19 January - WGS-4 - Delta IV-M+(5,4) - Canaveral SLC-37B
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/rollout.html
ЦитироватьNext Delta 4 rocket to boost military communications[/size]
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: October 11, 2011
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket that will deploy a vital communications satellite for U.S. military forces overseas was placed atop its Cape Canaveral pad this week.
Liftoff is targeted for January 19 to deliver the Air Force's fourth Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft into orbit and continue ongoing efforts to upgrade the military's main communications infrastructure.
Each WGS has 10 times the capacity of the aging Defense Satellite Communications System spacecraft they are replacing.
The satellites supply communications such as maps and data to soldiers on the battlefield, relay video from unmanned aerial reconnaissance drones, route voice calls and data messaging, and even offer quality-of-life considerations like television broadcasts and email delivery to the troops.
WGS 1 was launched in October 2007 to cover the vast U.S. Pacific Command that stretches from the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia.
WGS 2 satellite followed with an April 2009 launch to serve U.S. Central Command and the warfighters in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.
WGS 3 went up in December 2009 to cover U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.
Now comes WGS 4 early next year with its built-in enhancements to support the higher data rates needed by airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The Air Force plans to put WGS 4 into operation over the Middle East and Southeast Asia for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command.
Getting the 6.5-ton craft into orbit is the mission for the powerful Delta 4 rocket, which began its pre-flight campaign at the launch pad this week.
The bright orange and white rocket, stretching 170 feet long, emerged from the Horizontal Integration Facility at 4:30 p.m. EDT Monday. Riding a 36-wheel, diesel-powered transporter, the Delta took an hour-long trip down the road and up the pad's ramp to Cape Canaveral's Complex 37.
Initial assembly of the rocket, including mating of the cryogenic upper stage with the Common Booster Core first stage using a precision laser alignment system, had been completed inside the Horizontal Integration Facility over the past couple of months.
After the vehicle arrived at the base of the pad, technicians went to work Monday evening getting equipment ready to raise the rocket vertically. The pallets cradling the Delta were tied down to the Fixed Pad Erector and the transporter used to drive the rocket to the pad disengaged to pull away.
The erector system and its hydraulic pistons then lifted the rocket upright at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday, setting the vehicle atop the pad's launch table within 20 minutes.
Workers later unhooked the booster from the cradles, allowing the erector platform along with the pallets to lower back to the ground at 5 p.m.
Over the next three months at Complex 37, a full pre-launch test program and the final rocket assembly steps will be carried out, including installation of the four strap-on solid-fuel motors to the first stage and attachment of the payload.
WGS 4 is scheduled for shipment from the Boeing satellite manufacturing factory in Los Angeles to Cape Canaveral on November 14 to undergo checkouts and fueling before joining its rocket at the pad.
When fully stacked and its nose cone in place, this Delta 4 Medium+(5,4) rocket will tower 217 feet tall.
It will be 358th launch of a Delta rocket since 1960 and the 18th for the Delta 4 program since 2002. [/size]
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/rollout/
ЦитироватьDelta 4 rocket rolls out to launch pad[/size]
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket that will deploy the U.S. military's fourth Wideband Global SATCOM communications spacecraft into orbit in January was transported from the Horizontal Integration Facility to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 on the afternoon of Monday, October 10.
A 36-wheel, diesel-powered transporter moved the 170-foot-long rocket the short trip down the road and up the pad's ramp to begin preparations for the WGS 4 mission.
Initial assembly of the rocket, including mating of the cryogenic upper stage with the Common Booster Core first stage using a precision laser alignment system, was completed in the Horizontal Integration Facility. Technicians will finish putting the vehicle together at the launch pad by installing the four strap-on solid rocket boosters and attaching the satellite payload.
When completed, this Delta 4 Medium+ (5,4) rocket will tower 217 feet tall for its January 19 launch that continues the Air Force's efforts to upgrade the military's main communications infrastructure.
This 3-page gallery of photographs captures the rollout event.
Photo credit: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now[/size]
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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/111117wgs.html
ЦитироватьVital military communications craft getting ready to go up[/size]
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: November 17, 2011
A spacecraft that will improve communications with the U.S. military's aerial drones currently employed in some of the world's hotspots has arrived at Cape Canaveral to prepare for blastoff in January.
The Air Force says it plans to put this WGS 4 spacecraft into operation over the Middle East and Southeast Asia for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command when it becomes operational early next year.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/21230.jpg)
The Block 2 series of satellites -- WGS 4, 5 and 6 -- are pictured in their manufacturing factory. Credit: Boeing
The satellite joins the expanding fleet of Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellites that form the Pentagon's worldwide communications backbone across all branches of the military.
Three WGS satellites have been deployed, and now WGS 4 is being readied to launch as the first craft in the program's upgraded Block 2 series.
All of the craft provide X- and Ka-band communications, plus enable crossbanding between the frequencies through the onboard channelizer unit. No matter which frequency is being beamed from the ground terminal in the hands of a user, it can be routed through the orbiting satellite.
"It does that by using a channelizer, which is kind of the heart of the satellite which is able to convert the frequencies from X-to-Ka or X-to-X or Ka-to-Ka, and that provides a certain bandwidth availability and a number of channels associated with that," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director for satellite-builder Boeing.
But the new Block 2 satellites come with a bypass feature for aerial reconnaissance vehicle communications to skip the crossbanding path, opening up the amount of data being transmitted through the spacecraft.
