{"id":14836,"date":"2017-02-28T20:10:49","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T12:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/timeline-atlas-5-nrol-79-launch-events\/"},"modified":"2017-02-28T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T12:10:49","slug":"timeline-atlas-5-nrol-79-launch-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/timeline-atlas-5-nrol-79-launch-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeline: Atlas 5\/NROL-79 launch events"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Follow the unclassified portion of the Atlas 5 rocket\u2019s ascent to space from California\u2019s Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office\u2019s NROL-79 satellite payload. Launch is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT).<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+00:01.1: Liftoff<\/strong><br \/>\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-068, will lift off and begin a vertical rise away from Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+00:81: Mach 1 and Max Q<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/02.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe Atlas rocket achieves Mach 1 some 81 seconds into the flight, then passes through the region of maximum dynamic pressure at 89 seconds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+04:03: Main Engine Cutoff<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/03.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe RD-180 main engine completes its firing after consuming the load of RP-1 kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen supply in the Atlas first stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+04:09: Stage Separation<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/04.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe Common Core Booster first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket separates from the Centaur upper stage. Over the next few seconds, the Centaur engine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are readied for ignition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+04:19: Centaur Ignition No. 1<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/05.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe Centaur RL10 engine ignites to inject the Centaur stage and NROL-79 spacecraft into orbit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>T+04:27: Nose Cone Jettison<\/strong><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-22541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/06.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><br \/>\nThe two-piece, 14-foot-diameter payload fairing that protected the NROL-79 craft during the atmospheric ascent is separated to reveal the satellite to space.<\/p>\n<p>The mission now enters a news blackout to perform the orbit-shaping and payload deployment for the National Reconnaissance Office in secrecy.<\/p>\n<p>After performing its mission, the Centaur will be de-orbited into the South Pacific, west of Chile.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8DzB6500n-E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>See earlier NROL-79 coverage.<\/p>\n<p>Our Atlas archive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Follow the unclassified portion of the Atlas 5 rocket\u2019s ascent to space from California\u2019s Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office\u2019s NROL-79 satellite payload. Launch is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT). T+00:01.1: Liftoff The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-068, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3222,724,3393,848,3394,750,3081],"class_list":["post-14836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ascent","tag-atlas-5","tag-av-068","tag-national-reconnaissance-office","tag-nrol-79","tag-united-launch-alliance","tag-vandenberg-air-force-base"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14836"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14836\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}