SBSS = Minotaur 4 - 26.09.10 08:41 ЛМВ - Vandenberg

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Oct. 23    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch time: 0441 GMT (12:41 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network
of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the maiden flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket,
which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. [Aug. 3]

[Salo]

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php

10/31/2009, 0441-0455Z   SBSS   U.S. Air Force   Minotaur IV   U.S Air Force   Vandenberg Air Force Base   MGS

[Salo]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sbss.htm
http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/stss/index.html

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/satellite/sbss.html

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Oct. 31    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch time: Approx. 0441 GMT (12:41 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network
of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the maiden flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which
is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23.

[интересующийся]

Это ж STSS'ы: http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/stss/gallery.html

[Salo]

Что впрочем и написано на ссылке. Спасибо за поправку.

[интересующийся]

Что впрочем и написано на ссылке. Спасибо за поправку.

Во блин, точно, стоило такую маляву вставлять! :oops:

[Брабонт]

Запуск отложен на неопределённое время из-за проблем с носителем.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0910/05minotaur/

The launch of a pathfinder space tracking satellite is on hold due to problems with equipment on its Minotaur 4 rocket, the Air Force said Monday in a written statement.

"There is a problem with the (government-furnished equipment) hardware that supports the third stage of the launch vehicle. There are several corrective actions being investigated," the statement said.

[Брабонт]

Специалистам по работе с Google нижайшая просьба помочь со ссылками по ТТХ оптоэлектроники SBSS... В отличие от SBV на MSX пока не нахожу ничего конкретного.

[Sharicoff]

Насчет запуска SBSS - видимо курить бамбук до декабря 2010...

http://www.spacenews.com/military/091231-launcher-issues-blamed-sbss-slip.html

[ОАЯ]

Не люблю .pdf, но...
Небольшой свеженький отчетик -
http://www.ll.mit.edu/publications/Annual_Report_2009.pdf
Для зацепок поиска -
http://www.dtic.mil/descriptivesum/Y2010/AirForce/0604425F.pdf

И с интересом почитать и посмотреть. Без занудных формул:

http://www.cdi.org/pdfs/ssa2shepherd.pdf
http://www.vitrociset.it/index/images/Innovazione/nurcdatafusion.pdf
http://space.au.af.mil/au-18-2009/au-18_chap13.pdf
http://www-hades.gsi.de/
http://www.spacesecurityprogramme.org/uploads/ssp/space_sec_session%205_Sreehari%20Rao.pdf

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/military/2010-01-04-air-force-will-pay-place-sbss-satellite-storage.html

01/4/10 04:10 PM ET
U.S. Air Force Will Pay to Place SBSS Satellite in Storage
By Turner Brinton

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force will contract to have its Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) system satellite
placed into storage due to continued technical difficulties with the Minotaur 4 rocket that have delayed the spacecraft's
launch indefinitely, according to government documents.

The Minotaur 4 rocket, built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., and based in part on excess missile motors, was
originally planned to debut in October 2009 with the SBSS launch. But the Air Force issued a statement that month saying
the rocket had problems and would remain grounded indefinitely, though no further explanation was given.

In a solicitation posted Dec. 22 on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site, the Air Force stated it plans to issue a new
contract to store the SBSS satellite and prepare it for launch when the rocket problems are resolved. The posting also said
the estimated launch date had slipped to December 2010.

Responding to a Dec. 28 request for a further explanation of the first Minotaur 4's delay, Air Force spokeswoman LaGina
Jackson said the service would be unable to provide more detailed information by press time. On Dec. 29, the service
revised the Dec. 22 posting to say that the SBSS launch date is "unknown pending the availability of the launch vehicle."

The Minotaur 4 relies on retired U.S. Peacekeeper missile motors for its first three stages with a commercial fourth stage.
The rocket's problem lies with the gas generator on the third-stage motor, according to an industry source. The
generator continues to run after the motor shuts off, creating residual thrust that affects the rocket's ability to place
a satellite into a precise orbit.

The SBSS spacecraft is intended to keep tabs on objects in space, particularly in geosynchronous orbit 36,000 kilometers
above the equator — the operating location of most communications satellites. SBSS has encountered numerous delays
due to technical issues during its development, and the program was restructured in 2007.

The Air Force said responses to its SBSS storage solicitation are due Jan. 15 and that it has not yet decided whether to
issue a sole-source award to the program's prime contractor, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of Seal Beach,
Calif. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for the SBSS space segment.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1003/17minotaur/

Minotaur 4 rocket's third stage ready for testing
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 17, 2010

Engineers will test a redesigned part of the Minotaur 4 rocket's third stage later this month to ensure it eliminates unintended
thrust from the motor, potentially clearing the way for a foursome of military launches this spring and summer, an Air Force
spokesperson said.
 
   
The Minotaur 4 pathfinder vehicle on the pad in California.
Credit: Orbital Sciences

Teams from ATK, Orbital Sciences Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., and the Air Force Space Development and Test Wing
developed a diffuser for the third stage of the four-stage rocket.

Taken from retired Peacekeeper missile stockpiles, the SR120 third stage is considered government-furnished equipment. The
Minotaur 4 is propelled into space by three Peacekeeper stages, then an Orion 38 fourth stage motor inserts payloads into orbit.

The first flight of the new rocket was delayed from last year after analyses indicated the gas generator device that powers the
third stage steering system would produce unintended thrust after the motor burns out.

Officials were concerned cold gas attitude control thrusters would attempt to compensate for the unintended thrust.

"It was possible before the diffuser fix mentioned above was implemented that this moment would eventually cause the depletion
of this cold gas during long coast periods, possibly causing loss of control," an Air Force Space Development and Test Wing
spokesperson said.

The diffuser will be installed on all Minotaur 4 third stages to reduce the gas generator's unintended thrust to acceptable levels
well within the control abilities of the cold gas thrusters, according to the Air Force.

