BACK TO THE FUTURE? Special to the Guide, Dec 4 2014

.
.
UPDATED Thursday at 9:15 pm: NASA just confirmed that the time for FRIDAY's launch is again scheduled for 7:05 am (Eastern). So the times published below will all remain the same, IF launch occurs on schedule.
.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Here's the story
as originally
published
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
.
Longtime readers know we have had a love affair with the space program, and our occasional inclusions of "this day in history" have celebrated achievements in space from the days when we HAD a real space program.

Today, we can all witness the beginning of a new chapter of history. And fair warning: any "austerity" dimwit politician who tries to cut what little is left in the Orion program will become the exclusive target of all the wrath the editor can bring to bear in every forum he can employ. On to the happy part...

Here's a detailed flight schedule for Orion, which might, someday, be the key to getting us to Mars. It goes-up for the first time at 4:05 am Pacific time. If all goes well. It's not riding the type of rocket intended, but everything is riding on it.

Orion EFT-1 : Timeline (reformatted for phone-friendly readability and to be coherent).

** Time to launch EST/UTC times currently assume liftoff time of 7:05 a.m. EST Thursday.

Format of listings:

All times are hh:mm:ss, and EASTERN time.

T-minus [Time to launch]
Time-of-day, EST Time; UTC. Event description.

PRE-LAUNCH

T-minus 8:15:00
10:50:00 PM; UTC 3:50:00. Mobile Service Tower first motion The gantry used to access the vehicle as it was being readied for launch begins to move away from the rocket.

T-minus 4:35:00
2:30:00 AM;  UTC 7:30:00. Fueling readiness polls United Launch Alliance launch team polls its members to decide whether to begin fueling the rocket with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

T-minus 4:30:00
2:35:00 AM; UTC 7:35:00. Delta IV Heavy fueling begins The Delta IV Heavy boosters begin to be filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

T-minus 3:30:00
3:35:00 AM; UTC 8:35:00. Flight control team on console in Mission Control, Houston. The NASA flight control team overseeing Orion’s flight from Houston takes over from the pre-launch flight control team that has been making preparations for launch.

T-minus 2:35:00
4:30:00 AM; UTC 9:30:00. NASA TV coverage begins Coverage continues through splashdown.

T-minus 1:55:00
5:10:00 AM; UTC 10:10:00. Landing weather briefing The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Flight Meteorology Group in Mission Control, Houston, briefs the Flight Control Team on weather conditions at the splashdown point.

T-minus 0:30:00
6:35:00 AM; UTC 11:35:00. Launch weather briefing The 45th Space Wing Operations Group Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station briefs the United Launch Alliance’s Delta Launch Team on weather conditions at the launch site.

T-minus 0:19:00
6:46:00 AM; UTC 11:46:00. Terminal countdown hold The Orion launch countdown enters a 15-minute hold at the T-4 minute mark, during which time the final go or no-go polls are conducted.

T-minus 0:16:00
6:49:00 AM; UTC 11:49:00. Orion go/no-go launch poll. The Lockheed Martin mission manager polls the Mission Management Team for a final go or no-go for Orion’s launch.

T-minus 0:08:00
6:57:00 AM; UTC 11:57:00. Orion on internal power. Orion begins using power from its own batteries rather than external power.

T-minus 0:08:00
6:57:00 AM; UTC 11:57:00. Delta go/no-go launch poll. The United Launch Alliance launch conductor polls the Delta Launch Team for a final go or no-go for launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket.

T-minus 0:04:00
7:01:00 AM; UTC 12:01:00. Terminal countdown begins. The final built-in hold ends, and the clock begins counting down the final minutes before launch.

T-minus 0:00:00
7:05:00 AM; UTC 12:05:00. Liftoff. Orion and the Delta IV Heavy lifts off from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

** Mission elapsed time EST/UTC times currently assume liftoff time of 7:05 a.m. EST Thursday Mission elpased time (hh:mm:ss)
__________

Format of listings, this section:

Time in flight
Time-of-day, EST Time; UTC. Event description.

ASCENT

+0:01:23
7:06:23 AM; UTC 12:06:23. Max Q. Orion and the Delta IV Heavy experience the maximum dynamic pressure during ascent.

+0:01:25
7:06:25 AM; UTC 12:06:25. Mach 1. Orion and the Delta IV Heavy reach the speed of sound.

+0:03:56
7:08:56 AM; UTC 12:08:56. Port and starboard Common Booster Cores jettisoned. The boosters on either side of the rocket are released after their engines cut off at the 3 minute, 56 second mark.

+0:05:30
7:10:30 AM; UTC 12:10:30. Core Common Booster Core MECO. The main engines cut off on the remaining booster core.

+0:05:33
7:10:33 AM; UTC 12:10:33. Stage 1 separation. The first stage of the Delta IV Heavy separates from the rest of the vehicle, while the second stage continues on with Orion.

+0:05:49
7:10:49 AM; UTC 12:10:49. Second stage ignition #1. The second stage of the Delta IV Heavy begins an 11-minute, 50-second engine burn to continue Orion’s ascent.

+0:06:15
7:11:15 AM; UTC 12:11:15. Service Module fairing separation. The three 13x14-ft. fairing panels that provided structural support and protected the service module through the first minutes of flight are pushed away from the vehicle to reduce Orion’s weight.

