Lunar Cruise Day 1

I'm awake, having grabbed a couple of few-hour naps overnight. The first one was a problem due to adrenaline aftereffects. My mind was still racing with memories of the launch, and thinking ahead to pending tasks.

Here's a NASA TV replay of the launch:
http://mfile3.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_061809_lrolcross_launch.asx

This is an abridged video that omits some of the coolest parts...it ends before orbit is achieved, and the Atlas cuts off and separates. Then the payload fairing separates and the Centaur upper stage burn begins. Hopefully NASA will post the full video later.

From the LRO blog, it looks like things have continued to go well with the spacecraft.

I got a few hours sleep until about 4:30, then I headed back to Goddard, which is not far from home. Before I left my bedroom I looked out my back window and spotted our target through the trees.

It was easier to see on the drive in, a waning crescent. Below it is the planet Venus.

I got in at 5 AM, just as the data for the mid-course correction (MCC1) were ready for conversion into the onboard computer-readable format. My colleague Mike and I completed that within a few minutes, then I headed over to the primary spacecraft simulator, called "FlatSat" (so named because the satellite simulator components are flat on a table). We test-loaded the products to a duplicate of the onboard computer and observed its response. No issues.

I headed back to the Mission Operations Center and confirmed that the products were verified and ready for uplink to the Orbiter. That probably happened a few hours ago when I was asleep. Tonight at 6:16 PM EDT is when the relatively brief (38-second) burn will take place. The Atlas and Centaur performed so well that we only need to do a bit of a touch-up on our course.

Last night, when I handed off the Flight Software station in the Launch Support Room to my successor, I said, "You have the conn, Mr. Trout." "What is that, Spock-speak?" he said.

"Indeed," I replied.