"For these next three satellites -- 4, 5 and 6 -- we converted two of the channels to be a bypass around the channelizer. So it's only Ka-band, it doesn't have the ability if you use these two channels to crossband X-to-Ka, but it provides three times the bandwidth," Spiwak said.
That increased capacity will directly help the military's remotely-controlled unmanned drone programs, which are used for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.
"So (we're) basically providing to users two uplink and two downlink channels that go around the channelizer that are about three times the bandwidth as the normal channels," Spiwak said.
"So why is that good? That's good because as the Global Hawks, the Reapers, the Predators, all of the AISR platforms, as they are converting to their different terminals, obviously the more bandwidth is good for them, and you can lock on to one or several Global Hawks, multiple Reapers and Predators, and the more bandwidth allows the operators to pump more data through. You've got that wider pipe on two uplink and two downlink channels," Spiwak said.
"That's kind of the main change (for Block 2). It still has all of the X-band flexibility, Ka-band flexibility that the first three have, but this has these extra, larger pipes that you can really pump a lot of data through."
Built by The Boeing Co. in California, WGS 4 was delivered to the Florida spaceport aboard an Air Force transport aircraft, departing Los Angeles International Airport Monday night and touching down on the space shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center early Tuesday.
The shipping crate holding the satellite was offloaded from the plane and hauled across the river to the commercial Astrotech processing campus in Titusville where WGS 4 will undergo the final steps needed before launch.
"We will put fuel into it in the early part of December, we encapsulate in the middle of December," Spiwak said.
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket is standing atop the Complex 37 pad awaiting the satellite's arrival. The booster was rolled out Oct. 10 to start its own pre-flight checkout sequence.
Liftoff is scheduled for Jan. 19 during a window extending from 7:38 to 9:11 p.m. EST (0038-0211 GMT Jan. 20).
Boeing expects to finish constructing WGS 5 next February for its launch from the Cape in January 2013. The WGS 6 bird, funded in collaboration with the Australian military, will be completed next summer for its anticipated launch in the summer of 2013.
"We're ready to keep building these, to look at evolutions, we're talking to the government on enhancing the capability, and then be ready to launch them when the launch vehicles are available," Spiwak said.
The Air Force has ordered WGS 7 and contracted for the long-lead parts needed to build WGS 8. There's also an option for WGS 9.
The Defense Department and Boeing are working to streamline the future spacecraft, building upon the program's heritage to reduce testing costs and lower the overall prices through a commercial-like operating model.
"This was a very long negotiation, this was the government saying we need to buy these satellites more cost-effectively and Boeing responding," Spiwak said.
"We were able to work fairly close with the Air Force to get a program plan that they're comfortable with and we were able to take about 12-15 percent of the cost out and provide the same product to the government for less."
WGS spacecraft supply communications such as maps and data to soldiers on the battlefield, route voice calls and data messaging, and even offer quality-of-life considerations like television broadcasts and email delivery to the troops.
They are replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) spacecraft. Each WGS has 10 times the capacity of a DSCS satellite, allowing users to process and receive data quicker than before.
WGS 1 was launched in October 2007 to cover the vast U.S. Pacific Command that stretches from the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia.
WGS 2 satellite followed with an April 2009 launch to serve U.S. Central Command and the warfighters in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.
WGS 3 went up in December 2009 to cover U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.
"I'll use the analogy 'kid with a new toy' -- finding out this toy does some pretty neat things, so we get very positive feedback from the customer community on how they are utilizing and doing things they never thought they'd be able to do with the satellites," Spiwak said.[/size]
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/payloadtopad/
ЦитироватьDelta 4 rocket and Air Force payload joined for launch[/size]
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: January 4, 2012
Moving from the cleanroom to the Cape Canaveral launching pad, the next update to the U.S. military's space-based communications network was hoisted aboard its booster rocket Wednesday.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/22029.jpg)
File image of a Delta payload leaving Astrotech. Credit: NASA TV
The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 spacecraft, better known as WGS 4, will ride a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket into orbit Jan. 19 from the Florida spaceport's pad 37B.
Liftoff will be possible during a 93-minute window extending from 7:38 to 9:11 p.m. EST (0038-0211 GMT).
Already tucked inside the rocket's five-meter-diameter, 47-foot-tall nose cone, a process that was accomplished before the holidays while still at the spacecraft preparation facility in Titusville, WGS 4 was driven on a specialized transporter across the river, through Kennedy Space Center and over to Complex 37 in the frigid predawn darkness Wednesday.
After entering the pad and climbing the ramp to the launch site around 3:30 a.m. EST, the motorized hauler was parked on the backside of the mobile service gantry to complete the 25-mile trip.
There, the pad's crane lowered down to take hold of the payload for carefully hoisting the 6.5-ton satellite into the tower and positioning it atop the rocket's second stage for attachment.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/22030.jpg)
File image of Delta payload ready for hoisting into the pad tower. Credit: NASA
The milestone move kicks off the final two weeks of the pre-launch campaign, which will include integrated testing between the Delta 4 rocket and WGS 4 spacecraft, closeouts of the vehicle compartments for flight and a series of readiness reviews to verify all systems are "go" for blastoff.
It will be first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral of the new year and begins the Delta 4 rocket's 2012 that is dedicated to military service with as many as five flights scheduled from both Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to deploy WGS, GPS and classified National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft.
