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ЦитироватьDELTA IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH NROL-71

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• Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
• Mission: NROL-71
• Launch Date: Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018
• Launch Broadcast: To be announced
• Launch Location: Space Launch Complex 6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California 

Mission Information: United Launch Alliance will use the Delta IV Heavy rocket to launch the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch Notes: This will be 132nd mission for United Launch Alliance and ULA's second Delta IV Heavy launch in less than four months. It is the 382nd Delta launch since 1960, the 38th for a Delta IV rocket since 2002 and the 11th Delta IV Heavy.

Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, (https://www.facebook.com/ulalaunch)twitter.com/ulalaunch  (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch)and instagram.com/ulalaunch (https://instagram.com/ulalaunch); hashtags #DeltaIV #NROL71
 
Go Delta Go NROL-71!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1060910573603430400)

ULA's #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) was recently mated with #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) for the @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc). Check out the launch at the end of this month from Vandenberg Air Force Base!
#rocketscience (https://twitter.com/hashtag/rocketscience?src=hash) #launch (https://twitter.com/hashtag/launch?src=hash) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 9:32 (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1063847354707705857) - 17 нояб. 2018 г.

... the NROL-71 patch is very cool, as always! Launching on a ULA Delta IV-Heavy from Vandenberg at the end of the month.

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ЦитироватьLesobaza пишет:
Вроде, предыдущий, с буквой Омега был...
(типа, последний).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185592.png)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 8:01 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1065273975381594114) - 21 нояб. 2018 г.

New launch date! Hey launch fans, NRO's next mission, #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash), will now be launching Dec. 7 aboard a @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) Heavy rocket fr om Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Check back with us for forthcoming details on launch time and wh ere you can catch the live broadcast.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185592.png)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 4:57 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068126704726618112) - 29 нояб. 2018 г.

Check out these cool photos of #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)! Final launch preparations began in October when the NROL-71 payload fairing was transported to SLC-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and was mated with a @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) Heavy rocket. NROL-71 is scheduled to launch Dec. 7th.

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ЦитироватьDELTA IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH NROL-71
• Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
• Mission: NROL-71
• Launch Date: Friday, Dec. 7, 2018
• Launch Time: 8:19 p.m. PST
• Launch Broadcast: Live commentary will begin at 7:59 p.m. PST
• Launch Location: Space Launch Complex 6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185592.png)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068498888477282304)

1/ Our mission patch for #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) depicts an eagle as a fitting mascot to represent NRO's support to our nation's warfighter. The initials "JLC" on the foreground dog-tag are in honor of Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain.

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Спойлер

9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068498893212712961)

2/ Chamberlain was Union commander who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism at the battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, when he held the Union Army's southern flank at Little Round Top against a repeated assault from Confederate forces. Col.


9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068498894085074944)

3/ Col. Chamberlain's heroism, leadership, & commitment to 'service before self' exemplify the ethos of the American service member.


9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068498894881984512)

4/ The patch also includes the NRO mission number, #NRO71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NRO71?src=hash), along with #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) Heavy and Vandenberg AFB to indicate both the launch vehicle & location.

[свернуть]

9 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1068498895708319744)

5/ The motto "Serving Those Who Serve" rounds out the mission logo and represents NRO's commitment to delivering the mission on time to the warfighter and intelligence community. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) is scheduled for Dec. 7.

ЦитироватьБезумный Шляпник пишет:
Наклонение не ССО. 

ЦитироватьNAVAREA XII 537/2018 (19,21,22)

EASTERN PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   080244Z TO 080551Z DEC, ALTERNATE 0244Z TO 0551Z
   DAILY 09 AND 10 DEC IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 25-12N 116-54W, 25-02N 117-34W,
   26-40N 118-05W, 26-50N 117-25W.
   B. 04-41S 109-18W, 04-53S 110-04W,
   00-05N 111-16W, 00-17N 110-30W.
2. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   080449Z TO 080731Z DEC, ALTERNATE 0449Z TO 0731Z
   DAILY 09 AND 10 DEC IN AREA BOUND BY
   41-15N 147-26W, 41-27N 146-44W,
   39-57N 146-03W, 39-46N 146-45W.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 100831Z DEC 18.

( 030945Z DEC 2018 )

ЦитироватьLIVE STATUS

Dec. 5 -- Delta IV Heavy launch scheduled for Friday

Final preparations are underway for Friday night's flight of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 national security mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The triple-core, hydrogen-fueled booster is scheduled for liftoff at 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 UTC on Saturday) from historic Space Launch Complex 6 for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Спойлер

The NRO is a joint Department of Defense-Intelligence Community organization responsible for developing, launching and operating America's intelligence satellites to meet the national security needs of the United States.

Download the NRO brochure from the agency's website (http://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/about/nro/NRObrochure.pdf) for more information.

ULA and the NRO have enjoyed a lasting partnership, conducting 27 successful launches together over the past dozen years. Our very first launch after the company was formed was an NRO mission in December 2006.

This will be 132nd mission for United Launch Alliance and our second Heavy in less than four months. It is the 382nd Delta launch since 1960, the 38th for a Delta IV rocket since 2002 and the 11th Delta IV Heavy.

The Delta IV Heavy was built in Alabama and its engines come from California and Florida. It is made of three common booster cores, an upper stage, eight fuel tanks, four engines and a 63-foot-long composite payload fairing. The vehicle stands 233 feet tall and 53 feet wide, will weigh 1.6 million pounds fully fueled and launches atop 2.1 million pounds of thrust. At liftoff, Delta IV Heavy's RS-68A main engines will gulp 6,000 pounds of fuel per second.

[свернуть]

The launch weather forecast calls for a few high cirrus clouds, good visibility, northerly winds of 12 to 18 knots, gusting to 23 knots and a temperature in the low 50s F. There is a 40 percent chance of favorable liftoff weather conditions, with grounds winds the primary concern.

ЦитироватьDec. 6 -- LRR completed

Liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California remains on schedule for Friday night at 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 UTC).

The Launch Readiness Review, moderated by Lou Mangieri, ULA's NROL-71 launch director, was completed this morning. Managers assessed all aspects of mission readiness, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast.

At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a unanimous "go" for launch. Officials then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

Crews at Space Launch Complex 6 today will retract the 27-story Mobile Assembly Shelter away from the rocket. This 9-million-pound structure, which moves along rails, was built in the 1980s when the pad was being prepared for space shuttle launches. It was designed to shield the shuttle from the weather during on-pad assembly of the vehicle's solid rocket boosters, external tank and mating of the orbiter. Now, it gives calm working conditions during processing of the Delta IV.

On launch day, the pad's other mobile structure will be rolled back. The 32-story, 13-million-pound Mobile Service Tower supports the work platforms that lower around the Delta IV Heavy and provide technicians complete access to the rocket, and supports vertical integration of the payload atop the launch vehicle.

United Launch Alliance will provide complete live coverage of the Friday's countdown in this blog starting at 11:45 a.m. PST (2:45 p.m. EST; 1945 UTC). Our Live Launch Updates Blog brings you official and timely information during the Delta IV Heavy rocket's countdown with automatically-refreshing updates.

At the request of our customer, live mission coverage will conclude after confirmation of payload fairing jettison, which is scheduled to occur about six minutes after liftoff.

The official launch weather forecast, according to the 30th Weather Squadron, continues to call for a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions for the liftoff, with a few high-level clouds, northerly winds at 12 to 18 knots, gusting to 23 knots and a temperature in the low to mid 50 degrees F. The only concern for a launch weather rule violation will be winds.

ЦитироватьDelta IV Heavy NROL- 71 Mission Profile

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 6 дек. 2018 г.

United Launch Alliance will use a Delta IV Heavy rocket to launch the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.

This will be 132nd mission for United Launch Alliance and ULA's second Delta IV Heavy launch in less than four months. It is the 382nd Delta launch since 1960, the 38th for a Delta IV rocket since 2002 and the 11th Delta IV Heavy.

The launch is scheduled for 12/7 at 8:19 p.m. PDT.

ЦитироватьРакета-носитель Delta IV выведет на орбиту очередной американский разведывательный спутник
07.12.2018 16:30:49

Вашингтон. 7 декабря. ИНТЕРФАКС-АВН - Ракета-носитель Delta IV в субботу, как ожидается, выведет на орбиту очередной спутник в интересах Национального управления военно-космической разведки США, сообщает компания United Launch Alliance.

Старт ракеты будет осуществлен компанией с авиабазы ВВС США Ванденберг в Калифорнии.

United Launch Alliance является совместным предприятием корпораций "Боинг" и "Локхид Мартин", которое осуществляет запуски в интересах американского разведывательного сообщества.

Сведения о секретном спутнике официально не раскрываются. Однако, по имеющимся данным, на эллиптическую полярную орбиту будет выведен очередной разведывательный спутник KH-11 Key Hole ("Замочная скважина") с оптико-электронной аппаратурой. Основная задача спутника заключается в передаче разведывательному сообществу США в реальном режиме времени изображений с ультравысоким разрешением.

Спойлер

Теоретическая разрешающая способность аппаратуры спутника KH-11 составляет приблизительно 15 см. Его главное зеркало имеет диаметр 2,4 метра - такое же, как на американском космическом телескопе "Хаббл", который в свое время был создан компанией "Локхид Мартин" на основе разведывательного спутника KH-11. По размерам он также напоминает "Хаббл" и имеет длину 19,5 метра, диаметр - около 3 метров.

На данный момент в составе американской орбитальной группировки уже имеются четыре спутника типа KH-11.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 31 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071065388010549248)

Sunset pic of the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) with #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) on the launch pad last night. Liftoff planned for tonight at 8:19pm PST

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ЦитироватьLive coverage: ULA's heavy-lift rocket set for nighttime launch from California
December 7, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

12/07/2018 19:23 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance is preparing for liftoff of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket Friday night from Vandenberg Air Force Base California. The heavy-lifting, triple-body launcher is set for liftoff from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-6 at 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 GMT) with a classified U.S. government spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The launch will be the first nighttime liftoff of ULA's biggest rocket from the West Coast, and the second Delta 4-Heavy launch this year, following the successful deployment of NASA's Parker Solar Probe in August on a flight from Cape Canaveral.

It's also the ninth and final launch by United Launch Alliance overall this year. Previous missions in 2018 have included five Atlas 5 launches, a pair of Delta 4 missions -- one from Florida and one from California -- and the final liftoff of the now-retired Delta 2 rocket in September form Vandenberg.

Спойлер

Tonight's launch will enter a news blackout approximately six minutes after liftoff, when the Delta 4 jettisons the shroud covering the rocket's top secret payload after reaching space. The mission will continue after that point, but the flight events -- including orbital insertion and separation of the spy satellite -- will occur in secret, and ULA will end its live broadcast of the mission.

ULA, NRO and Air Force range officials at Vandenberg convened Thursday for a launch readiness review, and managers approved plans to proceed with final launch preps.

The Mobile Assembly Shelter, one of two protective gantries at the Delta 4's launch pad at Vandenberg, was rolled back to the launch position yesterday. The Mobile Service Tower at Space Launch Complex-6 will be rolled into position for liftoff this afternoon.

But the weather forecast predicts iffy conditions for a launch tonight, with only a 40 percent probability of favorable weather for liftoff of the Delta 4-Heavy. The chief weather concern is with ground winds.

[свернуть]

Цитировать11:45 a.m. PST (2:45 p.m. EST; 1945 UTC)

From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, this is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 8 hours and holding.

The countdown is about to begin for this evening's liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch is scheduled for 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 6 on the southern end of Vandenberg.

The countdown will start in four minutes at 11:49 a.m. PST from the T-minus 8 hour mark. Two pre-planned, 15-minute built-in holds scheduled in the count. One pause is reserved prior to fueling at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes, the other occurs prior to the terminal count at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать12:19 p.m. PST (3:19 p.m. EST; 2019 UTC)

The Air Force's 30th Weather Squadron here at Vandenberg Air Force Base has provided a forecast of conditions expected during retraction of the Mobile Service Tower away from the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the outlook for the rest of the evening.

