XM Radio Satellite Launch
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
At least we have phones and internet access through our satellite link so I can kill time surfing the net. I also managed to talk management into a Playstation 2 and a foosball table so we are doing alright on this trip so far. But then again it is only the 3rd day. Check back with me in 3 weeks or so!
This isn't the LoveBoat. Here is a photo of my cabin.
This isn't the LoveBoat. Here is a photo of my cabin.
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
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Wow that's really cool!
Trojanhorse, feel free to include more pictures and information concerning your situation! I find it really interesting!
What kind of speeds are you getting on your satellite connection? What is your exact job? Tell us about it, inquiring minds want to know!
Rob
Montreal
Trojanhorse, feel free to include more pictures and information concerning your situation! I find it really interesting!
What kind of speeds are you getting on your satellite connection? What is your exact job? Tell us about it, inquiring minds want to know!
Rob
Montreal
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
I get T1 or slightly better speeds through our Intelsat connection. We lose connection for about 30 minutes each day around 5 PM as we pass through the sun radiation field but other than that it works great.
As for my exact job it is pretty much everything. Sea Launch is a private venture competing with big government projects so we fly by the seat of our pants. We do stuff with about 35 people that would take hundreds at Cape Canaveral. I specifically am the lead mechanical engineer for payload operations (only 2 of us anyways
). I do everything from taking the satellite out of it's shipping container to sticking it inside the fairing to stacking it onto the rocket to going to sea and launching the bugger. Jack of All trades. When I get some more good photos I'll post them for any interested. I have some old photos from prior voyages but I am looking for new material this time!
And CG, yep the weather is better. We are up to a blistering 9.8 knots. (That is 11.3 mph fer ya landlubbers!) I could ride my freakin bike to the Equator faster than this. You know it is bad when you go look overboard and the waves are passing your ass.
As for my exact job it is pretty much everything. Sea Launch is a private venture competing with big government projects so we fly by the seat of our pants. We do stuff with about 35 people that would take hundreds at Cape Canaveral. I specifically am the lead mechanical engineer for payload operations (only 2 of us anyways
). I do everything from taking the satellite out of it's shipping container to sticking it inside the fairing to stacking it onto the rocket to going to sea and launching the bugger. Jack of All trades. When I get some more good photos I'll post them for any interested. I have some old photos from prior voyages but I am looking for new material this time!And CG, yep the weather is better. We are up to a blistering 9.8 knots. (That is 11.3 mph fer ya landlubbers!) I could ride my freakin bike to the Equator faster than this. You know it is bad when you go look overboard and the waves are passing your ass.
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From: Sydney
I think I speak for eveyone when I say "We are really interested". Will we be able to see the launch procedures and actual launch via webcam?
As you guys are seat of the pants you might consider selling it as a tourist attraction. Are you near any of the tourist islands when you launch? I'd do a cruise just to see it.
As you guys are seat of the pants you might consider selling it as a tourist attraction. Are you near any of the tourist islands when you launch? I'd do a cruise just to see it.
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
Our official Sea Launch web page at http://www.sea-launch.com has all kinds info on everything from the ships to the rocket. It will also have lots of photos and a live broadcast of the actual launch on the 18th.
The nearest land to our launch site is Kiribati (Christmas Island) which is about 400 miles Northwest of the launch site. We specifically go where there is nothing so that we have a clear range for the launch. A funny story about this is that on our PanAmSat launch a Japanese shark fishing boat came between the Launch platform and the command ship. The 2 ships park about 3 miles apart for the launch and in the dead of night the Japanese boat must have slipped between them. I think the Japanese crew was probably sleeping and just drifting. Anyways, when the sun came up they looked out their windows and here is this huge platform with a 212 ft white rocket pointed to the sky a mile away from them. They must have thought it was WWIII. They shit themselves and jumped on the throttles. Unfortunately they went the wrong way and we had to send our helicopter after them. They didn't answer the radios calls or maybe they didn't speak English or Russian but our helicopter had to buzz them to get them to turn around. Must have scared them shitless.
[Edited by TrojanHorse on 03-13-2001 at 05:00 PM]
The nearest land to our launch site is Kiribati (Christmas Island) which is about 400 miles Northwest of the launch site. We specifically go where there is nothing so that we have a clear range for the launch. A funny story about this is that on our PanAmSat launch a Japanese shark fishing boat came between the Launch platform and the command ship. The 2 ships park about 3 miles apart for the launch and in the dead of night the Japanese boat must have slipped between them. I think the Japanese crew was probably sleeping and just drifting. Anyways, when the sun came up they looked out their windows and here is this huge platform with a 212 ft white rocket pointed to the sky a mile away from them. They must have thought it was WWIII. They shit themselves and jumped on the throttles. Unfortunately they went the wrong way and we had to send our helicopter after them. They didn't answer the radios calls or maybe they didn't speak English or Russian but our helicopter had to buzz them to get them to turn around. Must have scared them shitless.
[Edited by TrojanHorse on 03-13-2001 at 05:00 PM]
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
Here are a few more pics for you techno geeks that like this stuff.
Here we are rolling the payload out to the Assembly and Command Ship so we can bolt it onto the rocket.
After we have it all bolted up it looks like this..
Then we back the Command Ship up to the Launch platform
Then use some big ass cranes to pick it up!!
669 miles down, only 2628 more to go.
Here we are rolling the payload out to the Assembly and Command Ship so we can bolt it onto the rocket.
After we have it all bolted up it looks like this..
Then we back the Command Ship up to the Launch platform
Then use some big ass cranes to pick it up!!
669 miles down, only 2628 more to go.
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From: Signal Hill, SoCal
The beast asleep in it's lair.
9 days into the trip with 3 more until we reach the launch site and 6 more until launch. Then we have to sail home. Ahhhhhh.
[Edited by TrojanHorse on 03-13-2001 at 04:55 PM]