Rocket launch tonight to send 29 satellites into orbit from Virginia - including one developed at a high school -
Live streaming video by Ustream
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, a rocket will blast into space from Wallops Island, Va., carrying a record 29 satellites, including one developed at a high school in northern Virginia. Sky watchers up and down the East Coast should be able to catch a glimpse.
The launch window for the mission, known as ORS-3 – run by the U.S. military’s Operationally Responsive Space Office, extends from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Skies are forecast to be clear with diminishing winds, so assuming no technical hiccups (always a possibility), launch should proceed.
The Air Force’s Space Test Program Satellite-3, which will measure different aspects of the space environment, is by far the mission’s biggest spacecraft.
The satellite developed by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., known as TJ3Sat, is one of 28 miniature “CubeSats” or nanosatellites that are part of the mission.
TJ3Sat is the first satellite to be built and tested by high school students, according to Orbital Sciences, the project’s corporate sponsor as well as the developer of the Minotaur rocket, boosting the various satellites into orbit.
“Since the beginning of the TJ3Sat program, Orbital has purchased flight hardware and contributed mentors and advice throughout the process, as well as assistance with final testing prior to launch,” said David Thompson, Orbital’s President. “We are thrilled to see the hard work and dedicated efforts of the students at Thomas Jefferson High School come to fruition and look forward to the educational benefits this satellite will bring to other students around the world.”
Read more -
Live streaming video by Ustream
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, a rocket will blast into space from Wallops Island, Va., carrying a record 29 satellites, including one developed at a high school in northern Virginia. Sky watchers up and down the East Coast should be able to catch a glimpse.
The launch window for the mission, known as ORS-3 – run by the U.S. military’s Operationally Responsive Space Office, extends from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Skies are forecast to be clear with diminishing winds, so assuming no technical hiccups (always a possibility), launch should proceed.
The Air Force’s Space Test Program Satellite-3, which will measure different aspects of the space environment, is by far the mission’s biggest spacecraft.
The satellite developed by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., known as TJ3Sat, is one of 28 miniature “CubeSats” or nanosatellites that are part of the mission.
TJ3Sat is the first satellite to be built and tested by high school students, according to Orbital Sciences, the project’s corporate sponsor as well as the developer of the Minotaur rocket, boosting the various satellites into orbit.
“Since the beginning of the TJ3Sat program, Orbital has purchased flight hardware and contributed mentors and advice throughout the process, as well as assistance with final testing prior to launch,” said David Thompson, Orbital’s President. “We are thrilled to see the hard work and dedicated efforts of the students at Thomas Jefferson High School come to fruition and look forward to the educational benefits this satellite will bring to other students around the world.”
Read more -
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