Форум Новости Космонавтики

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/980505737301561344)

Per here (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35275.msg1805635#msg1805635 ... (https://t.co/eNvPApo5Rq)) it looks like #Iridium6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium6?src=hash) / #GraceFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GraceFO?src=hash) ride-share is slipping to NET 10 May from 26 April. That places it after #Insight (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Insight?src=hash)'s launch from Vandenberg 5 days earlier. #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 22 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/983315229818982400)

Iridium notes the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with the Iridium-6/GRACE-FO rideshare mission has been targeted for launch from SLC-4E at Vandenberg for May 19, 2018 at approximately 1:03 PM PDT (20:03 UTC).

@thejackbeyer (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer) Iridium NEXT-5 photo for NSF:
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162748.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/116407.gif) (http://investor.iridium.com/index.cfm)

Apr 9, 2018

Iridium Announces Target Launch Date for the Iridium-6/GRACE-FO Mission

Unique "Rideshare" Mission will Deploy Two Sets of Satellites in Two Separate Orbits

MCLEAN, Va., April 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that the Iridium-6/GRACE-FO rideshare mission, the sixth Iridium® NEXT launch overall, has been targeted for launch by SpaceX from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California for May 19, 2018 at approximately 1:03 PM PDT (20:03 UTC). An exact instantaneous launch window time will be available closer to launch. The second of four Iridium launches planned for 2018, this mission will deliver five Iridium NEXT satellites to orbit, alongside the twin satellites for the NASA/German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission. Collaboratively chosen by all parties and considering range availability, this launch date maintains scheduled completion of the Iridium NEXT manifest in 2018.

Спойлер

This unique "rideshare" launch, will first deploy the twin GRACE-FO spacecraft, after which the Falcon 9 second stage will continue onward to the deployment orbit for the five Iridium NEXT satellites. Upon completion, the Iridium-6/GRACE-FO mission will increase the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 55, leaving just two launches, of 10 satellites each, remaining. Iridium NEXT satellites are scheduled to begin shipping to the launch site this week while the twin GRACE-FO spacecraft are already onsite at the VAFB Harris Corporation facility, and have been stacked, attached to their dispenser and are preparing for transfer to the SpaceX launch complex.

For this mission, all five Iridium NEXT satellites will be delivered to orbital plane six. The Iridium network is comprised of six polar orbiting planes, each containing 11 operational crosslinked satellites, for a total of 66 satellites in the active constellation. The 2018 Iridium NEXT launch series will bring a total of 35 new satellites to space, completing the constellation of 66 operational satellites and 9 in-orbit spares. In total, 81 new satellites are being built, with the six remaining satellites serving as ground spares.

Iridium NEXT is the company's $3 billion, next-generation, mobile, global satellite network scheduled for completion in 2018. Iridium NEXT will replace the company's existing global constellation in one of the largest technology upgrades ever completed in space. It represents the evolution of critical communications infrastructure that governments and organizations worldwide rely on to drive business, enable connectivity, empower disaster relief efforts and more.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67496.jpg)Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) 27 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/983357276852453377)

Launch date for Iridium-6/GRACE-FO mission now set: Saturday, May 19th at approximately 1:03 pm PDT (20:03 UTC). May 20th backup. Five more Iridium NEXT satellites will start shipping this week to VAFB; the 2 GRACE-FO sats are already at the base. #RidesharingMakesSense (https://twitter.com/hashtag/RidesharingMakesSense?src=hash)!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162760.jpg)

Цитировать...
Iridium NEXT-6/GRACE-FO will see seven satellites launched into a polar orbit from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base (https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/?s=SLC-4E), CA.

The mission, the first rideshare between Iridium Communications and NASA, will feature five Iridium NEXT satellites and the twin GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on) satellites launched on a flight-proven Falcon 9.

The mission will use core B1043.2, a booster previously used to launch the much-discussed Zuma mission from Cape Canaveral, FL, in January (https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/?s=Zuma).
...
At four-months 20 days between Zuma and Iridium NEXT-6/GRACE-FO, this will be the fastest Falcon 9 first stage turnaround between flights to date.

The mission is on track to launch NET 19 May 2018 at 13:04:24 PDT (20:04:24 UTC) with Static Fire preceding launch by about five days, or roughly 14 May.

B1043.2 is a Block 4 Falcon 9 and is expected to be expended into the Pacific Ocean after carrying out post-separation atmospheric control tests for SpaceX.
...

ЦитироватьAll Satellites for Sixth Iridium® NEXT Launch are in Pre-Launch Processing at Vandenberg Air Force Base
by Frank Johnson (https://www.iridium.com/blog/author/frank-johnsoniridium-com/) | Apr 25, 2018 | Iridium NEXT (https://www.iridium.com/blog/category/iridium-next/)

(https://d3i94nm5if678h.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_CRP_Iridium-NEXT_Planet-Small_300dpi-1080x675.jpg?x76973)

Iridium Communications Inc. announced today that all five Iridium NEXT satellites for its sixth launch are in processing at SpaceX's west coast launch site, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This launch will increase the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 55 and is the third Iridium launch to use a "flight-proven" SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Currently targeted for May 19, 2018 at 1:04:24 pm PDT (20:04:24 UTC), these Iridium NEXT satellites will be sharing this Falcon 9 with the twin spacecraft for the NASA/German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission.

Спойлер

Upon arrival at the launch site, each Iridium NEXT satellite began a number of pre-launch processing steps. These include mating them to the dispenser, fueling, stacking the Iridium NEXT and GRACE-FO dispensers on the Falcon 9 payload adapter, and encapsulation within the fairing. Once launched, the rocket will first deploy the twin GRACE-FO spacecraft, after which the second stage will continue onward and deploy the five Iridium NEXT satellites.

The operational Iridium constellation is comprised of 66 satellites divided into six polar orbiting planes with 11 satellites in each plane. All five satellites for this launch will be deployed to orbital plane six. To date, five Iridium NEXT launches carrying 10 satellites each have been completed, and over half of the Iridium NEXT constellation has been activated. Iridium has contracted with SpaceX to deliver 75 Iridium NEXT satellites to orbit, 66 operational and nine on-orbit spares, through a series of eight launches.

Iridium NEXT is the company's $3 billion next-generation mobile, global satellite network scheduled for completion in 2018. Iridium NEXT will replace the Company's existing global constellation in one of the largest technology upgrades ever completed in space. It represents the evolution of critical communications infrastructure that governments and organizations worldwide rely upon to drive business, enable connectivity, empower disaster relief efforts and more. Iridium NEXT will enable and introduce new services like the Company's next-generation communications platform, Iridium CertusSM, and the AireonSM space-based ADS-B aircraft surveillance and flight tracking network.

For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNEXT.com (http://www.iridiumnext.com/).

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185770.png)Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/989156086887452672)

Launch Update: All #IridiumNEXT (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT?src=hash) satellites for the #Iridium6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium6?src=hash)/#GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) rideshare are onsite at VAFB and in pre-launch processing. The instantaneous launch window is targeting May 19th at 1:04:24 PM PDT (20:04:24 UTC).

ЦитироватьIridium-NEXT 110 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/iridium-next.htm)
Iridium-NEXT 147 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/iridium-next.htm)
Iridium-NEXT 152 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/iridium-next.htm)
Iridium-NEXT 161 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/iridium-next.htm)
Iridium-NEXT 162 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/iridium-next.htm)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185362.jpg)NASA JPL‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAJPL (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/990942929224060934)

Discover how #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=has%20h) will track the evolution of Earth's water cycle after the twin spacecraft launch on May 19. Tag questions #askNASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/askNASA?src=hash) Watch @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) news LIVE on Monday, April 30, 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET, 1700 UTC):

http://youtube.com/NASAJPL/live  (https://t.co/tKF1iIzVHw)

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/DcCJQdlU8AA-hHy.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/DcCJQdlU8AA-hHy.mp4) (0:04)

ЦитироватьUpcoming Events (All Times Eastern)

[/li]
• 1 p.m., Monday, April 30 - Pre-Launch Briefing on NASA's Next Earth-Observing Mission: The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) Mission (all channels)
  

ЦитироватьTracking Water from Space: The GRACE-FO Mission

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw)

Опубликовано: 30 апр. 2018 г.

GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) is a satellite mission scheduled for launch in May 2018. GRACE-FO will continue the work of the GRACE satellite mission tracking Earth's water movement around the globe. These discoveries provide a unique view of Earth's climate and have far-reaching benefits to society and the world's population.

ЦитироватьCrazy Engineering: GRACE-FO

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw)

Опубликовано: 7 мая 2018 г.

Crazy Engineering sees double! Twin satellites that will track water movement on Earth and test a new laser measurement technology.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185770.png)Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) 11 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/994261031911395328)

T-minus 10 days until the #Iridium6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium6?src=hash)/#GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) #rideshare (https://twitter.com/hashtag/rideshare?src=hash) launch, and we're excited to share our official #IridiumNEXT (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT?src=hash) 6th launch patch! Come launch day, we'll share the hidden meaning and symbolism found within the design, so make sure to tune in then! http://bit.ly/2yFW0dM  (https://t.co/TbTZ6uBtCG)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163681.jpg)

ЦитироватьMay 8, 2018

Lasers in Space: Earth Mission Tests New Technology

Imagine standing on the roof of a building in Los Angeles and trying to point a laser so accurately that you could hit a particular building in San Diego, more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away. This accuracy is required for the feat that a novel technology demonstration aboard the soon-to-launch Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission will aim to achieve. For the first time, a promising technique called laser ranging interferometry will be tested between two satellites.

Спойлер

GRACE-FO, scheduled to launch May 19, carries on the rich legacy of the original GRACE mission, which launched in 2002 on a planned five-year mission and concluded operations in October 2017. Among its insights, GRACE transformed our understanding of the global water cycle by showing how masses of liquid water and ice are changing each month. The mission also added to our knowledge of large-scale changes in the solid Earth. GRACE-FO will provide continuity for GRACE's landmark measurements for at least another five years, further improving scientific understanding of Earth system processes and the accuracy of environmental monitoring and forecasts.

How Did GRACE Work?