WGS 4 starts an enhanced "block" of satellites with improved bandwidth for communications to the military's remotely-controlled unmanned aerial drones, which are used for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.
The Air Force says it plans to put this WGS 4 spacecraft into service over the Middle East and Southeast Asia for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/22031.jpg)
An artist's concept of WGS antenna arrangement. Credit: Boeing
Weighing about 13,000 pounds at launch, the craft's communications package provides shaped, steerable spotbeams of bandwidth wherever requested across its field-of-view for Ka- and X-band frequencies, plus the onboard capability to convert signals from one band to the other. The data transmission rates range from 2.1 to 3.6 Gbps. Once fully unfurled in space, the craft's solar-power wings will span 134 feet.
Three WGS spacecraft are operating in geosynchronous orbit today, and The Boeing Co. has four more in production at its El Segundo factory in Los Angeles. The craft are built upon the company's powerhouse 702-model design.
For over four decades, the Defense Satellite Communications System was the foundation for flowing secure information to military forces around the globe. But that heritage system is being phased out as the aging craft retire and the new WGS satellites ascend to orbit to take advantage of new technology.
The final DSCS craft was launched by a Delta 4 rocket in 2003. (Our launch story)
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An artist's concept of WGS spotbeams. Credit: Boeing
Each WGS bird possesses 10 times the capacity of a DSCS satellite and offers 19 coverage areas with its steerable antennas versus 8 under the heritage craft.
The X-band communications through DSCS and WGS allow data, photos and video to be relayed to troops on the battlefield. But WGS also brings Ka-band to the table for high-volume broadcasting to user terminals across the reception area.
At the heart of each WGS is an internal box called a digital channelizer that enables a user with a Ka-band terminal to seamlessly connect to someone with an X-band terminal, or vice versa.
But the new Block 2 satellites, beginning with WGS 4, come with a bypass feature for unmanned aerial drone communications to skip the crossbanding path and use two uplink and two downlink channels that offer three times the bandwidth as the normal channels, opening up a much wider pipeline for data to flow.
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File image of Delta 4 Medium+(5,4) on the pad for WGS 3. Credit: ULA
The Delta 4 carrying WGS 4 will be flying in the Medium+(5,4) configuration, which is the most powerful of the Medium-version rockets and below only the triple-core Heavy in the modular family's lineup.
The Medium+(5,4) has a five-meter-diameter upper stage loaded with more cryogenic propellants than the optional four-meter motor used for other launches, such as GPS missions. The rocket also has a full set of four solid-fuel boosters strapped to the first stage, double the number used for GPS and other lower-weight payloads.
The first stage is powered by the RS-68 hydrogen-fed main engine and the upper stage has the RL10B-2 engine, the powerplants used on all 17 Delta 4 missions to date.
With WGS 4 now aboard, the fully stacked rocket stands 217 feet, 7 inches tall and looks ready for blastoff in just 15 days.[/size]
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/status.html
ЦитироватьTUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012
The combined Delta 4 rocket and its Wideband Global SATCOM 4 spacecraft payload have successfully completed a thorough electrical test that simulated the countdown and booster's trek into a supersynchronous orbit in preparation for the real blastoff next week.
The craft was delivered to Cape Canaveral's pad 37B and mounted atop the United Launch Alliance-made rocket last Tuesday. The Integrated Systems Test then followed to verify the booster and cargo were in proper sync for flight.
"We completed our Integrated Systems Test this past weekend, which is an end-to-end simulation of the rocket as if it was in flight, and exercised the whole system as well as some of the interfaces with the satellite. That was a major activity we just completed (and) that was the most significant task remaining," said Col. Ron Fortson, the Air Force's mission director for the launch.
Now, technicians are moving into the last round of preps needed to ready the Delta and launch pad facility infrastructure for liftoff next Thursday, Jan. 19.
"All in all, it's a very typical set of final-week-before-launch connections, closeouts and subsystem testing," said Jim Sponnick, United Launch Alliance vice president of mission operations.
Loading of propellant into the vehicle's attitude control system was underway Tuesday, and upcoming activities include final ordnance connections, closing out the compartments up and down the rocket and a handful of subsystem tests planned for early next week.
Built by The Boeing Co. in California, WGS 4 was delivered to the Florida spaceport aboard an Air Force transport aircraft on Nov. 15. It spent about six weeks at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville getting loaded with nearly 4,700 pounds of fuel and oxidizer maneuvering propellant, a hazardous operation completed on Dec. 5, then being encapsulated into the two-piece rocket nose cone on Dec. 15.
"We have gone through our prelaunch operations, all have occurred nominally," said Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.
Transport to the launch pad took place on Jan. 4 to join the spacecraft with its ride to space.
"It is sitting there, ready for launch," Madden told reporters in a pre-flight media briefing Tuesday.
The satellite should become operational over the Indian Ocean this summer, providing enhanced communications services to deployed military forces in the Middle East and surrounding areas.
Heaving the craft aloft will look much the same as the previous WGS 3 mission in December 2009 that also used a Delta 4 rocket.
"It is the same configuration vehicle and essentially flying the same sort of mission profile as well," Sponnick said.
"We are ready to launch WGS 4."
Watch this page for continuing updates on the launch and join us for play-by-play reports throughout the countdown and live streaming video of the flight on Jan. 19.
Брошюра в pdf:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/missionbooklets/DIV/div_wgs4_mob.pdf
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/status.html
ЦитироватьTUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012
1430 GMT (9:30 a.m. EST)
Meteorologists' outlook for the Thursday night weather is unchanged in predicting a 90 percent chance of launching, says the latest forecast issued this morning.
