power activated
5 p.m. NASA Television and Launch Blog coverage begins
5:05:34 p.m. T-1 hour weather briefing
5:40:34 p.m. Terminal countdown poll
5:45:34 p.m. Power to DSCOVR
5:47:34 p.m. DSCOVR poll
5:50:34 p.m. Mission Director terminal countdown poll
5:52:34 p.m. Launch Conductor terminal count poll
5:52:34 p.m. SpaceX terminal count poll
5:55:34 p.m. Terminal count autosequence
5:57:34 p.m. DSCOVR to internal power
5:58:34 p.m. DSCOVR poll
6:00:34 p.m. Mission Director poll
6:00:34 p.m. DSCOVR transition to internal power complete
6:02:34 p.m. Launch vehicle status check
6:03:04 p.m. Go for launch
6:03:34 p.m. Range "Green"
6:05:34 p.m. Launch
6:08:18 p.m. First stage cutoff
6:08:22 p.m. Stage 1 jettison
6:08:29 p.m. Second stage ignition
6:09:10 p.m. Fairing jettisoned
6:14:18 p.m. Second stage engine cutoff (SECO) begins 22-minute coast phase
6:35:43 p.m. Second stage engine restart (58 seconds)
6:36:41 p.m. Second stage engine cutoff-2 (SECO-2)
6:40:42 p.m. DSCOVR spacecraft separation
6:42:14 p.m. DSCOVR solar array deploy
6:46:53 p.m. DSCOVR power positive
DSCOVR will stay in L1, a Lagrange point closer to the Sun, and observe solar winds. A geothermal storm could knock out power grids, telecommunication system and aircraft avionics, on Earth, according to NASA.
The live stream of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch follows the deberthing of SpaceX Dragon, the cargo capsule that has been attached to the ISS since Jan 12. For more information (and the live stream,) click here.
Updated Monday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. EST:
After yet another scrubbed mission attempt, NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Air Force and SpaceX issued the following statement:
"The next launch attempt for the DSCOVR mission will now be Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6:05 p.m. EST with a backup launch opportunity on Wednesday, Feb 11 at 6:03 p.m. Weather for an attempt on Monday, Feb 9 is unfavorable. If that attempt were to scrub for weather, we would lose either the Tuesday or Wednesday launch opportunity due to crew rest requirements for the Air Force. Teams will target launch on Tuesday with a backup of Wednesday as weather is more favorable on both of those days. While it is not required for flight, SpaceX will leverage the extra time to replace a video transmitter on the first stage in advance of the next attempt."
According to NASA's update at 11:07 a.m. EST, there is a 70 percent chance of favorable weather on Tuesday. The launch is scheduled for Tuesday 6:05 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, but winds are still being monitored.
Coverage of the countdown and launch will start at 5 p.m. EST. Watch the live stream right here with HNGN.
Updated Sunday, Feb 8 at 7:10 p.m. EST:
SpaceX has to wait yet again to launch the Falcon 9 and test the landing of the rocket. The launch scheduled for Sunday was scrubbed due to loss of the Air Force's Eastern Range radar. Launch is now scheduled for Monday, Feb 9. at 6:07 p.m. EST.
A prelaunch conference will be held at 7 a.m. EST and replayed throughout the morning between "NASA Edge," "Inside the ISS" and replays of live chat with International Space Station crew members. Live coverage of the launch starts at 3:30 p.m. EST and will continue until 7 p.m. EST. Launch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EST.
