cobradav

WOW - even more impressed. Is that the Cape where the launch is taking place?

If memory serves me right, the contract for the JSF went to Lockheed-Martin?
Obviously, both L-M and Boeing must have spent a fortune trying to win the contract by demonstrating their onw products. Seeing the L-M won it, does this mean that Boeing have lost a lot of money in developing their demonstration fighter for no contract at the end? Is the technology gone to waste?
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Yes, Pad or SLC-17A to be exact. That launch was in June of '99. Happened to be a pic that was reasonably small (kb). Also happened to have that handy as it was the same configuration (3 strap on solid motors) as the Swift launch in Nov, '04.

Yes it was LM that won and yes most of Boeings technology expenditure was wasted. And a few tax payer dollars as well. However, Boeing does supply the wings and aft fuselage for LM's F-22 Raptor which is also very high tech.

IrishEyes

Brilliant. Were u at the launch or is that a publicity photo? I was in Texas a number of years ago on hols and visited Johnson Space Centre. Absolutely fascinating. The background in the photo looked like the Florida coastline but wasn't sure if NASA used launch locations other than continental USA. We visited some of the launch complex - Launch Complex 39a rings a bell for some reason. Could have been Apollo 11. I'm sure we were also on the pad (or whats left of it) where the Apollo 1 disaster occured.

While on another trip to Seattle, visited Boeing airfield and could have spent weeks in the museum. I want to go back.

Re the waste of money/developments/concepts, is there anything LM could have 'salvaged' to incorporate in to their own design. Or Boeing offer information (at a cost of course) to help make the final result a better package?

EBMCS03

Ahhh waste waste waste! :'(

Rudy

Kewl! Guess where I was on Saturday, March 20, 2004 (while my car was on the WW Patriot making it's way over here)?

I was on Cocoa Beach watching this go up...

EBMCS03

AWESOME!

cobradav

Brilliant. Were u at the launch or is that a publicity photo? I was in Texas a number of years ago on hols and visited Johnson Space Centre. Absolutely fascinating. The background in the photo looked like the Florida coastline but wasn't sure if NASA used launch locations other than continental USA. We visited some of the launch complex - Launch Complex 39a rings a bell for some reason. Could have been Apollo 11. I'm sure we were also on the pad (or whats left of it) where the Apollo 1 disaster occured.

While on another trip to Seattle, visited Boeing airfield and could have spent weeks in the museum. I want to go back.

Re the waste of money/developments/concepts, is there anything LM could have 'salvaged' to incorporate in to their own design. Or Boeing offer information (at a cost of course) to help make the final result a better package?
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Unfortunately I see all Delta II launches from the inside of the ROCC (Range Operations Control Center) on the Cape. I am the Delta II Program Manager supporting the Air Force eastern Range. All photos are from the Boeing web site where you can find each and every launch from either here or Vandenburg, CA. Also the Delta IVs and probably Sea Launch as well.

Delta II' biggest customer is the NASA and GPS which was the 20 March 04 Launch of GPS IIR-11 that Rudy saw. Next one is GPS IIR-14 currently scheduled for 20 May 05. Hopefully Shuttle will be back in business in May as well. I can see all launches from the Cape or Kennedy Space Center (other than my program) from my back yard.

IrishEyes

Super stuff. Next time I'm over, I'll watch out for a S-G 645Ci
Would there be many night launches?
I know someone living in Tampa and he has offered his facilities for my pleasure.
I was in Florida in 2001 and might go back at some stage for another vacation. Maybe see a (night) launch if possible.

Iceman

I've never seen a launch nor a landing. I was there so often but had no luck...
In March/April 1999 there was a Delta on its launch pad and I had a perfect spot. A beautiful night... But the wind was coming in from the sea, so they launched it while I was on my way back to Germany. Another time there was a Shuttle start scheduled... But they experienced problems too... A landing I was only able to "hear" the Shuttle, couldn't drive over to the KSC, because there wasn't enough time to get back to Tampa for work...

cobradav

Super stuff. Next time I'm over, I'll watch out for a S-G 645Ci
Would there be many night launches?
I know someone living in Tampa and he has offered his facilities for my pleasure.
I was in Florida in 2001 and might go back at some stage for another vacation. Maybe see a (night) launch if possible.
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Just had an Atlas III Launch of a classified NRO payload at 0241L EST on Thursday. Really exotic as there was a lot of ground fog but clear overhead. Could not even see the lights at the pad, and at T-0 the effect of the ignition was eerie. Unusual launch azimuth to the north (43 degrees) so I got a flame (butt end) view for quite awhile.

When Shuttle RTF (Return to Flight) starts they are supposed to be limited to daylight hours until they have proved their fixes. No other vehicles are limited to daylight, just depends on payload orbit requirements. Supposed to be the last Titan IV sometime in March, but they have a lot of schedule slips. It?s a biggie, though of course nothing like the Saturns of Apollo era. Delta IV Heavy (three big boosters strapped together) are the next big thing. I think there is one scheduled in the next 3-4 months depending if they find their problems that occurred on their first launch in December 04.

Anybody expecting to be in the area just PM me for a schedule of launches. Usually have a 90 day forecast readily available.