They have slightly decreased the wind speeds, however, in calling for just a few clouds at 3,000 feet, northeasterly winds of 8 peaking to 12 knots and a temperature of 58 degrees F.
Out at Complex 37, technicians have begun retracting the swinging access platforms on the mobile service tower and gotten the flame deflector moved into position in front of the pad's launch table. The Launch Readiness Review is planned for Wednesday.
А как выглядит эректор Д4? есть фото процесса?
ЦитироватьА как выглядит эректор Д4? есть фото процесса?
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/65250.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/65251.jpg)
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2003/photorelease/q4/pr_031210s.html
(кликабельно)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/60556.jpg) (http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/uploaded_images/DeltaIVb-742336.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/60555.jpg) (http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/uploaded_images/DeltaIVc-784228.jpg)
http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/2009/02/delta-iv-rocket-raised-at-cape.shtml
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
ЦитироватьBig launch coming up Thursday at Cape Canaveral[/size]
After nearly five years of construction and testing, the U.S. military's next satellite with voluminous throughput to pump vital communications to battlefield forces awaits blastoff Thursday night from Cape Canaveral. The $464 million Wideband Global SATCOM 4 spacecraft will ride a Delta 4 rocket off the pad at 7:38 p.m. EST (0038 GMT)[/size].
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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/launchtimeline.html
ЦитироватьWGS 4 launch timeline[/size]
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Updated: January 14, 2012
T-00:05.5 Engine start
The RS-68 main engine begins to ignite as the liquid hydrogen fuel valve is opened, creating a large fireball at the base of the rocket. The engine powers up to full throttle for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff.
T-00:00.0 Liftoff
The rocket's four strap-on solid rocket motors are lit, the four hold-down bolts are released and the Delta 4 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's pad 37B. The pad's three swing arms retract at T-0 seconds.
T+00:50.1 Max-Q
The vehicle experiences the region of maximum dynamic pressure. The solid motors and the RS-68 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine continue to fire as the vehicle heads downrange, arcing over the Atlantic along a 101-degree flight azimuth.
T+01:40.0 Jettison two solid motors
Having used up all their solid-propellant and experienced burnout six seconds ago, the two strap-on boosters with fixed nozzles are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage.
T+01:42.4 Jettison two solid motors
The pair of strap-on boosters with steerable nozzles are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage and fall into the ocean.
T+03:27.0 Jettison payload fairing
The five-meter diameter composite payload fairing that protected the WGS 4 cargo atop the Delta 4 during the atmospheric ascent is no longer needed, allowing it to be jettisoned in two halves.
T+03:59.9 Begin engine throttling
With the maximum axial acceleration reached, the RS-68 powerplant starts throttling down in preparation for finishing its firing.
T+04:06.9 Main engine cutoff
The hydrogen-fueled RS-68 rocket engine completes its burn and shuts down to complete the first stage of flight.
T+04:14.0 Stage separation
The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage are separated in one piece from the Delta 4's upper stage. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle drops into position as the first stage separates.
T+04:27.0 Second stage ignition
The upper stage begins its job to place the WGS 4 satellite into space with the first of two firings by the RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine.
T+20:42.9 Upper stage shutdown
The RL10 upper stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch. The rocket and attached satellite reach a parking orbit of approximately 100 by 3,714 nautical miles with an inclination of 25.59 degrees.
T+28:27.5 Restart upper stage
After a short coast period, the upper stage is reignited to raise the orbit to the planned altitude for deploying the payload.
T+31:35.8 Upper stage shutdown
The powered phase of the Delta 4's mission to loft WGS 4 concludes. The second burn will reach the planned supersynchronous orbit 237 by 36,108 nautical miles with an inclination of 24 degrees.
T+40:42.0 Separate spacecraft
The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 military communications satellite is released into space from the Delta 4 rocket. The Boeing-built satellite will use its onboard propulsion to reach geostationary orbit where it will match Earth's rotation and appear fixed above the equator to cover the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Data source: Air Force/ULA[/size]
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/track.html
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http://space.flatoday.net/2012/01/forecast-fine-for-years-first-cape.html
ЦитироватьTuesday, January 17, 2012
Forecast fine for year's first Cape launch[/size]
There's little chance weather will stall the first launch of 2012 from Cape Canaveral, a planned 7:38 p.m. EST Thursday blastoff of a Delta IV rocket carrying a next-generation military communications satellite.
The most recent forecast from the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron -- read it here -- shows only a 10 percent chance strong ground winds could become a factor during the window that extends to 9:11 p.m.
The odds of bad weather only worsen to 20 percent if the launch is delayed to Friday or Saturday.
United Launch Alliance reports everything is on track for an on-time liftoff of the 218-foot tall Delta IV Medium+ rocket carrying the Air Force's fourth Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, or WGS-4.
The $466 million, 13,200-pound spacecraft is the fourth of its kind to launch, the first in a new block of Boeing-built vehicles that offer greater capacity than the first three.
Each WGS satellites offer 10 times more bandwidth than the entire constellation they are gradually replacing, improving support for warfighters and unmanned aerial vehicles.[/size]
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/22202.jpg)
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/wgs/wgs_factsheet.html
Нотамчик что-то больно длинный :-) и по времени как-то не очень сходится...
