Delta IV Heavy launch scheduled

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The first West Coast Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-6 here Jan. 20 at 1:08 p.m. PST.



30th Space Wing Public Affairs

1/18/2011 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The first West Coast Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-6 here Jan. 20 at 1:08 p.m. PST.

This will be the largest rocket ever to launch from the West Coast of the United States.

"This launch marks a significant milestone in our nation's space capability," said Lt. Col. Brady Hauboldt, launch director. "We've really restored a national capability for heavy lift on the Western Range, something we have not had since the last of the Titan IV-Bs flew out of Vandenberg. This extends our ability to cost effectively deliver payloads of all sizes and compliments."

The launch follows three years of preparations and $100 million in base infrastructure upgrades at SLC-6. It makes Vandenberg unique in providing the full spectrum of space lift capability delivering payloads of all sizes to orbit aboard the Minotaur through Delta II, Atlas V and now the Delta IV, said Hauboldt.

While this is the first Delta IV HLV from Vandenberg, it will be the fifth in the program's history. The first launch occurred in January 2004 from the East Coast.

The rocket will carry a national security payload for the NRO.

source

So I had the chance to witness the launching of the Delta IV Heavy earlier today. My friend and I were supposed to head out to the viewing site and watch it from there but that area was crazy packed. People from all over that had base access were coming on to the base as well as those cutting out of work/school early to see it. We were restricted from the sites that were reserved for media, so we got stuck pulling over somewhere in BFE along with other bystanders lol.

I was so excited to see the launch because this was the biggest rocket to ever be launched from the west coast and I had the opportunity to see it. Since I reside near the area, I've been able to see the majority of the launches that come out of Vandenberg AFB. The last huge launch that was beyond ossum was when they shot out the Google Earth satellite to the galaxies. You know all those wonderful google earth images that you now have access to- yeah, I saw that bad boy go up.

Now most of the time when they launch these rockets, they're deafeningly loud and can put a rumble through your house. Well knowing that the Delta IV Heavy was the biggest rocket to be shot out from the west coast, I'm thinking "damn, this is gonna be huge! We're near the site, we're gonna see total ossumness up close and personal..I'm gonna go deaf..blind..die even..etc etc". So we're out there..we see a couple of contractors with a walkie talkie that had the live audio directing the launch, and so we wait. It's 1 minute before they lift off and to be honest, it all happened so fast. The view we thought we had that was ossum, kinda sucked lol. 2 million pounds of thrust and within minutes it's over. Sound familiar? xD

I attempted to take some footage for myself, the sun was blaring, it's shaky, so bare with me. lol, I'll share my personal vid from my point of view, and then the OSSUM vid that's been put up from earlier today from a WAY better perspective.

I was a tad disappointed..because this was supposed to be the biggest rocket launched out of here, and I've seen a handful that seemed bigger. Idk, maybe I was hoping to see this huge, explosive, gargantuan rocket or something. Hyped myself up too much I guess lol. Needless to say, I had the opportunity to see it, so it's all good.

**oh and don't judge me. The sun was blaring in my eyes and it made it difficult to see anything in my screen. I tried! My video editing skills (or lack thereof) are um..yea see for yourself. I've never edited a video in my life. I tried to do you guys a favor by cutting out the MASSIVELY terrible shakes and leave you with the SEMI terrible shakes I seemed to be having with the pocket cam LOL. woteva, shut it. I even say it myself in the vid, "This video is a fail" LOL. Enjoy!

MeeshFailCam


The OSSUM Professional Video taken by..idk..obviously NOT me lol

still a good video meesh, not everyone was able to record that!