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Posted: January 20, 2011 Flying from the U.S. West Coast for the first time, a Delta 4-Heavy rocket lifted off at 1:10 p.m. PST Thursday from the storied Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The triple-body booster was hauling a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.These photos were taken 7 miles north of the Delta 4-Heavy pad at Surf Beach.Credit: Spaceflight Now photos by Stephen Clark Credit: Spaceflight Now photos by Stephen Clark | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.History abounds in launch of crucial weather satellite SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: February 6, 2009A last-of-its-kind weather observatory with roots reaching back to the earliest days of U.S. space exploration rocketed into orbit this morning to keep logging environmental records until a long-delayed new generation of satellites is ready. Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily NewsSee more launch photos Shrouded inside the white nose cone of the Delta 2 rocket, the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft left its coastal launch pad in California at 2:22 a.m. local time (5:22 a.m. EST; 1022 GMT).The night-owl ascent from Vandenberg Air Force Base was precisely timed to achieve the polar orbit where an aging predecessor satellite currently operates.Valued at $564 million, the NOAA-N Prime satellite mission has the specific goal to further the distinguished legacy of tracking global weather conditions and compiling continuous climate data.The satellite's family tree can be traced to 1960 and the launch of TIROS, the first Television Infrared Observation Satellite. Upgrades and technology advancements have evolved the civilian weather observatories through the decades. NOAA-N Prime is the 43rd satellite launched in the long line and the 16th from its particular series that dates to 1978."Since the 1960s, we've gone from collecting and generating somewhat fuzzy cloud images of weather systems to producing crisp images of clouds, land and ocean features, collecting information about the vertical distribution of temperature and moisture in the atmosphere and developing products to support our broad range of environmental applications. So we've gone from launching weather satellites to environmental satellites," said Mike Mignogno, NOAA's program manager of Polar Operational Environmental Satellites.NOAA-N Prime has a design life of two years. Its sister-satellites have had an average lifespan of 3.75 years, and officials hope to get as much use out of this spacecraft as possible."NOAA-N Prime is going to give us data the same as we've been getting in the past, but its main role is continuity of service and to restore some of the degraded instruments that we've had," said Tom Wrublewski, the satellite's acquisition manager. "So we're looking forward to a fresh satellite that has 100 percent of everything working and also help us continue our services until the next generation NPOESS satellites are ready."NPOESS is the future of polar weather satellites. The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System will combine the civilian NOAA and U.S. military weather spacecraft into a single program, an effort started by the Clinton Administration in 1994.But the new NPOESS satellites have been beset by technical and money problems, delaying the first craft's launch to January 2013.To help bridge the gap from the heritage satellites to the next generation, a demonstration satellite called the NPOESS Preparatory Project is slated for deployment at the end of 2010."The NPP satellite, which carries the instruments that the NPOESS satellite is carrying, will give us the insurance of having a backup in orbit if for some reason N Prime fails before the launch and checkout of (the first NPOESS)," said Gary Davis, director of the Office of Systems Development at NOAA's Satellite and Information Service.Circling 530 statute miles above Earth and completing a revolution every 100 minutes, the NOAA-N Prime will operate in the so-called "afternoon" polar orbit to replace NOAA-18 and its degraded instruments. The orbit crosses the equator from south to north at 2 p.m. on the trips around the planet.A joint endeavor between NOAA and Europe's weather satellite agency has the "morning" orbit covered. The first MetOp satellite in that collaborative project launched in 2006."It's a good cooperation," Mignogno said. "We share the data and we both benefit from the fact that we're each providing only one satellite but getting the benefit of two."Users of data from the polar-orbiting satellites are wide ranging. Meteorologists generate weather predictions, agricultural scientists need the information for drought management and monitoring vegetation and soil moisture and even the aviation community rely on the spacecraft to detect and track volcanic ash plumes for re-routing of aircraft.NOAA-N Prime is outfitted with instruments that provide imagery, atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, and land and ocean surface temperature observations, all of which are key ingredients for weather forecasting. In addition, the information generates decades-long databases for climate monitoring and global change studies."The data from polar-orbiting satellites such as NOAA-N Prime will be vital to our mission as we move forward to monitor and to predict not only current conditions in the atmosphere and oceans but also to keep tabs on the longer term climate trends," said Wayne Higgins, director, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.The Lockheed Martin-built satellite also carries an instrument to study the quantity and extent of ozone in the atmosphere and a space environment monitor that measures changes in