+0:06:20
7:11:20 AM; UTC 12:11:20. Launch Abort System jettison. The system that would be used to pull future Orion crews away from their rocket during an emergency is jettisoned once Orion is safely through the most dynamic portion of its launch.

+0:17:39
7:22:39 AM; UTC 12:22:39. Secondary Engine Cutoff (SECO) #1. The Delta IV Heavy second stage engine shuts down as Orion arrives at its initial orbit, 115 x 552 miles (185 by 888 kilometers) above Earth.

** Mission elapsed time EST/UTC times currently assume liftoff time of 7:05 a.m. EST Thursday Mission elpased time (hh:mm:ss)
__________

Format of listings, this section:

Time in flight
Time-of-day, EST Time; UTC. Event description.

SECOND ORBIT

+1:55:26
9:00:26 AM; UTC 14:00:26. Second stage ignition #2. The second stage of the Delta IV Heavy begins a 4-minute, 45-second engine burn to push Orion farther into orbit.

+2:00:09
9:05:09 AM; UTC 14:05:09. SECO #2. The Delta IV Heavy second stage completes its engine burn, sending Orion on its way to its peak altitude of 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers).

+2:05:00
9:10:00 AM; UTC 14:10:00. Entering first high radiation period. Orion enters the first of two periods of intense radiation in the lower Van Allen Belt. Its cameras are turned off during this period to protect them from damage.

+2:20:00
9:25:00 AM; UTC 14:25:00. Leaving high radiation period. Orion rises above the most intense area of radiation it will travel through. Its cameras are turned back on.

+2:40:00
9:45:00 AM; UTC 14:45:00. Reaction Control System activation. The engines that will steer Orion once it has separated from the Delta IV Heavy second stage are activated.

+3:05:00
10:10:00 AM; UTC 15:10:00. Peak altitude. Orion reaches its highest altitude of the flight, 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) above Earth and farther than any vehicle built for humans has been in more than 40 years.

+3:09:00
10:14:00 AM; UTC 15:14:00. Maneuver to Crew Module/Service Module separation attitude. Orion moves into position for the separation of its service module and the Delta IV Heavy second stage.

+3:23:41
10:28:41 AM; UTC 15:28:41. Crew Module/Service Module separation. The Orion crew module separates from its service module and the Delta IV Heavy in preparation for Orion's return to Earth.

+3:30:00
10:35:00 AM; UTC 15:35:00. Entering second high radiation period. Orion re-enters the area of intense radiation in the lower Van Allen Belt, this time going down instead of up. Its cameras will again be turned off for protection.

+3:57:11
11:02:11 AM; UTC 16:02:11. Crew Module translation burn. Orion’s reaction control system engines fire for 10 seconds to initiate its return to Earth.

+4:05:00
11:10:00 AM; UTC 16:10:00. Leaving high radiation period. Orion falls below the most intense area of radiation it will travel through. Its cameras are turned back on.

** Mission elapsed time EST/UTC times currently assume liftoff time of 7:05 a.m. EST Thursday Mission elpased time (hh:mm:ss)
__________

Format of listings, this section:

Time in flight
Time-of-day, EST Time; UTC. Event description.

RE-ENTRY

+4:13:35
11:18:35 AM; UTC 16:18:35. Entry Interface. Orion reaches the upper limits of Earth atmosphere, which generates heat as Orion passes through it at about 20,000 mph (32,000 kph).

+4:13:41
11:18:41 AM; UTC 16:18:41. Blackout. The flight control team in Mission Control loses contact with Orion for approximately 2.5 minutes as a superheated plasma forms around the capsule, blocking signals in and out.

+4:15:03
11:20:03 AM; UTC 16:20:03. Peak heating. Orion experiences the hottest period of its return through Earth’s atmosphere, with its heat shield experiencing temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius).

+4:19:29
11:24:29 AM; UTC 16:24:29. Forward Bay Cover jettison. The forward bay cover, with its tiles that have protected Orion through the heat of re-entry, is jettisoned to expose its parachutes. The forward bay cover has three parachutes of its own that will lower it to the Pacific Ocean.

+4:19:31
11:24:31 AM; UTC 16:24:31. Drogues deployed. The first two parachutes of the eight that will slow Orion for splashdown deploy while Orion is traveling about 300 mph (480 kph).

+4:20:40
11:25:40 AM; UTC 16:25:40. Main parachutes deployed. Three pilot parachutes are used to pull the three massive main parachutes out after the drogue parachutes are released. The main parachutes, which together would cover almost an entire football field, slow the vehicle from about 100 mph (160 kph) to less than 20 mph (30 kph).

+4:23:29
11:28:29 AM; 16:28:29. Splashdown. Orion lands in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 600 miles off the coast of Baja California. It will be recovered by a combined NASA and U.S. Navy team that will attach Orion to cables that will pull it into the flooded well deck of the USS Anchorage.
__________

Source:
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2014/20141201-orion-timeline.html

++++++

Good, detailed background on this flight, the new Orion spacecraft, why the type of rocket being used is not the one intended, plus, how we got here, and what was lost when Apollo was abandoned:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/eft-1-orion-historic-launch-atop-delta-iv-h/