Orbital Antares - Manual (Page 69)

Antares
®
OSP-3
User’s Guide
Section 7.0
– Ground and Launch Operations
Release 1.1 July 2013 58
final flight pressure, and final safe and arm verification testing. The vehicle and launch team are then
ready for roll-out to the pad in preparation for countdown and launch.
7.5. Pre-Launch and Launch Operations
Prelaunch activities begin at approximately L-3 days with transportation of the integrated launch vehicle
from the HIF to the launch complex. The exact time of transport from the HIF is flexible and is ultimately
based on mission requirements. The launch procedure controls this and all remaining activities through
launch, including:

Payload environmental control switchover from mobile (PECS) to launch pad

Integration of umbilicals and fueling lines from the pad to the Launch vehicle

Removal of final safing keys for ordnance and FTS

Vehicle erection and attachment to launch mount

Combined system testing

TVA operations

Stage 1 automated fueling operations
7.5.1. Launch Control Management
The Launch Control Organization is comprised of two groups: the Management Team and the Technical
Team. The Launch Control Management Team consists of senior Range personnel and Mission Direc-
tors/Managers for the launch vehicle and payload. At major milestones during the launch count, including
the polls to resume the count after a hold and the final poll, the Orbital Launch Conductor (LC) will poll the
management team
members for their respective ―GO‖ status. The Management Team has overall re-
sponsibility for launch operations and success of the launch.
The technical team executes launch-day activities and data review/assessment for the payload, the
launch system, the launch site, and the Range. This team consists of the Launch Conductor, the Vehicle
Engineer, members of the payload engineering organization, the Range Control Officer, the spaceport
operations personnel, and the supporting engineering and Range personnel. The Launch Conductor is
responsible for conducting the countdown procedure and ensuring that all countdown tasks are per-
formed. The Launch Conductor polls the launch team for readiness to support each of the major activities
in the sequence. The Vehicle Engineer has the overall responsibility for the Antares launch vehicle and
coordinates the activities of a team of Orbital engineers who are reviewing the telemetry to verify that the
system is ready for launch. The Payload Engineering organization is responsible for coordinating the ac-
tivities of the payload engineering team to verify that the payload is ready for launch. The Spaceport per-
sonnel verify that pad systems including the liquid fueling facility are functional and ready to support
launch operations. The range activities are coordinated by the Range Control Officer who provides the
final Range ―clear to launch‖ response.
7.5.2. Launch Rehearsals
Launch rehearsals are conducted prior to each mission to prepare Antares, customer, and Range per-
sonnel for a successful launch. Both customer and Range personnel involved with launch day activities
are required to participate in launch rehearsals.
A launch site dress rehearsal is conducted one month prior to launch (L-1 month) to train the launch team
with control center consoles and communications operations, procedures for reporting issues, problem
solving, launch procedures and constraints, and the decision making process. The launch site dress re-
hearsal is typically a full day in duration and consists of a number of countdown simulations performed