the Earth's magnetic field and radiation belts caused by solar storms that can threaten astronauts and impact terrestrial communications, according to Wayne McIntyre, NASA's program manager for the Polar Operational Environmental Satellites.In addition, the NOAA satellites are equipped with search and rescue packages that detect distress signals from emergency beacons. Over the past 26 years, the network has been credited with more than 24,000 rescues worldwide.NOAA-N Prime had to overcome the perils of its past to even reach space. In September 2003, the spacecraft was severely damaged in a factory , falling on its side while being moved because workers failed to realize the satellite wasn't bolted to the handling cart. Extensive work went into rebuilding the craft.Shipped to Vandenberg last November, the bird passed its final pre-flight testing and then rode to the launch pad in mid-January for mounting atop the Delta rocket.Two back-to-back scrubs for pad-related glitches kept NOAA-N Prime on the ground a couple extra days this week, but the wait resulted in today's flawless ascent to orbit."The flight was just awesome. We hit the orbit right on the money. The apogee, perigee and inclination of the spacecraft looks right where we wanted it," NASA launch manager Omar Baez said.This marked the 85th consecutive successful launch by a Delta 2 rocket and the 138th overall for the venerable booster that will celebrate its 20th birthday next week."We are proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Delta 2 by successfully launching this critically important spacecraft for both NASA and NOAA and we congratulate our mission partners on their success," said Jim Sponnick, United Launch Alliance's vice president of the Delta Product Line.After arriving in space, the satellite sprung to life and unfurled its power-producing solar array. Two months of testing are planned before the craft goes to work as the final weather satellite in the long family history."A bunch of people that worked on this program for the full 30 years are all going to get together a couple weeks after the successful launch of N Prime and just reminisce about an era that's come to an end," Davis said."I think this is a very storied program," Mignogno said. "I think it's going to be a tough act to follow."Additional coverage for subscribers:VIDEO:DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH NOAA-N PRIME VIDEO:LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 1 VIDEO:LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 2 VIDEO:LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD CAMERA NO. 3 VIDEO:CONFIRMATION OF A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH VIDEO:LAUNCH PAD'S SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK VIDEO:WEDNESDAY'S LAUNCH ATTEMPT SCRUBBED VIDEO:HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DELTA 2'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN VIDEO:HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SATELLITE LAUNCH CAMPAIGN VIDEO:NOAA-N PRIME MISSION OVERVIEW FILM VIDEO:PRE-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.History of NOAA's Polar Observational Environmental SatellitesNOAA FACT SHEET Credit: NOAASee larger image The first weather satellite in a series of spacecraft originally known as the Television Infrared Observation Satellites (TIROS) was launched on April 1, 1960. By the mid 1970's NOAA and NASA agreed to produce the series operationally based on the TIROS-N generation of satellites. TIROS-N, a research and development spacecraft serving as a prototype for the operational follow-on series, NOAA-A through NOAA-N Prime was on launched October 13, 1978.Beginning with NOAA-E, launched in 1983, the basic satellite was "stretched" to permit accommodation of additional research instruments. This became known as the Advanced TIROS-N configuration. Some of the additional instruments flown include: Search and Rescue; Earth Radiation Budget Experiment, and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet spectrometer. Three of those instruments, Search and Rescue Repeater, Search and Rescue Processor and Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Radiometer, became part of the operational program. The primary sounding instrumentation has remained essentially unchanged until the addition of Advanced Microwave Sounding Units-A and -B on NOAA-K (15). The Microwave Humidity Sounder replaces the AMSU-B on NOAA-N Prime performing essentially the same science.The satellite design life throughout the series has been two years. The lifetime is a cost/risk tradeoff since more years normally result in a more expensive satellite. To mitigate that risk, the NOAA-N Prime satellite uses the most reliable NASA-approved flight parts, Class S, and considerable redundancy in critical subsystem components. The instruments are not redundant, but they have a three-year design life in order to enhance their expected operational reliability. Because of the inherent reliability built in and the extensive ground testing prior to launch, this series of satellites has demonstrated performance well exceeding the design lifetime.TIROS-N was launched October 13, 1978, and was the first satellite in the fourth generation operational environmental satellite system. TIROS-N was a research and development spacecraft serving as a proto-type flight for the operational follow-on series, NOAA-A through N' spacecraft. The spacecraft was deactivated on February 27, 1981.NOAA-A (6) was launched June 27, 1979 and was totally deactivated on March 31, 1987, after nearly eight years of operational service.NOAA-B was launched May 29, 1980, and failed to achieve a usable orbit because of a booster engine anomaly.NOAA-C (7) was launched June 23, 1981, and was deactivated in June 1986.NOAA-E (8) was