Current conditions are favorable to proceed with tower roll, with winds within limits and no adverse weather in the area.

For launch tonight at 8:19 p.m. PST, meteorologists are predicting clear skies, good visibility, north-noergwesterly winds of 9-10 knots, gisting to 21 knots and a temperature in the 50s F.

Overall, there is a 40 percent chance of favorable launch weather.

Цитировать12:34 p.m. EST (3:34 p.m. EST; 2034 UTC)

The Delta IV Heavy rocket has been powered up for its launch on NROL-71.

Цитировать12:52 p.m. EST (3:52 p.m. EST; 2052 UTC)

Guidance system testing is getting started at this point in the countdown as we continue to press ahead toward a liftoff at 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 UTC).

Цитировать12:57 p.m. PST (3:57 p.m. EST; 2057 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 6 hours, 52 minutes (L-7 hours, 22 minutes) and counting. Retraction of the Mobile Service Tower in about to begin at Space Launch Complex 6.

Launch Conductor Dillon radioed Stand Engineer Shannon Curtis with this direction: "Stand Engineer, proceed with MST jacking and roll to the park position."

Цитировать1:29 p.m. PST (4:29 p.m. EST; 2129 UTC)

Gantry rollback is underway. First motion occurred at 1:28 p.m. PST (4:28 p.m. EST; 2128 UTC).

The tower was raised several inches using hydraulic cylinders at high pressure. Then, an undercarriage transport system began to move the gantry to its launch position east of the rocket.

ЦитироватьLive Launch Broadcast: Delta IV NROL-71

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

youtube.com/watch?v=ZsX1TmAmeEU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsX1TmAmeEU)

Цитировать1:52 p.m. PST (4:52 p.m. EST; 2152 UTC)

The flight control operational test has started for the Delta IV Heavy rocket. This test is known as flight slews, which will perform gimbal checks of the rocket engine nozzles on the vehicle, in a state prior to cryogenic fueling.

Цитировать2:34 p.m. PST (5:34 p.m. EST; 2234 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes (L-5 hours, 45 minutes) and countdown. The mobile gantry at Space Launch Complex 6 has reached its park position, revealing the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office tonight.

The MST is a 32-story structure that weighs 13 million pounds. It is a critical part of the launch complex, proving the primary access and weather protection to the rocket during its stay on the launch pad, and its overhead crane system serves a vital role in vertical integration of payloads onto Delta IV rockets.

Rollback of the MST signals a major milestone early in launch day operations. Configuring launch pad systems and securing equipment will be completed over the next couple of hours before all personnel clear the site for fueling.

Activities remain on schedule for a liftoff at 8:19 p.m. PST (11:19 p.m. EST; 0419 UTC).

Цитировать3:12 p.m. PST (6:12 p.m. EST; 2312 UTC)

The launch pad crew has completed its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex 6 for today's mission, and the launch conductor has given the instruction for personnel to depart the site in advance of fueling operations.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071182676076314624)

...
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Цитировать5:04 p.m. PST (8:04 p.m. EST; 0104 UTC) -- Delay

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. Launch Director Lou Mangieri has confirmed that we will not continue with the NROL-71 launch activities today.

The team will set for a 24-hour countdown recycle to make another launch attempt tomorrow.

Цитировать12/08/2018 04:09 Stephen Clark

SCRUB. Tonight's Delta 4 countdown has been scrubbed after ULA's launch team dispatched a red team to the pad to investigate an issue with holdfire circuitry, which would be used to stop the launch in the final seconds of the countdown in the event of a technical problem.

The team ran out of time to troubleshoot and correct the issue, and ULA has ordered a 24-hour recycle for a possible launch attempt tomorrow night.

Цитировать5:28 p.m. PST (8:28 p.m. EST; 0128 UTC)

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 7, 2018) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed today due to an issue with a redundant communication link between the control center and the launch site.

The team is prepping for a 24-hour turn around on Saturday, Dec. 8, from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The forecast shows a 60 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The launch time is 8:06 p.m. PT.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071233017966817280)

Details for tomorrow's launch! Launch is planned for 12/8, 8:06 pm PT. The broadcast starts at 7:46 pm PT. Follow our live updates at http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172576.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 6:28 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1071411212791902208) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

Resolved the issue last night shortly after the hold. Bad fiber. Weather looks good tonight. Pgo of 60%.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 11:52 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071492762208354310) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

The countdown has begun for tonight's #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) launch of #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Launch is planned for 8:06pm PST tonight! Live updates http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 11:57 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071494020486950917) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

The MST is on the move! Roll is underway. The 32-story, 13-million-pound Mobile Service Tower supports the work platforms for the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash).

Цитировать12:27 p.m. PST (3:27 p.m. EST; 2027 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 7 hours, 9 minutes (L-7 hours 39 minutes) and countdown. The mobile gantry at Space Launch Complex 6 has reached its park position, revealing the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office tonight.

Цитировать12:38 p.m. EST (3:38 p.m. EST; 2038 UTC)

The Delta IV Heavy rocket has been powered up for its launch on NROL-71. Guidance system testing is getting started at this point in the countdown as we continue to press ahead toward a liftoff at 8:06 p.m. PST (11:06 p.m. EST; 0406 UTC).

Цитировать1:52 p.m. PST (4:52 p.m. EST; 2152 UTC)_

The flight control operational test has started for the Delta IV Heavy rocket. This test is known as flight slews, which will perform gimbal checks of the rocket engine nozzles on the vehicle, in a state prior to cryogenic fueling.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 12:13 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071498055050911744) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

Weather has improved! We are at 70% chance of favorable launch weather for tonight's #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) launch. #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 17:47 (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1071582042985586689) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

The launch carries a payload for @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) and is designated NROL-71. The satellite, which will probably be codenamed USA 289 once on orbit, is expected to enter a 74 deg low Earth orbit. It is probably the first Block 5 CRYSTAL imaging satellite with a 2.4-m primary mirror

Цитировать3:21 p.m. PST (6:21 p.m. EST; 2321 UTC) -- Countdown holding

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the first of two planned, built-in holds that are scheduled in today's timeline. Each is 15-minute blocks of time that gives the countdown some margin to resolve issues or catch up on work could be running behind.

This particular hold serves as a margin before fueling operations begin. At the present time, however, all activities are on schedule and no significant problems are being addressed by the launch team.

The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать3:34 p.m. PST (6:34 p.m. EST; 2334 UTC) – GO for fueling

A readiness poll of the launch team by Launch Conductor Dillion Rice, with concurrence of ULA Launch Director Lou Mangieri has authorized cryogenic tanking operations to begin as the countdown continues this afternoon. The Delta IV Heavy rocket will be loaded with approximately 465,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen over the next couple of hours.

Цитировать3:36 p.m. PST (6:36 p.m. EST; 2336 UTC) -- Countdown resumes

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and counting. The next phase of today's launch countdown has been initiated on schedule as we continue to target 8:06 p.m. PST (11:06 p.m. EST; 0406 UTC) for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on NROL-71.

Preparatory steps for fueling are being kicked off, including liquid hydrogen storage tank pressurization and charging the helium bottles on the three common booster cores and second stage.

Цитировать4:36 p.m. PST (7:36 p.m. EST; 0036 UTC) – Countdown stopped

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 3 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The launch team is troubleshooting an issue and has elected to stop the countdown until it is resolved before we move further into fueling operations.

Цитировать4:49 p.m. PST (7:49 p.m. EST; 0049 UTC) – Fueling resumes

T-minus 3 hours, 15 minutes and counting. The launch team has resumed the countdown clocks and cleared the constraints against further fueling steps.

Цитировать5:26 p.m. PST (8:26 p.m. EST; 0126 UTC)

The team has successfully resolved the earlier technical concern that briefly interrupted the countdown. Activities are proceeding for a liftoff tonight.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 17:30 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071577687469117440) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

Beautiful sunset picture of the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) with #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) on the launch pad tonight. http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172639.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 17:57 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071584702077665280) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

New launch time! Tonight's targeted liftoff time has been adjusted to 8:15pm PST (11:15 pm EST; 0415 UTC) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash)

Цитировать12/09/2018 05:27
 Stephen Clark

Liquid oxygen loading into the Delta 4-Heavy's first stage boosters is complete, and final topping of has started. Liquid oxygen continues flowing into the second stage after a short interruption to investigate a ground system issue.

ЦитироватьPhotos: Delta 4-Heavy poised for launch with U.S. spy satellite
December 8, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket stands 233 feet (71 meters) tall at Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, ready for liftoff Saturday night carrying a top secret U.S. government spy satellite into orbit.

The triple-core rocket measures 53 feet (16 meters) wide with its three first stage boosters bolted together. Fully fueled for launch with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, the Delta 4-Heavy will weigh 1.6 million pounds. Its three first stage Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines will produce 2.1 million pounds at full thrust.

Saturday's launch is set for 8:15 p.m. PST (11:15 p.m. PST; 0415 GMT Sunday night) from the SLC-6 launch pad, a facility originally developed in the 1960s for the U.S. Air Force's canceled Manned Orbiting Laboratory program, then modified as a West Coast launch site for the space shuttle, before those plans were scrapped.

Work to prepare the SLC-6 launch pad — with its fixed umbilical tower, mobile service tower and mobile assembly shelter structures — for the Delta 4 rocket began in 2000, and the first Delta 4 rocket launched from Vandenberg in 2006.

Saturday night's mission is codenamed NROL-71 by the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government's classified intelligence-gather satellites. The NRO has not released any information about the spacecraft aboard the Delta 4-Heavy, which can loft up to 51,950 pounds (23,560 kilograms) of payload mass to a 120-mile-high (200-kilometer) low Earth orbit inclined 90 degrees to the equator.

The Delta 4-Heavy is ULA's biggest rocket, and the beefiest version of the Delta 4 rocket has launched 10 times to date. The NROL-71 mission will be the 11th flight of a Delta 4-Heavy, and the 38th mission overall for the Delta 4 family since November 2002.

These photos show the mobile service tower at SLC-6 retracting into launch position during Friday's countdown, which was scrubbed due to a technical issue, and again Saturday before a second launch attempt.

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145279.jpg)
An overview of Space Launch Complex-6 showing the mobile assembly shelter (left) and the mobile service tower (right) covering the Delta 4-Heavy rocket. Credit: Alex Polimeni/Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145280.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: Alex Polimeni/Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145224.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145211.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145212.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145221.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145205.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145281.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: Alex Polimeni/Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145204.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145227.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145225.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145226.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145206.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145228.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145273.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145274.jpg)
The mobile service tower retracts into position for launch during a countdown Dec. 8. Credit: United Launch Alliance

[свернуть]

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:06 Stephen Clark

The Delta 4 is now fully fueled after the filling of the upper stage's liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks. The Delta 4-Heavy weighs 1.6 million pounds, and its three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines will generate 2.1 million pounds of thrust to power the launcher skyward at 8:15 p.m. PST (11:15 p.m. EST; 0415 GMT).

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:09 Stephen Clark

Final preps of the Delta 4-Heavy's flight control system have started.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071605705881206784)

The majestic #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) rocket will be launching #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) mission for the @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc). Liftoff scheduled for 8:15pm PST http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172638.jpg)

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:18 Stephen Clark

Less than one hour until launch. Here are some statistics on tonight's mission:

[/li]
• 382nd Delta rocket launch since 1960
• 38th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
• 11th Delta 4-Heavy configuration to fly
• 58th, 59th and 60th main engine from RS-68 family launched
• 16th, 17th and 18th RS-68A main engine flown
• 8th Delta 4 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 3rd Delta 4-Heavy launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 12th classified Delta 4 for the National Reconnaissance Office
• 132nd United Launch Alliance mission since the company's formation in 2006
• 9th ULA launch this year
• 4th launch of the Delta family in 2018
• 3rd Delta 4 launch in 2018
• 10th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2018
  

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:20 Stephen Clark

A functional test of the swing arm system at the SLC-6 launch pad has been completed. The arms are programmed to swing away from the rocket at liftoff.