Цитировать!FDC 2/3027 ZJX PART 1 OF 6 FL.. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. ORLANDO, FLORIDA, JANUARY 19, 2012 LOCAL. PURSUANT TO 49 USC 40103(B), THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CLASSIFIES THE AIRSPACE DEFINED IN THIS NOTAM AS 'NATIONAL DEFENSE AIRSPACE'. PILOTS WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES MAY BE INTERCEPTED, DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/SECURITY PERSONNEL. ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL ACTIONS MAY ALSO BE TAKEN AGAINST A PILOT WHO DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OR ANY SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR PROCEDURES ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTAM: A) THE FAA MAY TAKE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION, INCLUDING IMPOSING CIVIL PENALTIES AND THE SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF AIRMEN CERTIFICATES; OR B) THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY PURSUE CRIMINAL CHARGES, INCLUDING CHARGES UNDER TITLE 49 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE, SECTION 46307; OR C) THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY USE DEADLY FORCE AGAINST THE AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT POSES AN IMMINENT SECURITY THREAT. PURSUANT TO TITLE 14, SECTION 91.141 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AIRCRAFT FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED
WITHIN A 30 NMR OF 282538N/0811858W OR THE ORL172007.0 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191600 UTC (1100 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191715 UTC (1215 LOCAL 01/19/12).
WITHIN A 10 NMR OF 282538N/0811858W OR THE ORL172007.0 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191600 UTC (1100 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191715 UTC (1215 LOCAL 01/19/12).
WITHIN A 30 NMR OF 282451N/0813357W OR THE ORL238014.4 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191645 UTC (1145 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191900 UTC (1400 LOCAL 01/19/12).
WITHIN A 10 NMR OF 282451N/0813357W OR THE ORL238014.4 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191645 UTC (1145 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191900 UTC (1400 LOCAL 01/19/12).
WITHIN A 30 NMR OF 282538N/0811858W OR THE ORL172007.0 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191830 UTC (1330 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191945 UTC (1445 LOCAL 01/19/12).
WITHIN A 10 NMR OF 282538N/0811858W OR THE ORL172007.0 UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING 18000 FT MSL EFFECTIVE 1201191830 UTC (1330 LOCAL 01/19/12) UNTIL 1201191945 UTC (1445 LOCAL 01/19/12).
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED BELOW AND/OR UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY ATC IN CONSULTATION WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC SECURITY COORDINATOR VIA THE DOMESTIC EVENTS NETWORK (DEN): A. ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE 10 NMR AREA(S) LISTED ABOVE, KNOWN AS THE INNER CORE(S), ARE PROHIBITED EXCEPT FOR: APPROVED LAW ENFORCEMENT, MILITARY AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY SUPPORTING THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE (USSS) AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, APPROVED AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHTS, AND REGULARLY SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL PASSENGER AND ALL-CARGO CARRIERS OPERATING UNDER ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TSA-APPROVED STANDARD SECURITY PROGRAMS/PROCEDURES: AIRCRAFT OPERATOR STANDARD SECURITY PROGRAM (AOSSP), FULL ALL-CARGO AIRCRAFT OPERATOR STANDARD SECURITY PROGRAM (FACAOSSP), MODEL SECURITY PROGRAM (MSP), TWELVE FIVE STANDARD SECURITY PROGRAM (TFSSP) ALL CARGO, OR ALL-CARGO INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PROCEDURE (ACISP) AND ARE ARRIVING INTO AND/OR DEPARTING FROM 14 CFR PART 139 AIRPORTS. ALL EMERGENCY/LIFE SAVING FLIGHT (MEDICAL/LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIREFIGHTING) OPERATIONS MUST COORDINATE WITH ATC PRIOR TO THEIR DEPARTURE AT 407-852-7553 TO AVOID POTENTIAL DELAYS. B. FOR OPERATIONS WITHIN THE AIRSPACE BETWEEN THE 10 NMR AND 30 NMR AREA(S) LISTED ABOVE, KNOWN AS THE OUTER RING(S): ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING WITHIN THE OUTER RING(S) LISTED ABOVE ARE LIMITED TO AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING LOCAL AIRFIELDS, AND WORKLOAD PERMITTING, ATC MAY AUTHORIZE TRANSIT OPERATIONS. AIRCRAFT MAY NOT LOITER. ALL AIRCRAFT MUST BE ON AN ACTIVE IFR OR VFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH A DISCRETE CODE ASSIGNED BY AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) FACILITY. AIRCRAFT MUST BE SQUAWKING THE DISCRETE CODE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN THE TFR AND MUST REMAIN IN TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH ATC. C. THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED WITHIN THIS TFR: FLIGHT TRAINING, PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACHES, AEROBATIC FLIGHT, GLIDER OPERATIONS, SEAPLANE OPERATIONS, PARACHUTE OPERATIONS, ULTRALIGHT, HANG GLIDING, BALLOON OPERATIONS, AGRICULTURE/CROP DUSTING, ANIMAL POPULATION CONTROL FLIGHT OPERATIONS, BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS, SIGHTSEEING OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHTS, MODEL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS, MODEL ROCKETRY, UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS), AND UTILITY AND PIPELINE SURVEY OPERATIONS. D. FAA RECOMMENDS THAT ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS CHECK NOTAMS FREQUENTLY FOR POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THIS TFR PRIOR TO OPERATIONS WITHIN THIS REGION. END PART 6 OF 6
http://space.flatoday.net/2012/01/delta-iv-wgs-4-on-track-for-thursday.html
ЦитироватьWednesday, January 18, 2012
Delta IV, WGS-4 on track for Thursday launch[/size]
A Delta IV rocket remains on track to loft a military communications satellite into orbit at 7:38 p.m. Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The latest forecast is near perfect, with a 95 percent chance of favorable conditions during a launch window that extends to 9:11 p.m.