launched March 28, 1983. It was the first of the Advanced TIROS-N configuration satellites and it included the first search and rescue package. The satellite was deactivated on December 29, 1985. NOAA-F (9) was launched December 12, 1984, and was deactivated on February 13, 1998.NOAA-G (10) was launched September 17, 1986, and was deactivated on August 30, 2001.NOAA-H (11) was launched September 24, 1988. Some instruments are currently in use to a limited degree.NOAA-D (12) was launched on May 14, 1991, and some instruments and other subsystems continue to operate satisfactorily. NOAA-12 was placed in standby mode on December 14, 1998, when NOAA-15 became operational.NOAA-I (13) was launched on August 9, 1993, and two weeks after launch, the spacecraft suffered a power system anomaly. Attempts to contact or command the spacecraft since the power failure have been unsuccessful.NOAA-J (14) was launched on December 30, 1994, and was deactivated on May 23,2007, after more than 12 yeas of service.NOAA-K (15) was launched on May 13, 1998, and is a backup satellite with some degraded and failed capabilities.NOAA-L (16) was launched on September 21, 2000, and is a backup satellite with some degraded capabilities.NOAA-M (17) was launched on June 24, 2002, and serves as a backup morning spacecraft with a failed AMSU-A1.NOAA-N (18) was launched on May 20, 2005, and currently serves as the operational afternoon satellite. The HIRS performance has been erratic due to a suspect loose lens. Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Project OrionThe Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Hurricane Frances delays Delta 2 launch into October SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: September 14, 2004The fury of Hurricane Frances put a Boeing Delta 2 launch on hold and prompted extensive inspections, but pre-flight preparations are resuming for the rocket's mission to haul a replacement Global Positioning System satellite into space. File image of a Delta 2 rocket at pad 17B. Photo: NASA-KSCThe rocket weathered the hurricane's powerful winds and heavy rains atop pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, where the booster was being readied for liftoff September 22.In advance of the Labor Day weekend blast from Frances, crews secured the rocket inside its mobile gantry. The Cape was closed and workers living along the coast evacuated.Once the storm cleared, inspections began immediately to check the rocket's condition. Initial looks revealed no major problems, but additional tests on four of the Delta 2's nine strap-on solid rocket motors are continuing."For the past few weeks, the Boeing Delta 2 launch vehicle carrying the Lockheed Martin-built GPS 2R-13 spacecraft has been maintained in a 'hurricane safing' status at SLC-17B," Lt. Col. Gregory J. Schiller, manager of the Delta 2 launch program at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center told Spaceflight Now."Following a thorough inspection of the launch vehicle and ground support equipment, no significant damage to any launch asset has been identified. As such, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were given the clearance to resume normal operations and is currently targeting a new launch date of October 8."Officials were concerned about potential water intrusion and damage from flying debris. Inspections performed by the Air Force, the Boeing launch team and the company's design engineeringpersonnel flown to Florida from California found no damage of any significance."Witness paint" applied to the solid rocket motors to indicate impacts during vehicle handling and processing revealed that four boosters received minor debris hits during Frances.A "mechanical impedance analysis" is being performed on the boosters to verify their health, Schiller said. For now, officials don't believe the boosters will need replacing."Early indications would say no, but we will know for certain once the (mechanical impedance analysis) inspections are complete."The GPS spacecraft had been undergoing its routine pre-flight processing inside a separate facility at Cape Canaveral. As a hurricane precaution, workers placed the satellite back into its shipping container to ride out the storm. Post-Frances checks have shown the satellite to be healthy."The launch team is moving forward with pre-launch preparations that include testing the launch vehicle's electrical, propulsion and mechanical systems and fueling the spacecraft prior to mating with the third stage," Schiller said.The GPS satellite and attached solid-fuel third stage will be transported to the launch pad later this month for mounting atop the Delta 2 rocket.Liftoff on October 8 would occur during the day's 29-minute launch window that extends from 3:36 to 4:05 a.m. EDT.This will be the third of three GPS launches planned in 2004. The new satellites replenish the military's navigation network by replacing older craft.Meanwhile, the Delta 2 launch of NASA's gamma-ray burst detection spacecraft, called Swift, originally targeted for October 7 has been pushed back to late October because of Hurricane Frances. Stacking of that rocket on pad 17A, once set to begin September 1, is expected to start next week.Swift was inside the Cape's Hangar AE cleanroom during the storm.Additional coverage for subscribers:VIDEO:DELTA 2 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-12 VIDEO:LIFTOFF AS SEEN FROM PRESS SITE Apollo 12 tribute DVD setNew!Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.Choose your store: - - - Fallen Heroes special patchThis special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.Choose your store: - - - Women in SpaceWomen of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.Choose your store: - - - Mars rover posterThis new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.Choose your store:John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.Apollo patchesThe Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.Choose your store: - - - Gemini 7Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.Choose your store: - - - Apollo patchesThe Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.Choose your store: - - - Mars Rover mission patchA mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.Choose your store: - - - Apollo 9 DVDOn the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon. Choose your store: - - - | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.In his own words: Pentagon space official Pete Aldridge SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: January 10, 2011 Aldridge's shuttle crew portrait. Credit: Air Force/NASA"I was appointed by President Reagan to be the under secretary of the Air Force in 1981, and in that job I was responsible for directing and coordinating all the Air Force space activities, and as well, we can now talk about, I was director of the National Reconnaissance Office, the one that builds all of the spy satellites. During that time, the NRO was a covert organization and I could not even tell my wife what I did at the Pentagon. I remained in that office as secretary of the Air Force and continued as director of the NRO until I left in December 1988."During that time, there was a partnership that existed between NASA and the Department of Defense. While NASA supplied the East Coast shuttle operations and the shuttle vehicles and the overall shuttle facilities, the Air Force would build another space launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base for polar launches, develop a solid rocket motor, we called the Inertial Upper Stage, for geosynchronous orbits, and pay NASA a discounted price for each shuttle launch of DoD payloads."The price charged to the DoD was based upon the linear footage used in the shuttle payload bay. Based on the mission model at that time, the DoD and the NRO were planning to require 10 to 12 shuttle flights per year."About the time I arrived in my Air Force and NRO positions, the shuttle had its first launch in April 1981. The national policy was the shuttle would be the exclusive vehicle for launching all government, military and civilian payloads, and commercial payloads would be launched on an as-available basis. As a result, there were plans to shut down all expendable launch vehicle production as soon as the shuttle was declared operational, which was expected at the fourth flight."In addition, the DoD payloads were being modified to adapt to the shuttle payload bay characteristics and launch environments. They were getting short and fat, fitting snuggly in the 15-foot payload bay diameter and to minimize cost-per-flight, since we were paying for each linear foot used!"A short time before the fourth flight, the Air Force and the NRO began to have doubts that the shuttle could meet the launch rates demanded, and at that time only two of the four orbiters could meet launch weight requirements for the larger DoD payloads."Launch turnaround times certainly would not meet the original performance expectations -- I believe the number was like 55 flights per year with five orbiters -- and probably, in the DoD view, could not meet then-projected flight rate of 24 flights per year with four orbiters."As flight rates dropped, the cost-per-flight eliminated the projected cost advantage of the shuttle operations over ELVs and pressure began to build to increase the price charged for each DoD flight."When the realities of the shuttle performance became apparent in the early years of shuttle operations, around 1983, the DoD began to argue for a change in the shuttle-only policy to permit ELV production to continue until the shuttle completely demonstrates that it can meet the launch rate and payload demands of civil, commercial and DoD users."If the launch rate did not exceed 12 flights per year, the DoD would find itself in a very unpopular situation of having to preempt most of the shuttle flights to meet critical national security needs. Civil and commercial users would just have to wait for the next available launch opportunity."The plan was submitted to Congress for the DoD to produce 10 large ELVs, complementary to the shuttle, and launch them at a rate of two per year for five additional years of ELV operations. It was believed then that five additional years would clearly demonstrate whether the shuttle would meet demands of all the users. This argument, obviously, met a lot of resistance, especially within NASA and Congressional committees overseeing the NASA program budget."The main argument made by opponents of the DoD plan was that this was the first step of the DoD to abandon use of the shuttle altogether and, if this happened, it would raise the cost-per-flight of the remaining (customers), challenging the program's viability. They continued to state the shuttle would meet all the demands of the DoD and other users and the reliability shown actually exceeded that of ELVs."I can state that the DoD had no intention of abandoning the shuttle, all we wanted was to complement the shuttle until the time it took to the demonstrate the launch rate and met the performance of the DoD required. Most importantly, we were committed to the shuttle because of its unique capabilities. We took advantage of its large payload bay to develop several key and very unique advanced-technology national security payloads, some of which I cannot talk about even to this day. These payloads would be launched from both Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base."The first of these national security payloads was launched from Cape Canaveral in January 1985. In addition, we