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:22 Stephen Clark

The Delta launch team is proceeding into slew, or steering, checks of the rocket's three RS-68A main engines and the RL10B-2 upper stage engine.

Цитировать12/09/2018 06:26 Stephen Clark

ULA's live coverage of today's launch will conclude with the jettison of the Delta 4's payload fairing around six minutes after liftoff. After that point, the launch events will occur in a news blackout imposed by the National Reconnaissance Office due to the classified payload on-board.

ULA and the NRO will announce the outcome of the launch once it is completed.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 19:48 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1071612600155168768) - 8 дек. 2018 г.


Pgo 90%. The board is green. Seems like a good evening to go to space

Цитировать8:15 p.m. PST (11:15 p.m. EST; 0415 UTC) -- Hold!

The countdown clock has been held.

Цитировать8:15 p.m. PST (11:15 p.m. EST; 0415 UTC) -- Hold!

A hold was called approximately T-minus 7 seconds due to a problem detected by the Terminal Countdown Sequencer Rack.

Цитировать12/09/2018 07:21 Stephen Clark

ULA's launch team reports the launch pad is in a normal condition after the abort in the final seconds of the countdown.

Цитировать12/09/2018 07:26 Stephen Clark

ULA's launch team is proceeding into operations to drain propellants from the rocket, meaning tonight's launch attempt is officially scrubbed, as expected after the dramatic abort in the final 10 seconds of the countdown.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29831.jpg)William Harwood‏ @cbs_spacenews (https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews) 20:29 (https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1071622724806737920) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

D4/NROL71: To recap, the Delta 4 Heavy countdown aborted at the T-minus 7-second mark, right around the time the engine in the right-side Common Booster Core was to ignite, followed 2 seconds later by ignition of the engines in the center and port-side CBC


20:29 (https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1071622838900154369) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

D4/NROL71: Hydrogen spark ignitors had fired per the normal timeline several seconds earlier, but the countdown did not proceed past the 7-second mark; it is not clear whether any of the engines actually started, or began the start sequence, before the abort was commanded


20:32 (https://twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1071623653509513216) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

D4/NROL71: The rocket was quickly safed and engineers are starting to offload propellants; at this point, it's not known exactly what happened, what sort of inspections/repairs might be needed, if any, or when ULA might make another launch attempt

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/981105707402477570/ClqZBljg_bigger.jpg)Jack Beyer‏ @thejackbeyer (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer) 20:28 (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1071622701666594816) - 8 дек. 2018 г.

Thats a scrub. First ever ULA pad abort? Wow. This is what my streak shot was looking like before the dreaded hold call. #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/172646.jpg)

Цитировать12/09/2018 07:34 Stephen Clark

ULA's launch team is setting up for an extended post-scrub turnaround, meaning the Delta 4-Heavy rocket is likely to remain on the ground for at least a few days.

ЦитироватьDelta IV Heavy aborted launch with NROL-71

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

Опубликовано: 8 дек. 2018 г.

ЦитироватьLive Launch Broadcast: Delta IV NROL-71

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Трансляция началась 66 минут назад

Цитировать9 ДЕК, 07:47 Обновлено 07:50
В США отменили запуск ракеты Delta IV с разведывательным спутником

Дата нового старта пока не определена

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 9 декабря. /ТАСС/. Американская компания United Launch Alliance (ULA) отложила в субботу запуск тяжелой ракеты-носителя Delta IV Heavy с секретным спутником Национального управления военно-космической разведки (НУВКР) США. Об этом сообщила ULA на своем сайте.

Пуск должен был состояться с базы ВВС США Ванденберг (штат Калифорния) в 20:15 по времени Западного побережья США (07:15 мск в воскресенье). "Сегодняшний запуск отменен, начинается откачка криогенного топлива из носителя. Дата нового старта пока не определена", - уточнила компания.

Спойлер

Запуск аппарата несколько раз переносился. В предыдущий раз это произошло в пятницу и было обусловлено возникновением "проблем с резервным каналом связи между центром управления и стартовой площадкой". Как информировала ULA, погодные условия в субботу на 70% благоприятствовали запуску.

Деятельность НУВКР, контролирующего разведывательные спутники США, строго засекречена. Официальной информации о предназначении спутника, который будет запущен на орбиту, и о его стоимости нет. Название аппарата также не приводится, официально миссия по выводу спутника на орбиту обозначена кодом NROL-71.

Delta IV Heavy является модифицированной тяжелой версией обычной ракеты-носителя Delta IV. Она оснащена двумя дополнительными ускорителями, которые крепятся по бокам к основному сегменту. Ракета способна выводить на геостационарную орбиту груз массой до 14,2 т, на низкую околоземную орбиту - до 28,8 т. Это должен был быть второй пуск Delta IV Heavy компанией United Launch Alliance за последние четыре месяца.

ULA была основана в 2006 году. Компания является совместным предприятием авиационных корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 38 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1071631159153451008)

The launch of #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) carrying the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) mission for the @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) was scrubbed today due to an unexpected condition during terminal count. The team is reviewing all data and will determine the path forward. A new launch date will be provided when available.

Цитировать12/09/2018 08:08 Stephen Clark

ULA's statement suggests the abort was triggered a half-second before the RS-68A engine on the starboard first stage core was supposed to ignite.

Цитировать12/09/2018 08:17 Stephen Clark

The sparklers at the base of the rocket -- called Radially Outward Firing Initiators -- were firing when the Delta 4 countdown was halted. The sparklers, or ROFIs, are used to burn off excess hydrogen before engine start to eliminate the risk of a large fireball or explosion.

One previous Delta 4 launch was aborted after the sparklers ignited. ULA had to push back that launch by three days to replace the ROFIs and resolve the problem that caused the abort. The Delta 4 rocket successfully lifted off three days later and carried the U.S. Air Force's GPS 2F-1 navigation satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral.

ЦитироватьDelta 4-Heavy countdown aborted moments before launch
December 9, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A dramatic automatic abort 7.5 seconds before the planned liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket Saturday night kept the towering launcher on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with a top secret spy payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.

The 233-foot-tall (71-meter) rocket was counting down to launch at 8:15 p.m. PST Saturday (11:15 p.m. PST; 0415 GMT Sunday), but an automated sequencer detected a technical issue and triggered an abort.

"Hold hold hold," a member of the ULA launch team declared on the countdown net.

A burst of flame appeared at the base of the rocket, a normal occurrence in the final seconds of a Delta 4 countdown as sparklers activate near the engines to burn off excess hydrogen gas before ignition, a measure aimed at eliminating the risk of a fireball or explosion.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the rocket's three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines started their ignition sequences, but a statement later released by ULA said the computer-controlled countdown sequencer ordered an abort at T-minus 7.5 seconds.

Спойлер

In the statement, ULA said the abort was "due to an unexpected condition during terminal count at approximately 7.5 seconds before liftoff.

"The team is currently reviewing all data and will determine the path forward. A new launch date will be provided when available," ULA said.

The Delta 4-Heavy is made up of three Delta 4 first stage boosters bolted together, each with an RS-68A engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. ULA commands the three RS-68A engines to start in a staggered sequence, beginning with the starboard engine at T-minus 7 seconds, followed two seconds later by ignition of the center and port engines.

The timing of the abort at T-minus 7.5 seconds suggests the countdown stopped around a half-second before the first of the Delta 4-Heavy's three main engines was supposed to ignite.

ULA's launch team quickly "safed" the rocket, disarmed ordnance, and drained the Delta 4-Heavy of its supply of cryogenic propellants. The launch team did not set a new target launch date, but officials were instructed to plan for an extended turnaround after Saturday night's scrub, and the Delta 4-Heavy flight was expected to be delayed at least a few days.

A similar cutoff in the final seconds of a Delta 4 countdown in 2010 resulted in a three-day slip to resolve the problem responsible for the abort — and replace the hydrogen burn-off sparklers on the pad — before the rocket successfully launched from Cape Canaveral with a GPS navigation satellite.

The upcoming mission from Vandenberg, located around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, is codenamed NROL-71 by the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government's classified intelligence-gathering satellites. The NRO has not released any information about the spacecraft aboard the Delta 4-Heavy, but independent observers of NRO space launches believe the payload is heading for an unusual, high-inclination orbit, and is likely a new Keyhole-type high-resolution optical imaging satellite, with an Earth-pointing telescope capable of capturing extremely detailed imagery of sites around the world for review by government intelligence analysts.

The Delta 4-Heavy is ULA's biggest rocket, and can loft up to 51,950 pounds (23,560 kilograms) of payload mass to a 120-mile-high (200-kilometer) low Earth orbit inclined 90 degrees to the equator.

The heavy-lift variant of the Delta 4 rocket has launched 10 times to date. The NROL-71 mission will be the 11th flight of a Delta 4-Heavy, and the 38th mission overall for the Delta 4 family since November 2002. It will also be ULA's ninth and final launch of the year, following five Atlas 5 launches, a pair of Delta 4s, and the final liftoff of the company's now-retired Delta 2 rocket.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьRocket Talk: Delta IV Heavy Staggered Start

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 8 дек. 2018 г.

If you've ever seen a Delta IV Heavy rocket lift off, you may have notice that it seems to emerge from a cloud of fire. ULA's Tyler Strickland talks with propulsion engineer Kris Kolman to learn more.

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Так мы летим или не летим? После АВД ракету надо снимать а двигатели перебирать или нет?

Цитироватьopinion пишет: 
Так ведь не было АВД. Двигатели не запускались, а огонь, который было видно - это дожигатели водорода.

Цитироватьmind22 пишет:
И тишина...

Последние данные, которые были -- возможный перенос запуска на 12 декабря, а уже 13 число.

 http://www.sworld.com.au/steven/space/usmil-man.txt

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184950.jpg)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 11 дек. (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1072591248949764102)

Hey launch fans! The team at NRO, @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) , and @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing) continue to work through the steps necessary to establish a new launch date for #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) following last week's scrub. We'll announce once available, so check back with us often for updates and new launch details.

ЦитироватьThursday, Dec. 13, 2018

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 13, 2018 ) -- A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is set to launch on Tuesday, Dec. 18. The mission will lift off on a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch time is 5:57 p.m. PST.

ЦитироватьLIVE WEBCAST
Launch webcast begins at L-20 minutes (5:37 p.m. PST; 8:37 p.m. EST; 0137 UTC)

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg)AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1073286960909709312)

Tuesday will be a launch doubleheader for SMC. A new launch date for NROL-71 has been set for Dec 18 from VAFB, California. The launch time is 5:57 pm PST. Earlier in the day, GPS III SV01 is set to launch aboard a Falcon 9 from CCAFS, Florida.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173276.jpg)

Цитировать

youtube.com/watch?v=Cwb0leeydEs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwb0leeydEs)

Цитировать12/13/2018 23:26 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance chief executive Tory Bruno has said Saturday night's abort was caused by a "bad sensor" that tripped an automatic limit, leading the computer controlling the countdown to halt the launch just before ignition of the Delta 4-Heavy's RS-68A main engines.

"An intermittent signal from a bad monitor caused an automated hold to be triggered ... before ignition," Bruno tweeted.

The timeline to recover from the abort and reschedule the launch for Tuesday, Dec. 18, is driven by inspections of the rocket and corrective actions, Bruno said.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 13:20 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1074051661214167040) - 15 дек. 2018 г.