A Peacekeeper SR120 motor outfitted with the diffuser will be ignited during a ground test March 31.

"This static fire will provide additional confidence that the implemented diffuser solution is functioning as designed," the Air Force
said in a statement.

If the test goes well, a suborbital three-stage Minotaur 4 rocket will launch a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
high-speed glider around April 20. The Hypersonic Technology Vehicle, or HTV, will be boosted to a precise point in space from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., then follow a series of programmed range and cross-range maneuvers before impacting near
Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

The third stage diffuser will fly on the HTV mission as a demonstration, although the suborbital flight does not require the new
system.

Three satellite launches are scheduled as soon as this summer, beginning with a multi-payload mission for the Air Force Space
Test Program no earlier than May 28. Launching from Kodiak Island, Alaska, the Minotaur 4 rocket will shoot a cache of military,
NASA and university satellites into orbit.

The 2,200-pound Space Based Space Surveillance satellite is also on the Minotaur manifest. The $800 million mission, also called
SBSS Block 10, features an optical telescope to track objects circling in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above Earth.

SBSS could launch as soon as July, pending the results of ground and flight tests of the third stage gas generator diffuser, the
Air Force said. A specific target launch could be determined in the next two weeks.

The SBSS launch has been pushed back about three years, partially due to rocket issues. In a March 10 statement to the Senate
Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, a Government Accountability Office manager stated SBSS
program officials and contractors are studying the feasibility of launching the payload on a larger Delta 2 rocket.

The Air Force spokesperson said the Minotaur 4 vehicle remains baselined to launch SBSS.

Alaska will be the starting point for another Minotaur 4 flight around August, when the solid-fueled rocket will launch the
military's experimental TacSat 4 satellite. TacSat 4 will test new tactical reconnaissance and surveillance sensors.

At least eight Minotaur 4 rockets are slated to launch orbital and suborbital missions over the next few years.

[Yra Napr]

А военно-космические исследования у наших заклятых друзей в этом году ожидаются весьма насыщенными - целых четыре Минотавра, согласно SFN запланировано -

May 28    Minotaur 4  •  STP S26
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Kodiak Island, Alaska

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch a group of satellites in a launch opportunity sponsored by the Air Force's Space Test Program. The payloads include the Air Force's STPSat 2 satellite, NASA's FASTSAT (Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite), two FASTRAC spacecraft from the University of Texas, the Air Force Academy's FalconSat 5 satellite, and NASA's O/OREOS CubeSat mission.

August    Minotaur 4  •  TacSat 4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Kodiak Island, Alaska

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the experimental TacSat 4 demonstration satellite for the military's Operationally Responsive Space office. TacSat 4 will test new satellite communications systems.

3rd Quarter    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the maiden flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and April.

October    Minotaur 1  •  ORS 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Wallops Island, Va.

The Air Force Minotaur 1 rocket will launch the Operationally Responsive Space 1, or ORS 1, satellite. ORS 1 will support the military's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs by hosting an innovative sensor system.

[Космос-3794]

Boeing, which teamed with Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., to build the first SBSS satellite, was prepared to enter into a firm, fixed-price contract for the second SBSS, which is intended as an identical copy of the first.
Instead of awarding a sole-source contract to Boeing and Ball, the Air Force has elected to hold a competitive bidding round with the intention of awarding a new contract this year. Cooning said a draft request for proposals for a second SBSS is expected from the Air Force in April.
SBSS would operate in geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers over the equator, where most telecommunications satellites operate. The second satellite is intended to be placed on the opposite side of the geostationary arc to facilitate surveillance of the entire geostationary-orbit population.
With the nonrecurring engineering costs for SBSS already incurred, Boeing and Ball would be able to build a second SBSS satellite and ground gear for much less than the first satellite. Industry officials say that for a program such as this, a carbon copy of the original SBSS should be at least 40 percent less expensive than the first, depending on what new ground hardware is required.
Given the incumbent team's advantages, the coming bid competition may be a mere formality.

http://www.spacenews.com/military/031910AF-plans-competition-for-2nd-sbss-contract-award.html

[Sharicoff]

Однако пора заголовок ветки править.
Внезапно всплыла дата 8 июля.

[Брабонт]

Second SBSS satellite scheduled for launch in 2014

The U.S. Air Force is planning a competition to acquire a second Space Based Space Surveillance satellite for launch in late 2014, according to a posting on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The presolicitation notice says the follow-on spacecraft must be compatible with ground systems developed for the first SBSS satellite, which is named SBSS Block 10.

[Брабонт]

A new eye in the sky to keep an eye on the sky

[Старый]

Фигасе! Такой аппарат влезает в Минотавр?

[Брабонт]

Влезает ( http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/Minotaur_IV_Fact.pdf ):

[Старый]

Я имею в виду по массе.
 Или это какой Минотавр? Который на МХ?

[Брабонт]

Ага, вариант на Peacekeeper'е, которым (IV Lite) недавно пускали гиперзвуковик. 1735 кг на LEO.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

July 8    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch window: 0441-0455 GMT (12:41-12:55 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the second flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and April. [May 27]

[Брабонт]

Предположительно перенесли на 17-е. На офсайте Ванденберга пока TBD.

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

July 18?    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch window: 0441-0455 GMT (12:41-12:55 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

NOTE: Launch time equates to 9:41 p.m. local on July 17th

This new launch date is tentative and could change

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the second flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23, Oct. 30, April and July 9. [June 30]

[Salo]

http://www.cybersecurity.ru/space/97481.html

ВВС США отложили запуск нового космического спутника

(04:37) 07.07.2010

По сообщению агентства Associated Press, ВВС США отложили запуск нового американского спутника для мониторинга космических обломков и околоземных объектов. Причиной переноса послужил программный сбой в ракете-носителе, аналогичный тому, что был во время предыдущего старта, проводимого военно-воздушными силами.

