Here's an on-the-scene report of today's rocket launch by Jeffrey Cohen, a digital media consultant and longtime friend of Eric Knight, co-founder of UP Aerospace, the company that shot the cremated remains of Star Trek's "Scotty" (aka James Doohan), Gemini 5 astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 others into space. He flew out from Connecticut earlier this week for the event.
3 am: Wake up call.
4 am: Leave for Hatch, New Mexico, the Chile Capital of the Universe.
5 am: Flight briefing. The mayor of Hatch has provided bus travel and meeting accommodations for the families of the 200 or so deceased whose cremated remains will be launched into space along with many student experiments and commercial products.
We leave in the dark at 5:47 am, and take a two-hour ride into the desert. It's dark when we leave, but the sun begins to rise during the drive, and sunrise in the desert is spectacular. The busses arrive, and I'm happy to see that the event coordinators have placed a tent and chairs where expected. So far so good.
Off the buses, and everybody is in meet-and-greet mode. Time for me to go to work. I start interviewing dignitaries, and get a few moments with Wendy (below right), wife of James Doohan, "Scotty" from Star Trek. She and Susan Cooper, wife of L. Gordon "Gordo" Cooper are going to actually push the launch button from the LCC (Launch Control Center). Both of the Widows have placed cremated remains of their beloved aboard. They are both excited and introspective at the same time.
At T-45 minutes before launch, all systems are go: This is fantastic news, because if there is a delay or scrub, it typically would happen by now. Things are looking up. The energy starts to build as the messages begin to stream in over the loudspeaker. The only thing left to determine is wind speed and direction. People begin getting up out of their chairs. The Media coverage is stunning. The BBC, CNN, CBS, FOX, HD.NET, and CNBC are all present.
T-30 minutes, news comes in that the LCC was able to plot a trajectory that would allow for a successful landing target zone. Susan Cooper and Wendy Doohan depart in a special vehicle. They will be pushing the actual launch button in tandem.
Ten minutes before flight and an unexpected announcement to hold launch sequence is heard. Somewhere downrange, an unauthorized vehicle has entered the FAA outlined hazard zone. Some knucklehead has inadvertently strayed into the middle of the launch operation. The first sign of trouble. No one is happy. I'm standing with Rod Lane, ESPN senior systems engineer and technical and communications consultant. We look at each other and sigh -- nothing to do but wait.
After what seems like an eternity (though, actually, is about 20 minutes), the range is set and we are given the "All clear."
The "go no go" sequence begins. Everything is a go.
T-2 minutes. All clear.
T-1 minute on my mark.
T- 30 seconds.
T-15 seconds. Prepare for launch. Rocket is armed. T-10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
We have launch (right).
The rocket launch is amazing. The power and burn rate cannot be described. Here is the actual flight log:
Launch + 0: The rocket is away. Total burn time is 12 seconds when the rocket will accelerate from 0 to a speed of mach 4.5.
Launch + 12: Everything looks good. Engine Burnout. The rocket is out of sight.
Launch + 30: White Sands Missile range reports NO TRACK! The C band telemetry does not appear to be responding. Not a huge deal for the techies considering the speed of the vehicle, but we have no confirmation that the rocket is where we want it to be. Sue Palisano from CCAT looks at me, eyes wide and asks if everything is OK. This is the same moment that a flight anomaly occurred for the SL-1 launch in September of 2006. Everyone holds their breath. I hear a sonic boom as the rocket leaves the atmosphere and I am re-assured. This means the rocket is continuing its flight path.
Launch plus 90 seconds: WSMR HAS A SKIN TRACK! No easy task for a vehicle moving at mach 4.5, but that's our tax dollars hard at work. BIG RELIEF.
__Launch + 1 minute and 30 seconds: __Confirmation of space! 62 miles, 328,000 feet, 100 Kilometers. Cheers and claps.
__Launch + 2 minutes and 40 seconds: __LCC reports vehicle has continued to 72 miles or 384,000 feet.
Launch Plus 4 minutes: The LCC reports separation confirmation. The two stages begin their descent to earth.
T-plus 8 minutes: 2 sonic booms can be heard at almost exactly 8 minutes, the pre-calculated time.
T-plus 14 minutes: WSMR loses Skin Track as anticipated at about 4,000 feet.
Total flight time 15 minutes.
Mission complete -- back on the bus.
The rocket from the suborbital flight soon parachuted back to
Earth, coming down at the White Sands Missile Range shortly after 9 a.m. Take a look at the graphic below to see how the launch worked.
(Images from UP Aerospace.)