GRACE obtained its data on the movement of Earth's mass by precisely measuring slight changes in the distance between two spacecraft that flew one behind the other around Earth. When the satellites encountered a change in the distribution of Earth's mass -- such as a mountain range or mass of underground water -- Earth's gravitational pull on the spacecraft changed the distance between them. The Himalaya Mountains, for example, changed the separation distance by about three-hundredths of an inch (80 micrometers). By accurately calculating each month how the satellites' separation distance changed during each orbit and over time, it was possible to detect changes in Earth's mass distribution with high precision.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207747.gif) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/gracefo20180507-1041.gif)
GRACE-FO will demonstrate the effectiveness of using lasers instead of microwaves to more precisely measure fluctuations in the separation distance between the two spacecraft, potentially improving the precision of range fluctuation measurements by a factor of at least 10 on future GRACE-like missions.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Measuring the change in the separation between the spacecraft was possible to a high degree of precision because each spacecraft was transmitting microwaves toward the other. The way the waves interacted with each other -- the way they interfered with each other -- created a microwave interferometer in space. This process essentially transformed the two spacecraft into a single instrument that could very precisely measure the distance change between them, which in turn can be related to changes in the mass distribution on Earth.

What's New About GRACE-FO?

GRACE-FO works on these same principles. Each spacecraft again carries a microwave instrument to track changes in the separation distance. But GRACE-FO also carries something new: a technology demonstration of a laser ranging interferometer (LRI), jointly managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein Institut) in Hanover, Germany. In addition to transmitting microwaves between each other, the GRACE-FO satellites will shine lasers at each other.

Since the wavelengths in a laser beam are significantly shorter than microwave wavelengths, the laser ranging interferometer will improve the tracking precision of separation changes -- just as measuring in millimeters instead of centimeters would be more precise. GRACE-FO's interferometer will detect changes in distance more than 10 times smaller than what the microwave instrument detects -- changes on the order of 100 times narrower than a human hair.

"With GRACE-FO, we're taking something cutting-edge from the lab and making it ready for space flight," said Kirk McKenzie, the LRI instrument manager at JPL. "The reason we spend decades working in the lab is to see our technology enable a new type of measurement and result in scientific discoveries."

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207749.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/gracefo20180507c-16.jpg)
The Laser Ranging Interferometer instrument.
Credits: Albert Einstein Institute, Hannover, Germany

Each GRACE-FO satellite will be able to detect the laser signal of the other. But this is no easy feat. Each laser has the power of about four laser pointers and must be detected by a spacecraft an average of 137 miles (220 kilometers) away. Even the ultra- precise assembly of the satellites isn't enough to guarantee the laser transmitted from each spacecraft will be aligned well enough to hit the other spacecraft.

As a result, McKenzie explains, the first time the laser ranging interferometer is turned on, the components of the LRI on each spacecraft need to perform a scan to send out the instrument's signals and try to "catch" the other's signals in all possible configurations. The spacecraft have so many possible configurations, it takes nine hours. For one millisecond out of those nine hours, there will be a flash on both spacecraft to show that they're talking to each other. After this signal acquisition occurs once, the interferometer's optical link will be formed and then the instrument is designed to operate continuously and autonomously.

"We're trying something that is very hard -- the first-ever demonstration of laser interferometry in space between satellites," said Gerhard Heinzel, the instrument manager at the Max Planck Institute. "But it's very satisfying to puzzle over a problem and find something that works."

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207748.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/gracefo20180507b-16.jpg)
GRACE-FO will measure monthly changes in gravitational pull resulting from changes in Earth's mass below the orbiting satellites. As the satellites orbit Earth, one following the other, these moving masses alter the gravitational pull below them, changing the distance between them very slightly.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The difficulty of the task required tapping different areas of expertise. JPL oversaw the laser on the interferometer, measurement electronics and optical cavity. The Max Planck Institute was responsible for the optics, detectors, mirrors and beam splitters. The GRACE-FO laser ranging interferometer also took advantage of the two groups' 15-year-long history of collaborating on the technology behind the ESA/NASA Laser Interferometer in Space Antenna (LISA) mission, which will launch in the early 2030s.

Why Try Something So Difficult?

"The laser ranging interferometer on GRACE-FO is potentially an enabling technology for future missions around Earth or even to look at the universe," said Frank Webb, GRACE-FO's project scientist at JPL. "This new, higher precision measurement should enable more efficient missions in the future with lower mass, power and cost. We're eager to see how it performs and what new signals we might be able to tease out of the data."

If successful, this new technology, along with an improved accelerometer, promises to improve the resolution of future GRACE-FO like missions to better than 200 miles (300 kilometers) in diameter, allowing future missions to track and pinpoint changes in smaller bodies of water, ice and the solid Earth.

GRACE-FO is a partnership between NASA and German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Additional contributors to the laser ranging interferometer include SpaceTech in Immenstaad; Tesat-Spacecom in Backnang, Germany; Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado; iXblue in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics in Adlershof and Institute of Space Systems in Bremen; Hensoldt Optronics in Oberkochen; Apcon AeroSpace and Defence in Neubiberg/Munich; Diamond USA, Inc., and Diamond SA in Losone, Switzerland; and Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen.

Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-0474
alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov (mailto:alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov)

Written by Jia-Rui Cook
JPL Media Relations

2018-093

[свернуть]

Last Updated: May 8, 2018
Editor: Tony Greicius

ЦитироватьMay 11, 2018
MEDIA ADVISORY M18-079

NASA Television to Air Coverage of Earth-Observing Satellite Duo Launch

Media are invited to cover the prelaunch briefing and launch of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO (https://www.nasa.gov/gracefo)), NASA's latest Earth-observing satellite mission. The briefing on Thursday, May 17, and launch on Saturday, May 19, will air on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live).

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207747.gif) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/gracefo20180507-1041.gif)
NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) will demonstrate the effectiveness of using lasers, instead of microwaves, to more precisely measure fluctuations in the separation distance between the two spacecraft, potentially improving the precision of range fluctuation measurements by a factor of at least 10 on future GRACE-like missions.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A joint mission with the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), GRACE-FO will provide critical measurements that will be used together with other data to monitor the movement of water masses across the planet and mass changes within Earth itself. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, and sea level provides a unique view of Earth's climate and has far-reaching benefits. The mission is planned to fly at least five years.

[свернуть]

The prelaunch news briefing will be held at 2 p.m. EDT May 17 at Vandenberg. ...

Briefing participants will be:

[/li]
• David Jarrett, GRACE-FO program executive in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters
• Frank Webb, GRACE-FO project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
• Frank Flechtner, GRACE-FO project manager at GFZ
• Phil Morton, NASA GRACE-FO project manager at JPL
• Capt. Jennifer Haden, weather officer for the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg
  

The satellites are scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 4:04 p.m. EDT May 19 from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. GRACE-FO will share its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement. Launch coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Спойлер

JPL manages the GRACE-FO mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. GFZ contracted GRACE-FO launch services from Iridium, and SpaceX is providing the Falcon 9 launch service. ...

[свернуть]

Last Updated: May 11, 2018
Editor: Karen Northon

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/996029717273817089)

Desch: targeting no earlier than May 21 for next launch, a two-day slip. 12:53 pm PDT launch time that day.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 36 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/996030384172347392)

Desch: for next launch, drop off GRACE-FO satellites first, then restart second stage to go to separate orbit to deploy five Iridium Next satellites in orbital plane six.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67521.jpg)Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/996030302345670656)

CORRECTION: Iridium CEO Matt Desch confirms a two-day delay for next launch on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg AFB, now no earlier than May 21 at 12:53pm PDT (3:53pm EDT; 1953 GMT).


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/996030793817485312)

Desch: after this launch, three of six orbital planes will consist entirely of next-gen satellites.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67521.jpg)Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/996031719932354561)

Iridium's Desch: Currently 47 Iridium Next satellites in service, and 19 first-generation Block 1 satellites in service. Three of the five Iridium Next satellites launching next week will go into service in Plane 6, other two will begin their lives as spares.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/996037006307332096)

Desch: two-day delay is a "pretty minor processing issue" with the launch vehicle; don't think it will slip further.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185770.png)Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/996044960129568769)

Launch Update: We've been informed that a couple more days of prep is needed for the #Iridium6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium6?src=hash)/#GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) rideshare launch, which is now targeting NET Monday, 5/21. Instantaneous launch window = 12:53:33 PM PDT (19:53:33 UTC).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185339.jpg)NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASA/status/996050085996892161)

GRACE-FO, a mission that will track the movement of water on Earth, is launching along with Iridium. Iridium's launch team is now targeting liftoff for no earlier than Monday, May 21 at 3:53 pm ET/12:53pm PT

ЦитироватьNAVAREA XII 213/2018 (18,21)

EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   191911Z TO 192050Z MAY, ALTERNATES
   201911Z TO 202050Z, 211911Z TO 212050Z,
   221911Z TO 222050Z, 231911Z TO 232050Z MAY
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   26-14N 120-00W, 26-15N 121-19W,
   29-00N 121-18W, 29-00N 120-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 232150Z MAY 18.

( 140300Z MAY 2018 )

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 1832/2018 (GEN)

SOUTH PACIFIC.
SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN OCEAN.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SATELLITE RE-ENTRY:
   A. 192144Z TO 192228Z MAY, ALTERNATES
   202144Z TO 202228Z, 212144Z TO 212228Z,
   222144Z TO 222228Z, 232144Z TO 232228Z MAY
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   50-54S 149-42W, 49-06S 140-48W,
   71-48S 130-00W, 72-48S 149-42W.
   B. 192155Z TO 192239Z MAY, ALTERNATES
   202155Z TO 202239Z, 212155Z TO 212239Z,
   222155Z TO 222239Z, 232155Z TO 232239Z MAY
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   67-04S 019-28E, 65-39S 010-16E,
   60-24S 012-33E, 52-30S 016-09E,
   46-44S 018-47E, 45-00S 022-31E,
   47-23S 027-58E, 53-19S 029-29E,
   61-20S 030-56E, 65-34S 031-34E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 232339Z MAY 18.

( 140323Z MAY 2018 )

ЦитироватьMay 14, 2018

GRACE-FO Will Help Monitor Droughts

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207746.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/grace20180514-2000.jpg)
GRACE Follow-On's measurements of changes in water stored underground will be used in producing U.S. Drought Monitor maps, which track drought nationwide.
Credits: USDA

You may not notice water in the ground under your feet, but it plays an important role in keeping you alive. Plants draw water fr om soil into their roots and use it to grow. If there's not enough, the resulting drought may have impacts that spread across local water supplies, regional agriculture and even international food prices. NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission was the first satellite system to directly measure global changes in the water stored underground in the world's largest aquifers. GRACE Follow-On, scheduled to launch this month, will continue this important task.