Counting down to launch! L-3 and everything is progressing towards launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) carrying #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash), planned for 12/18 at 5:57pm PST from Vandenberg AFB. The current weather outlook shows 20% chance of favorable conditions for launch. @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173086.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1074485691634061313)

ULA: Delta IV-Heavy launch with NROL-71 on Tuesday "remains a 20 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch."

"Primary concerns: Ground Winds."

Philip Sloss photo for NSF. And heh, the photographers are going after a nice shot, not blown over by ground winds. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125479.png)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173163.jpg)

ЦитироватьDec. 17 -- LRR completed

The Launch Readiness Review at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today culminated with officials giving a unanimous "go" for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on Tuesday.

The launch is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. PST (8:57 p.m. EST; 0157 UTC).

"We are proud to launch this critical payload in support of our nation's national security mission," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "As the nation's premiere launch provider, the teams have worked diligently to ensure continued mission success, delivering our customer's payloads to the precise orbits requested."

Weather forecasters from the Air Force's 30th Weather Squadron predict gusty ground winds and a 20 percent chance of favorable conditions for the liftoff, with a few high-level clouds, northerly winds at 16 to 22 knots, gusting to 32 knots and a temperature near 60 degrees F. The only concern for a launch weather rule violation will be winds.

Crews at Space Launch Complex 6 today have retracted the 27-story Mobile Assembly Shelter away from the rocket. This 9-million-pound structure, which moves along rails, was built in the 1980s when the pad was being prepared for space shuttle launches. It was designed to shield the shuttle from the weather during on-pad assembly of the vehicle's solid rocket boosters, external tank and mating of the orbiter. Now, it gives calm working conditions during processing of the Delta IV.

On launch day, the pad's other mobile structure will be rolled back. The 32-story, 13-million-pound Mobile Service Tower supports the work platforms that lower around the Delta IV Heavy and provide technicians complete access to the rocket, and supports vertical integration of the payload atop the launch vehicle.

United Launch Alliance will provide complete live coverage of Tuesday's countdown in this blog starting at 9:00 a.m. PST (12 noon EST; 1700 UTC). Our Live Launch Updates Blog brings you official and timely information during the Delta IV Heavy rocket's countdown with automatically-refreshing updates.

Our live video webcast also can be viewed on this page starting from L-20 minutes at 5:37 p.m. PST (8:37 p.m. EST; 0137 UTC).

At the request of our customer, live mission coverage will conclude after confirmation of payload fairing jettison, which is scheduled to occur about six minutes after liftoff.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 12:59 (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1074771139631681536) - 17 дек. 2018 г.

Weather for tomorrow's rocket launch bonanza:
- #SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) #Falcon9 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Falcon9?src=hash) - weather 90% GO!
- @blueorigin (https://twitter.com/blueorigin) #NewShepard (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewShepard?src=hash) - weather looks great!
- @Arianespace (https://twitter.com/Arianespace) #Soyuz (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Soyuz?src=hash) - It would take apocalyptic weather to keep a Soyuz on the ground ((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125324.png)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125594.png))
- @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) - weather 20% GO.[/LIST]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1074873288856223744)

Interesting time lapse photo of the MAS (Mobile Assembly Shelter) moving today at SLC-6 in preparation for launch tomorrow. The MAS is 27 stories and weighs 9 million pounds. We are still on track for a 12/18 launch planned for 5:57pm PST. http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173226.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1075045918922166272)

The sun is rising over the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) with #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) on the launch pad this morning. Liftoff planned for today, Dec. 18 at 5:57pm PST @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing) http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggeC9CA)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173261.jpg)

Цитировать12/18/2018 15:38 Stephen Clark

Launch day has arrived for United Launch Alliance's Delta 4-Heavy rocket, which is set for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 5:57 p.m. PST (8:57 p.m. EST; 0157 GMT) tonight.

But weather conditions are expected to be a major factor in the countdown, and the official forecast calls for just a 20 percent probability of weather being acceptable for liftoff.

The primary weather worry is with ground winds at Vandenberg, a military base on the Pacific coast around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

If the launch slips to Wednesday evening, conditions are forecast to dramatically improve, with an 80 percent chance of good weather.

Officials from ULA, the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office -- which owns the top secret spy satellite payload on-board the Delta 4-Heavy -- approved plans to proceed with a launch attempt today during a launch readiness review held yesterday.

The eight-and-a-half hour countdown is set to begin at 9:27 a.m. PST (12:27 p.m. EST; 1727 GMT), followed by the retraction of the Mobile Service Tower into position for liftoff at Space Launch Complex-6.

The Mobile Assembly Shelter, which provides cover for workers during launch preparations, rolled back away from the rocket yesterday.

Today's launch attempt comes 10 days after an abort at T-minus 7.5 seconds caused by a faulty sensor. The countdown's automated sequencer called the halt less than a second before the Delta 4-Heavy's engines were set to begin igniting.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 39 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1075059258541137920)

... If Delta IV- launches tonight. S/C sep about 3 AM UTC ish. ...

Цитировать9:07 a.m. PST (12:07 p.m. EST; 1707 UTC)

From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, this is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 8 hours and holding.

The countdown activities are about to begin for today's liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. PST (8:57 p.m. EST; 0157 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 6 on the southern end of Vandenberg.

The countdown will start at 9:27 a.m. PST from the T-minus 8 hour mark. Two pre-planned, 15-minute built-in holds scheduled in the count. One pause is reserved prior to fueling at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes, the other occurs prior to the terminal count at T-minus 4 minutes.

Rollback of the Mobile Service Tower is on hold this morning due to high ground winds forecast for the rest of the day while the vehicle stands exposed on the pad.

Цитировать9:27 a.m. PST (12:27 p.m. EST; 1727 UTC) – Countdown begins

Countdown clocks have been initiated at Vandenberg for today's Delta IV Heavy launch. Weather permitting, we are just eight-and-a-half hours away from liftoff of the triple-core rocket on a vital mission for U.S. national security.

The application of power to the avionics aboard the Delta IV Heavy rocket is beginning at the start of the countdown. The equipment will be powered up for launch day testing and final preparations for fueling operations.

Цитировать12/18/2018 21:15 Stephen Clark

The Delta 4-Heavy rocket has been powered up, and the ULA team is beginning flight control preps.

Цитировать10:35 a.m. PST (1:35 p.m. EST; 1835 UTC)

Launch officials continue to monitor strong ground winds at Vandenberg. They are receiving periodic updates from meteorologists on the current and forecast conditions. Tower retraction remains on hold at this time.

Цитировать12:08 p.m. PST (3:08 p.m. EST; 2008 UTC)

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 18, 2018) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed today due to high ground winds.

The next launch attempt is planned for Wed., Dec. 19, from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The forecast indicates an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The targeted launch time is 5:44 p.m. PST.

Цитировать8:45 a.m. PST (11:45 a.m. EST; 1645 UTC)

From Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, this is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 8 hours and holding.

The countdown activities are about to begin for today's liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch is scheduled for 5:44 p.m. PST (8:44 p.m. EST; 0144 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 6 on the southern end of Vandenberg.

The countdown will start at 9:14 a.m. PST from the T-minus 8 hour mark. Two pre-planned, 15-minute built-in holds scheduled in the count. One pause is reserved prior to fueling at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes, the other occurs prior to the terminal count at T-minus 4 minutes.

But the first order of business this morning is retracting the Mobile Service Tower away from the rocket and into its launch position. A weather briefing for tower roll was just completed, and conditions are verified acceptable for the move as well as the rest of the day while the vehicle stands exposed on the pad.

Цитировать9:04 a.m. PST (12:04 p.m. EST; 1704 UTC)

Retraction of the Mobile Service Tower has begun at Space Launch Complex 6. First motion occurred at 9:03 a.m. PST (12:03 p.m. EST; 1703 UTC).

The tower was raised several inches to allow an undercarriage transport system to move the gantry to its launch position east of the rocket.

Цитировать9:14 a.m. PST (12:14 p.m. EST; 1714 UTC) – Countdown begins

Countdown clocks have been initiated at Vandenberg for today's Delta IV Heavy launch. We are just eight-and-a-half hours away from liftoff of the triple-core rocket on a vital mission for U.S. national security.

The application of power to the avionics aboard the Delta IV Heavy rocket is beginning at the start of the countdown. The equipment will be powered up for launch day testing and final preparations for fueling operations.

For launch today at 5:44 p.m. PST, Air Force meteorologists are predicting a few high clouds, good visibility, northerly winds of 10-15 knots and a temperature in the mid 60s F.

Overall, there is an 80 percent chance of favorable launch weather.

Цитировать9:25 a.m. PST (12:25 p.m. EST; 1725 UTC)

The MST has moved 25 feet clear of the launch vehicle as the roll continues. The first part of retraction moves at a snail's pace to ensure proper clearance of gantry structures with the vehicle. Once clear, the speed will increase.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 9:44 - 19 дек. 2018 г. (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1075446747470561285)

One step closer to launch of the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash). The MST is parked and processing continues as we work towards a 5:44pm PST launch tonight. Follow our live launch blog for updates at http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173317.jpg)

Цитировать9:58 a.m. PST (12:58 p.m. EST; 1758 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 7 hours, 16 minutes (L-7 hours 46 minutes) and countdown. The mobile gantry at Space Launch Complex 6 has reached its park position, revealing the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office tonight.

The MST is a 32-story structure that weighs 13 million pounds. It is a critical part of the launch complex, proving the primary access and weather protection to the rocket during its stay on the launch pad, and its overhead crane system serves a vital role in vertical integration of payloads onto Delta IV rockets.

Rollback of the MST signals a major milestone early in launch day operations. Configuring launch pad systems and securing equipment will be completed over the next couple of hours before all personnel clear the site for fueling.

Activities remain on schedule for a liftoff at 5:44 p.m. PST (8:44 p.m. EST; 0144 UTC).

Цитировать10:00 a.m. PST (1:00 p.m. EST; 1800 UTC)

The Delta IV Heavy rocket has been powered up for its launch on NROL-71.

Цитировать12/19/2018 21:15 Stephen Clark

Guidance system testing on the Delta 4-Heavy rocket is underway at this time.

Цитировать10:37 a.m. PST (1:37 p.m. EST; 1837 UTC)

The flight control operational test is beginning for the Delta IV Heavy rocket. This test is known as flight slews, which will perform gimbal checks of the rocket engine nozzles on the vehicle, in a state prior to cryogenic fueling.

Цитировать11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 6 hours, 9 minutes (L-6 hours, 39 minutes) and counting.

The initiation of gaseous nitrogen flow to the launch vehicle has started. This changes the environmental control systems to supply conditioned nitrogen gas rather than air to the internal compartments of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the payload fairing in preparation for the transfer of cryogenic propellants and in-flight environments.

Цитировать12:14 p.m. PST (3:14 p.m. EST; 2014 UTC)

The launch pad crew has completed its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex 6 for today's mission, and the launch conductor has given the instruction for personnel to depart the site in advance of fueling operations. Liftoff remains scheduled for about five-and-a-half hours from now.

Цитировать12:34 p.m. PST (3:34 p.m. EST; 2034 UTC)

Holdfire checks have been completed successfully, verifying the circuitry to immediately stop the countdown if the need arises.

Цитировать12:49 p.m. PST (3:49 p.m. EST; 2049 UTC) – Weather is 80% GO

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 25 minutes (L-4 hours, 55 minutes) and counting. In the pre-fueling weather briefing, conditions at Vandenberg are acceptable for proceeding into cryogenic tanking operations at Space Launch Complex 6.

Launch Weather Officer Lt. Daniel Smith from the Air Force's 30th Weather Squadron also reports that the weather outlook remains favorable for the flight of Delta IV Heavy and NROL-71 today. The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of allowable liftoff conditions, with just a few high cirrus clouds, good visibility, northerly winds of 10-15 knots and a temperature in the mid 60s F.

The only concern is the wind.

