It's Thursday morning and everything is proceeding toward tonight's Atlas STP-1 launch. The team isn't tracking any significant issues and the weather forecast calls for an 80% chance of acceptable conditions during the 3 hour launch window. The launch team will be on console in aobut three hour to prepare for cryogenic oxidizer (LOX) loading of the rocket. The fuel was loaded onboard yesterday.

Click the link for the latest weather forecast for launch.

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• 281AFD-061114-007.pdf

For those wanting to view the Atlas launch, the best place for the public is either along the 528 (Beachline) casueway between Merritt Island and Cocoa beach, between the two bridges, or just south of the South gate to Cape Canaveral, around the bend from the north terminals of Port Canaveral and across from Spacehab. Those are the only locations where you'll be able to see the entire rocket on the launch pad; anywhere else it will only be visible once it gets in the air. See the attached map for an aerial view of those locations.

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The Atlas 5 that will carry the Space Test Program satellite into orbit for the Dept. of Defense tomorrow night, 9:37 p.m. EST, was rolled out to the launch pad today. The rocket arrived at the pad at 10:39 a.m. A press conference is scheduled for later this afternoon and we will have more information and a full mission preview this evening.

The final countdown is underway for the launch of Atlas 5-013 and the STP-1 spacecraft. The count started on time at 2:37 p.m. EST. The countdown will enter a 30-minute built-in hold at the T-minus 2 hour mark at 6:57 p.m. second stage liquid oxygen loading will start at 7:44 p.m.

Click the link for a picture of the Atlas on the launch pad, seen from the VIF tower.

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• 301aevideo2-1-short_toAVI_0001.jpg

It's 6:30 in the evening at Cape Canaveral right now, and the skies are mostly clear with a light breeze. The temperatures are going down so it will be a cool evening, but not cold. So far the count is progressing nominally toward the launch of the Atlas rocket this evening at the beginning of a two hour launch window that opens at 9:37 p.m. EST.

The Atlas 5 rocket launched 33 minutes late at 10:10 pm. The delay was due to an RF interference with US Navy vessels who were communicating on the same frequency range the RSO uses for the FTS. There was also a concern about a LOX vent valve and technicians wanted extra time to cycle the valve and verify its performance. After the issues were cleared, the launch team quickly moved to pick up the count and the vehicle lifted off and made a picture-perfect ascent. The first two Centaur burns have been completed and we are awaiting the third burn of the Centaur second stage. The Orbital Express satellite was successfully deployed following the first Centaur burn.

LEss than one minute to S3, the 3rd Centaur burn, prestart is in work.

Third Ceantaur burn underway, pressures look good, thrust is good.

Centaur cutoff! The third burn is complete at 10:58:19 p.m.