George Diller: This is Pegasus launch control, where we have the L-1011 awaiting departure at the end of the runway, and as we await the final polls for that operation, we have the NASA mission integration manager Wanda Harding here with us. And we have a tape of some of the activities that have been going on here at Vandenberg to prepare the Pegasus rocket and the DART spacecraft for launch. So, if we can roll the tape now. Wanda, if you'll tell us what it is that we're seeing. Wanda Harding: The view that we have is the end result of a long journey from Dulles, Virginia, to Vandenberg Air Force Base. The DART space vehicle was integrated and tested in Dulles and transported cross-country to Vandenberg in July, originally for our original launch date last October. You notice the shipping crate that's in the back of the trailer. Of course, careful operations are required to carefully remove this from the tractor trailer. Once it's removed, it will be taken to the Processing Facility or the Vehicle Assembly Building for Pegasus and Orbital, where it will subsequently be mated with the Pegasus Launch Vehicle. Both representatives from Marshall Space Flight Center and Orbital Sciences Corporation are reflected in the video. The DART space vehicle was a joint effort between the two teams. You're observing the mating of the vehicle stages. The Pegasus is a three-stage solid motor rocket, with the fourth stage liquid. The DART space vehicle is a unique spacecraft for NASA because the space vehicle also incorporates or is a part of the actual Pegasus launch vehicle. The stage mate is both mechanical and electrical in nature. The view that you have is a vertical perspective of the DART space vehicle. Of course, all of the integration of the Pegasus, as well as the spacecraft, is done in a horizontal configuration. The view that you have is the avionics section, or the fourth-stage portion, coming over the HAPS, which is the Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion Unit, which constitutes the fourth stage of the Pegasus launch vehicle, as well as provides propulsion capability for the DART space vehicle. Once the DART space vehicle is secured and bolted with the HAPS stage, it's ready for configuration and mate with the Pegasus launch vehicle. Just to generally share a little information with you about the Pegasus launch vehicle itself, as I mentioned it is a three-stage solid propellant vehicle with a dual-purpose (in this case) fourth stage. The first stage is a winged stage, which provides lift during the first-stage ascent. It's ignited about five seconds after drop from the L-1011 aircraft. The thrust-vector controls for the second and third stage provide pitch and yaw control. We're now taking a view of the Pegasus third stage being mated with the DART space vehicle, also coincidentally what we call a 'stage three-four mate.' The fairing provides a protective shroud for the space vehicle during the initial ascent of the launch. It is a graphite-epoxy fairing, lined with aluminum to provide contamination control. The front view of the space vehicle you see is a UHF antenna, and also the hardware, AVGS, or the Advanced Video Guidance Sensor, which is a part of the technology demo for the DART mission. The software controlling the activities provides autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations, algorithms and controls. Once the space vehicle is mated and the fairing encloses the space vehicle, then it is ready for taxi or tug to the flight line, where it's mated with the L-1011. The fairing is composed of two halves. It also includes access doors for any requirements to access the the payload once the fairing encapsulation is complete. You'll notice the clean room garments that the technicians and engineers are wearing, and that's basically to minimize any contamination impact with the optical sensors that are onboard the DART space vehicle. The orbital carrier aircraft is a modified L-1011. The aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base last Wednesday, and the Pegasus was mated to the L-1011 on last Friday. At that time, NASA also completed our Flight Readiness Review, providing concurrence to proceed with the countdown and launch campaign activities here at Vandenberg. Prior to mating the Pegasus to the L-1011, the aircraft is jacked to provide additional clearance for the work required to properly mate the vehicle. Once that is completed, the plane is lowered, and we're ready to proceed into today's exciting activities that we're very much looking forward to: the launch of the DART space vehicle. Alright, thank you, Wanda. Diller: Thank you. And can you give us any status about our downrange support? Are things ready to track? Right now, we have a green on weather on our downrange support, and all looks good on the launch vehicle, as well as the space vehicle. So we're looking forward to a good launch today. Alright. Things are going well, so I guess next on our activity will be Omar Baez, the NASA launch manager, polling the NASA team for the status to give a go for the departure. So we'll be listening for that and thank you once again, Wanda. Thank you.
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ksc_041505_dart_harding1
Date Created
April 19, 2005
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