were planning to launch multiple GPS satellites on the shuttle to rapidly populate the GPS constellation. The DoD allowed the Milstar satellite to grow to meet user requirements, since we had the shuttle payload capacity to do so. However, this did require the shuttle to launch the liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen Centaur upper stage with Milstar, a risky proposition that never happened. A shuttle launch was an ideal mission for the missile-warning satellite -- the Defense Support Program -- using the IUS upper stage. The Defense Satellite Communications System, DSCS, got a cheap ride on the shuttle because it could piggyback with other payload options."We did have a problem with our weather satellite, the DMSP, launching it into polar orbit. We could not piggyback a ride on the shuttle with that location because the full payload capacity was being used by other national security missions and it was too expensive to launch a small DMSP satellite on a single shuttle mission."After a lot of discussion, arguments, testimony before Congress and bureaucratic infighting, the shuttle-only policy was eventually overturned by President Reagan in 1985 and signed into a policy directive stating that the ELV complement to the shuttle would be developed. The DoD would commit to buy at least one-third of the available shuttle flights each year -- then, still projected to be 24 flights per year, a revised shuttle launch pricing policy would be established to account for the rising cost and a joint technology effort to develop a follow-on to the shuttle would be initiated."To solve our dilemma for launching DMSP satellites from Vandenberg, we developed another program plan to modify several Titan 2 ICBMs being removed from launch silos and convert them to space launch vehicles."The first shuttle test-flight from Vandenberg was planned for July 1986. On this flight, we were going to take advantage of the polar launch capability from Vandenberg to deploy a technology demonstration satellite for detecting aircraft from space, a program called Teal Rudy. It carried along a large, non-deployed (package of) scientific sensors."The launch required two shuttle upgrades -- more power from the shuttle main engines and a new high-performance filament-wound solid rocket motor. We had to make up for the loss of the Earth's rotational speed that you suffer from polar launches."And on a personal note, Bob Crippen was to be commander of that flight and I was to be a payload specialist. This was going to be the first time humans had ever flown over the poles."However, on January 28, 1986, the Challenger accident changed everything. The shuttle was grounded for three years, the Titan 4 production was increased from 10 vehicles to 41, and the Delta 2 and Atlas 2 production started. The DoD and NRO had to re-adapt then-shuttle compatible payloads to make them ELV-compatible with new, larger payload fairings. Vandenberg's shuttle launch facility was closed, the shuttle performance upgrades were terminated, the replacement for the Challenger orbiter was authorized and paid for by DoD funds and the new space launch policy was formulated, which directed only man-required payloads be flown on the shuttle and no commercial launches would be allowed."John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Information-routing satellite was deployed by Delta 4 SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: April 11, 2011 The mystery satellite shot into orbit atop the classified Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral last month has been spotted and identified by hobbyist trackers.The Delta 4 rocket heads eastward at sunset carrying a data relay satellite. Photo credit: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now The United Launch Alliance booster roared away from Complex 37 on March 11 in the Medium+4,2 configuration with a pair of strap-on solid motors.It was a typical ascent that went into a news blackout just minutes after blastoff because of the covert payload being launched for the National Reconnaissance Office. The secretive agency operates the country's fleet of spy satellites.As with all NRO launches these days, real-time information about a rocket's flight ceases when the protective nose cone is jettisoned. The public must wait until the satellite is seen in space and amateur observers compute the orbit to gain confirmation that the launch was successful.When the Delta left the Florida spaceport, the rocket headed eastward and made it a safe bet that the satellite was targeting an orbital perch 22,300 miles above the planet.A few weeks after launch, the sky-watchers have observed the spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit and determined it is a data relay satellite.The NRO has been sending up so-called Satellite Data System birds for decades to receive transmissions from low-orbiting surveillance craft and route the information back to ground stations. The SDS constellation enables the data to reach analysts much quicker than waiting for the spy satellites themselves to pass over the relatively few number of ground antennas.Respected satellite observer Ted Molczan explains the origins of the Satellite Data System:"The first imagery intelligence satellites took photos on film, which had two drawbacks: the film had to be returned to Earth for processing, often resulting in unacceptable delays in obtaining intelligence; once the film ran out, the satellites became useless."The KH-11 electro-optical satellites, first launched in 1976, solved these problems by doing away with film, and taking their images electronically, much like modern digital cameras. Transmitting their imagery reduced the time required to obtain intelligence, but since KH-11 operates in low Earth orbit, it is seldom