Новый тяжелый спутник Space-Based Space Surveillance должен был стартовать в четверг с базы ВВС США Вандерберг в штате Калифорния. Теперь этот старт не состоится, а новая дата пока не утверждена.

В сообщении военных говорится, что технический персонал выявил сбои в программном обеспечении ракеты Minotaur IV. Более подробные детали не раскрываются.

Планируемый к старту спутник должен был предоставить военным возможность в реальном времени следить за космическим мусором и различными объектами вблизи нашей планеты. Всего сейчас на орбите вокруг Земли движутся около 1000 спутников и более 20 000 объектов, относимых к космическому мусору.  

[Брабонт]

Salo, позвольте уточнить, что киберсеки перевели новость от 1-го числа, так что, вероятно, речь идёт о том самом переносе на 18 (?) июля.

[Salo]

Безусловно. Просто самому переводить лень, а тут шара... :wink:

[Salo]

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123212373

SBSS launch delayed

by Staff

7/6/2010 - LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, El Segundo, Calif.  -- The launch of the Space-Based Space Surveillance spacecraft planned for July 8, 2010, has been delayed pending resolution of a test anomaly associated with another Minotaur IV launch vehicle undergoing test in the factory.

The testing identified a software issue that is being assessed for implications to the SBSS mission. The integrated government and contractor team is accessing the cause of the software anomaly and potential corrective actions and expects to establish a new launch date as early as next week.

[Брабонт]

Better safe than sorry: Rocket software being fixed

An improbable pitfall discovered in the Minotaur rocket's flight software, posing only a minuscule chance of ruining a mission, nevertheless will be patched before the booster launches a unique space surveillance craft, officials explained Thursday.

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22132.msg615923#msg615923

According to MSDB, launch is now NET 27 July, and likely to slip into mid August.

[Salo]

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/satellite/sbss.html

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/sbss/100708delay.html

Better safe than sorry: Rocket software being fixed
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: July 8, 2010


Credit: Orbital

An improbable pitfall discovered in the Minotaur rocket's flight software, posing only a minuscule chance of ruining a mission, nevertheless will be patched before the booster launches a unique space surveillance craft, officials explained Thursday.
 
Liftoff from the southern pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California had been scheduled for Thursday night. But the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite launch was placed on hold after rocket-maker Orbital Sciences found a timing flaw in the Minotaur's software while preparing a different vehicle for a planned September flight from Alaska.

"The anomaly occurred during preliminary testing for our subsequent launch of the Space Test Program's S26 mission. Our investigation pointed to a problem with the common launch vehicle software that's used on all our missions. This required that we assess impacts to the SBSS launch," said Col. Mike Moran, commander of the Space Development and Test Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

"To date, the government and industry team has performed troubleshooting, developed the needed software fixes and is now beginning formal testing of the software updates. When we are confident that the launch vehicle issue is fully resolved as demonstrated through successful testing, we will re-establish a launch date and resume normal launch processing."

The rocket stands stacked atop Space Launch Complex 8 awaiting shipment of the SBSS satellite to the seaside pad for attachment. The Minotaur 4 is comprised of Peacekeeper missile motors as its lower three stages and a commercial fourth stage for delivering satellites into orbit.

Concerns were raised when software testing revealed a potential launch failure scenario during simulations being run at Orbital's facilities in Chandler, Arizona. After ruling out other causes, engineers determined that the software itself had a bug.

"Initially, a test equipment issue or problem unique to the characteristics of the S26 mission was suspected. When no root cause was identified in these areas, it became an issue for the SBSS mission in mid-June. Since that time, the investigation has uncovered a timing issue in the flight software," said Tim Kettner, Orbital's chief engineer for the Minotaur program.

The issue was so tiny, however, that the glitch had never materialized in thousands of prior test cases.

"Orbital routinely subjects software to a rigorous testing regimen destined to expose statistically remote failure modes. This failure occurred in one test out of 1,000. No similar occurrence was noted for SBSS in over 4,000 runs," Kettner said.

"The test failure that we observed on STP S26 was a failure of the mission sequencing and a failure to successfully execute the mission in one of the 1,000 tests," Kettner said. "In the test that we saw, it did result in the halting of communications from the flight computer and a failure of that particular mission (simulation)."

Kettner said the timing error was spotted in the test scenario just after third stage burnout but could have occurred at any point during the launch sequence.

The odds of the problem actually striking a Minotaur during ascent is considered improbable but not impossible. So engineers have developed a corrective fix to the software.

"The fact that we did find this problem on the ground does not mean it would have occurred in flight. But it is a risk that our mission assurance process purposely intends to ferret out. So we are pleased that the process did that and that we have an opportunity to fix that problem, not just for the SBSS launch, but for the entirety of the Minotaur family," said Moran.

"We do intentionally subject our software suites to the rigorous and statistically significant testing for the expressed purpose of ferreting out statistically unlikely and remote failure modes. We believe that's exactly what occurred in this case. We're thankful it was discovered. Although we echo the sentiment it is extremely unlikely that it would have occurred in flight, we're grateful for the opportunity to fix it," Kettner added.

The flaw is located in low-level software that is common across the various rocket configurations in the Minotaur fleet. The updated software code will be employed to improve all other launches now under development.

"We have a released a software revision that addresses this issue and we are currently in the process of executing the formal testing of the revised software. Upon successful completion of this testing, we anticipate the software will be flightworthy and ready to support the SBSS mission," said Kettner.

It will take three weeks to perform the software re-testing before the final two weeks' worth of launch preps can be accomplished.