After a cold front passes through the region late this afternoon and evening, there's only a slight concern that ground winds could become an issue during the countdown.
United Launch Alliance says the 218-foot Delta IV, in a medium configuration with four strap-on solid rocket motors, is ready for launch.
Atop the rocket is one of the Department of Defense's highest-capacity communications satellites, the fourth in the Wideband Global SATCOM program, or WGS.
Around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, a mobile service tower at Launch Complex 37 will roll back to reveal the Delta IV. Fueling of the rocket's first and second stages with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen should begin less than five hours before launch.
ULA will begin a launch Webcast at approximately 7:17 p.m. EST Thursday. Click here (http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Multimedia_Webcast.shtml) to watch. We'll also send countdown updates by text -- sign up here (http://www.floridatoday.com/content/4info/).
The $464 million WGS-4 satellite is scheduled to separate from the rocket's upper stage nearly 41 minutes after launch.
Posted by James Dean at 9:30 AM[/size]
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElQXpcatVM&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/prelaunch/
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Трансляции:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Webcast.shtml
http://www.livestream.com/spaceflightnow
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/status.html
Заправка первой ступени уже идёт.
Цитировать23:38 UTC Countdown is entering the final 60 minutes! No technical problems of note, weather is fine, upper level winds are go. tinyurl.com/GoWGS4
23:55 UTC Steering checks of the Delta 4 rocket's engine nozzles have been run successfully.
0:13 The WGS 4 spacecraft atop the Delta 4 is switching from ground-fed power to its internal batteries for launch.
0:19 T-minus 5 minutes and holding. Countdown has entered planned 15-minute hold leading toward the 7:38pmEST liftoff.
0:32 Final pre-launch readiness checks of launch team complete and all systems are reported "go" for on-time liftoff!
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0:38UTC LIFTOFF of Delta 4 rocket with WGS 4 satellite, enhancing military communications for the warfighter!
~0:38:12UTC
Улетела!
Цитировать(http://pix.academ.org/img/2012/01/20/d30aaf9bc751a32b23b7ed392e0c1aed.png)(http://pix.academ.org/img/2012/01/20/01d690391ba67648260c67e4c6cc22ac.png)
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~1:19UTC
SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! Critical U.S. military communications satellite successfully delivered into orbit by Delta 4!
Летит...
Обращает внимание гладкость подготовки к пуску; ракета улетела в начале стартового окна, без переносов и каких-либо существенных трудностей.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr7Ai-adQew
Есть отделение КА!
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/pond/
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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/dew/
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http://www.launchphotography.com/WGS-4.html
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США запустили спутник для обеспечения связи с БПЛА на Ближнем ВостокеЦитироватьМОСКВА, 20 янв - РИА Новости. ВВС США запустили в космос спутник, который, как ожидается, будет служить для обеспечения связи с беспилотными летательными аппаратами (БПЛА), используемыми на Ближнем Востоке и в Азии, передает агентство Ассошиэйтед Пресс.
Ракета-носитель Delta 4 со спутником WGS 4 на борту оторвалась от пусковой площади на мысе Канаверал в 19.38 четверга по местному времени (04.38 пятницы мск).
По данным агентства, это уже четвертый военный спутник, запущенный в космос с 2007 года. Планируется, что следующий будет отправлен на орбиту в 2013 году. Новые космические аппараты заменят собой устаревающие спутники, которые уступают новичкам по производительности и возможностям примерно в десять раз.
http://ria.ru/world/20120120/544120311.html
Delta 4 rocket soars on Defense Department missionЦитироватьA new Air Force satellite headed for service over the Middle East to route essential communications to U.S. military forces and improve data links to unmanned aerial drones was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral last night.
The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 spacecraft, better known as WGS 4, rode a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket away from the Florida spaceport's pad 37B at 7:38 p.m. EST (0038 GMT) on a 40-minute ascent to supersynchronous orbit.
Liftoff occurred at the opening minute of a launch window set months in advance.
Valued at $464 million, the 6.5-ton satellite will enhance military communications over a turbulent portion of the globe when it commences broadcasting duties in a few months.
Dropped off into a highly-elliptical, preliminary orbit by the Delta 4 rocket, the satellite's conventional bi-propellant chemical main engine will execute four apogee and four perigee firings through early February before beginning 40 days of final orbit circularization maneuvers with its xenon-ion propulsion thrusters to reach geosynchronous perch 22,300 miles above Earth in March.
Once its appendages are fully unfurled in space, the craft's solar-power wings will span 134 feet.
In-orbit testing with the military's Camp Roberts facility in California will occur from mid-March through mid-April. Boeing will control the craft's initial flying until handover to the Air Force at the end of April.
From there, the spacecraft will drift to the operational location over the Indian Ocean to receive final acceptance into the WGS constellation and enter service this summer.
The Air Force says it plans to put this WGS 4 spacecraft's coverage footprint over the Middle East and Southeast Asia for use by U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command.
