Posted on 12/19/2018 6:12:15 PM PST by Terry L Smith
The ULA just scrubbed the launch, again, of Mission NRO-17.
A hydrogen leak, if I heard it correctly, was detected around the port-mounted main engine of the heavy lift rocket.
Announced time pushed back 24 hours for another launch.
What were they serving??
Oh..sorry. I thought it said “lunch”.
Well, now they can order lunch. Just push the lunch button.
Water. Lots and lots of really hot, freshly made water.
Color me confused.
BTW, I think the National Reconnaissance Office is just playing games with the Russians, Chinese, etc., who are attempting to monitor this flight..
I was watching the live launch feed when they scrubbed it.
This is the FOURTH time they have scrubbed the flight.
First time was T minus 7 seconds, with the fires lit.
The previous mission (ISS resupply) was in fact delayed because the mice’s food started rotting.
It shouldn’t be this difficult. After all it’s not rocket...
Never mind.
CC
One way to find a hydrogen leak is with a bic lighter.
Course, I’ll be many miles away while that happens.
United Launch Alliance and the government do not want a launch failure (and another black eye). The payload is a very, very expensive satellite. They are taking no chances. If the launch has to be scrubbed a half dozen times it is worth it as long as it gets up into orbit correctly.
Rocket Surgery...
I’m wondering if there’s nuclear armament aboard this satellite or radioactive material of some sort.. They seem VERY tentative about this launch!
Th4 “space age news chatterboxes” have speculated that this “bird” is of the ‘big bird slash KH generation” satellites.
We have been using “thermal generation” units for years, now.
As a retired rocket scientist, these things have so many “fault detectors”, you could sneeze, and set one off.
I think they are being extremely careful and leaving nothing to chance (as much as possible). The satellite is undoubtedly very, very expensive and if they have a bit of time available they would rather wait until everything runs flawlessly than take a chance of having to give a self-destruct command during flight. In such a case there would be much bad publicity and that they do not need.
It is almost a certainty that this is of the KH series, the question is “Who are they spying on?”. Based on recent revelations regarding the Deep State and the vast conspiracy to overthrow our duly-elected president, I’m not necessarily applauding another spy (photo recon? SigInt?, ???) satellite going up.
Launch currently scheduled two Sundays from now, 30 December
Look at the launch trajectory ... it is a polar orbit, so it could be anybody.
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