"We have laid out a rigorous plan there to execute 2,000 additional runs over and above what we would typically do for qualification of flight software. In addition to what we call the real-time closed-loop test, which is what we execute for qualification of software, we'll be running some stress testing to verify that timing conditions that we believe are at the root of this are adequately stressed and demonstrated robust for flight," said Kettner.

"Once we test the software in the factory and are satisfied it's fully flightworthy, we'll load that on the launch vehicle and then we'll run full system testing on the launch vehicle as well, as an added confidence and as part of our normal launch campaign," said Moran.

"The actual procedure to load and verify the new software takes between half-a-day to a full day. We can accomplish that and the rest flow, I think, within 14 days," said Kettner.

The SBSS satellite, currently tucked away inside a Vandenberg hangar, will be taken to the launch pad and mounted atop the Minotaur only after the software is deemed ready.

"Obviously we were hoping to be launching this evening, but it's always good to find issues on the ground," said Col. J.R. Jordan, SBSS mission director.

"It's always safer to be on the ground and fly tomorrow than risk something today. The fact that we caught this and we're correcting it is paramount to why we do business the way we do it."

A specific new launch date hasn't been selected yet.

"Our focus is on mission success," Moran said. "When we are ready to launch, we will."

Orbital's Minotaur line of rockets has been used in satellite launches and suborbital missile tests since 2000, performing all 17 of its flights to date successfully.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Late September     Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch window: 0441-0455 GMT (12:41-12:55 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the second flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23, Oct. 30, April and July 8. Delayed from August due to analysis of avionics connectors. [Aug. 12]

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Sept. 26    Minotaur 4  •  SBSS
Launch window: 0441-0455 GMT (12:41-12:55 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

NOTE: Launch time equates to 9:41 p.m. local on Sept. 25th

This new launch date is tentative and could change

The Air Force Minotaur 4 rocket will launch the first satellite of the Space-Based Surveillance System. SBSS will join a network of ground sensors that track satellites in orbit around Earth. The launch will be the second flight of the Minotaur 4 rocket, which is partially comprised of retired Peacekeeper motors. Delayed from Oct. 23, Oct. 30, April and July 8. Delayed from August due to analysis of avionics connectors. [Aug. 28]

[интересующийся]

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1427

Boeing Space Based Space Surveillance Satellite Ready for Launch
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE] and its teammate Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. today announced that the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite and ground system have completed final testing. The satellite is scheduled to be launched Sept. 25 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif.

Once on orbit, SBSS will dramatically improve the accuracy and timeliness of space situational awareness for the United States. The satellite will be the U.S. Air Force's only space-based sensor capable of detecting and monitoring debris, satellites and other space objects without limitations from weather, atmosphere or time of day.

"Every day, threats to our nation's valuable satellites and space platforms are growing," said Col. J.R. Jordan, SBSS Mission Director, Space Superiority Systems Wing, U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. "SBSS will revolutionize our ability to find and monitor objects that could harm the space assets we depend on for security, communications, weather forecasting and many other essential services."

"With its gimbaled camera, reprogrammable onboard processor and open ground system architecture, SBSS can respond quickly to today's changing mission requirements and adapt to meet tomorrow's threats as well," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "Boeing looks forward to putting these advanced capabilities into action for the Air Force."

The Boeing team, including Ball Aerospace, delivered the groundbreaking SBSS system less than three years after the Air Force's Critical Design Review. In May, the satellite was shipped from Ball Aerospace's facility in Boulder, Colo., to Vandenberg Air Force Base. Since then, the SBSS team has completed three full launch countdown rehearsals with the launch team at Vandenberg Air Force Base and the mission-operation team in the SBSS Satellite Operations Center at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. The Air Force and the Boeing team completed the final mission operations dress rehearsal in June.

"Ball is proud to contribute to a program that will improve productivity and overall flexibility for space situational awareness," said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace. "SBSS is a critical component that will allow the Air Force to keep a sharper eye on developments that might threaten U.S. assets in space."

"The SBSS team is ready to go on Sept. 25," said Todd Citron, director, Boeing Advanced Space and Intelligence Systems. "We've thoroughly rehearsed all plans and procedures, the Satellite Operations Center has been configured for flight operations, and the SBSS satellite and Minotaur launch vehicle are completing final preparations. We're looking forward to putting this spacecraft into orbit so that it can perform its vital mission."

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

Another space launch from California this weekend
The Minotaur 4 rocket and an innovative space surveillance satellite have a Saturday night launch date scheduled at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff time is 9:41 p.m. local.

   MISSION STATUS CENTER

[Liss]

Точнее, так:

ORBITAL SET TO LAUNCH MINOTAUR IV ROCKET FOR U.S. AIR FORCE

-- First Minotaur IV Orbital Mission to Launch SBSS Satellite to Enhance Air Force's Ability to Detect and Track Objects in Space --


(Dulles, VA 24 September 2010) - Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world's leading space technology companies, today announced that it is prepared to launch the first orbital mission of the Minotaur IV rocket in support of the Air Force's Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite, also known as SBSS Block 10.  The Minotaur IV rocket is the latest in the family of highly reliable, cost-effective Minotaur launches that Orbital has developed for the U.S. Air Force.  The SBSS mission will be the 18th to be carried out by Orbital's family of Minotaur vehicles over the last 10 years.  The previous 17 missions have all been successful.

The Minotaur IV launch vehicle is based on decommissioned Peacekeeper rocket motors that Orbital has upgraded and integrated with modern avionics and other subsystems to produce a cost-effective space launcher based on flight-proven hardware.  Subject to final preparations and favorable weather conditions, the mission will originate from Space Launch Complex-9 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, with an available launch window from 9:41 to 9:55 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

[Sharicoff]

Space Launch Complex-9 at Vandenberg Air Force Base

Опечатка или действительно девятый?