within range of ground stations. One solution would have been to store the data for later transmission, but that would have introduced significant delays. Instead, KH-11 was provided with a set of dedicated relay satellites, called SDS."At the 40,000 km apogee of their highly elliptical orbits, the SDS provided near-real time delivery of KH-11 imagery, over most of the northern hemisphere. The modern SDS constellation also includes geosynchronous satellites, which provide the same function."The mission logo for the Delta 4 rocket's launch. Credit: NROIt is the modern SDS network that last month's Delta rocket supported by launching a replacement satellite into geosynchronous orbit above the equator. Hobbyists have routinely watched three geosynchronous SDS satellites over the years. The original was launched by the shuttle Atlantis in November 1990. A pair of Atlas 2AS boosters deployed two more in December 2000 and October 2001."Historically, geosynchronous SDS have been rare in terms of launches, but there has been a trend toward parity over the past two decades," Molczan said. "Approximately seven SDS 1 satellites were launched in the 1970s and 1980s, all of which operated in highly elliptical orbits. They were replaced by the SDS 2 satellites, five of which were launched between 1989 and 1998, including the first to GEO: SDS 2-2, launched on STS-38 in 1990."The modern SDS constellation consists of four SDS 3 satellites launched between 2000 and 2007, two of which are in highly elliptical orbit, and two in GEO."Now there's a new satellite ready to enter service in support of U.S. national security needs.John Glenn Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!Celebrate the shuttle programFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Investigation finds Delta 4 rocket engine issue SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: December 9, 2012 The Delta 4 rocket's cryogenic upper stage engine persevered through a fuel leak and the resulting low-thrust condition by autonomously engaging techniques that kept the mission on track to successfully launch a Global Positioning System satellite in October. Animation of the upper stage firing. Credit: United Launch AllianceThe dramatic ascent began at 8:10 a.m. EDT Oct. 4 from Cape Canaveral's Complex 37, roaring into the morning sky on the combined power of the RS-68 main engine and twin solid motors.It was a flight being conducted by United Launch Alliance for the U.S. Air Force to deliver a next-generation GPS navigation satellite into orbit where it would replace an aging, 19-year-old craft.But four-and-a-half minutes into the launch, after the first stage had shut down and separated, the trouble began as the RL10B-2 engine on the upper stage extended its nozzle and fired to life.When the powerplant was igniting and reached its peak chamber pressure, a leak started above the narrow throat portion of the thrust chamber, setting off a series of ramifications that would endure over the next three hours as the vehicle made its climb to the GPS constellation.The mission sequence planned three burns of the upper stage, initially reaching a low-altitude parking orbit, then a highly elliptical transfer orbit and eventually achieving a circular orbit in line with the GPS network 11,000 nautical miles up.Throughout those burns, however, the engine was feeling the effects of the leak by producing less thrust than expected, firing longer than planned to compensate and having to adjust its trajectory."With the fuel leak, the thrust was lower than nominal, and the Delta 4 closed loop guidance system measured this in real time and revised the trajectory that was being flown and also the burn durations to achieve the required orbital conditions and other requirements," said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president of mission operations."Also, the fuel leak in the thrust chamber resulted in a slight offset to thrust direction from the engine. The launch vehicle control system adapted to this by adjusting the engine gimbal angle to compensate for the slight offset in the thrust."Despite all of that, the rocket's resilience allowed the launch to achieve success in the face of adversity, hauling the 3,400-pound GPS satellite exactly where the cargo wanted to go."We were later informed by our GPS customer that this was the most accurate placement of the three GPS 2F spacecraft that have been launched, which enabled a short on-orbit checkout period following the launch," Sponnick said.Using the margins in the rocket's fuel supply and calling upon the flight software to handle the off-nominal situation, the rocket kept clawing onward on each of its three burns."The three burn durations ranged from 20 to 36 seconds longer than nominal predictions. Various parameters are targeted for each burn, and the flight results generally did meet our expectations. The final orbit was quite precise," Sponnick said.The first burn was supposed to last nearly 8 minutes to put the vehicle into a low-altitude parking orbit. The rocket coasted over the central Atlantic for about 9 minutes before restarting the engine to run for a scheduled three-minute firing to inject itself into an elliptical orbit with a high point near the GPS constellation's altitude 11,000 nautical miles, while leaving the low point around 130 nautical miles. Animation of the upper stage firing. Credit: United Launch AllianceOn the ground, mission managers realized they had a problem on their hands but were not quite sure how the ascent was going to turn out. A worst-case scenario was the upper stage running out of fuel before getting to the proper orbit, casting fears of a "bad day."The rocket was in the midst of a quiet, three-hour coast as the rocket motor traveled away from Earth toward the high-mark of the