+Criminal Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Florida Today June 24, 2004 Delta 2, Satellite Roar Into Hazy Sky By Chris Kridler, Florida Today CAPE CANAVERAL -- A Boeing Delta 2 rocket found a wide patch of blue to punch through on Wednesday, launching with a navigation satellite for the Air Force after three delays because of storms. The forecast got progressively better as the day rolled on, and the rocket roared into a hazy sky at 6:54 p.m. The Lockheed Martin-built GPS 2R-12 is a replacement and will be the 28th operational satellite in a constellation that operates on a minimum of 24. "We launch in anticipation of anything breaking," said Maj. Alan Edmiaston of the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base. Signals from the navigation satellites are used around the world by the military and civilians alike to get on-the-spot time, location, altitude and velocity information. The launch was dedicated in the memory of the former President Ronald Reagan. A banner on the side of the rocket's umbilical tower said "Launch One For 'The Gipper.' " The liftoff clears the way for NASA to get its MESSENGER mission ready to launch. The probe is to fly to Mercury, boosted into space on a Delta 2 rocket, from the same launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Mercury probe is scheduled to launch July 30 and has a 15-day window to leave for the planet, or else it will have to launch next summer. NASA wouldn't discuss possible delays until the GPS launch occurred. Quote Link to comment
+joefrog Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I was a bit afraid to open one of your posts with a title like that! Quote Link to comment
+Criminal Posted June 25, 2004 Author Share Posted June 25, 2004 That's why I posted the full story instead of providing the link... Quote Link to comment
+tirediron Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I was a bit afraid to open one of your posts with a title like that! LOL... me too... one of those "I know I'm gonna regret this, but I have to do it" things. Still... an interesting little news bit! Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Yeah it had the feeling of the train wreck didn't it? hehehe Quote Link to comment
+wildearth2001 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I thought you were gonna talk about something on the site that jeremy finally got back up, but the idea the others speak of also came to mind Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I was a bit afraid to open one of your posts with a title like that! Boy, you all should be ashamed for thinking that Criminal would post something, lets say, a bit questionable! Its just not in this fine lad's nature!!! Quote Link to comment
+LeatherKnight Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Rather than do my own research, let me ask this question. How often do these things make a full orbit around the earth? Every 90 minutes or so is my guess, I guess. Anyone have an idea? Quote Link to comment
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