[Имxотеп]

Ну и еще до кучи:

09/181 (A2372/10) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 1047 ON 2ROPS AIROP DO-1008 STATIONARY RESERVATION  
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3418N 12041W 3418N 12043W 3434N 12039W 3434N 12037W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3255N 12109W 3409N 12049W 3406N 12037W 3252N 12057W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 2003N 12426W 2131N 12408W 2122N 12320W 1954N 12339W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 1328N 12545W 1748N 12452W 1744N 12429W 1324N 12523W
 SFC-UNL. 26 SEP 04:26 2010 UNTIL 26 SEP 05:30 2010. CREATED: 23 SEP 14:24 2010

Азимут пуска - 193°, расчетное наклонение  - 100.7°.

[Liss]

Э-э-э, я вижу два NOTAM на два последовательных дня, 26 и 27 сентября (по местному времени вечер 25 и 26):

!CARF 09/174 (KZLA A2348/10) ZLA AIRSPACE CARF NR. 1042 ON 2ROPS AIROP DO-1008 STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
3418N/12041W 3418N/12043W 3434N/12039W 3434N/12037W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
3255N/12109W 3409N/12049W 3406N/12037W 3252N/12057W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
2003N/12426W 2131N/12408W 2122N/12320W 1954N/12339W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
1328N/12545W 1748N/12452W 1744N/12429W 1324N/12523W
SFC-UNL WEF 1009260426-1009260530

!CARF 09/181 (KZLA A2372/10) ZLA AIRSPACE CARF NR. 1047 ON 2ROPS AIROP DO-1008 STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
3418N 12041W 3418N 12043W 3434N 12039W 3434N 12037W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
3255N 12109W 3409N 12049W 3406N 12037W 3252N 12057W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
2003N 12426W 2131N 12408W 2122N 12320W 1954N 12339W
WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY
1328N 12545W 1748N 12452W 1744N 12429W 1324N 12523W
SFC-UNL WEF 1009270426-1009270530

[Salo]

Some nice info including the mission book PDF at http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/satellite/sbss.html

Launch mass is 1031 kg. I haven't seen anything giving dimensions of the satellite (height, width, solar array span etc)

SBSS is GO for launch!

Some other resources to look at for your questions...

Ball Aerospace pages on SBSS:

http://www.ballaerospace.com/page.jsp?page=234

http://www.ballaerospace.com/page.jsp?page=189

Orbital will be webcasting the launch starting 30 minutes prior:

http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/MinotaurIV_SBSS/index.shtml

Weather yesterday, today, tomorrow and Sunday is/should be very favorable.  Today was a beautiful day.

This is the 2nd launch campaign for SBSS, and all of the teams are very excited to finally see this great asset on orbit and the whole system up and running.

We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow, so no more posts from me aside from hopefully a yeah-hoo Saturday night.

GO SBSS!!

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/sbss/status.html

6:15 p.m. local (9:15 p.m. EDT)
We regretfully announce that an Air Force communications snafu is blocking reporters' ability to follow the launch countdown. That means Spaceflight Now cannot provide our comprehensive live coverage of this launch that readers have relied upon for years.

In fact, never before in our 11 years of reporting on Vandenberg Air Force Base space launches has this obstacle been encountered.

It is unfortunate that the problem is preventing the news media from adequately telling the story of this $858 million mission involving a critical military satellite launch.

Until the problem is corrected, we won't be posting any further updates on the SBSS mission.


4:45 p.m. local (7:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch of the Minotaur rocket is supposed to occur five hours from now. However, we've not heard any status on pre-flight preparations today or whether the countdown has started.

We will begin our live launch coverage when, or if, information starts flowing tonight.

[Salo]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/09/live-minotaur-first-space-based-space-surveillance-satellite/

[Sharicoff]

Улетело. Отработали 3 ступени. Баллистическая пауза.

[Sharicoff]

Отделение ПН.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/sbss/status.html

10:25 p.m. local (1:25 a.m. EDT)
Post-launch quotes from Col. Richard Boltz, Vandenberg Air Force Base's 30th Space Wing commander:

"SBSS will greatly enhance our existing space situational awareness capability, a capability vital to protecting our space-based assets," said Colonel Boltz. "This evening's launch was our third launch in eight days, and I am extremely proud of Team Vandenberg for all the hard work and dedication they've put into these important missions."


10:22 p.m. local (1:22 a.m. EDT)
Absolutely spectacular pictures of the Minotaur 4 rocket are posted.


9:57 p.m. local (12:57 a.m. EDT)
The rocket successfully achieved a great orbit with an apogee of 541 km, perigee of 538 km and inclination of 97.99 degrees.

[Salo]

[Salo]

:wink:

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/sbss/

[Pol]

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1436

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 26, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE] has acquired initial on-orbit signals from the first Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite following its launch at 9:41 p.m. Pacific time on Sept. 25 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The signals indicate that the satellite is functioning normally and is ready to begin orbital maneuvers and operational testing.

Через 60 дней должны передать ВВС США

[KBOB]

А что за дым идет за секунду до "включения" двигателя?

[Salo]

Наверное воспламенитель.

[Salo]

http://www.rian.ru/science/20100926/279372346.html

ВВС США запустили спутник слежения за космическим мусором

11:35 26/09/2010

МОСКВА, 26 сен - РИА Новости. Спутник слежения за космическими объектами - другими спутниками и космическим мусором - был запущен с авиабазы ВВС США Ванденберг в субботу в 21.41 по времени тихоокеанского побережья (08.41 мск воскресенья), говорится в пресс-релизе авиабазы.

Спутник SBSS (Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite - "спутник наблюдения за космосом") был выведен на орбиту с помощью ракеты "Минотавр-4" (Minotaur IV), запущенной с 8-го стартового комплекса авиабазы.