"WGS provides critical operation and situational awareness information to the warfighter," said Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. "I want to thank Boeing and the work they have done to give us a first-class quality satellite that's going to be a critical add to our constellation."
WGS 4 starts an enhanced "block" of satellites with improved bandwidth for communications to the military's remote-controlled drones known for their stealthy and undercover operations in global hotspots. The vehicles can carry cameras, radar sensors and detectors to sniff out uranium and radioactive material.
"The UAVs and moving large amounts of data around is a major requirement that drove us to do the upgrade, which is giving us the significantly more bandwidth and capacity," said Madden.
Once slid into its orbital home high above the Indian Ocean, the satellite will join the expanding fleet of Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellites that form the Pentagon's worldwide communications backbone across all branches of the military.
"WGS is the DOD's highest capacity communications satellite system. These satellites provide tremendous operational flexibility to deliver the needed capacity, coverage and connectivity in support of demanding operational scenarios," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director for satellite-builder Boeing.
The craft's communications package provides shaped, steerable spotbeams of bandwidth wherever requested across its field-of-view for Ka- and X-band frequencies, plus the onboard capability to switch signals from one band to the other.
"It does that by using a channelizer, which is kind of the heart of the satellite which is able to convert the frequencies from X-to-Ka or X-to-X or Ka-to-Ka, and that provides a certain bandwidth availability and a number of channels associated with that," Spiwak said.
But the new Block 2 satellites, beginning with WGS 4, come with a bypass feature for unmanned aerial drone communications to skip the crossbanding path and use two uplink and two downlink channels that offer three times the bandwidth as the normal channels, opening up a much bigger pipeline for data to flow.
That increased capacity will directly help the military's remotely-controlled unmanned drone programs, which are used for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.
"So why is that good? That's good because as the Global Hawks, the Reapers, the Predators, all of the AISR platforms, as they are converting to their different terminals, obviously the more bandwidth is good for them, and you can lock on to one or several Global Hawks, multiple Reapers and Predators, and the more bandwidth allows the operators to pump more data through. You've got that wider pipe on two uplink and two downlink channels," Spiwak said.
"That's kind of the main change (for Block 2). It still has all of the X-band flexibility, Ka-band flexibility that the first three have, but this has these extra, larger pipes that you can really pump a lot of data through."
Three WGS spacecraft are operating in geosynchronous orbit today, and The Boeing Co. has four more in production at its El Segundo factory in Los Angeles and will soon start working on two additional craft being ordered -- WGS 9 and 10. The craft are built upon the company's powerhouse 702-model design.
WGS 1 was launched in October 2007 to cover the vast U.S. Pacific Command that stretches from the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia.
WGS 2 satellite followed with an April 2009 launch to serve U.S. Central Command and the forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.
WGS 3 went up in December 2009 to cover U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.
"Three Block 1 satellites are currently on-orbit, providing critical communication links to DOD and allied forces worldwide," said Spiwak.
For over four decades, the Defense Satellite Communications System was the foundation for flowing secure information to military forces around the globe. But that heritage system is being phased out as the aging craft retire and the new WGS satellites ascend to orbit to take advantage of new technology.
The final DSCS craft was launched by a Delta 4 rocket in 2003. (Our launch story)
There's still 8 DSCS satellites in service today.
"We will use 'em up till the very last minute because the DSCS's are still providing significant capability as well," said Madden.
Each WGS bird possesses 10 times the capacity of a single DSCS satellite and offers 19 coverage areas with its steerable antennas versus 8 under the heritage craft.
The X-band communications through DSCS and WGS allow data, photos and video to be relayed to troops on the battlefield. But WGS also brings Ka-band to the table for high-volume broadcasting to user terminals across the reception area.
A key advancement that WGS brings is an internal box called a digital channelizer that enables a user with a Ka-band terminal to seamlessly connect to someone with an X-band terminal, or vice versa.
The data transmission rates range from 2.1 to 3.6 Gbps.
"Everyday WGS helps save and improve the lives of users worldwide. This launch (is) another important step in advancing these capabilities," said Spiwak.
The 217-foot-tall Delta 4 carrying WGS 4 flew in the Medium+(5,4) configuration, which is the most powerful of the Medium-version rockets and below only the triple-core Heavy in the modular family's lineup.
WGS is one of the satellite programs that's interchangeable between ULA's Atlas and Delta rocket families. The first two WGS satellites went up on Atlas, and now the subsequent two have flown on Delta.
"WGS was the first constellation of satellites to launch on both Delta 4 and Atlas 5 vehicles since the formation of ULA. We're honored to have worked closely with our Air Force partners in integrating and launching these important WGS satellites," said Jim Sponnick, United Launch Alliance vice president of mission operations.
"Our ability to integrate and launch satellites successfully and efficiently on two launch systems to provide operational flexibility was a primary reason that ULA was formed."
The Medium+(5,4) features a five-meter-diameter upper stage loaded with more cryogenic propellants than the optional four-meter motor used for other launches, such as GPS missions. The rocket also has a full set of four solid-fuel boosters strapped to the first stage, double the number used for GPS and other lower-weight payloads.
The first stage is powered by the RS-68 hydrogen-fed main engine and the upper stage has the RL10B-2 engine, the powerplants used on all 18 Delta 4 missions to date.
