This video features a launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the European's Space Agency's Solar Orbiter. This was recorded from my backyard on Sunday night, February 20th, 2020.
00:00And liftoff of our solar orbit and international collaboration to give us new images and a better understanding of our life-giving star.
00:18Now 25 seconds into flight.
00:26Chamber pressure on the SRV looks good.
00:28Engine operating parameters on the RD-180 also look good.
00:31Good report so far. Atlas V began the pitch over.
00:33And at 35 seconds in, vehicle is completing the pitch over maneuver.
00:39Now 41 seconds into flight.
00:4245 seconds into flight. Everything is looking good.
00:46We heard that the RD-180 is operating on the ground.
00:49RD-180 throttling down slightly as expected and engine response looks good.
00:52I'm going to pull those engines down for just a little bit as we anticipate max-q.
01:04Should be able to hear this one probably.
01:06Equals now passing through. Max-q. Maximum dynamic pressure.
01:09Maximum dynamic pressure is the period of maximum mechanical stress in the rocket because it's reached its highest velocity, resistance, created by the Earth's atmosphere.
01:23Made it through and they're throttling back up.
01:25And standing by for SRV burnout.
01:32And we have burnout on the solid rocket booster.
01:34Atlas will hold on to the SRV for an additional 47 seconds prior to jettison.
01:39We're going to let that thing go at 2 minutes and 19 seconds.
01:42Now 1 minute 45 seconds into flight.
01:45RD-180 continues to perform well at full thrust.
01:48Pump speeds and injector pressures look good.
01:49All right, stand by now for booster jettison.
01:55And now coming up on 2 minutes into flight, the Atlas V vehicle now weighs just one half of its lift-off weight.