Спойлер

"There really are no remote sensing products that are equivalent to GRACE data in giving a snapshot of conditions in deep aquifers," said Brian Wardlow, director of the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Wardlow is familiar with the value of this information in understanding drought. He worked at the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) in Lincoln when the original GRACE data were first incorporated into experimental products of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) maps. The maps show soil moisture at three underground levels: the top few inches of soil, the top few feet/one meter of soil (the root zone), and aquifers.

The U.S. Drought Monitor maps are one of the nation's most important tools for tracking drought across the United States. They are widely used by decision makers at federal and state levels. For example, the current U.S. Farm Bill designates the Drought Monitor's county-by-county drought rankings as the standard for judging eligibility for some federal disaster assistance programs.

Climatologist Brian Fuchs of NDMC, one of the team of scientists who author the drought maps, explained that soil moisture is sparsely measured on the ground. "Some states have their own [ground] networks, but the data is spotty, and that makes it very difficult to use the products in a national assessment," he said. "GRACE covers the entire country, and it helps us to get an idea of where areas of wetness and dryness are."

The NDMC also considered GRACE data in producing other NDMC resources such as the Quick Drought Response Index (http://quickdri.unl.edu/) (QuickDRI), a NASA-supported project with multiple institutional partners. QuickDRI is an early warning system for flash droughts -- rapidly developing losses of soil moisture due to heat waves and lack of rain. The onset of a flash drought is hard to detect at ground level, but its impacts on agriculture may be as harsh as those of a seasonal drought.

Getting the Data into the Maps

When GRACE launched in 2002, the science team knew the data would be useful for measuring the depletion of large aquifers. However, most hydrologists were unfamiliar with the measurement. One of the few exceptions was Matt Rodell, now chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Rodell had recently done his doctoral research on how the new GRACE data could be used for monitoring underground water.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207745.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/grace20180514-16b.jpg)
A U.S. Drought Monitor map fr om September 2015, while the GRACE mission was active, showing severe drought in California, Nevada and New Mexico. GRACE-FO data will be used in similar products.
Credits: NDMC

Since the techniques used by GRACE record the total change in mass from month to month, not whether that change occurred above ground, near the surface in the soil, or well below ground, Rodell and Jay Famiglietti, now at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, needed to combine the GRACE data with meteorological and other data to separate the underground water changes from above-ground and near-surface changes. After several experiments with the combined observations, Rodell and Famiglietti were able to isolate the signal of changing water in aquifers for the first time ever using remote sensing data.

Another obstacle between GRACE and operational drought monitoring was a mismatch in time and spatial scales. GRACE data products were produced once a month with a resolution of about 115 square miles (300 square kilometers). Water managers need new data every few days to keep up with changing soil moisture, and they would prefer to have it on the scale of their county, district or similar smaller area. Rodell and his team at Goddard assimilated the GRACE data and a long-term record of weather observations such as precipitation, temperature and solar radiation into a NASA hydrology model, called the Catchment Land Surface Model. It is a numerical model of water and energy processes on land, developed for research on the global water cycle. With sophisticated numerical modeling techniques and data analysis, the Goddard team was able to downscale the GRACE data, that is, to adapt its larger time and space scales to "fit" the model's finer scales.

The team generated experimental drought indicators from downscaled data each week from 2011 until the GRACE mission ended in October 2017.

Looking Ahead

Because the original GRACE mission ended after the end of the growing season last fall, NDMC's Fuchs said that its loss has not yet been strongly felt by the Drought Monitor mappers. "We would be looking for GRACE in the growing season, wh ere soil moisture is pertinent to determining crops and vegetation," he said. "In a couple more months, people will be asking, 'Wh ere are these data?'"

Those people will most likely have their answer before the 2019 growing season, as GRACE Follow-On begins delivering monthly maps. Fuchs said, "If it's going to behave as GRACE did in the past, it will be a valuable asset."

GRACE-FO, like GRACE, is designed to measure changes in gravitational pull that result from changes in mass on Earth. More than 99 percent of Earth's mean gravitational pull does not change from one month to the next. That's because it comes from the mass of the solid Earth itself -- its surface and interior -- and that rarely moves, or moves very slowly. Water, on the other hand, moves continually nearly everywhere: Snow falls, ocean currents flow, ice melts and so on. As the twin GRACE-FO satellites orbit Earth, one closely following the other, the changes in mass below change the distance between the two satellites very slightly. The record of these changes is analyzed to create monthly global maps of changes and redistribution of Earth's mass near the surface.

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Last Updated: May 14, 2018
Editor: Tony Greicius

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185770.png)Iridium Corporate‏Подлинная учетная запись @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) 28 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/996516815865081856)

Update to the Launch Update: Due to range availability at VAFB, #Iridium6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium6?src=hash)/#GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) is now targeting 1 day later; NET 5/22 with backup of 5/23. Instantaneous launch on 5/22 = 12:47:58 pm PDT (19:47:58 UTC) #IridiumNEXT (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT?src=hash) #HereWeGo (https://twitter.com/hashtag/HereWeGo?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164134.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/996541748032802816)

And there it is finding the Range (moved to the 22nd required 'Range Request' to 'Range Approved'. Static Fire test likely to be looking at Friday now.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67496.jpg)Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) 12 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/996562455454199818)

We were ready for 5/21, but the base isn't. Let's hope for good weather and a great launch on 5/22 instead.

ЦитироватьNew target dates set for next two Falcon 9 launches
May 16, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144484.jpg)
The two GRACE-Follow On Earth science satellites are mounted atop five Iridium Next satellites in preparation for liftoff May 22 from California. Credit: Iridium

The launch of five commercial Iridium message relay satellites and a pair of U.S.-German orbiting geophysics probes on a Falcon 9 rocket from California has been delayed three days to May 22, ...

The delay for the Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, allows time for SpaceX to resolve an issue preparing the mission's Falcon 9 rocket, Iridium chief executive Matt Desch said Monday.

Спойлер

Speaking to reporters in a conference call, Desch said SpaceX encountered a "minor processing issue" preparing a component of the Falcon 9 rocket. He did not provide further details on the nature of the problem, but said it was "not a big deal."

Desch said Monday that the launch would likely be pushed back two days by the rocket processing issue, but Iridium announced Tuesday the mission would be delayed an extra day "due to range availability" at Vandenberg.

The launch from California had been scheduled for Saturday, May 19. Liftoff is now targeted for Tuesday, May 22, at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4-West at the military base on the Pacific coast northwest of Los Angeles.

The mission will be the sixth Falcon 9 launch for Iridium. Unlike the previous five SpaceX missions that deployed Iridium payloads, which each carried 10 of the company's new-generation Iridium Next satellites, the next launch will loft five Iridium spacecraft in a rideshare arrangement with two Earth science satellites developed by NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On satellites will extend measurements of Earth's gravity field collected by the twin GRACE satellites from 2002 through 2017.

The gravity measurements, calculated by continuously tracking the exact distance between the two formation-flying spacecraft in orbit, will tell scientists about movements in Earth's oceans, underground aquifers, ice sheets and land masses.

The GRACE-FO satellites, built in Europe by Airbus Defense and Space, were originally booked to launch on a Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr rocket derived from a Soviet-era ballistic missile. But Russia discontinued Dnepr launches as relations with Ukraine deteriorated in the wake of the Russian annexation of Crimea.

That left the GRACE-FO satellites without a ride to space until German officials, which are responsible for securing launch services, negotiated a rideshare launch with Iridium and SpaceX.

Two of Iridium's upgraded, new-generation satellites were also left on the ground after the Dnepr rocket program was halted.

With next week's launch, Iridium will have 55 of its new satellites in orbit. They replace Iridium's aging voice and data relay satellites launched in the late 1990s and early 2000s, providing satellite phone, messaging, and ship and aircraft tracking services worldwide.

The Falcon 9's upper stage will deploy the two GRACE-FO satellites in orbit around 300 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth, then reignite to climb into a slightly higher orbit for release of the five Iridium payloads.

The May 22 launch will employ a previously-flown Falcon 9 first stage booster first used on the Jan. 7 flight of the U.S. government's top secret Zuma payload from Cape Canaveral. No recovery of the first stage is expected next week — the booster is from an earlier model of the Falcon 9 rocket now out of production — but SpaceX could attempt a retrieval of the Falcon 9's payload shroud using a fast-moving ship dispatched from the Port of Los Angeles.

The nose fairing, which protects satellites during the initial minutes of a launch, is the next piece of the Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX intends to recover and reuse. A vessel named Mr. Steven has been outfitted with a large net, or "catcher's mitt," to try to capture halves of the two-piece fairing as they descend under steerable parafoils.

Iridium has two more missions reserved with SpaceX, each set to add 10 more Iridium Next satellites to the communications network. One of the missions is scheduled for July, with another expected by the end of the summer, and Desch said both will fly on the upgraded "Block 5" version of the Falcon 9 rocket, which debuted Friday with a successful commercial launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
...
SpaceX has two missions planned for June, both from Florida, with the Telstar 19 Vantage communications satellite and the company's next Dragon resupply flight to the International Space Station.

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ЦитироватьPrelaunch Briefings Set for NASA's GRACE-FO Mission

Sarah Loff (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/sloff/)
Posted May 17, 2018 at 11:08 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130808.jpg)

NASA's latest Earth-observing satellite mission, Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO (https://www.nasa.gov/gracefo)) is now scheduled to launch no earlier than Tuesday, May 22 at at 3:47 p.m. EDT.

The GRACE-FO prelaunch briefing will be held on Monday, May 21 at 1:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 a.m. PDT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The briefing will air on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live).

Спойлер

A joint mission with the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), GRACE-FO will provide critical measurements that will be used together with other data to monitor the movement of water masses across the planet and mass changes within Earth itself. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, and sea level provides a unique view of Earth's climate and has far-reaching benefits. The mission is planned to fly at least five years.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьMAY 16, 2018

Update: Launch Coverage of Earth-Observing Satellites

Revised dates have been set for the prelaunch briefing and launch of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO (https://www.nasa.gov/gracefo)), NASA's latest Earth-observing satellite mission. The briefing, now scheduled for Monday, May 21, and launch no earlier than Tuesday, May 22, will air on NASA Television and the agency's website (https://www.nasa.gov/live), and will be streamed live and archived on https://youtube.com/nasajpl/live (https://youtube.com/nasajpl/live).

Спойлер

A joint mission with the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), GRACE-FO will provide critical measurements that will be used together with other data to monitor the movement of water masses across the planet and mass changes within Earth itself. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, and sea level provides a unique view of Earth's climate and has far-reaching benefits. The mission is planned to fly at least five years.