Цитировать12:59 p.m. PST (3:59 p.m. EST; 2059 UTC) -- Countdown holding

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the first of two planned, built-in holds that are scheduled in today's timeline. Each is 15-minute blocks of time that gives the countdown some margin to resolve issues or catch up on work could be running behind.

This particular hold serves as a margin before fueling operations begin. At the present time, however, all activities are on schedule and no significant problems are being addressed by the launch team.

The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать12/20/2018 00:04 Stephen Clark

The launch team has been called to stations for the start of cryogenic fueling operations.

Цитировать12/20/2018 00:14 Stephen Clark

T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and counting. A poll of the ULA team gave a unanimous "go" to resume the countdown and begin fueling the Delta 4-Heavy rocket with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

All systems are on track for liftoff of the Delta 4-Heavy rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 5:44 p.m. PST (8:44 p.m. EST; 0144 GMT).

Цитировать1:37 p.m. PST (4:37 p.m. EST; 2137 UTC) – Chilldown begins

A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen systems on the three common booster cores. This is the precursor step before filling the stages with propellant.

The three common booster cores will be loaded with 330,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen that is chilled to minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid hydrogen, along with the liquid oxygen to be loaded shortly as well, will be consumed by the three RS-68A main engines during the first minutes of the launch to exit Earth's atmosphere.

The port and starboard boosters will fire at full throttle for nearly four minutes and then separate. The center booster burns at partial thrust for most of that time in a fuel-conservation mode until the outer cores jettison, then its RS-68A engine revs up to full throttle for another minute-and-a-half of propulsion before staging.

Цитировать2:35 p.m. PST (5:35 p.m. EST; 2235 UTC)

T-minus 2 hours, 53 minutes and holding. Fueling operations are on hold while the team is troubleshooting a valve at the launch pad. A red team is being sent to Space Launch Complex 6 to manually close the valve.

Цитировать2:45 p.m. PST (5:45 p.m. EST; 2245 UTC)

And the countdown clock has been restarted.

Цитировать3:12 p.m. PST (6:12 p.m. EST; 2312 UTC) – DCSS LOX loading begins

Chilldown of the second stage liquid oxygen system is complete, and the vehicle is ready to begin receiving 4,500 gallons of LOX for launch.

Цитировать12/20/2018 02:44 Stephen Clark

T-minus 1 hour, 55 minutes. At this point in the countdown, all three of the Delta 4-Heavy's Common Booster Cores are loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Final topping and replenishment of the propellants will continue throughout the countdown until the final minutes before launch as the super-cold liquids boil off.

The countdown is ticking toward a planned built-in hold at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать12/20/2018 03:14 Stephen Clark

90 minutes until launch. Here are some statistics on tonight's mission:

[/li]
• 382nd Delta rocket launch since 1960
• 38th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
• 11th Delta 4-Heavy configuration to fly
• 58th, 59th and 60th main engine from RS-68 family launched
• 16th, 17th and 18th RS-68A main engine flown
• 8th Delta 4 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 3rd Delta 4-Heavy launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 12th classified Delta 4 for the National Reconnaissance Office
• 132nd United Launch Alliance mission since the company's formation in 2006
• 9th ULA launch this year
• 4th launch of the Delta family in 2018
• 3rd Delta 4 launch in 2018
• 10th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2018
  

Цитировать4:35 p.m. PST (7:35 p.m. EST; 2335 UTC)

Loading of the upper stage liquid hydrogen tank was just reported complete, giving us a 1.6-million-pound Delta IV Heavy rocket that is fueled for launch today.

Цитировать12/20/2018 03:39 Stephen Clark

Testing of the Delta 4-Heavy's destruct system has been accomplished. The flight termination system would be used to destroy the rocket if it veered off course after liftoff.

Цитировать4:50 p.m. PST (7:50 p.m. EST; 0050 UTC)

The launch team is setting up for flight slews, the next major milestone in the countdown. This is the steering test patterns run on the Delta IV Heavy rocket nozzles to ensure proper gimbaling during the ascent.

Цитировать4:55 p.m. PST (7:55 p.m. EST; 0055 UTC)

The standard post-fueling inspections of the rocket's outer thermal insulation is underway using launch pad cameras.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1075559137201668096)

The launch time has been adjusted slightly to 5:49pm PST (8:49 p.m. EST; 0149 UTC) that takes into account the earlier brief hold in the countdown. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash)

Цитировать12/20/2018 04:13 Stephen Clark

Tonight's launch will mark the 11th flight of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket, which stands 233 feet tall and measures 53 feet wide. It weighs around 1.6 million pounds fully fueled, and its three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines will generate 2.1 million pounds of thrust at launch.

The rocket will head away from Vandenberg on a south-southeast trajectory over the Pacific Ocean, roughly parallel to the coast of Southern California and Baja California.

The Delta 4-Heavy is made by combining three Delta 4 rocket cores together. The port and starboard boosters have shaped nose cones for better aerodynamic stability, and will jettison at T+plus 3 minutes, 56 seconds. Once the boosters are away, the center core's RS-68A engine will throttle up from a partial thrust mode to full thrust and fire until T+plus 5 minutes, 36 seconds.

The first stage core booster will separate at T+plus 5 minutes, 43 seconds, giving way to a second stage.

The second stage is powered by an RL10 engine, also built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, which will produce 24,750 pounds of thrust in the vacuum of space.

The RL10 engine will ignite at T+plus 5 minutes, 55 seconds, followed by jettison of the Delta 4's payload shroud at T+plus 6 minutes, 6 seconds.

At that point in the flight, United Launch Alliance will end its live coverage of the mission at the request of the National Reconnaissance Office, the customer on tonight's mission, due to the classified nature of the payload.

ULA and the NRO are expected to issue an update after declaring success on the launch.

Цитировать12/20/2018 04:21 Stephen Clark

The launch team is continuing to discuss a technical concern that cropped up earlier in the countdown. We'll stand by for a decision from ULA on the impact of the issue on tonight's countdown.

Цитировать12/20/2018 04:23 Stephen Clark

Pressurization of the Delta 4-Heavy's RS-68A main engine spin start system is reported complete at this time. And flight control preps are confirmed complete.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 17:40 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1075566652492734466) - 19 дек. 2018 г.

Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today's launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash). We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12/20 at 5:31pm PST.

Цитировать12/20/2018 05:19 Stephen Clark

A look at the weather forecast for tomorrow's possible launch time of 5:31 p.m. PST (8:31 p.m. EST; 0131 GMT) shows an 80 percent probability of acceptable conditions for a Delta 4 launch.

Winds will be from the northwest at 12 to 18 knots, with the possibility of a few low clouds at 200 feet, and high-level cirrus clouds. The main weather concern is with ground winds.

Цитировать20 ДЕК, 04:54
В США запуск ракеты Delta IV с разведывательным спутником отложен на сутки

Операция была отменена примерно за три минуты до запуска

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 20 декабря. /ТАСС/. Запуск тяжелой ракеты- носителя Delta IV Heavy с секретным спутником Национального управления военно-космической разведки (НУВКР) США, запланированный на среду, перенесен на сутки. Об этом сообщила американская компания United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Старт должен был состояться в 17:49 по времени Западного побережья США (04:49 четверга по мск). Операция была отменена примерно за три минуты до запуска, по какой причине, пока не разъясняется. Ранее это уже неоднократно происходило, в последний раз - 18 декабря из-за неблагоприятных погодных условий. 8 декабря отсчет был прерван за 7,5 секунды до старта.

В ULA намерены предпринять новую попытку запуска в четверг. Стартовое окно откроется в 17:31 по времени Западного побережья США (04:31 пятницы по мск).

Спойлер

Деятельность НУВКР, контролирующего разведывательные спутники США, строго засекречена. Официальной информации о предназначении спутника, который планируется запустить на орбиту, и о его стоимости нет. Название аппарата также не приводится. Официально миссия по выводу спутника на орбиту обозначена кодом NROL-71.

ULA была основана в 2006 году. Ее штаб-квартира расположена в городе Сентенниал (штат Колорадо). Компания является совместным предприятием американских авиационных корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 41 мин.41 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1075783663323897856)


The #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) was scrubbed on Dec. 19 due to elevated hydrogen levels within the port booster engine section. The team is currently reviewing all data and set the next launch attempt no earlier than Dec. 30, 2018.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185420.jpg)Marine Exchange‏ @MXSOCAL (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL/status/1076151170727464960)

Here's the latest from #Vandenberg (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vandenberg?src=hash) on the #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash): The launch is rescheduled for 12/30 with backup dates of 12/31 - 1/3/19.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 31 мин.31 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1078689263343099906)


Confirmation below from @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) that #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) on #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) has slipped to No Earlier Than 6 January from Vandenberg.

ЦитироватьULA Delta IV Heavy NROL-71 will Launch NET Jan. 6, 2019

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Dec. 28, 2018) -- The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 mission will launch no earlier than Sunday, January 6, 2019. The mission will launch from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

ЦитироватьDelta 4-Heavy launch with spy satellite pushed back to January
December 28, 2018 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145207.jpg)
A Delta 4-Heavy rocket stands at Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Dec. 19. Credit: United Launch Alliance

After unusual concentrations of hydrogen around the rocket foiled a launch attempt Dec. 19, United Launch Alliance said Friday that the company's powerful Delta 4-Heavy launcher and a U.S. government spy satellite will remain grounded in California until at least Jan. 6 as engineers troubleshoot a small fuel leak.

ULA has tried to send the Delta 4-Heavy skyward four times since Dec. 7, but technical problems and unfavorable weather have kept the rocket on its launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

A top secret payload is fastened to the top of the Delta 4-Heavy for the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government's surveillance and intelligence-gathering satellites. Analysts believe the spacecraft awaiting launch on the Delta 4-Heavy, whose mission is known only by the codename NROL-71, is likely a very high-resolution imaging satellite with an Earth-facing telescope built to collect sharp pictures of strategic sites, battlefields and other targets around the world.

The Delta 4 team called off a Dec. 7 launch attempt to investigate a glitch in the the holdfire system that would allow safety officers to abort a liftoff. On Dec. 8, the Delta 4's automatic countdown sequencer halted the clock at T-minus 7.5 seconds, just before the rocket's three RS-68A main engines were supposed to ignite.

Engineers blamed the Dec. 8 abort on "an intermittent signal from a bad monitor (that) caused an automated hold to be triggered," wrote Tory Bruno, ULA's chief executive, on Twitter.

ULA tried again to launch the Delta 4-Heavy rocket Dec. 18, but gusty winds thwarted that launch attempt.

Managers scrubbed the next try Dec. 19 after sensors detected elevated concentrations of hydrogen around the engine section on the launcher's port-side booster after fueling the Delta 4-Heavy with cryogenic liquid propellants.

The Delta 4-Heavy was filled with around 465,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the rocket's three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines, and an upper stage RL10 engine also made by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Sniffer sensors around the launch pad indicated higher-than-expected levels of hydrogen gas around the base of the rocket, prompting ULA's launch team to postpone the launch in the final minutes of the countdown.

"Very small hydrogen leak," Bruno tweeted Dec. 26. "Not dangerous in itself, but better safe than sorry."

Спойлер

Standing 233 feet (71 meters) tall, the Delta 4-Heavy is the biggest rocket in ULA's fleet of Atlas and Delta launchers. Fully fueled, the rocket weighs 1.6 million pounds and will be driven off the launch pad with 2.1 million pounds of thrust from its three main engines.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145199.jpg)
The mission patch for the NROL-71 mission. Credit: NRO

ULA initially aimed to try again to launch the Delta 4-Heavy as soon as Dec. 30, but the company said in a brief statement Sunday that the mission would be pushed back to no earlier than Jan. 6. The statement from ULA offered no details on the reason for the longer delay.