Новый спутник стал первым аппаратом, который может отслеживать космические объекты из космоса. При наблюдениях за спутниками и космическим мусором с земли часто возникают проблемы, связанные с погодой, недостаточной прозрачностью атмосферы. Кроме того, они могут вестить только ночью. Избежать этих проблем позволит наблюдение из космоса.

"Как ожидается, новый спутник позволит в 10 раз увеличить точность вычисления параметров орбиты космических объектов", - отметил командир 1-й авиакосмической испытательной эскадрильи на авиабазе Ванденберг подполковник Тим Харрис (Tim Harris).

"SBSS значительно расширит наши возможности по получению информации о ситуации на орбите, что жизненно важно для защиты наших космических аппаратов", - отметил командующий 30-го космического крыла ВВС США, отвечавшего за запуск, полковник Ричард Болтц (Richard Boltz).

Данные с нового спутника, помимо военных, сможет использовать американское аэрокосмическое агентство НАСА, в частности, для того, чтобы предотвращать столкновение МКС с космическим мусором.

Проблема засорения околоземного пространства вышедшими из строя спутниками и их фрагментами становится все более острой. Сейчас на орбите находится около 100 тысяч вышедших из строя космических аппаратов, последних ступеней ракет-носителей и разгонных блоков, а также разнообразные болты, гайки, пружины, скобы и прочие объекты, вращающиеся вокруг Земли со скоростью приблизительно 10 километров в секунду. Столкновение с любым из таких фрагментов, даже размером один сантиметр, означает серьезное повреждение дорогостоящего спутника, а скорее всего - его выход из строя.

C Земли с помощью радиотелескопов можно наблюдать только обломки размером более 10 сантиметров.

Ранее российские ученые из Физического института имени Лебедева (ФИАН) заявили, что ими разработан небольшой оптический датчик для поисков более мелких фрагментов космического мусора, который можно устанавливать в качестве попутной нагрузки практически на любой спутник.

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22132.msg640777#msg640777

Just arrived home from the launch.  Was at the Rod and Gun Club at VAFB which is on a hill maybe 4-5 miles north of the launch pad.  The USAF has some bleachers there, and we rented four or five mid-size outdoors screen and a Satellite van to watch the broadcast.  About 300-400 people there, mostly families but also a few VIPS.  DWT was standing next to me - we decided to stand behind the TV screens to avoid the glare.

From our location we were almost perfectly aligned with the launch plane - the trajectory did not deviate appreciably left or right.  We had no sense whatsoever of distance, so it appeared as if the rocket was going straight up.  The acceleration is amazing.

We followed it, naked eye, all the way to third stage burnout!!!  Everybody was saying the night was absolutely extraordinary - even thirty-plus year Vandenberg veterans had never seen such a thing.

A couple observations:

About ten minutes before launch, TC called "step 83".  made me realize how amazingly simple SOLID LV launch operations are.  On a Delta II, we would be at step 283, with 17 pending steps (Taurus II promises to be as complex at Delta II, countdown-wise).

The "quick look", IMU-based orbital injection data seems to indicate the injection apsis accuracy to be around 2 km (pretty good, but not completely unusual), but the non-injection apsis (derived from burnout velocity) ALSO to be within 2 km, MOST unusual for a solid fourth stage without a precision injection kit!!!  Apparently the fourth stage impulse dispersion was a 0.1-sigma case!!!

The cost of a Minotaur IV launch to the USG is about $35M (the first three stage engines are, of course, surplus); there are several "rumors" about the cost of the satellite, but it's probably about $500M - this may very well be the lowest LV to satellite ever.

The broadcast was being generated a few miles away, yet the best was to get the material to the viewing site was for the signal to go to Geosynchronous orbit and back... I guess that sez something for the value of space...

All and all, a very good day...

[aldin]

Спутник запустили. Теперь хотелось бы понять, какую именно информацию он будет получать: координатную или некоординатную. А для начала неплохо бы знать время пересечения  восходящего узла орбиты. И известны ли про него другие технические подробности?

[Брабонт]

Координатную. Фотометрия, скорее всего, как бипродукт.

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/military/1002927-sbss-sending-signals-orbit.html

Mon, 27 September, 2010
SBSS Satellite Sending Back Healthy Signals from Orbit[/size]
By Turner Brinton

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force's first Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite launched Sept. 25 and is transmitting signals that indicate it is functioning normally and ready to begin orbital maneuvers, prime contractor Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems announced Sept. 26.

    The long-delayed SBSS spacecraft is designed to use a gimbaled optical telescope to keep tabs on objects in geostationary orbit from its vantage point in low Earth orbit. The satellite was built by Seal Beach, Calif.-based Boeing and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo.

    The SBSS satellite was carried to orbit by an Orbital Sciences Corp.-assembled Minotaur 4 rocket that launched out of Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Boeing operators at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., received the first signals from the spacecraft indicating it is healthy and ready to begin a two-week check-out phase, a company press release said. After that, payload testing will begin, and Boeing plans to hand the satellite over to the Air Force within 60 days.

    This was the first orbital launch of the Minotaur 4, which uses refurbished U.S. strategic missile hardware for its first three stages with a commercial fourth-stage motor.

    The Minotaur 4 was supposed to make its debut a year ago until the Air Force discovered a problem with the rocket's third-stage motor. A gas generator continued to run after the motor shut off, creating residual thrust that is a problem for a rocket designed to put a satellite into a very precise orbit. New hardware had to be designed and built to correct the problem.

[Pol]

Рассшфровка патча за пуска SBSS:



Symbol of Heritage

•The Howling Wolf, a symbol of dominance and
strength, represents the mascot of the Space
Superiority Systems Wing, which is responsible for
acquiring SBSS for the USAF.

•The blue sphere represents the Earth; the yellow traces
symbolize the orbit track of SBSS.

•The seven stars represent Pleiades, a well-known
astronomical cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.
It is among the nearest star clusters and is probably
the best known, as the SBSS mission will be to Space
Situational Awareness.