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The prelaunch news briefing will be held at 10:30 a.m. PDT (1:30 p.m. EDT) May 21 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

...

Briefing participants will be:

[/li]
• David Jarrett, GRACE-FO program executive in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters
• Frank Webb, GRACE-FO project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Frank Flechtner, GRACE-FO project manager at GFZ
• Phil Morton, NASA GRACE-FO project manager at Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Capt. Jennifer Haden, weather officer for the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg
  

The satellites will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 12:47 p.m. PDT (3:47 p.m. EDT) May 22 from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg. GRACE-FO will share its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement.

Launch coverage begins at 12:15 p.m. PDT (3:15 p.m. EDT) on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Спойлер

JPL manages the GRACE-FO mission for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. GFZ contracted GRACE-FO launch services from Iridium, and SpaceX is providing the Falcon 9 launch service.

[свернуть]

2018-101b

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 14 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/997461291106209792)

... we're waiting for someone to spot a Falcon 9 booster on the Vandy pad for the Static Fire test ahead of Iridium-6/GRACE-FO. #ProbablyFoggy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProbablyFoggy?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163943.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/997521788765655040)

Confirmed visual of Falcon 9 sat on SLC-4E ahead of her Static Fire test.

ARTICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9 preparing for static fire ahead of Iridium NEXT-6/GRACE-FO mission -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/spacex-falcon-9-static-fire-iridium-next-6-grace-fo/ ... (https://t.co/zPgpoZH2PX)

- By Ian Atkinson (@IanPineapple (https://twitter.com/IanPineapple))

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69029.jpg)SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/997571699213135872)

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting May 22 launch of Iridium-6/GRACE-FO from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

ЦитироватьGRACE-FO Mission Is Ready for Space

Tony Greicius (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/agreiciu/)
Posted May 20, 2018 at 4:59 pm

The photo shows the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) being stacked for its rideshare to space with Iridium Communications satellites in a SpaceX processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, at 12:47 p.m. PDT.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130807.jpg)

As of Saturday, meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force's 30th Space Wing were predicting a greater than 90 percent chance of favorable weather for liftoff on Tuesday.

GRACE-FO's five-year mission will monitor the continuous movement of water masses across the planet and mass changes within Earth itself. The mission's measurements of changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, deep ocean currents, and other parts of Earth's water cycle give a unique view of our climate and offer far-reaching benefits. The mission is a collaboration between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

There will be a prelaunch briefing tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. PDT/1:30 p.m. EDT. You can watch live coverage of the briefing at http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv or https://youtube.com/nasajpl/live and ask questions via NASA social media, using the hashtag #askNASA.

Credit: Iridium Communications Inc.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185874.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 42 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/998410836879196160)

#SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) recovery vessel Mr. Steven has left the Port of LA and is heading down range to support a fairing recovery attempt during the Falcon 9 Iridium-6/GRACE-FO mission.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164144.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/998625287893147649)

From the NASA GRACE-FO prelaunch briefing: less than 10% chance of weather violation for tomorrow's launch from Vandenberg; cloudy skies but no visibility concerns. If delayed to Wednesday, 0% chance of weather violation.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998624895570448384)

Weather officer says Low Pressure area over Central/Southern California will thicken the marine layer. So expect foggy conditions at launch. #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash)

6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998625052840136704)

L-1 day #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) launch weather update: Tomorrow, we have a >90% change fo good weather at the instantaneous launch time of 12:47:58 PDT (1947:58 UTC). For backup opportunity Wednesday, there's a 100% chance of good weather. #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) #IridiumNEXT6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT6?src=hash)

2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998626015063826432)

L-1 day launch weather update: Tomorrow, Tues., we have a >90% chance of good weather at the instantaneous launch time of 12:47:58 PDT (1947:58 UTC). Ground winds are concern. For backup opportunity Wed., there's a 100% chance of good weather. #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm)

Цитировать

NASA TV (https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html)

Цитироватьна сайте

spacex.com/webcast (http://www.spacex.com/webcast)

или

на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgKfwCSk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_0GgKfwCSk)

ЦитироватьGRACE-FO Prelaunch Mission Status Briefing

NASA Video (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aP7p621ATY_yAa8jMqUVA)

Опубликовано: 21 мая 2018 г.

On May 21 a prelaunch briefing was held at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for the GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission, a joint mission with the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) that will provide critical measurements to help monitor the movement of water masses across the planet and mass changes within Earth itself. Monitoring changes in ice sheets and glaciers, underground water storage, and sea level provides a unique view of Earth's climate and has far-reaching benefits. The mission is planned to fly at least five years. The GRACE-FO spacecraft launches on May 22 at 3:47 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites, as part of a commercial rideshare agreement. GFZ contracted GRACE-FO launch services from Iridium, and SpaceX is providing the Falcon 9 launch service.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67496.jpg)Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) 21 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/998357637728260096)

Just arrived in California for Tuesday's launch of Iridium-6/GRACE-FO. Weather is looking very good for Tuesday, and everything else is on schedule.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998664559136313344)

An important note about tomorrow's #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) launch. The 1st stage will NOT be recovered. It's a flight-proven Block 4 #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) (same core that launched Zuma in January) & will be expended. A fairing recovery attempt is expected, however.
#NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) #IridiumNEXT6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/IridiumNEXT6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 10 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/998684038041948160)

SpaceX Falcon 9 B1043.2 with Iridium NEXT 6 with GRACE-FO have already departed the HIF (rollout) and spotted at the SLC-4E pad ahead of going vertical.

ЦитироватьLaunch Weather Report for GRACE Follow-On

Tony Greicius (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/agreiciu/)
Posted May 21, 2018 at 6:11 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130803.jpg)
Capt. Jennifer Haden, weather officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, discusses the weather forecast during a Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission prelaunch media briefing, Monday, May 21, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The twin GRACE-FO spacecraft will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

At this morning's briefing on the GRACE-FO mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, U.S. Air Force Capt. Jennifer Haden, weather officer with the 30th Space Wing, reported a greater than 90 percent chance of favorable weather for liftoff tomorrow, May 22. For once, the central California coastline's predominant fog is predicted to be elevated to about 800 to 1600 feet by a low-pressure system moving in from the west, so people in the Lompoc area may get a view of the liftoff before the rocket ascends into the clouds. Surface winds are forecast to be 8 to 12 knots (9 to 14 miles an hour).

ЦитироватьGRACE-FO and Falcon 9 Are Standing Tall

Tony Greicius (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/agreiciu/)
Posted May 22, 2018 at 12:51 am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130804.jpg)
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen with the NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft and onboard, Monday, May 21, 2018, at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GRACE-FO twin satellites was raised into the vertical launch position this evening at Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:47 p.m. PDT tomorrow, May 22. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31676.png)NASA HQ PHOTO‏Подлинная учетная запись @nasahqphoto (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto) 9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto/status/998770088932134912)

The GRACE-FO mission is one step closer to launch! #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) The twin spacecraft will continue the critical task of tracking water movement everywhere on Earth.

More (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png) https://flic.kr/s/aHsmk54iRU  (https://t.co/i1H4FR2zRh)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164282.jpg)

ЦитироватьPhotos: Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at Vandenberg
May 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket rolled out to its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Monday, one day before its scheduled liftoff carrying seven satellites into orbit on commercial communications and climate research missions.

These photos show the Falcon 9 rocket, standing more than 20 stories tall, at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 4-East launch pad. Some of the photos were taken before the Falcon 9 was lifted vertical on its launch mount at the military base on California's Central Coast.

Спойлер

The rocket, sporting a previously-flown first stage first used on a Jan. 7 launch in Florida, will loft five Iridium communications satellites and two follow-on research craft to the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, mission, a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

For details on the launch, see our Mission Status Center (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/22/falcon-9-iridium-grace-mission-status-center/).

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144555.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144556.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144557.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144494.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144414.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144435.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144451.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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ЦитироватьLive coverage: Iridium satellites, climate research craft set to share Falcon 9 launch
May 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

ЦитироватьUpd ated: 05/22/2018 11:04 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for liftoff Tuesday with five communications satellites for Iridium's commercial voice, data relay, and tracking network, and a pair of U.S.-German research craft to probe Earth's climate and water cycle.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket, sporting a first stage that previous flew Jan. 7 in a launch fr om Cape Canaveral, rolled out of its hangar and was raised vertical at Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Monday.

Liftoff is scheduled for 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT) Tuesday, marking SpaceX's 10th launch of the year, and the ninth using a Falcon 9 rocket.

Спойлер

Seven satellites are stowed inside the Falcon 9's payload fairing, including five spacecraft set to join Iridium's new-generation commercial voice and data relay constellation providing global telephone, messaging and tracking services.

Two other satellites are the centerpieces of a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences, or GFZ. They will replace the two U.S.-German GRACE satellites which ended their missions last year after 15 years of measuring minute changes and variations in Earth's gravity field.

Scientists used the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, satellites to track the melting of ice sheets and chart the health and usage of water in aquifers, among other applications.

The identical GRACE-Follow On satellites carry microwave and laser ranging instruments to precisely measure the distance between the craft as they fly around 137 miles (220 kilometers) apart in orbit. Changes in the range between the two GRACE-Follow On satellite will be caused by tiny variations in the pull of gravity fr om Earth below, telling scientists about the mass of water, rock and ice around the world.

On Tuesday's mission, the Falcon 9 rocket is se t to deliver the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On payloads to two different orbits, utilizing two firings of the upper stage's Merlin engine.

The GRACE-Follow On satellites will deploy first from the Falcon 9 rocket around 11 minutes after liftoff in an orbit around 304 miles (490 kilometers) above Earth inclined at an angle of 89 degrees to the equator, a track that will take the twin spacecraft almost directly over the poles on each lap around the planet.

A brief restart of the upper stage engine is planned approximately 57 seconds after liftoff to reach a slightly higher orbit around 373 miles (600 kilometers) in altitude, followed by release of the five Iridium Next satellites one-at-a-time.

SpaceX's launch team conducted a pre-launch hold-down firing of the Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Vandenberg, then returned the launcher to a nearby hangar, wh ere ground crews mated the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On satellites.

SpaceX does not plan to recover the first stage booster on Tuesday's mission, but the company could attempt to retrieve part of the Falcon 9's payload shroud, which shields the satellites during liftoff, then is designed to descend back to Earth with the aid of a parafoil and steering thrusters.

SpaceX's fast-moving boat fitted with a net to catch the fairing has been dispatched from the Port of Los Angeles, presumably toward the downrange zone wh ere the fairing is projected to fall.

