Hello, Seesaters! I'm sorry! I wrote in previous message wrong time of launch of Mars-96. It would be proper times in case of launch from LC81L. Since launch will take place from LC200L (46deg02'22" N, 63deg01'58" E) proper times are 2048:52.9 UT on Nov 16 2048:24.3 UT on Nov 17 (alternate opportunity). Launch azimuth is 61deg19'40". Here is some details of Mars-96 launch profile: T0+583.422s - separation of Block D-2/Mars-96 from the 3rd stage, 51.49N, 89.03E, 144.7 km T0+ 643.422s - 1st burn of the launching provision system block (BOZ) T0+ 942.422s - 1st ignition of the Block D-2 main engine T0+1046.721s - end of the 1st Block D-2 main engine burn, 45.08N, 132.60E, 159.88km T0+4032 ... T0+6280 - Block D-2/Mars-96 in Earth's shadow T0+3835.320 - 2nd burn of the BOZ engine T0+4134.32 - 2nd ignition of the Block D-2 main engine, 38.90 S, 46.49 W, 163.3 km T0+4138.32 - separation of the BOZ block from the Block D-2 T0+4661.14 - end of the 2nd Block D-2 main engine burn T0+4677.20 - separation of the spacecraft from the Block D-2, 8.24 N, 4.07 W, 464.16 km T0+4692.136 - ignition of the spacecraft's small thruster for providing of the main engine burn T0+4747.136 - ignition of the spacecraft's main engine T0+4916.953 - end of the main engine burn, 23.44 N, 8.24 E, 1174.09 km I'll try to prepare files with nominal state vectors in J2000 and B1950 for this launch profile (points with some step, for example 10 min) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is some information concerning of Mars Global Surveyor launch that I've extracted from JPL documentation. Mars Global Surveyor will be launched from LC17 at the USAF Eastern Space and Missile Center at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Launch site location is 28.446462 N, 279.4347 E, 6373.346 km (radius). The 21-day launch period begins on November 5, 1996 and extends through November 25, 1996. The launch period is composed of 32 instantaneous launch opportunities. The daily launch windows are of an instantaneous duration. Instantaneous is defined as +-1.0 second. A Delta II 7925 AUV (it will be the fourth launch of this modification) is planned only during the second daily launch opportunity, synonymous with a short coast parking orbit or an ascending node injection. Three launch azimuths will be utilized during the MGS launch period. These launch azimuth will be selected according to the following launch strategy: (1) From Nov 5 through Nov 15, 1996, the Delta Program will plan to support two instantaneous daily launch windows. At the opening of the launch period, the separation time between the two instantaneous daily launch windows will be 64 minutes. This condition will be achieved by the judicious selection of two discrete launch azimuths: 1st launch azimuth - 93.00 deg 2nd launch azimuth - 99.89 deg (2) From Nov 16 through Nov 25, 1996, the Delta Program will plan to support one instantaneous daily launch window. The launch azimuth will be selected to be consistent with the required declination of the launch asymptote (DLA) for the Nov 25th launch date. launch azimuth = 110.00 deg (3) All launch azimuths will be selected on the basis of maximizing launch vehicle perfomance and meeting range safety requirements. Parking orbit (circular ~185km) inclinations: Launch Azimuth, deg Parking Orbit Inclination, deg 93.00 28.470 99.89 29.818 110.00 36.500 MGS Launch Events For the first ten days in the launch period, there are two opportunities to launch each day. Here are the launch-event times for the 1st. 6 launch opportunities (Eastern Standard Time = UTC - 5h). An opportunity to launch will exist 30 seconds prior to the nominal liftoff time and will only be used in the event the Eastern Test Range (EST) issues a collision avoidance (COLA) warning. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-Nov-96 6-Nov-96 7-Nov-96 7-Nov-96 8-Nov-96 8-Nov-96 Event Lift-Off 12:11:16.7 13:15:44.3 12:00:49.9 13:05:56.4 11:48:11.112:54:09.2 Mach 1 12:11:49.0 13:16:16.5 12:01:22.1 13:06:28.6 11:48:43.312:54:41.4 Maximum Dynamic Pressure 12:12:06.1 13:16:33.7 12:01:39.3 13:06:45.8 11:49:00.512:54:58.6 Solid Motor Burn-Out (Ground Lit) 12:12:19.8 13:16:47.4 12:01:53.0 13:06:59.5 11:49:14.212:55:12.3 Solid Motor Ignition (Air Lit) 12:12:22.2 13:16:49.8 12:01:55.4 13:07:01.9 11:49:16.612:55:14.7 Solid Motor Jettison (3 Ground Lit) 12:12:22.7 13:16:50.3 12:01:55.9 13:07:02.4 11:49:17.112:55:15.2 Solid Motor Jettison (3 Ground Lit) 12:12:23.7 13:16:51.3 12:01:56.9 13:07:03.4 11:49:18.112:55:16.2 Solid Motor Burn-Out (Air Lit) 12:13:25.5 13:17:53.1 12:02:58.7 13:08:05.2 11:50:19.912:56:18.0 Solid Motor Jettison (Air Lit) 12:13:28.2 13:17:55.8 12:03:01.4 13:08:07.9 11:50:22.612:56:20.7 Stage 1 Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO) 12:15:37.3 13:20:04.9 12:05:10.5 13:10:17.0 11:52:31.712:58:29.8 Stage 1 Jettison 12:15:45.4 13:20:12.9 12:05:18.5 13:10:25.0 11:52:39.712:58:37.8 Stage 2 Ignition 12:15:50.9 13:20:18.4 12:05:24.0 13:10:30.5 11:52:45.212:58:43.3 Payload Fairing Jettison 12:16:02.7 13:20:30.3 12:05:35.9 13:10:42.4 11:52:57.112:58:55.2 Stage 2 First Cut-Off (SECO-1) 12:20:53.3 13:25:21.6 12:10:26.5 13:15:33.7 11:57:47.713:03:46.5 Stage 2 Restart 12:51:37.0 13:52:37.4 12:41:31.1 13:43:08.4 12:29:18.613:31:44.7 Stage 2 Second Cut-Off (SECO-2) 12:53:44.5 13:54:44.8 12:43:37.5 13:45:14.7 12:31:23.913:33:50.0 Orbit after SECO-2 is ~173x ~4600 km. Post-SECO-2 timeline is the same for all launch opportunities. Stage 2 Jettison 12:54:37.513:55:37.9 12:44:30.6 13:46:07.8 12:32:17.013:34:43.0 Stage 3 Ignition 12:55:14.813:56:15.2 12:45:07.9 13:46:45.1 12:32:54.313:35:20.3 Stage 3 Burn-Out (TECO) 12:56:42.113:57:42.5 12:46:35.2 13:48:12.4 12:34:21.613:36:47.6 Yo-yo Deploy and Despin 13:01:19.414:02:19.8 12:51:12.5 13:52:49.7 12:38:58.913:41:24.9 Stage 3 Jettison 13:01:24.414:02:24.7 12:51:17.5 13:52:54.7 12:39:03.913:41:29.9 (Times in HH:MM:SS.S format) POST-SECO-2 Timeline: T - SECO-2 T+ 50 s - Stage 2/Stage 3 spin-up T+ 53.1 s - stage 2 jettison T+ 90.4 s - stage 3 ignition T+177.7 s - TECO (burnout) T+455 s - despin T+460 s - stage 3/spacecraft separation T+587.6 s - solar array deployment initialization T+698 s - targeting interface point (TIP) T+887.6 s - solar array deployment complete T+887.6 ... T+1750.9 - spacecraft Sun search T+1750.9 s - spacecraft transmit Timeline from lift-off to SECO-2 is variable: T0 - lift-off T0 + 576.6 - parcking orbit insertion (SECO-1) for az. =93.00 deg 577.3 az. = 99.89 deg 583.6 az. = 110.00 deg Parking Orbit to Stage 2 Restart Burn Coast Time varies for each launch opportunity from 24 to 37.5 min. Stage 2 Restart Burn Duration and Attitude vary for each launch opportunity from 120 to 129 s. For Nov 06 launch opportunities stage 2 restart time is T0+2420.3 s - stage 2 restart for az.=93.00 deg 2213.1 s az.=99.89 deg 2027.1 s az.=110.00 deg Best regards, Vladimir Agapov.