With the delay at Vandenberg, ULA will end 2018 with eight launches — five Atlas 5s, two Delta 4s and a Delta 2. ULA's rockets blasted off from Cape Canaveral five times, and from Vandenberg three times this year, including the launches of two major NASA science missions — the InSight lander to Mars on May 5 on an Atlas 5 from California, and the Parker Solar Probe on Aug. 12 aboard a Delta 4-Heavy from Florida.

Based on the movement of the Delta 4-Heavy's launch time each day — a launch window bounded by the orbit targeted by the rocket and its payload — liftoff on Jan. 6 is likely scheduled around 1:50 p.m. PST (4:50 p.m. EST; 2150 GMT).

A Falcon 9 rocket built and operated by ULA rival SpaceX was previously set for liftoff from a nearby launch pad at Vandenberg on Jan. 7 carrying 10 Iridium voice and data relay satellites, the last of a set of 75 upgraded commercial Iridium spacecraft launched by SpaceX since January 2017. Iridium CEO Matt Desch wrote Thursday on Twitter that the launch remained scheduled for Jan. 7 at 7:53 a.m. PST (10:53 a.m. EST; 1553 GMT).

The Air Force-run Western Range at Vandenberg typically requires a day or two to reconfigure safety and tracking assets between rockets, raising questions about whether the Falcon 9 launch was postponed, or if the Delta 4-Heavy on a national security mission might take priority over a commercial SpaceX launch.

In a subsequent tweet Friday after ULA's announcement, Desch wrote that he has not heard of any delays in Iridium's launch. The 10 satellites, built by Thales Alenia Space and Northrop Grumman, are at Vandenberg, fueled with maneuvering propellant, mated to their dispensers and encapsulated inside the Falcon 9's payload shroud, Desch said.

The NROL-71 and Iridium missions will be the first launches of 2019 for ULA and SpaceX.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186343.jpg)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 39 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1079814914452193286)

Vandenberg launch update:

-#SpaceX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceX?src=hash) with Iridium 8 is now 8 January due to need for a little extra time for mission prep.

-@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) Delta IV Heavy w/ #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) now understood to be delayed again for continued rocket issue. Won't make nebulous NET 6 Jan. target announced this week.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185420.jpg)Marine Exchange‏ @MXSOCAL (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL/status/1079806167071612929)

Latest information from #Vandenberg (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vandenberg?src=hash) regarding the #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash)- the rocket continues to have issues and the launch schedule is now indefinite. They expect to have an update next week. Info at Vandenberg AFB, 805/606-0002.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1080869099008376832)

Meanwhile, in "VandyLand":
...
We also understand Delta IV-H is looking to conduct a tanking test on SLC-6 today.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29920.jpg)D. Stamos/Helodriver‏ @SpacecoastPix (https://twitter.com/SpacecoastPix) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpacecoastPix/status/1080890968289624064)

Can confirm D4H is out in the open and tanking preparations underway.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwAX_95UUAAm2Kt.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185420.jpg)Marine Exchange‏ @MXSOCAL (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/MXSOCAL/status/1081258057869316096)

Here's the latest from #VandenbergAFB (https://twitter.com/hashtag/VandenbergAFB?src=hash) on the #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) launch, now scheduled for 11 January 2019 with a backup dates of 12 - 17 January 2019. Refer questions to 805-606-0002.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173797.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/173798.jpg)

ЦитироватьULA Delta IV Heavy NROL-71 Launch Date Under Review

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Jan. 5, 2019) -- The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 mission launch date is under review. A new launch date and time will be provided pending the results of additional testing.

"We continue to remedy the technical issues that caused the last scrub of the Delta IV Heavy, and are working with our partners, the National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. Air Force, to ensure that we fly when it is safe to do so," said Gary Wentz, vice president of Government and Commercial programs, "we understand that this is a high-priority mission for the nation's warfighters and we take our commitment to safety and mission assurance seriously."

ЦитироватьNewton_V пишет:
ILC-of-the-week now looking like 15 January.  National Strawberry Ice Cream Day!

Edit:  Well that didn't last long.  Forget the 15th.....  Was looking good, but no range availability for a few days.

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
63 градуса!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/32825.png)Luca‏ @LucaValeri88 (https://twitter.com/LucaValeri88) 10:32 (https://twitter.com/LucaValeri88/status/1083431335060852736) - 10 янв. 2019 г.

How is the working progress on the cores, Sir?


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 10:37 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1083432658284277760) - 10 янв. 2019 г.

В ответ @LucaValeri88 (https://twitter.com/LucaValeri88)

Almost there. Very small hydrogen leak. Stubborn to isolate. Would only manifest at cryo temps. Looks like we may have it now. Stand by for more shortly.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 19 мин.19 минут назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1085224469185130496)


LAUNCH UPDATE: The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-71 mission has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 19 from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 11:05 a.m. PST.

ЦитироватьDELTA IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH NROL-71

• Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
• Mission: NROL-71
• Launch Date: Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019
• Launch Time: 11:05 a.m. PST
• Launch Broadcast: Live commentary will begin at 10:45 a.m. PST
• Launch Location: Space Launch Complex 6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

ЦитироватьNAVAREA XII 31/2019 (19,21,22)

EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   191756Z TO 192037Z JAN, ALTERNATE 1756Z TO 2037Z
   DAILY 20 THRU 22 JAN
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 25-12N 116-54W, 25-02N 117-34W,
   26-40N 118-05W, 26-50N 117-25W.
   B. 04-41S 109-18W, 04-53S 110-04W,
   00-05N 111-16W, 00-17N 110-30W.
2. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   192001Z TO 192217Z JAN, ALTERNATE 2001Z TO 2217Z
   DAILY 20 THRU 22 JAN IN AREA BOUND BY
   41-15N 147-26W, 41-27N 146-44W,
   39-57N 146-03W, 39-46N 146-45W.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 222317Z JAN 19.

( 142116Z JAN 2019 )

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3 ч.3 часа назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1085523732779548672)


Very much looking forward to seeing this bird into its mission this weekend. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174132.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1085630166599110659)

Counting down to launch! L-3 and everything is progressing towards launch of the #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) Heavy carrying #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash), planned for 1/19 at 11:05am PST from Vandenberg AFB. The current weather outlook shows a 60% chance of favorable conditions for launch. @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing)

Цитировать17 ЯНВ, 05:26
В США запланировали запуск секретного спутника на 19 января

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 17 января. /ТАСС/. Американская компания United Launch Alliance (ULA) наметила на 19 января запуск тяжелой ракеты-носителя Delta IV Heavy с секретным спутником Национального управления военно-космической разведки (НУВКР) США.

"Старт Delta IV Heavy с NROL-71 запланирован на субботу, 19 января, с пускового комплекса номер шесть базы ВВС Ванденберг в Калифорнии", - уточнила компания на своем сайте. Время запуска - 11:05 по времени Западного побережья США (22:05 мск).

Отправку спутника в космос неоднократно переносили. В последний раз это произошло 21 декабря прошлого года.

Спойлер

Деятельность НУВКР, контролирующего разведывательные спутники США, строго засекречена. Официальной информации о предназначении спутника, который планируется запустить на орбиту, и о его стоимости нет. Название аппарата также не приводится. Официально миссия по выводу спутника на орбиту обозначена кодом NROL-71.

ULA была основана в 2006 году. Ее штаб-квартира расположена в городе Сентенниал (штат Колорадо). Компания является совместным предприятием американских авиационных корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1085904389087186945)

Looking good for this weekend. Pgo=60%. Keeping an eye on ground winds.
#NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 44 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086033089401303040)

Final preparations are underway for Saturday's flight of a #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) Heavy rocket with the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) national security mission from Vandenberg @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing). Launch is planned for 1/19, 11:05am PST. The current weather outlook shows a 70% chance of favorable conditions for launch.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1086227668503154688)

Still looking good for this weekend . Pgo at 70%. Still watching those ground winds. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

ЦитироватьJan. 18 -- LRR completed

The Launch Readiness Review at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today culminated with officials giving a unanimous "go" for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on Saturday.

The LRR, led by Lou Mangieri, ULA's NROL-71 launch director, assessed all aspects of mission readiness, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast.

At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

The launch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 UTC).

Спойлер

"We are proud to launch this critical payload in support of our nation's national security mission," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "As the nation's premiere launch provider, the teams have worked diligently to ensure continued mission success, delivering our customer's payloads to the precise orbits requested."

Weather forecasters from the Air Force's 30th Weather Squadron predict a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions for launch. The outlook includes a few high-level clouds, northerly winds of 12 to 18 knots and a temperature near 60 degrees F. The only concern for a launch weather rule violation will be winds.

United Launch Alliance will provide complete live coverage of Saturday's countdown in this blog starting at 2:15 a.m. PST (5:15 a.m. EST; 1015 UTC). Our Live Launch Updates Blog brings you official and timely information during the Delta IV Heavy rocket's countdown with automatically-refreshing updates.

Our live video webcast also can be viewed on this page starting from L-20 minutes at 10:45 a.m. PST (1:45 p.m. EST; 1845 UTC).

At the request of our customer, live mission coverage will conclude after confirmation of payload fairing jettison, which is scheduled to occur about six minutes after liftoff.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 1 ч.1 час назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086313268258385920)


We are go for launch! The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) was completed this morning. At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a unanimous "go" for launch. Follow along with all of the launch activities on our launch blog at http://bit.ly/div_nrol71 (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174278.jpg)

Цитировать

Jan. 19 Delta IV NROL-71
Live Launch Broadcast - Begins 10:45 a.m. PST

youtube.com/watch?v=DxjaRK2S7fw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxjaRK2S7fw)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184926.jpg)Kara‏ @Kara_Parks_ (https://twitter.com/Kara_Parks_) 5 ч.5 часов назад (https://twitter.com/Kara_Parks_/status/1086450081836855296)


Star woman is ready for launch tomorrow! (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125549.png) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash) #rentalcarluck (https://twitter.com/hashtag/rentalcarluck?src=hash) @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) bring your cowboy hardhat tomorrow for a launch that'll be the best in the west! #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #Vandenberg (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vandenberg?src=hash)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxPYlbXU8AAQZfb.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185452.png)AmericaSpace‏ @AmericaSpace (https://twitter.com/AmericaSpace) 8 ч.8 часов назад (https://twitter.com/AmericaSpace/status/1086408360776343552)


Setting cameras at SLC-6, as @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) moves forward for a launch attempt tomorrow of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg AFB with the classified #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) for @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc). Liftoff scheduled for Jan. 19 at 11:05am PST
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174292.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 19 мин.19 минут назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086573001124937728)


The team is on console and we're counting down to the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) launch today at 11:05 a.m. PST. Preps are underway to retract the 32-story, 13-million-pound Mobile Service Tower. Live blog: https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-nrol-71 ... (https://t.co/W9zB6LUGpw)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184968.jpg)Julia‏ @julia_bergeron (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron) 21 мин.21 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1086575237494390784)


It's @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) Day. The mobile service tower is being prepped to roll. Launch of a Delta IV Heavy carrying #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. PST from Vandenburg.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174309.jpg)

Цитировать2:35 a.m. PST (5:35 a.m. EST; 1035 UTC) -- Countdown begins

Countdown clocks have been initiated at Vandenberg for today's Delta IV Heavy launch. We are just eight-and-a-half hours away from liftoff of the triple-core rocket on a vital mission for U.S. national security.

The application of power to the avionics aboard the Delta IV Heavy rocket is beginning at the start of the countdown. The equipment will be powered up for launch day testing and final preparations for fueling operations.

For launch today at 11:05 a.m. PST, Air Force meteorologists are predicting a few high clouds, good visibility, northerly winds of 12-18 knots and a temperature near 60 degrees F.

Overall, there is a 70 percent chance of favorable launch weather, with winds the only concern.

Цитировать3:18 a.m. EST (6:18 a.m. EST; 1118 UTC)

The Delta IV Heavy rocket has been powered up for its launch on NROL-71.