Here's a view of the satellite stack for Tuesday's launch, with the two GRACE-Follow On satellites on top, and the five Iridium communications craft on bottom.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/124404.jpg)

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/998880846835744768)

FEATURE ARTICLE:
SpaceX Falcon 9 set for Iridium NEXT 6 and GRACE-FO launch -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/falcon-9-iridium-next-6-grace-fo-launch/ ... (https://t.co/gQo1ath4VP)

- By William Graham.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164283.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164284.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164285.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164286.jpg)

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьNASA's GRACE-FO Prepares for Launch

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw)

Опубликовано: 21 мая 2018 г.

The twin satellites of NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on, or GRACE-FO, will track the movement of water around Earth. This short video explains how and why it's important.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69029.jpg)SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/998954756704948225)

Falcon 9 and Iridium-6/GRACE-FO went vertical last night ahead of today's launch at 12:47 p.m. PDT, 19:47 UTC from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. http://instagram.com/p/BjFcFGMlhjJ  (https://t.co/wJxwQ9XSKJ)

https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/0f3af1d0972535ac508858fc67c881d6/5B06E2FE/t50.2886-16/32069525_1061721483986014_3671740835243753472_n.mp4 (https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/0f3af1d0972535ac508858fc67c881d6/5B06E2FE/t50.2886-16/32069525_1061721483986014_3671740835243753472_n.mp4)
(Video (https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/0f3af1d0972535ac508858fc67c881d6/5B06E2FE/t50.2886-16/32069525_1061721483986014_3671740835243753472_n.mp4) 0:11)

ЦитироватьReplacements for GRACE gravity and climate satellites ready for launch
May 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144553.jpg)
Artist's concept of the GRACE-Follow On satellites. Credit: NASA

A pair of European-built, NASA-backed research satellites set for launch Tuesday fr om California will extend 15 years of global gravity field measurements collected by the GRACE mission before it ended last year, supplying scientists with data to help track the melting of Earth's ice sheets and chart the impacts of floods and droughts.

Спойлер

The two new satellites were built as a follow-up to the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, which used two similar spacecraft to measure the tug of gravity around the world fr om 2002 through 2017.

"GRACE and GRACE-Follow On are some of NASA's most unique missions," said Michael Watkins, GRACE-Follow On science lead and director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "What GRACE has done, and what GRACE-Follow On will do shortly after its launch, is map the Earth's water in motion.

"What's fascinating about GRACE is it does it not by looking the surface of Earth — not by looking at water or by bouncing a radar off the water — but by actually measuring the weight of the water," Watkins said. "So it actually is able to tell how much water is in a given location on the Earth and how that's changing over time."

The GRACE-Follow On research craft will ride into orbit Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, along with five Iridium communications satellites.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg, a military base around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, is scheduled for 12:47 p.m. PDT (3:47 p.m. EDT; 1947 GMT).

On Tuesday's mission, the Falcon 9 rocket is set to deliver the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On payloads to two different orbits, utilizing two firings of the upper stage's Merlin engine.

The GRACE-Follow On satellites will deploy first from the Falcon 9 rocket around 11 minutes after liftoff in an orbit around 304 miles (490 kilometers) above Earth inclined at an angle of 89 degrees to the equator, a track that will take the twin spacecraft almost directly over the poles on each lap around the planet.

A brief restart of the upper stage engine is planned approximately 57 seconds after liftoff to reach a slightly higher orbit around 373 miles (600 kilometers) in altitude, followed by release of the five Iridium Next satellites one-at-a-time.

The Iridium satellites will join the company's network of voice and data relay stations. Iridium's fleet is being replaced with new-generation satellites offering the company's one million subscribers improved service, and the upgraded constellation will have 55 spacecraft in orbit with Tuesday's launch, with 20 more satellites set to go into space in the next few months.

SpaceX's launch team conducted a pre-launch hold-down firing of the Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Vandenberg, then returned the launcher to a nearby hangar, wh ere ground crews mated the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On satellites.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144483.jpg)
This image shows the two GRACE-Follow On satellites mounted atop five Iridium communications spacecraft before their attachment to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Credit: Iridium

SpaceX does not plan to recover the first stage booster on Tuesday's mission, but the company could attempt to retrieve part of the Falcon 9's payload shroud, which shields the satellites during liftoff, then is designed to descend back to Earth with the aid of a parafoil and steering thrusters.

SpaceX's fast-moving boat fitted with a net to catch the fairing has been dispatched from the Port of Los Angeles, presumably toward the downrange zone wh ere the fairing is projected to fall.

Built by Airbus Defense and Space, the identical GRACE-Follow On satellites carry microwave ranging instruments to measure the separation between the craft as they fly around 137 miles (220 kilometers) apart in orbit.

"Think of the actual satellite size as about the size of a sports car, one in Los Angeles and one in San Diego," said Phil Morton, NASA's GRACE-Follow On project manager at JPL. "That's about how far apart they're flying typically."

The ranging sensors require exacting precision, with the capability of measuring distance changes between the formation-flying satellites as small as a few microns — about the width of a blood cell.

Changes in the range between the two GRACE-Follow On satellite will be caused by tiny variations in the pull of gravity from Earth below, telling scientists about the mass of water, rock and ice around the world.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144554.jpg)
The GRACE-Follow On satellites during their assembly at Airbus Defense and Space in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Credit: NASA/Airbus

The 15-year GRACE mission ended last year, and both satellites have re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up after outliving their originally planned five-year lifetimes. They provided the most detailed measurements of how much ice is melting in Greenland and Antarctica, and they monitored how extreme events like floods and droughts — and normal seasonal changes — affected the water table and aquifers on Earth's land masses.

"Water takes many different forms," Watkins said. "Sometimes it's in the form of ground water deep underground, sometimes it's in the form of polar ice gaps, sometimes it can be in the form of ocean water moving around.

"GRACE observed all of that complete water cycle of the Earth, and how it changes over time ... We have 15 years of GRACE data, and what GRACE has shown is there are significant changes in each part of the world, and how much water is stored in each part of the world."

Frank Webb, GRACE-Follow On project scientist at JPL, said the GRACE mission showed Greenland has been losing 281 gigatons of ice per year. A gigaton is roughly equivalent to a cubic kilometer of water, Webb said.

In Antarctica, ice is melting at an overall average rate of about 120 gigatons per year, with some parts of the continent losing more ice and other regions adding ice.

From the ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica alone, sea levels are rising by about a millimeter per year, Webb said. Other drivers cause the mean sea level to rise more.

"I think the rate at which the polar caps were losing mass was something that was a little surpring to folks," Watkins said. "When we launched GRACE (in 2002), it wasn't clear how fast the polar sheets were changing. I think GRACE gave the first clear picture of what's going on, and that's been followed up with other more precise measurements for local areas like with radar or the upcoming ICESat 2 mission."

The GRACE-Follow On satellites each weigh around 1,300 pounds, or 600 kilograms, and are sized and shaped the same as the original GRACE spacecraft, ensuring they collect the same types of data.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144500.jpg)
This map shows trends recorded by the GRACE satellites during its 15-year mission, with regions colored in red losing mass, and regions in green adding mass. Credit: NASA/GFZ

But engineers added upgrades to the new satellites, including laser ranging devices that the GRACE-Follow On mission will demonstrate in space. The lasers could be capable of measuring the distance between the satellites with a precision 10 times better than the baseline microwave instrument, according to Frank Flechtner, GRACE-Follow On project manager at GFZ in Potsdam, Germany.

The GRACE-Follow On satellites also carry instruments to signals from GPS navigation satellites that pass through the atmosphere on Earth's horizon — as seen from orbit. Scientists can analyze how atmospheric particles altered the GPS radio signal, and use that information to derive estimates of atmospheric temperature and humidity at high altitudes.

But the $520 million mission's prime research objective is focused on gravity measurements and Earth's water cycle.

"The satellites are sensitive to all mass change around the globe," Webb said. "We make measurements every 30 days, so we see atmospheric, ocean tides, solid earth changes, water ice moving around."

Like their predecessors, the new GRACE satellites are designed for five-year lifetimes, but they could last much longer. The additional data will help scientists "understand if these trends are just short-term variability, or longer trends related to our evolving climate," Webb said.

For example, the original GRACE satellites detected a depletion of water from an aquifer under California during a long-term drought.

"At the end of the GRACE time series, we had a large rainstorm, and there was some recovery in the amount of mass — the amount of water in the ground," Webb said Monday. "And it remains to be seen, since GRACE ended in 2017, how that recovery goes forward. Once GRACE (Follow-On) launches tomorrow, we'll start getting data, and we'll have about a one-year gap, and we'll be able to see how much of that water that fell in precipitation in California actually stayed in the ground and went into storage, and how much actually ran off and went into the ocean."

Information about the health and capacity of aquifers will help policymakers, farmers and environmental scientists work together to better manage resources, Webb said.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144405.jpg)
Michael Watkins, GRACE-Follow On science lead and director of JPL, talks about the mission. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

...

"So we took the lead on it," Desch said. "We thought that this would make a lot of sense. We reached out to GRACE directly, we started talking to people at JPL, GFZ, and started talking about the details of it. We contracted with SpaceX, and then we kind of subcontracted with GRACE to use half the payload capacity, and started working out the technical details well over a year ago."

The marriage of the Iridium satellites, built by a partnership of Thales Alenia Space and Orbital ATK, and the Airbus-based GRACE Follow-On satellites, with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was a good example of global cooperation between parties which are sometimes competitors, Desch said.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998983832593412096)

T-2hrs and COUNTING. Right now, all is on track for launch of the #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) from Vandenberg AFB, CA, at 12:47:48 PDT (1947:48 UTC).

ЦитироватьSunny Skies for the GRACE-FO Launch

Tony Greicius (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/agreiciu/)
Posted May 22, 2018 at 1:55 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130805.jpg)

It's a beautiful day for a launch. In several locations around Vandenberg Air Force Base, and at the German Space Operations Center near Munich, engineers and scientists from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission are at their computers and communications consoles for the countdown and go/no go poll to verify all systems are ready for long. Credit: NASA

ЦитироватьLaunch timeline for Falcon 9 mission with Iridium and GRACE-Follow On
May 22, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with five more Iridium Next communications satellite and the U.S.-German GRACE-Follow On climate research mission.

Спойлер

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Friday at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT) Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

SpaceX will not attempt to recover the first stage on Tuesday's mission.