•The #1 in the triangle represents one team – Boeing,
Ball Aerospace, MIT/LL, The Aerospace Corporation,
Harris IT Services, and the USAF – and SBSS  
frst fight.

Vidi * Scio * Patrocinor
To See * To Know * To Protect

[Pol]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/sbss/101006update.html

The U.S. military's new space surveillance observatory has begun maneuvering toward its operational perch to track orbital objects without the hindrances imposed on ground-based monitors.


The Space Based Space Surveillance satellite successfully launched atop a Minotaur 4 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on September 25, reaching its temporary orbit 336 miles high.

"Since we launched, things have gone fantastic. We have kicked off a long series of firsts -- first acquisition, first commanding, turned on the buses, turned on the star trackers, moved the gimbals, turned on GPS. So things are ticking along and we're making great progress," said Lt. Col. Robert Erickson, SBSS Space Situational Awareness Squadron commander.

"This morning, we did the first of three scheduled burns to raise our orbit. There will be three sets of those, so there's actually a total of 9 burns. We've done the first one, we'll do the next one in a little bit and another one later in the day," Erickson said in a telephone interview.

The burns are designed to gradually increase the satellite's altitude to 391 miles, achieving the south-to-north, sun-synchronous mission orbit.

The launch was the maiden ascent for the four-stage Minotaur 4, a satellite-carrying booster created by Orbital Sciences Corp. using decommissioned Peacekeeper missile motors and a commercial upper stage. The Air Force has 8 more launches ordered, including a flight from Alaska next month.

Seeing the inaugural rocket blast off, however, came a year later than expected because of hardware and software issues. But despite the extended wait to work out the bugs, the new launcher debuted successfully and propelled the $858 million SBSS mission to space.

"From all indications, it was a flawless, flawless flight. It put us exactly where we wanted to be," said Col. J.R. Jordan, SBSS mission director. "All of the work that various organizations...and the mission assurance that we had paid off and gave us a very smooth ride and a very safe ride. I think it is going to turn out to be a very reliable rocket to put small payloads into orbit."

For Col. Jordan, having most recently served as vice commander of the Space Superiority Systems Wing in Los Angeles, the SBSS satellite launch caps a quarter century career in the Air Force. Today marks his final day on the job before retirement.

"It's been a great honor to be in the Air Force for 26 years. It was great to be able to go out on such a great mission and have it be successful," he said in a phone interview this morning.

Serving as the mission director during the countdown, Jordan oversaw the pre-flight preparations and gave the final approval to launch.

"The mood inside the launch room was pretty nominal. Everything went pretty smooth," he recalls. "When I gave my last 'go' command at (T-minus) 6 minutes, 30 seconds, from that moment on it seemed like time went by really quick until the launch itself. Then time slowed down."

The 15-minute trek to orbit crept by excruciatingly, knowing it was the make-or-break time after years of work.

"We'd been so involved in the rocket and some of the issues we had with the rocket. Every stage was slower, it seemed like, until we knew we had final separation. It wasn't until we have final separation that I actually felt like we'd accomplished something," Jordan said.

There's no margin for error once a booster leaves the launch pad. The rocket's programmed sequence of events had to occur perfectly, each stage must fire and drop away exactly as planned, and there's no way for engineers to intervene.

Both Jordan and Erickson spent more than three years on the SBSS satellite. But understanding the true impact this mission will provide in tracking the dangers to U.S. satellites is still to come.

"From a team perspective on the Air Force side, we see this as being a lot of capability that will add a lot of knowledge about what is up there in space. Obviously from a big picture perspective for the nation, we haven't collected any mission data yet with this satellite and time will tell. Frankly, I think as we use this satellite more, collect more data and we keep all this information and propagate the information, I think the nation will see that having (SBSS) up there is a tremendous asset," Jordan said.

Putting a satellite into orbit to scan the sky will narrow gaps in ground-based surveillance using telescopes and radars that's limited by geographic locations, nighttime viewing and the weather. SBSS data should improve tracking of space debris and guard against enemy threats to military spacecraft.

"I'm very confident that it's going to provide us flexibility with respect to tracking and detecting objects from foreign launches and the like, the ability to have a near real-time task-able system to chase those things is a tremendous advantage and it's not encumbered by terrestrial limitations of weather, day-and-night restrictions. It enables the (Joint Space Operations Center) to collect data when they need it, not when a ground asset may be able to see the target," Erickson said.

The first two months of the SBSS mission is spent testing the system and ensuring it meets the expected requirements. That's followed by a characterization period to define the satellite's capabilities. It should be operational in about six months, Erickson said.

[Liss]

Не строго в тему, но не в Австралию же отправлять... :-)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-10/30/c_13582922.htm

Western Australia to host U.S. defense space base

CANBERRA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Western Australia will host a new multimillion-dollar U.S. defense base to spy on foreign satellites and keep watch on dangerous space junk, local media reported on Saturday.

Fairfax newspapers reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is poised to announce the space base when he visits Australia next week with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

As a major expansion of the U.S. military footprint in Australia, the paper said the base is likely to be built at the top secret Harold E Holt Naval communications station at Exmouth of Western Australia.

The facility will allow Australia to become a key partner in the international battle for space supremacy.

It will have major technology and intelligence spin-offs, putting Australia at the forefront of an emerging battle between nations staking claim for territory in space occupied by 600 billion dollars (588 billion U.S. dollars) of civil and military hardware, Fairfax wrote.

According to Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith, last year's Defense White Paper stated Australia's strategic capability advantage depended on its ability to access space and protect the nation from "foreign exploitation by space-based capabilities".

"The U.S. Space Surveillance Network is the principal system Australia and other nations rely on to detect, track and identify objects in space," Smith told Australia Associated Press on Friday.