3:36 a.m. EST (6:36 a.m. EST; 1136 UTC)

Guidance system testing is getting started at this point in the countdown as we continue to press ahead toward a liftoff at 11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 UTC).

Цитировать3:55 a.m. PST (6:55 a.m. EST; 1155 UTC)

Retraction of the Mobile Service Tower has begun at Space Launch Complex 6. First motion occurred at 3:54 a.m. PST (6:54 a.m. EST; 1154 UTC).

The tower was raised several inches to allow an undercarriage transport system to move the gantry to its launch position east of the rocket.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185760.jpg)Wakka‏ @wakka44 (https://twitter.com/wakka44) 12 мин.12 минут назад (https://twitter.com/wakka44/status/1086595606880178176)


Еще




H - 07h00 avant lancement #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) c/ #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) de VAFB en #Californie (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Californie?src=hash). Lien du live : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxjaRK2S7fw ... (https://t.co/Ys0Cnux9Kh)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184950.jpg)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 1 мин.1 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1086600981675044865)


It's Launch Day for #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)! The rollback of the Mobile Service Tower began earlier this morning at Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg AFB. Live status updates available at http://ulalaunch.com  (https://t.co/RLYsQiZQAD) (Photo courtesy of @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch))
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174308.jpg)

Цитировать4:40 a.m. PST (7:40 a.m. EST; 1240 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 5 hours, 55 minutes (L-6 hours 25 minutes) and counting. The mobile gantry at Space Launch Complex 6 has reached its park position, revealing the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office today.

The MST is a 32-story structure that weighs 13 million pounds. It is a critical part of the launch complex, proving the primary access and weather protection to the rocket during its stay on the launch pad, and its overhead crane system serves a vital role in vertical integration of payloads onto Delta IV rockets.

Rollback of the MST signals a major milestone early in launch day operations. Configuring launch pad systems and securing equipment will be completed over the next couple of hours before all personnel clear the site for fueling.

Activities remain on schedule for a liftoff at 11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 UTC).

ЦитироватьFirst of up to seven ULA launches this year set for Saturday
January 18, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/01/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145306.jpg)
File photo of the Delta 4-Heavy on Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The first of up to seven missions planned on United Launch Alliance's Atlas and Delta rocket fleets this year is scheduled for Saturday from California's Central Coast, when a Delta 4-Heavy is set for blastoff on a spy satellite delivery flight delayed a month to troubleshoot a hydrogen fuel leak in a booster.

Liftoff of the Delta 4-Heavy, the largest vehicle in ULA's rocket fleet, is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 GMT) Saturday from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, a military installation around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles.

There is a 70 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch, and forecasters predict the only weather concern during the countdown will be ground winds. The weather forecast worsens Sunday, when there is just a 40 percent chance of acceptable conditions for liftoff.

Saturday's countdown is set to begin eight-and-a-half hours before liftoff with power-up of the Delta 4-Heavy's flight computer, followed by testing and checkouts of the guidance and flight control systems. The mobile gantry at the SLC-6 launch pad will be retracted to reveal the 233-foot-tall (71-meter) Delta 4-Heavy, and ULA's launch team will oversee the loading of around 465,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into the rocket's three first stage boosters and upper stage.

After a final poll of the launch team during a built-in hold at T-minus 4 minutes, the countdown will tick down to launch, with the staggered one-by-one ignition of the Delta 4-Heavy's three Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engines set to begin at T-minus 7 seconds. After a health check of the engines, the Delta 4-Heavy will climb away from SLC-6 and head southeast over the Pacific Ocean, following a path roughly parallel to the coast of Southern California.

The payload launching Saturday is top secret, but it is owned by the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government's spy satellite agency. The mission is codenamed NROL-71. Outside observers believe the payload is likely a very high-resolution imaging satellite with an Earth-facing telescope built to collect sharp pictures of strategic sites, battlefields and other targets around the world.

ULA attempted to launch the Delta 4-Heavy rocket on four occasions in December, beginning with a Dec. 7 launch attempt officials called off to investigate a glitch in the the holdfire system that would allow safety officers to abort a liftoff.

On Dec. 8, the Delta 4's automatic countdown sequencer halted the clock at T-minus 7.5 seconds, just before the rocket's three RS-68A main engines were supposed to ignite.

Engineers blamed the Dec. 8 abort on "an intermittent signal from a bad monitor (that) caused an automated hold to be triggered," wrote Tory Bruno, ULA's chief executive, on Twitter.

ULA tried again to launch the Delta 4-Heavy rocket Dec. 18, but gusty winds thwarted that launch attempt.

Managers scrubbed the next try Dec. 19 after sensors detected elevated concentrations of hydrogen around the engine section on the launcher's port-side booster after fueling the Delta 4-Heavy with cryogenic liquid propellants.

ULA's launch team conducted two tanking tests on the Delta 4-Heavy on Jan. 3 and Jan. 12 to troubleshoot the hydrogen leak, and technicians removed and replaced a valve to resolve the issue, according to Julie Arnold, a company spokesperson.

Цитировать5:14 a.m. PST (8:14 a.m. EST; 1314 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 5 hours, 21 minutes (L-5 hours, 51 minutes) and counting.

The initiation of gaseous nitrogen flow to the launch vehicle has started. This changes the environmental control systems to supply conditioned nitrogen gas rather than air to the internal compartments of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the payload fairing in preparation for the transfer of cryogenic propellants and in-flight environments.

We are tracking no issues this evening. An update from the Air Force launch weather officer is coming up in about an hour.

Цитировать5:46 a.m. PST (8:46 a.m. EST; 1346 UTC)

The launch pad crew is finishing up its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex 6 for today's mission, and the launch conductor has given the instruction for personnel to begin clearing the site in advance of fueling operations. Liftoff remains scheduled for just over five hours from now.

Цитировать6:00 a.m. PST (9:00 a.m. EST; 1400 UTC)

Pre-fueling tests are underway to verify the proper functions of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen valves on all stages of the launch vehicle.

Цитировать6:20 a.m. PST (9:20 a.m. EST; 1420 UTC) -- Countdown holding

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the first of two planned, built-in holds that are scheduled in today's timeline. Each is 15-minute blocks of time that gives the countdown some margin to resolve issues or catch up on work could be running behind.

This particular hold serves as a margin before fueling operations begin. At the present time, however, all activities are on schedule and no significant problems are being addressed by the launch team.

The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 6:21 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086629635096334336) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

The #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) countdown has entered the planned hold prior to fueling operations. Weather forecasters continue to indicate a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions for liftoff at 11:05 am PST today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Цитировать6:33 a.m. PST (9:33 a.m. EST; 1433 UTC) – GO for fueling

A readiness poll of the launch team by Launch Conductor Dillon Rice, with concurrence of ULA Launch Director Lou Mangieri has authorized cryogenic tanking operations to begin as the countdown continues this morning. The Delta IV Heavy rocket will be loaded with approximately 465,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen over the next couple of hours.

Цитировать6:35 a.m. PST (9:35 a.m. EST; 1435 UTC) -- Countdown resumes

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and counting. The next phase of today's launch countdown has been initiated on schedule as we continue to target 11:05 a.m. PST (2:05 p.m. EST; 1905 UTC) for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on NROL-71.

Preparatory steps for fueling are being kicked off, including liquid hydrogen storage tank pressurization and charging the helium bottles on the three common booster cores and second stage.

Цитировать7:16 a.m. PST (10:16 a.m. EST; 1516 UTC)

The fueling specialist in the launch control room confirms that liquid hydrogen is flowing into the Delta IV Heavy rocket at the Space Launch Complex 6 pad.

ЦитироватьA note about our coverage:

For decades the news media has been provided with audio feeds to enable coverage of the countdown and ascents of U.S. launch vehicles. We were very disappointed to learn on Friday that United Launch Alliance has decided to change this practice for its launches.

A ULA spokeswoman said the company had performed an evaluation of its provision of audio lines and had decided to discontinue them.

For this current mission the company will permit audio feeds to be released two hours prior to liftoff. This will prevent independent coverage of the crucial fueling phase of the countdown.

After this launch no uninterrupted, clean audio from the launch control center will be released to the news media in realtime. Unless alternatives are offered, the only source of information on the countdown will be from ULA's corporate communications department via its website and social media accounts.

Spaceflight Now hopes United Launch Alliance will reverse this decision but unless they do we are no longer able offer the accurate, timely and impartial coverage of ULA launches that you have come to expect.

This decision by United Launch Alliance does not affect our coverage of other launch companies.

Цитировать7:55 a.m. PST (10:55 a.m. EST; 1555 UTC)

The common booster core liquid oxygen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode. The LOX is chilled to minus-298 degrees F.

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/909858754513928193/2hkA7hrh_bigger.jpg)Rome Strach‏ @romn8tr (https://twitter.com/romn8tr) 17:20 (https://twitter.com/romn8tr/status/1086433305329786880) - 18 янв. 2019 г

Can you discuss hardware issue?

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 7:18 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1086644136575303680) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

В ответ @romn8tr (https://twitter.com/romn8tr)

Valve. Very small hydrogen leak, but only at cryo temps. Removed and replaced. Verified. Probably would have been fine, but we don't take those kind of risks.

Цитировать8:17 a.m. PST (11:17 a.m. EST; 1617 UTC)

This is Delta Launch Control. We have finished the "fast-fill" loading mode for the three common booster core liquid hydrogen tanks, and the post-fueling checks and valve tests are underway before topping commences.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 14 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1086666710424313856)

Tanking. No issues. Board is green. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

Цитировать01/19/2019 20:09 Stephen Clark

At this point in the countdown, the Delta 4-Heavy's Common Booster Core first stages have been filled with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Filling of the second stage continues with its supply of cryogenic fluids.

Цитировать9:14 a.m. PST (12:14 p.m. EST; 1714 UTC)

The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage has been loaded with its liquid hydrogen fuel supply. The propellant, along with liquid oxygen that continues to be filled, will be consumed by the stage's RL10B-2 engine.

Цитировать9:30 a.m. PST (12:30 p.m. EST; 1730 UTC)

The standard post-fueling inspections of the rocket's outer thermal insulation is underway using launch pad cameras.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185442.jpg)Gene J. Mikulka‏ @genejm29 (https://twitter.com/genejm29) 25 мин.25 минут назад (https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1086669688661336066)


Via .@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) - A "Family Portrait " of the United Launch Alliance #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash). A DeltaIV Heavy is set to cary a .@NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) payload #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) to orbit from Vandenberg AFB Today at 11:05 AM PST (7:05 PM GMT)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174320.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185442.jpg)Gene J. Mikulka‏ @genejm29 (https://twitter.com/genejm29) 11 мин.11 минут назад (https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1086673012995309568)


Via .@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) A look at the typical #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) Process Flow at Space Launch Complex 6, Vandenberg Air Force Base. A Delta IV Heavy is set to carry a .@NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) payload, #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) , to orbit at 11:05 AM PST (7:05 PM GMT ) today 1/19/19
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174322.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185442.jpg)Gene J. Mikulka‏ @genejm29 (https://twitter.com/genejm29) 6 мин.6 минут назад (https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1086674414442373120)


Via .@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) a look at what it takes to encapsulate a payload on the #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) at Vandenberg Air Force Base. A Delta IV Heavy stands ready to send the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) payload for the .@NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) into orbit today 1/19/19 at 11:05 AM PST (7:05 PM GMT)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174326.jpg)

Цитировать01/19/2019 20:35 Stephen Clark

90 minutes until launch. Here are some statistics on tonight's mission:

[/li]
• 382nd Delta rocket launch since 1960
• 38th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
• 11th Delta 4-Heavy configuration to fly
• 58th, 59th and 60th main engine from RS-68 family launched
• 16th, 17th and 18th RS-68A main engine flown
• 8th Delta 4 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 3rd Delta 4-Heavy launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 12th classified Delta 4 for the National Reconnaissance Office
• 132nd United Launch Alliance mission since the company's formation in 2006
• 1st ULA launch in 2019
• 1st Delta 4 launch in 2019
• 2nd launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2019
  

Цитировать01/19/2019 20:40 Stephen Clark

The swing arm system at Space Launch Complex-6 is being configured to launch mode at this time.