Data source: SpaceX

T-0:00:00: Liftoff

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143760.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143760.png)
After the rocket's nine Merlin 1D engines pass an automated health check, the Falcon 9 is released from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

T+0:01:19: Max-Q

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143763.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143763.png)
The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure. The first stage's nine Merlin 1D engines produce about 1.7 million pounds of thrust.

T+0:02:46: MECO

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31294.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31294.jpg)
The Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.

T+0:02:49: Stage 1 Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31295.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31295.jpg)
The Falcon 9's first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.

T+0:02:57: Stage 2 Ignition

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143761.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143761.png)
The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for an approximately 6-and-a-half-minute burn to inject the Iridium Next and GRACE-Follow On satellites into a parking orbit.

T+0:03:12: Fairing Jettison

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143758.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143758.png)
The 5.2-meter (17.1-foot) diameter payload fairing jettisons once the Falcon 9 rocket ascends through the dense lower atmosphere. The 43-foot-tall fairing is made of two clamshell-like halves composed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core.

T+0:10:13: SECO 1

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143762.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143762.png)
The Merlin 1D vacuum engine turns off after placing the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On satellites into the first of two targeted orbits at an altitude of around 304 miles (490 kilometers) and an inclination of 89 degrees.

T+0:11:33: GRACE-Follow On Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144501.jpg)
The twin 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) GRACE-Follow On satellites separate in opposite directions from the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage.

T+0:56:55: Stage 2 Restart

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143759.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143759.png)
The Falcon 9's second stage engine ignites again for an 8-second burn to raise its orbit to around 372 miles (600 kilometers) in altitude and adjust its inclination to better align with the Iridium satellite constellation orbiting at an angle of 86.4 degrees to the equator.

T+0:57:03: SECO 2

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143765.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143765.png)
The Merlin 1D vacuum engine shuts down after its brief restart.

T+1:05:48: Begin Iridium Deployments

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143815.png)
The 1,896-pound (860-kilogram) Iridium Next satellites begin deploying from their dispenser on the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, separating at intervals of approximately every 90 seconds.

T+1:12:28: End Iridium Deployments

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143816.png)
The last of the five Iridium Next satellites will separate from the rocket.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998996424896532481)

T-1hr 10mins and COUNTING. Fueling has BEGUN with RP-1 now flowing into the Falcon 9 first stage. REMINDER: This is an instantaneous launch window. We have NO ability to hold for any reason today. A hold is a scrub.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/998999737721376769)

Range confirms that the launch area is CLEAR and that the Range is ready to support today's launch.

Цитировать05/22/2018 21:52 Stephen Clark

The Air Force's Satellite Control Network's downrange tracking stations, used to monitor the Falcon 9's trek into orbit, is reported ready for flight.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/999001962874990592)

This will be SpaceX's 10th flight this year - ahead of their total number of flights at this time last year... AND it will be their THIRD flight for @NASA (https://twitter.com/NASA) in just the last 7 weeks (CRS-14, TESS, and this one).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185874.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 54 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/999003246411726849)

Weather report: Perfect viewing conditions. I hope I didn't jinx it!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163728.jpg)

ЦитироватьUpdated: 05/22/2018 22:03 Stephen Clark

T-minus 45 minutes. Some statistics on today's launch:

[/li]
• 55th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
• 61st launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006
• 10th Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 12th reuse of a Falcon booster by SpaceX
• 6th launch for Iridium by SpaceX
• 28th overall launch with Iridium satellites
• 10th launch of Thales Alenia Space payloads by SpaceX
• 19th launch for NASA by SpaceX
• 4th launch of Airbus Defense and Space satellite by SpaceX
• 36th Falcon 9 day launch
• 9th Falcon 9 launch of 2018
• 10th launch by SpaceX in 2018
• 5th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2018
  

Цитировать05/22/2018 22:10 Stephen Clark

The Air Force's Western Range has confirmed it is "go" for launch.

Цитировать05/22/2018 22:14 Stephen Clark

Super-chilled, densified liquid oxygen is now flowing into the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Both stages of the launcher burn the same RP-1/liquid oxygen propellant mixture.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/999010259904720900)

T-15mins. All still going perfectly. No issues.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/999011354358026241)

And stock footage of Mr. Steven and his fancy new net.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163729.jpg)

ЦитироватьLaunch of SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg with Iridium NEXT Flight 6 & GRACE-FO

Space Videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdF5d0UwSJJunRcRVzP1uDg)

Опубликовано: 22 мая 2018 г.

ЦитироватьSpaceX GRACE-FO/Iridium-6 Mission - Falcon 9 launches GRACE-FO and Iridium-6

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 22 мая 2018 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185777.png)NASA Earth‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAEarth (https://twitter.com/NASAEarth) 15 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASAEarth/status/999022958478753792)

We have signal acquisition from #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) via McMurdo Station, Antarctica! (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125421.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125618.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125535.png)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 7 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/999028588551770112)

Good orbit via GNC

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163735.jpg)

ЦитироватьIridium-6/GRACE-FO Mission

SpaceX (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtI0Hodo5o5dUb67FeUjDeA)

Трансляция началась 2 часа назад

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69029.jpg)SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/999034786172694528)

Successful deployment of 5 @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm) NEXT satellites to low-Earth orbit confirmed.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163743.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg)Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 16 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/999032909771296773)

SpaceX reports the Falcon 9 rocket's two payload fairing halves fell into the Pacific Ocean under parachutes, with the company's recovery ship "Mr. Steven" narrowly missing catching the shroud. https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/22/falcon-9-iridium-grace-mission-status-center/ ... (https://t.co/wAdemiZql0)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/999032471399337985)

All Iridium NEXT sats deployed following Falcon 9 B1043.2 launch!

ARTICLE:

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/falcon-9-iridium-next-6-grace-fo-launch/ ... (https://t.co/gQo1ath4VP)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163739.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163741.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163742.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163740.jpg)

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185874.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/999035136585822209)

Patch unlocked!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163744.jpg)

ЦитироватьUpdated: 05/23/2018 00:18 Stephen Clark

SpaceX says the payload fairing halves jettisoned from the Falcon 9 rocket deployed their parachutes and fell into the Pacific Ocean. The company's fairing recovery vessel, "Mr. Steven," was in position in the fairing drop zone, but narrowly missed catching the shroud with its net.

"That's a clean sweep again for deployments," said John Insprucker, Falcon 9 lead engineer at SpaceX. "It's been a great Falcon 9 day here in Hawthorne and at Vandenberg Air Force Base."

"The payload fairings both successfully deployed parachutes, but they landed in the Pacific Ocean. The fairing recovery ship 'Mr. Steven' came very close but not quite. We're going to keep working on that, but meanwhile the second stage went into a great orbit."

SpaceX aims eventually recover the fairing halves with a boat, then reuse the structure on future launches, helping mitigate the cost of building a few fairing for every mission. The fairing costs around $6 million per flight, according to SpaceX.

But dropping the fairing in the ocean contaminates sensitive parts with sea water, making refurbishment more expensive, and likely cost-prohibitive.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/31676.png)NASA HQ PHOTO‏Подлинная учетная запись @nasahqphoto (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto) 51 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto/status/999025149587402752)

The first launch photos of the @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) rocket with twin #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) satellites onboard are up!

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmk54iRU  (https://t.co/i1H4FQKYZJ)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163725.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 25 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/999032593558499329)

And that's MISSION SUCCESS for Falcon 9 - the 28th consecutive successful mission for F9. The next Falcon 9 flight is scheduled for 8 days from now from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, FL. #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) #Iridium (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iridium?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67496.jpg)Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/999038822053699585)

We have good telemetry from all 5 Iridium NEXT satellites - and got it on the first pass! Thank you @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX)! Thank you @Thales_Alenia_S (https://twitter.com/Thales_Alenia_S)! Complete success!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163745.jpg)

ЦитироватьIridium-6 satellites deployment

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 22 мая 2018 г.

ЦитироватьMAY 22, 2018

IRIDIUM-6/GRACE-FO MISSION

On Tuesday, May 22nd at 12:47 p.m. PDT, SpaceX successfully launched five Iridium® NEXT satellites and two GRACE-FO satellites from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff occurred at 12:47 p.m. PDT, or 19:47 UTC. The GRACE-FO satellites were deployed about eleven minutes and thirty seconds after launch, followed by the deployment of the five Iridium® NEXT satellites about an hour after launch.

Falcon 9's first stage for the Iridium-6/GRACE-FO mission previously supported the Zuma mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in January 2018. SpaceX did not attempt to recover Falcon 9's first stage after launch.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/116407.gif) (http://investor.iridium.com/index.cfm)

May 22, 2018

Iridium Completes Sixth Successful Iridium® NEXT Launch

55 new satellites are now in orbit as the company prepares for commercial service introduction of Iridium CertusSM broadband

MCLEAN, Va., May 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that at 12:47:58pm PDT (19:47:58 UTC) SpaceX successfully launched five Iridium NEXT (https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=njQIAGTDaurLXviLkDfqOJ2yNsWXHDOTty2JrA9B2IsHkZdzc8crPIUWaLqdFxHP2Eaxsa4PzYwTQUDjEbbYqQ==) satellites fr om Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  The Iridium satellites were joined by the twin spacecraft for the NASA/German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO (https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=2TpqC4cUus30mZqNddVVkRXdaQW4l5IrnZ-WMOC7t5zzttKiVDuRRwZPdjHopmX1taIxhzksjbCdRqwLfBhliQ==)) mission, in a unique "rideshare" launch. Shortly after deployment, Iridium confirmed successful communication with all five new satellites, formally bringing the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit to 55.  This leaves just two more launches of 10 satellites each to complete this ambitious launch program.  The Iridium NEXT constellation, featuring 66 interconnected low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, will enable never before possible services like the AireonSM global aircraft tracking and surveillance system and its new broadband service, Iridium Certus.

Спойлер

Iridium Certus (https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=njQIAGTDaurLXviLkDfqOICaY0N0zBUFxkhhAdXZJi2JATp-GYJLypdRauvU4GkvAUM_-Zuz9rGEi1maQV-Xv2uepbLsVlRRVPoU1a1cXTE=) will be the world's first truly global broadband service, providing reliable connections for the aviation, maritime, land-mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) related industries, including essential safety services.  And while Iridium is already relied upon by first responders, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a variety of industries worldwide, Iridium Certus will bring users an upgraded infrastructure using Iridium's resilient L-band spectrum, but with higher throughputs and faster speeds. Iridium's safety services portfolio includes multiple capabilities including aircraft tracking and communications, emergency voice and data communications, personal tracking and remote monitoring applications. Specific to the maritime industry, Iridium has been recognized as the second-ever satellite communications provider for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and plans to begin providing service in early 2020. This is a critical, life-saving service for mariners, and the addition of Iridium will for the first time extend the reach of satellite-enabled GMDSS to even the most remote waterways.