"While no decisions have yet been made, Australia and the United States are discussing the potential for supporting the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and the development of Australia's space situational awareness."

[ZOOR]

Надо туда внедрить Frigate  :!:

[Sharicoff]

Про перспективы заказа второго SBSS'а.

[Pol]

http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=1070134585
SBSS' Satellite...Seven Successful Years Passes Milestone

[SatNews] Seven years of cooperation involving SBSS have resulted in passing a milestone.

Recently, the Air Force transferred Satellite Control Authority of the SBSS Block 10 satellite to the 1st Space Operations Squadron, 50th Operations Group at Schriever AFB, Colorado. This important milestone reflects more than seven years of effort and cooperation between the Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space, The Boeing Company, and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

As a taskable dedicated sensor within the nation's Space Surveillance Network, SBSS performs space surveillance operations in support of U.S. Strategic Command. Block 10 is the only space-based sensor in the network, operating 24-hours a day, 7- days a week collecting metric and Space Object Identification data for man-made resident space objects without the disruption of weather, time of day and atmosphere that can limit ground-based systems. This improved access to observe RSOs significantly enhances the ability to provide timely, critical information so desperately needed in today's contested, congested and competitive space environment. Providing improved detection timeliness assists the Joint Space Operations Center with maintaining an accurate knowledge of RSO orbital positions, tracking new objects and debris, and reducing the number of uncorrelated targets currently in the space catalog.

SBSS Block 10 was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Minotaur IV rocket from Vandenberg AFB, California, September 25, 2010. The first signals from the advanced space surveillance satellite were received a short time later at the Satellite Operations Center at Schriever.

SBSS has a 500-pound optical camera mounted on an electronically movable gimbal.

"It's an agile sensor so it can be tasked to look at high-interest objects on a more frequent basis," said Col. Stephen Butler, Air Force Space Command's chief of Space Situational Awareness and Command & Control.

"Having a space-based component means that if you need observation on a satellite that's out there, you can get it any time, regardless of day, night or weather," said Col. Steve Smith, chief of the Advanced Systems Division in SMC's Space Superiority Systems Directorate.

After healthy satellite delivery to orbit, the SBSS development team immediately began a comprehensive and carefully controlled five month on-orbit initialization, checkout, calibration and system characterization process. SCA transfer represents a successful culmination of these on-orbit checkout processes and puts the SBSS Block 10 on a solid path to achieving Initial Operational Capability.


SBSS Observing Resident Space Objects in Deep Space

[Salo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48732135/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.UGf5067YfAx

US Air Force begins using Boeing surveillance satellite
Will track other satellites, thousands of bits of debris that could pose risk to spacecraft

By Andrea Shalal-Esa
updated 8/20/2012 8:43:57 PM ET

The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it would begin operational use of a new Boeing Co surveillance satellite built to monitor debris and other satellites in space — nearly two years after the satellite was first launched.

Air Force Space Command said the new Space Based Surveillance Satellite system had achieved its initial level of capability and was ready to support U.S. military requirements after a delay linked to a piece of electronics on board.

The system is the only space-based sensor capable of detecting and monitoring debris, satellites and other space objects without disruptions fr om weather, atmospheric factors or the time of day that can limit ground-based systems.

"This improved access to observe orbiting objects significantly enhances the ability to provide timely, critical information so desperately needed to support warfighter decision making," the Air Force said in a statement.

When the satellite was launched in September 2010, Boeing predicted it would be ready to perform its mission within 60 days, but its "initial operational capability" was delayed by problems with some onboard electronics.

The problem occurred when the satellite traveled through the South Atlantic Anomaly, an area wh ere the Earth's magnetic field is weakest and orbiting satellites are exposed to higher than usual levels of radiation.

The Air Force began implementing a fix for the issue in May, followed by successful software testing that allowed it to start using the satellite.

The new satellite will help the military better track other satellites in space and thousands of bits of debris that could pose a risk to spacecraft.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

[Liss]

Нарисовался наследник SBSS по имени ORS-5:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1409/03ors5/

U.S. Air Force officials have approved a stopgap mission for launch in 2017 to monitor satellite traffic in geosynchronous orbit, tasking the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory to design and build a small space surveillance satellite.

The mission, known as ORS 5, is managed under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force's Operationally Space Office based at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
The small spacecraft will fly in a low-inclination orbit several hundred miles above Earth with a sensor to scan geosynchronous orbit, a heavily-trafficked belt of satellites 22,300 miles over the equator...

The Air Force announced in July that it will task MIT's Lincoln Laboratory to design and build an operational demonstration of the SensorSat satellite, a concept proposed by the lab's researchers for several years.

Air Force Gen. William Shelton, then the head of Space Command, told lawmakers in April that the ORS 5 mission would bridge a potential gap in surveillance of geosynchronous orbit currently provided by the Space Based Space Surveillance, or SBSS, satellite launched in 2010.

The Air Force is working on a follow-on satellite to the SBSS project for launch in 2021. Technologies demonstrated on ORS 5 could be harvested for the SBSS follow-on mission, officials said.

[Олег]

Интересно, Space-track выдал таки данные на USA-216, по крайней мере с 1.1.2024, хотя он вроде
До 19 марта орбита не менялась , была примерно 618 х 620 км. Сейчас 491 х 618 км.
Может быть готовят к ПБС, вроде как срок службы уже вышел.

[C-300-2]

А что за дым идет за секунду до "включения" двигателя?

Скорее всего, включается пороховой БИМ - бортовой источник мощности, обеспечивающий работу рульмашинок, качающих сопло.
В описании "Пискипера" (МБР ССР и США, Волков, стр. 222) как раз говорится о ПАДе. Естественно, для того. чтобы система вышла на режим, её запускают заранее. Посмотрите пуски твердотопливных изделий - там по таким вот выхлопам видно, что БИМ включают заранее.