orbit for one final firing."While we knew in real-time about the lower than expected engine performance, we were not able in the limited time to perform detailed analyses that would be needed to accurately quantify the propellant leak. As a result, we had rough analyses ranging from predictions of a nominal final orbit to some conservative worst-case analyses showing that there might not be adequate performance to achieve the required final orbit," Sponnick recalls.The third burn ignition time arrived and the RL10 again restarted, giving all of the propulsion needed to fully circularize the orbit by raising the low point up to the GPS network's altitude."The thrust in the first burn was approximately 5 percent below nominal, and it stepped down several percent more in each of the second and third burns. During each of the three burns, the thrust levels were constant," said Sponnick.Three-and-a-half hours after leaving the launch pad, Delta released the satellite cargo into an approximate 11,047-nautical-mile perch tilted 55 degrees to the equator, marking a full mission success."It was a relief to the team that there was plenty of propellant margin and the final orbit was accurately achieved," Sponnick says.And, in fact, there was "pretty substantial margins" still left in the tank when the mission was completed. Analysis now shows more than 1,000 pounds of propellant remaining, which would have enabled approximately 30 seconds of additional burn time, if necessary, Sponnick says.Fed with supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, the RL10B-2 is the latest in a long line of upper stage engines dating back a half-century. The original version of the RL10 debuted successfully on an Atlas rocket in 1963 and has been part of Centaur for more than 200 space missions.The RL10 has dispatched robotic expeditions to every planet in our solar system, plus multiple missions to the moon and countless military spacecraft and commercial communications satellites in orbits around Earth.This latest RL10 variant was introduced in 1998 as part of Boeing's Delta 3 program, which served as a stepping-stone to the Delta 4 rocket and development of its cryogenic upper stage.The engine has been fired in space 23 times to date.Its specs include a nominal thrust of 24,750 pounds, mass of 664 pounds, an overall length of 13.6 feet, including 7 feet just for the nozzle extension and a specific impulse of 465.5 seconds. An upper stage of the Delta 4 rocket. Credit: NASACoupling the Delta 4 with the relatively light-weight GPS 2F satellite provided a bit greater margin for the launch than other rocket and payload combinations. "There are missions that would not have reached their prescribed orbit with the kind of performance degradation that occurred in the last launch," Sponnick says. "That illustrates why we must thoroughly investigate and implement corrective actions for an anomaly such as this."Investigators used extensive analysis and the reconstruction of flight data to find the leak location and when it began. But the ongoing inquiry continues to work through the credible "candidate causes" to determine why the leak happened. The team had 2,000 measurements from the GPS launch that were analyzed in great detail and technicians performed tests on production engines to aid the investigation and crossover assessments. More than 500 "candidate causes" have been thoroughly assessed in the process of zeroing in on a small number of credible physical causes.Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne produces the RL10B-2 engine and the RL10A-4 powerplant used by the Centaur upper stages on Atlas 5 rockets. Although the two engines have their differences, they do share commonality through the evolution of the venerable RL10.The list of "candidate causes" of the leak includes some pertaining only to the Delta 4 version and others that have "crossover" implications that could touch Atlas as well. Those potential causes common to both vehicles have been put to the test against the Atlas engine that will power Tuesday's launch of the X-37B spaceplane, known as Orbital Test Vehicle Flight 3, and officials Friday formally cleared that RL10A-4 for flight."For each cause that has potential crossover to the RL10A-4 engine, comprehensive flight clearance assessments have been performed for the OTV 3 mission," said Sponnick. "Where applicable, specific mitigating actions have been implemented -- such as detailed visual and borescope inspections of the engine and launch vehicle systems."The Atlas 5 rocket will be wheeled to the launch pad Monday for a targeted blastoff Tuesday at 1:03 p.m. EST, weather permitting. .It will get the Atlas family back in action, which paused its manifest in light of the RL10 situation and delayed the X-37B mission from the targeted late October launch.The Delta 4 rocket had planned mid-January for its next mission will carry the Wideband Global SATCOM 5 military communications satellite to orbit. That vehicle's engine has undergone the same visual inspections that the X-37B launcher did, and some additional work on the Delta is being evaluated before it is cleared for flight. A new launch date is pending.Atlas plans to launch NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite K on Jan. 29 from Cape Canaveral and return to its original schedule with the Feb. 11 flight from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying the next Landsat remote-sensing spacecraft.STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.STS-133 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store!Anniversary Shuttle PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.Mercury anniversaryFree shipping to U.S. addresses!Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.It's launch week for Delta 4 to upgrade GPS constellation SPACEFLIGHT NOWPosted: October 1, 2012 Shooting for a morning blastoff Thursday, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket and Global Positioning System satellite payload will undergo a final technical assessment today and their readiness review tomorrow before entering into countdown operations Wednesday night. File image of Delta 4 atop pad for GPS launch. Credit: Pat Corkery/United Launch Alliance"A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished to date on this mission. There's hundreds of people on the satellite and launch teams that have been hard at work to ensure a successful launch and mission. I'm extremely proud of their efforts as they continue to work through the remaining mission-related tasks while maintaining a focus on mission success," said Col. Ron Fortson, the Air Force's mission director for the launch.Liftoff is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. EDT (1210 GMT) at the start of a 19-minute launch opportunity. The window is timed to deliver the GPS 2F-3 satellite directly into Plane A of the navigation network 11,000 miles above Earth.The Delta's flight will last three hours and 33 minutes from liftoff until spacecraft separation, firing its cryogenic upper stage in three different burns to reach an initial parking orbit and taking a two-step transfer route to reach the circular GPS orbit tilted 55 degrees to the equator.GPS 2F-3 will replace an aging craft -- deployed 19 years ago -- in Plane A, Slot 1, incrementally upgrading the constellation with greater accuracy, better jam-resistance and a new civilian aviation signal, all features of the Boeing-build Block 2F series of spacecraft.The aerospace company expects to have the satellite checked out and ready for handover to Air Force controllers in mid-November, said Jan Heide, Boeing's GPS program director. An artist's concept of GPS 2F. Credit: BoeingThis will be the third of 12 Block 2F spacecraft being built to form the backbone of the GPS fleet for the next 15 years."The GPS 2F satellites continue our efforts to modernize our PNT (position, navigation and timing) service and provide new space-based capabilities and ensure improved accuracy and signal availability," said Col. Steve R. Steiner, chief of the GPS Space Systems Division at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center."We are ready to launch this third GPS 2F satellite," he added.ULA moved the Delta 4 rocket from its horizontal processing hangar to the launch pad in mid-August, erecting the two-stage vehicle atop Complex 37 and attaching a pair of solid-fuel boosters.The GPS satellite arrived at the Cape in July from the Boeing factory in Los Angeles to undergo final testing, the loading of maneuvering fuel and encapsulation within the two-piece nose cone of the rocket. The payload was shipped to the pad and hoisted atop the Delta on Sept. 18 to begin the final push to launch.See a of GPS 2F-3's preparations. Illustration shows the Delta 4 rocket elements for GPS launch. Credit: United Launch AllianceThe integrated systems test between rocket and satellite was conducted on Sept. 21, and technicians spent last week completing tasks like filling the hydrazine bottles on the second stage, installing and connecting ordnance and buttoning up various compartments on the rocket.Managers and engineers will gather today for the final technical assessment of the flight hardware, then move into the Launch Readiness Review tomorrow that culminates with the "go" to begin the countdown on Wednesday evening.Retraction of the mobile service gantry to unveil the 206-foot-tall rocket occurs around 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday, and the Terminal Count picks up at 1:40 a.m. EDT Thursday, with fueling operations starting a short time later."The team has worked tremendously hard to get us to this point, and following a couple of final reviews, we are ready to launch GPS 2F-3," said Jerry Jamison, United Launch Alliance's vice president of launch operations.It will be ULA's 9th flight this year."Our GPS constellation remains healthy, stable and robust. We currently have 31 operational satellites on-orbit, all actively broadcasting position, navigation and timing information to users -- both civilian and military -- around the world," Steiner said."We do have a very robust constellation, but it is a mix of older and newer satellites."This will be the third replacement GPS satellite carried aloft by the Delta 4 rocket since 2010.The team has a backup opportunity available on the Eastern Range for Friday morning, with a window opening approximately four minutes earlier at 8:06 a.m. EDT. Encapsulated in the rocket's nose cone, GPS 2F-3 hoisted atop Delta 4. Credit: United Launch AllianceThe Range has Saturday set aside for its reconfiguration from Delta to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is scheduled for blastoff Sunday evening on the first operational commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. That launch has three attempts reserved on the Range, if needed.The Range provides the necessary tracking, communications and safety services for Cape launches and needs time between flights of different boosters to reset equipment.The Delta 4 will be taking its 21st flight and launching for the 9th time in the Medium+ (4,2) variant with a four-meter-diameter upper stage and payload fairing and two strap-on solid motors.Final Shuttle Mission PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!STS-134 PatchFree shipping to U.S. addresses!The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Project OrionThe Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.Fallen Heroes Patch CollectionThe official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Kepler launch timelineSPACEFLIGHT NOW