"Our strong presence in the world of safety services is a testament to the unique benefits our network can enable," said Matt Desch, chief executive officer at Iridium. "With every successful launch, we are one step closer to Iridium NEXT being fully operational, which officially starts a new age of satellite connectivity. When it comes to safety communications, especially for those operating in the skies or out at sea, having built-in network redundancy and resiliency enabled by our satellite's crosslinks is paramount, especially during times of distress. We recognize this and feel that as the only network covering the entire planet, we have an inherent responsibility to constantly innovate for this critical arena."

Iridium NEXT is the Company's $3 billion, next-generation, mobile, global satellite network scheduled for completion this year. It will replace the existing network in one of the largest technology upgrades ever completed in space. Today's launch delivered all five Iridium NEXT satellites to orbital plane six wh ere they will immediately begin preparations for the pre-operational testing and validation processes. The network is comprised of six polar orbiting planes, each hosting 11 satellites, blanketing the earth with reliable satellite connectivity.

To date, Iridium has completed six launches, all with SpaceX out of its west coast launch facility, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A total of eight Iridium NEXT launches are currently planned with SpaceX and will deliver 75 new satellites to orbit. In total, 81 satellites are being built, with 66 in the operational constellation, nine serving as on-orbit spares and six as ground spares.
...

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ЦитироватьBoth GRACE-FO Satellites Are Healthy

Tony Greicius (https://blogs.nasa.gov/gracefo/author/agreiciu/)
Posted May 22, 2018 at 5:22 pm

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/130806.jpg)
The NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Telemetry from both GRACE-FO satellites indicates that both satellites are healthy.

Спойлер

For the next few days, they will be in different orbits, one slightly lower than the other. The different orbits cause them to move apart until the lower satellite is 137 miles (220 kilometers) in front of the other, the optimal separation distance for their measurements. At that point, the lower satellite will be moved up into the same orbit as the higher satellite.

After these maneuvers, the mission begins an 85-day in-orbit checkout phase. Mission managers will evaluate the instruments and satellite systems and perform calibration and alignment procedures. After that, the satellites will begin gathering and processing science data. The first science data are expected to be delivered to users in about seven months.

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ЦитироватьLaunching NASA's GRACE-FO

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCryGec9PdUCLjpJW2mgCuLw)

Трансляция началась 3 часа назад

ЦитироватьMay 22, 2018
RELEASE 18-038

Twin Spacecraft Launch to Track Earth's Water Movement

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207916.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/nhq201805220003.jpg)
The NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences GRACE Follow-On spacecraft launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tuesday, May 22, 2018, fr om Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission will measure changes in how mass is redistributed within and among Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice sheets, as well as within Earth itself. GRACE-FO is sharing its ride to orbit with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites as part of a commercial rideshare agreement.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls

A joint U.S./German space mission to track the continuous movement of water and other changes in Earth's mass on and beneath the planet's surface successfully launched at 12:47 p.m. PDT Tuesday fr om the California coast.

Спойлер

The twin spacecraft of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO), a joint NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) mission, lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fr om Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, sharing their ride into space with five Iridium NEXT communications satellites.

Ground stations have acquired signals from both GRACE-FO spacecraft. Initial telemetry shows the satellites are performing as expected. The GRACE-FO satellites are at an altitude of about 305 miles (490 kilometers), traveling about 16,800 mph (7.5 kilometers per second). They are in a near-polar orbit, circling Earth once every 90 minutes.

"GRACE-FO will provide unique insights into how our complex planet operates," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "Just as important, because the mission monitors many key aspects of the Earth's water cycle, GRACE-FO data will be used throughout the world to improve people's lives – from better predictions of drought impacts to higher quality information on use and management of water from underground aquifers."

Over its five-year mission, GRACE-FO will monitor the movement of mass around our planet by measuring wh ere and how the moving mass changes Earth's gravitational pull. The gravity changes cause the distance between the two satellites to vary slightly. Although the two satellites orbit 137 miles (220 kilometers) apart, advanced instruments continuously measure their separation to within the width of a human red blood cell.

GRACE-FO continues the U.S./German partnership of the original GRACE (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/Grace/index.html) mission, which operated from 2002 through 2017. "This mission continues and advances an amazing achievement of science and technology pioneered by the United States and Germany," said Zurbuchen.

For 15 years, GRACE's monthly maps of regional gravity variations provided new insights into how the Earth system functions and responds to change.

Among its innovations, GRACE was the first mission to measure the amount of ice being lost from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The mission improved our understanding of the processes responsible for sea level rise and ocean circulation, provided insights into wh ere global groundwater resources are shrinking or growing, showed wh ere dry soils are contributing to drought, and monitored changes in the solid Earth, such as from earthquakes.

Frank Webb, GRACE-FO project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, notes that to understand changes taking place in the climate system, scientists need data records several decades long.

"Extending the data record from GRACE will allow us to better distinguish short-term variability from longer-term trends," he said.

The GRACE-FO satellites will spend their first few days in space moving to the separation distance needed to perform their mission. When they reach this distance, the mission begins an 85-day, in-orbit checkout phase. Mission managers will evaluate the instruments and satellite systems and perform calibration and alignment procedures. Then the satellites will begin gathering and processing science data. The first science data are expected to be released in about seven months.

JPL manages the GRACE-FO mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, under the direction of the Earth Systematic Missions Program Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The spacecraft were built by Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen, Germany, under subcontract to JPL. GFZ contracted GRACE-FO launch services from Iridium. GFZ subcontracted mission operations to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which operates the German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
...
Steve Cole 
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0918 
stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov (mailto:stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov) 

Alan Buis
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-0474
alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov (mailto:alan.buis@jpl.nasa.gov)

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Last Updated: May 23, 2018
Editor: Sean Potter

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35828.jpg)Jay L. DeShetler‏ @jdeshetler (https://twitter.com/jdeshetler) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jdeshetler/status/999047372700205056)

The marine fog rolled in just few mins after, but we had a clear line of sight to the rocket as it launched. 2 hrs later, we were still not able to retrieve our remote cameras due to ongoing bush fire which is confined to around the pad. @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) @IridiumComm (https://twitter.com/IridiumComm)

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Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163748.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163749.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163750.jpg)

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ЦитироватьFalcon 9 Iridium/Grace FO Launch
By Airman Aubree Milks, 30th Space Wing / Published May 22, 2018

(https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/file/83957)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Team Vandenberg successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying both Iridium and Grace FO payloads from Space Launch Complex-4 here, Tuesday, May 22, at 12:47 p.m. PDT.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 44 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/999108341791117314)

GRACE-FO satellites cataloged in 483 x 505 km orbits, Iridium 110, 147, 152, 161 and 162 cataloged in 494 x 710 km orbits. The Falcon 9 second stage was deorbited after deploying the sats.

Цитировать(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/c0.1.50.50/p50x50/400998_2699410719239_457213525_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=193d4b15b335464392aacd35a1d36f74&oe=5B78E895) Билл Ингаллс добавил 3 новых фото (https://www.facebook.com/bingalls/posts/10213781978078424).
4 ч (https://www.facebook.com/bingalls/posts/10213781978078424) · 

Well, one remote cam outside the pad perimeter was found to be a bit toast(y). sigh (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/192541.png)  :(  
** and yes - it made pix until it's demise. **

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69029.jpg)SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) 10 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/999131732057063425)

More photos from today's Falcon 9 launch → http://flickr.com/spacex  (https://t.co/095WHX44BX)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163773.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163771.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163772.jpg)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185874.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 12 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/999364798906228736)

All the patches from yesterday's launch.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163788.jpg)

ЦитироватьSpaceX Iridium F6

Matt Hartman (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHu9tqDs6l8R8RfNqqLObtQ)

Опубликовано: 23 мая 2018 г.

SpaceX / IridiumNEXT /GRACE-FO flight 6 remote cam video

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 18 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/999622280362766337)

Iridium Communications note the five Iridium NEXT satellites launched on Tuesday's Falcon 9 launch are functioning nominally and have begun the testing and validation process.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186191.jpg)Eric Ralph‏ @13ericralph31 (https://twitter.com/13ericralph31) 8 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/13ericralph31/status/999541304437571590)

Mr Steven returned to port around 7pm PST May 23 with both Iridium-6/GRACE-FO fairing halves aboard, by all appearances intact! Seawater immersion means no reuse, but they may find use as drop test articles to refine accuracy  :D  @NASAJPL (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL) @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) @Teslarati (https://twitter.com/Teslarati)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163842.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163841.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/163843.jpg)

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ЦитироватьPhotos: Blues skies make for spectacular Falcon 9 launch in California
May 24, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A threatening layer of clouds stayed away from SpaceX's launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, allowing for clear viewing of a spectacular Falcon 9 launch carrying commercial and scientific satellites into polar orbit.

Спойлер

Towering 229 feet (70 meters) tall, the Falcon 9 ignited its nine Merlin 1D engines and lifted off from the California launch base at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT). Five Iridium communications satellites and a pair of research craft to measure changes in Earth's water cycle were aboard the commercial rocket.

The two research payloads deployed from the rocket first, beginning missions on behalf of NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The Falcon 9's upper stage reignited briefly to maneuver into a higher orbit for separation of the five Iridium voice and data relay satellites.

It was SpaceX's 10th mission of the year, and the 12th time the company has used a previously-flown rocket booster on one of its missions.

Read our full story (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/22/rideshare-launch-by-spacex-serves-commercial-and-scientific-customers/) for details on the mission.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144442.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144454.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144461.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144417.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144410.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144462.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144456.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144426.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144460.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144436.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144425.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144558.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144560.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144559.jpg)
Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144427.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144452.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144458.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144440.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144459.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144455.jpg)
Credit: SpaceX

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144441.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144415.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144409.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/144416.jpg)
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/135655.png) (https://www.iridium.com/)

Sixth Set of Iridium NEXT Satellites Begins Pre-Operational Testing

by Iridium Communications (https://www.iridium.com/blog/author/frank-johnsoniridium-com/) | May 24, 2018 |

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/135657.jpg)

Upon completion of on-orbit testing, three of Iridium's six orbital planes will feature all Iridium NEXT satellites.