It was the first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral of the new year and begins the Delta 4 rocket's 2012 that is dedicated to military service with as many as five flights scheduled from both Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to deploy WGS, GPS and classified National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/
" 20 января 2012 года в 00:38 UTC (04:38 мск) с площадки SLC-37B Станции ВВС США "Мыс Канаверал" стартовыми расчетами компании United Launch Alliance при поддержке боевых расчетов 45-го Космического крыла ВВС США осуществлен пуск ракеты-носителя Delta-4 Medium+ (5,4) № D358 с телекоммуникационным спутником WGS 4 (Wideband Global SATCOM 4). Через 40 минут 50 секунд после старта космический аппарат отделился от носителя и вышел на околоземную орбиту. В каталоге стратегического командования США спутник получил обозначение USA-233 и номер 38070. Международное обозначение объекта - 2012-001А. - К.И. " - лента новостей НК
Непонятно почему 2012-001А ведь уже были два пуска в КНР
Space-Track выложил параметры орбиты аппарата (506 х 69522 км, 23.85°) и верхней ступени. Двухстрочных наборов, естественно, нет.
Delta IV WGS-4 Launch Highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VP6VzjgaB8
Выполнен маневр подъёма перигея.
WGS satellite passes builder's post-launch testsЦитироватьThree months after rocketing into space atop a Delta 4 booster, maneuvering into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles high and passing a thorough checkout, the U.S. Air Force's newest communications craft has been delivered into the hands of military controllers from builder Boeing.
The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 satellite was transferred from Boeing control to Air Force operators on Wednesday. The initial flying of the bird was conducted from the aerospace firm's facilities in El Segundo, California, where the spacecraft was manufactured.
"This fourth WGS satellite adds substantial capacity and resiliency to the WGS constellation," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "The team worked around the clock to ensure that all testing was completed successfully, and that the satellite was healthy and ready for customer handover. We remain committed to the Air Force, the WGS mission, and to continuing to support the delivery of this critical enhancement of warfighter communications."
Boeing said in a statement that on-orbit testing had demonstrated the functionality of WGS 4's communications payload features by passing test signals through each of the satellite's 19 antenna beams. The tests also verified the craft's beam-steering functions.
The military ground control team will finish some additional testing on the satellite and reposition it over the Middle East to enter service this summer.
Valued at $464 million, the satellite joins three other WGS satellites that form the Pentagon's worldwide communications backbone across all branches of the military.
WGS 4 is the first craft, however, with an internal reconfiguration to improve communications bandwidth to the military's remote-controlled drones known for their stealthy and undercover operations in global hotspots for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.
Read more about WGS 4 in our earlier launch story.
The ever-growing WGS constellation now has four craft in space and five more in production. Teaming with five allied nations, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and New Zealand, the Air Force ordered WGS 9 under the broadening fleet earlier this year.
All of these spacecraft provide high-data-rate, large-volume communications services from geosynchronous orbit. The provide 10 times the capacity over the heritage Defense Satellite Communications System birds they gradually replace in space.
"We don't see any reduction in wideband capability needed for the warfighter. It's just the opposite -- it's going exponential," Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, said on the eve of the WGS 4 launch in January.
"The Canadian Forces' recent efforts in Libya and Afghanistan have highlighted the critical importance of rapid communications between headquarters and deployed forces," Peter MacKay, minister of national defence, said in signing the WGS 9 deal. "This agreement with our allies will meet the requirement for secure data and voice transmissions, which are essential to the success of modern military operations."
Cooperation with other nations isn't new for the wideband program. Australia joined as a partner in 2007 and financed WGS 6 that will be launched next summer.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/handover.html
Boeing Awarded $111M To Upgrade Two U.S. Air Force Communications SatellitesЦитироватьWASHINGTON — Boeing Satellite Systems will boost the capacity of two military communications satellites under a $111 million contract modification awarded by the U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon said in a July 2 contract announcement.
El Segundo, Calif.-based Boeing will install upgraded digital channelizers aboard the eighth and ninth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellites under the contract. The upgraded hardware also will be installed on the 10th WGS satellite, which the Air Force is expected to order in July, according to Mark Spiwak, Boeing WGS program director.
In a written response to Space News questions, Spiwak said the new digital channelizers will boost capacity on the WGS-8 and -9 satellites by 30 percent. "With additional enhancements to the WGS satellite, including the addition of more beams and/or greater radio frequency transmit power, each satellite could provide greater than 80% more capacity by leveraging enhanced channelizer bandwidth which would otherwise be inaccessible," he said.
The Air Force in December and January authorized Boeing to build the two satellites as part of the WGS Block 2 Follow On program that also includes the seventh spacecraft and is valued at $1.09 billion. The combined value of the WGS-8 and -9 contracts, not including the modification for the upgraded digital channelizers, is $731 million, according to Air Force figures.
Spiwak said the Block 2 Follow On contract provided savings that enabled the Air Force to invest in upgrades like the new channelizers, which are routing devices that enable satellites to use bandwidth efficiently. In announcing the WGS-8 contract in January, the Air Force said the Block 2 Follow On craft were being procured under a more commercial-like contract arrangement that would save the service $100 million. The service in December awarded Boeing a $9.4 million contract to study the addition of the new channelizers.
"Discussions with the customer in the future will focus on enhancements that are able to unlock additional bandwidth and capacity on WGS to realize more of the available bandwidth," Spiwak said.
Four WGS satellites are on orbit, with the fifth and sixth satellites — these are the initial Block 2 craft — slated to launch next year.
http://www.spacenews.com/military/120706-boeing-upgrade-af-comm-sats.html