Iridium Communications announced today that the five Iridium NEXT satellites launched on Tuesday, May 22nd, by SpaceX are functioning nominally and have begun the testing and validation process. The launch brought the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit to 55, leaving just two more launches of 10 satellites each remaining for the Iridium NEXT program.

Спойлер

"The team at Iridium's Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) has only positive news to share since Tuesday's launch," said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. "Three of the satellites fr om this launch will be going directly in to service in our sixth orbital plane, wh ere the other two will serve as spares. Once testing is completed in a few weeks, and they are put into service, three of the six Iridium orbital planes, 2, 4 and 6, will be comprised of all Iridium NEXT satellites. This is another tremendous milestone on the horizon as we move ever closer to completing this historic tech refresh."

The Iridium constellation is comprised of six polar orbiting planes, each containing 11 operational crosslinked satellites, for a total of 66 satellites in the active constellation. This unique architecture creates a web of coverage around the earth, enabling Iridium to provide real-time communications over the oceans and from even the most remote locations. Two more Iridium NEXT launches are scheduled for 2018, to bring Iridium's total to 75 new satellites in orbit, including nine spares. A total of 81 satellites are being built, including 66 operational, nine on-orbit spares and six ground spares.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/999814818096992256)

A new debris object (43483/2018-047H) in 500 km orbit associated with the GRACE-FO satellites - maybe an adapter or an experiment cover?? @NASAJPL (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL) @GFZ_Potsdam (https://twitter.com/GFZ_Potsdam) @Airbus (https://twitter.com/Airbus) @sslmda (https://twitter.com/sslmda) any suggestions?

ЦитироватьК.А. пишет:
Я смотрю на 1-й ступени были посадочные опоры. А на хрена козе баян, ведь посадка не планировалась? Лишний вес таскать, расход топлива.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67496.jpg)Matt Desch‏ @IridiumBoss (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/1001525880139714566)

For Iridium NEXT followers, our five Launch 6 satellites are all performing very well. The first 2 (SV110 and SV147) will go into service in two weeks, and the 3rd (SV152) will go into service about 5 days later, completing plane 6 (and 3 full planes!). Other 2: in-orbit spares

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69029.jpg)SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX (https://twitter.com/SpaceX) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1002268835175518208)

Falcon 9 fairing halves deployed their parafoils and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean last week after the launch of Iridium-6/GRACE-FO. Closest half was ~50m from SpaceX's recovery ship, Mr. Steven.

http://instagram.com/p/BjdAcCuFegz  (https://t.co/JS7d5zTdIg)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164533.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164535.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/164534.jpg)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg)Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 13 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1005129342232485889)

Zurbuchen: GRACE-FO spacecraft launched last month are working well. First data from them to be released shortly.

ЦитироватьIridium NEXT Sixth Launch Highlights

IridiumComm (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ6-3U3gUwQHvQ1jyj4dOpQ)

Опубликовано: 11 июн. 2018 г.

On May 22, Iridium successfully launched five Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in a unique rideshare mission. Shortly after deployment, Iridium confirmed successful communication with all five new satellites, formally bringing the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in orbit to 55. This leaves just two more launches of 10 satellites each to complete this ambitious launch program. Here are some of the highlights and memorable moments of this exciting day.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185362.jpg)NASA JPL‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAJPL (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL) 16 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/1006321463303942144)

All systems go for #GRACEFO (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRACEFO?src=hash) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125296.png) Spacecraft systems are powered on and performing as expected. "The Himalaya Plot" shows distance changes measured as the spacecraft flew over the mountains → https://go.nasa.gov/2JARDq9  (https://t.co/uO199QreJ7)

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ЦитироватьJuly 3, 2018

First Laser Light for GRACE Follow-On

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207947.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia22431.jpg)
Artist's rendering of the twin spacecraft of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Full image and caption (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA22431)

The laser ranging interferometer (LRI) instrument has been successfully switched on aboard the recently launched twin U.S./German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) satellites. The LRI, which is being flown as a technology demonstration, has made its first measurements in parallel with GRACE-FO's main microwave ranging instrument, and initial comparisons of the data from the two types of instruments show that they agree as expected.

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"The LRI is a breakthrough for precision distance measurements in space," said LRI Instrument Manager Kirk McKenzie of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, which manages NASA's contribution to the instrument. "It's the first inter-spacecraft laser interferometer and the culmination of about a decade of NASA- and German-funded research and development."

The GRACE-FO mission, launched on May 22, continues the work of the original GRACE mission of monitoring phenomena such as the melting of ice sheets and changes in groundwater levels by tracking the changing pull of gravity on the GRACE-FO satellites. The microwave ranging interferometer records these changes in gravity by measuring how they change the distance between the twin spacecraft. By accurately measuring these minute changes as the two spacecraft orbit the planet, scientists are able to calculate month-to-month variations in Earth's gravity field. The LRI is an enabling technology for future GRACE-FO-like missions with potential to significantly improve the accuracy of those missions. The instrument is jointly managed by JPL and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Hanover, Germany.

Seeing the light

The LRI's "first light" operation took place over two days. On June 13, the two GRACE-FO satellites began sweeping their lasers in spiral patterns in search of each other. Gerhard Heinzel, leader of the space interferometry research group at the Albert Einstein Institute and manager of the German contribution to the LRI, explained the challenge: "There are coin-sized holes on each satellite through which the laser has to be precisely pointed towards the holes in the other satellite over a distance of more than 200 kilometers [137 miles], while both spacecraft race around Earth at 27,000 kilometers an hour [16,000 miles per hour]. It is truly mind-boggling." (Here (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7116) is a fuller explanation of how the LRI operates.)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/207750.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/gracefo20180702-16.jpg)
As GRACE-FO orbits (ground track at bottom; north is to the right) the distance between the two spacecraft changes very slightly (top) as the mass below changes (middle, shown as changes in ground elevation).
Credits: B. Knispel/G.Heinzel/AEI/GFZ/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SRTM

In the data that were downlinked the next day, it was clear that each spacecraft had seen several flashes of light during the spiral scans, indicating both LRI instruments received light from the opposite spacecraft and were working as expected. The settings needed to establish a continuous laser link were calculated and uploaded to the satellites, and the LRI delivered its first intersatellite range data at a later downlink that day.

"The plan for establishing the laser link worked exactly as designed. In fact, the laser link locked in on the first attempt," said Christopher Woodruff, the LRI mission operations lead at JPL.

In the coming weeks and months, the GRACE-FO research team will work on fine-tuning the operation of this novel instrument and completing their understanding of the data it delivers.

The fine print

GRACE-FO is a partnership between NASA and German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, Germany. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Additional contributors to the laser ranging interferometer include SpaceTech in Immenstaad, Germany; Tesat-Spacecom in Backnang, Germany; Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado; iXblue in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics in Adlershof and Institute of Space Systems in Bremen; Hensoldt Optronics in Oberkochen; Apcon AeroSpace and Defence in Neubiberg/Munich; Diamond USA, Inc., and Diamond SA in Losone, Switzerland; and Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen.

Alan Buis / Esprit Smith
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
818-354-0474 / 818-354-4269
Alan.Buis@jpl.nasa.gov (mailto:Alan.Buis@jpl.nasa.gov) / Esprit.Smith@jpl.nasa.gov (mailto:Esprit.Smith@jpl.nasa.gov)

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2018-158

Last Updated: July 3, 2018
Editor: Tony Greicius

ЦитироватьNASA missions study Earth's frozen water: GRACE-FO & ICESat-2

SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 8 сент. 2018 г.

GRACE-FO and ICESat-2 are the latest NASA missions that help scientists study the cryosphere, Earth's frozen water. The GRACE-FO mission was launched on 22 May 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, while ICESat-2 is scheduled to launch on 15 September 2018.

ЦитироватьSept. 14, 2018

GRACE-FO Satellite Switching to Backup Instrument Processing Unit

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/208114.jpg) (https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/supplementary_1_pia22441.jpg)
Illustration of the NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) spacecraft, which will track changes in the distribution of Earth's mass, providing insights into climate, Earth system processes and the impacts of some human activities. GRACE-FO is a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission team plans to switch to a backup system in the Microwave Instrument (MWI) on one of the twin spacecraft this month. Following the switch-over, GRACE-FO is expected to quickly resume science data collection.

A month after launching this past May, GRACE-FO produced its first preliminary gravity field map. The mission has not acquired science data since mid-July due to an anomaly with a component of the Microwave Instrument on one of the GRACE-FO spacecraft. The mission team is completing its investigation into the cause of the anomaly.

Спойлер

The primary science objective of GRACE-FO -- like its predecessor GRACE, which operated from 2002 to 2017 -- is to track how water is redistributed on Earth, by producing highly accurate, monthly gravity field maps. Measurements of changes in Earth's gravity field provide measurements of mass change and enable unique insights into Earth's changing climate, Earth system processes like droughts and sea level changes, and the impacts of human activities on water resources.

The two GRACE-FO spacecraft were launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 22. The mission's launch and early operations phases were completed within five days, and the science instruments were activated a few days later. Analysis of the initial data indicated that both the Microwave Instrument and the Laser Ranging Interferometer were producing highly precise measurements of the gravity-induced change in distance between the two GRACE-FO satellites -- as good as or better than the original GRACE mission.

On July 19, the primary MWI Instrument Processing Unit (IPU) on the GRACE-FO 2 satellite powered down in response to autonomous commands from an instrument fault monitor indicating that the IPU was using less current than expected. The IPU provides various timing references for the satellite as well as onboard digital signal-processing functions for the Microwave Instrument and GPS signals. Each of the two GRACE-FO satellites is equipped with a pair of IPUs -- a primary unit and a redundant one -- to provide backup in case one unit malfunctions.

Following several unsuccessful attempts to reactivate the IPU, mission managers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, established an anomaly response team on Aug. 6 to investigate the issue. The team is working with the engineers who developed the Microwave Instrument, attempting to reproduce the abnormal behavior in the laboratory to understand the cause of the problem.

Following completion of the remaining instrument calibrations, the performance and stability of the redundant IPU will be monitored for at least 30 days. Once the instrument's stable operation has been confirmed, the mission will be on track to enter its science operations phase, beginning with a four-month data-validation period as previously planned.

GRACE-FO is a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ). Both spacecraft are being operated from the German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, under a GFZ contract with the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)). JPL manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Esprit Smith
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
818-354-4269
//Esprit.smith@jpl.nasa.gov

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2018-216

Last Updated: Sept. 14, 2018
Editor: Tony Greicius