Цитировать01/19/2019 20:49 Stephen Clark

Testing of the flight termination system is reported complete by ULA's launch team.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1086683952553684992)

Wind is creeping up. Everybody think calm thoughts. #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

Цитировать01/19/2019 21:12 Stephen Clark

The launch team is now evaluating a reading from a leak detector on the port side of the Delta 4's launch table at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186075.jpg)Walter Scriptunas II‏ @scriptunasphoto (https://twitter.com/scriptunasphoto) 10:10 (https://twitter.com/scriptunasphoto/status/1086687331304656897) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket emerges from the Mobile Service Tower at Space Launch Complex - 6, early this morning. Launch is set for 11:05am PST, 2:05pm EST.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174327.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174328.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174329.jpg)

[свернуть]

Цитировать01/19/2019 21:30 Stephen Clark

The launch team is loading tonight's trajectory file into the Delta 4's guidance computer, called the Inertial Navigation and Control Assembly. This steering profile accounts for the upper level winds measured high in the atmosphere by a series of weather balloons sent aloft during the countdown.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086694595138748416)

The current weather forecast shows 40% favorable for an on-time launch due to ground winds.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 10:51 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086697564215234560) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

At customer request, #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) live coverage will wrap after confirmation of payload fairing jettison, ~6 mins after liftoff #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 11:04 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086700866105630720) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Launch is planned to occur at 11:10 a.m. PST.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/222542.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 6 с.6 секунд назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1086707358645002241)


NROL-71 should now be in low orbit. If, as Ted Molczan has suggested, this is a new LEO imaging satellite based on KH-11/CRYSTAL heritage, the payload will now have separated and the second stage will make a deorbit burn. If it's a radar, a second burn to circ orbit will be due

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:
Пуск!!!

Цитироватьpnetmon пишет:
А сайт типа опять висит :cry:

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184964.jpg)Jack Beyer‏ @thejackbeyer (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer) 11:26 (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1086706422782427137) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Liftoff of #DetlaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DetlaIVHeavy?src=hash) from VAFB in California, carrying a classified payload into orbit for @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc). @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174334.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174333.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174332.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29925.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 11:45 (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1086711244726235137) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Delta IV Heavy launches NROL-71 from Vandenberg.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174338.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174339.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174340.jpg)

ЦитироватьDelta IV Heavy launches NROL-71

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

Опубликовано: 19 янв. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184981.jpg)www.SpaceWatch.US (KM0MMM)‏ @KM0MMM (https://twitter.com/KM0MMM) 4 мин.4 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/KM0MMM/status/1086704436230074368)


Space Watch : Liftoff of United Launch Alliance's Delta 4-Heavy rocket launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with a US government spy satellite. #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) #BreakingNews (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash) #BREAKING (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174312.jpg)

ЦитироватьJan. 19 Delta IV NROL-71 Live Launch Broadcast - Begins 10:45 a.m. PST

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Трансляция началась 75 минут назад

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 11:38 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086709493327491072) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

First look at launch! #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174336.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg)Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 17 мин.17 минут назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1086712779120300033)


Еще




The NROL-71 designation applies to the launch on behalf of the NRO; the satellite itself will be designated USA 290 once in orbit.

ЦитироватьРакета Delta IV с разведывательным спутником стартовала с базы ВВС США в Калифорнии
НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 19 января. /ТАСС/. Американская компания United Launch Alliance осуществила в субботу запуск тяжелой ракеты-носителя Delta IV Heavy с секретным спутником Национального управления военно-космической разведки (НУВКР) США. Трансляция старта с базы ВВС США Ванденберг (штат Калифорния) ведется на сайте ULA.
Пуск произошел с задержкой на пять минут в 11:10 по времени Западного побережья США (22:10 мск). Это было обусловлено сильным ветром. Погода благоприятствовала старту лишь на 40%.
"Подтверждаем отделение двух ускорителей. Это произошло через четыре минуты после старта", - уточнили в центре управления полетом во время трансляции. Первая фаза миссии прошла успешно, через шесть минут после пуска трансляция была прервана ввиду секретности. Отправку спутника в космос неоднократно переносили. В последний раз это произошло 21 декабря прошлого года.
Деятельность НУВКР, контролирующего разведывательные спутники США, строго засекречена. Официальной информации о предназначении спутника, который планируется запустить на орбиту, и о его стоимости нет. Название аппарата также не приводится. Официально миссия по выводу спутника на орбиту обозначена кодом NROL-71.
Delta IV Heavy является модифицированной тяжелой версией обычной ракеты-носителя Delta IV. Она оснащена двумя дополнительными ускорителями, которые крепятся по бокам к основному сегменту. Ракета способна выводить на геостационарную орбиту груз массой до 14,2 тонны, на низкую околоземную орбиту - до 28,8 тонны.
ULA была основана в 2006 году. Ее штаб-квартира расположена в городе Сентенниал (штат Колорадо). Компания является совместным предприятием американских авиационных корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29925.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 12:29 (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1086722451801686016) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Delta IV Heavy impressions:
- Very slow to get off the pad (lots of time to see it up close)
- Not as loud as I was expecting
- Visually very spectacular (much better than F9)

ЦитироватьНа орбиту Земли выведен американский разведывательный спутник
 Вашингтон. 19 января. ИНТЕРФАКС - Тяжелая ракета-носитель Delta IV Heavy в субботу вывела на орбиту спутник в интересах Национального управления военно-космической разведки США, сообщила компания United Launch Alliance.
 Старт ракеты, который первоначально должен был состояться 8 декабря прошлого года и неоднократно переносился из-за технических проблем, был осуществлен компанией с пускового комплекса 6 на авиабазе ВВС США Ванденберг в штате Калифорния.
 United Launch Alliance является совместным предприятием корпораций "Боинг" и "Локхид Мартин", которое осуществляет запуски в интересах американского разведывательного сообщества.
 Сведения о секретном спутнике официально не раскрываются. Однако, по имеющимся данным, на эллиптическую полярную орбиту будет выведен очередной разведывательный спутник KH-11 Key Hole ("Замочная скважина" ) с оптико-электронной аппаратурой. Основная задача спутника заключается в передаче разведывательному сообществу США в реальном режиме времени изображений с ультравысоким разрешением.
 Теоретическая разрешающая способность аппаратуры спутника KH-11 составляет приблизительно 15 см. Его главное зеркало имеет диаметр 2,4 метра - такое же, как на американском космическом телескопе "Хаббл", который в свое время был создан компанией "Локхид Мартин" на основе разведывательного спутника KH-11. По размерам он также напоминает "Хаббл" и имеет длину 19,5 метров, диаметр - около 3 метров.
 На данный момент в составе американской орбитальной группировки уже имеются четыре спутника типа KH-11. По имеющимся данным, стоимость одного спутника составляет $2 млрд.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 12:47 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1086726776192024576) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Mission success! ULA's #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) launches the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) mission for the @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) http://bit.ly/div_nrol71  (https://t.co/wLoggekye0)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174352.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 12:45 (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1086726467046834177) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

NROL-71 successful S/C Sep!

ARTICLE:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/01/ula-delta-iv-heavy-set-to-launch-nrol-71/ ... (https://t.co/tcWXDS7T35)
- by William Graham.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125427.png)@thejackbeyer (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174351.jpg)

Цитировать

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-71 in Support of National Security

Delta IV NROL-71 Mission Information Page (https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-nrol-71)
Photos: Delta IV NROL-71 (https://flic.kr/s/aHsmtgeXXF)

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., (Jan. 19, 2019) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a critical payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) denoted NROL-71 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on Jan. 19 at 11:10 a.m. PST. The mission is in support of our country's national defense.
 
"Congratulations to our team and mission partners for successfully delivering this critical asset to support national security missions," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs, "thank you to the entire team for their perseverance, ongoing dedication and focus on 100% mission success."
 
The Delta IV Heavy is the nation's proven heavy lift launch vehicle, delivering high-priority missions for the National Reconnaissance Office, U.S. Air Force and NASA. With its advanced upper stage, the Delta IV Heavy can take more than 14,000 pounds directly to geosynchronous orbit, as well as a wide variety of complex interplanetary trajectories.
 
The mission launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy, comprised of three common booster cores each powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine producing a combined total of more than 2.1 million pounds of thrust. The second stage was powered by an AR RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine.
 
NROL-71 is ULA's first launch in 2019 and 132nd successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006. 
 
ULA's next launch is the WGS-10 mission for the U.S. Air Force on a Delta IV rocket. The launch is scheduled for March 13, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the world's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 130 satellites to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, and support life-saving technology.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184950.jpg)NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) 13:15 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1086733954147803136) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Launch Success: An NRO payload was successfully launched aboard a @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) rocket from Space Launch Complex-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), California, at 11:10 a.m. PST, on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019. (ULA photo)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174331.jpg)


13:15 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1086733955838005248) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

"We are very happy to have achieved another successful launch in support of our country's national security mission," said Colonel Matthew Skeen, USAF, Director, NRO Office of Space Launch.


13:15 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1086733956639125504) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

"This launch, like the ones that have come before, represents years of hard work and dedication from our government and industry team members and serves as a true testament to the meaning of teamwork," Skeen said.


13:15 (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1086733957444452353) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

We thank each and every one of our team members for their commitment to helping place this critical space asset on orbit. @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) @30thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing) @AFSpace (https://twitter.com/AFSpace) @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC)

ЦитироватьULA - Delta Heavy - NROL- 71 - Launched from SLC-6 at 11:10am.

Jay DeShetler (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxK2xRWY2jsE4vDmaMuopUg)

Опубликовано: 19 янв. 2019 г.

Цитировать20 ЯНВ, 01:00
Секретный спутник США успешно выведен в космос

Старт тяжелой ракеты-носителя Delta IV Heavy с аппаратом состоялся на базе ВВС США Ванденберг в 22:10 мск

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 20 января. /ТАСС/. Секретный спутник Национального управления военно-космической разведки (НУВКР) США успешно выведен в космос. Об этом сообщила в субботу на своем сайте (https://www.ulalaunch.com/) компания United Launch Alliance (ULA).

"Поздравляем нашу команду и наших партнеров с успешной доставкой актива, имеющего критически важное значение для дальнейших миссий по обеспечению национальной безопасности", - отметил в распространенном заявлении вице-президент программы государственных и коммерческих полетов ULA Гэри Вентц.

Старт тяжелой ракеты-носителя Delta IV Heavy с аппаратом состоялся на базе ВВС США Ванденберг (штат Калифорния) в 22:10 мск. Как уточнила ULA, миссия стала 132-м успешным запуском с момента учреждения компании в декабре 2006 года, 38-м запуском Delta IV с 2002 года и 11-м запуском тяжелой модификации этой ракеты.

Следующий запуск носителя Delta IV запланирован на 13 марта и состоится с космодрома на мысе Канаверал (штат Флорида).

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Орбита пока не известна?

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184900.jpg)Dr Marco Langbroek‏ @Marco_Langbroek (https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1086704334245675010)

NROL-71 is on its way, placing a classified spy satellite into a 74-degree inclind Low Earth Orbit.

The Northern hemisphere has no optical visibility for a while to come, so for the moment it is down to our radio trackers.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184964.jpg)Jack Beyer‏ @thejackbeyer (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer) 14:53 (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1086758495523721216) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

4 out of 5 of my remote cameras worked. Here's some quick field edits! #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) @NatReconOfc (https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc) @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174357.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174355.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174356.jpg)


14:54 (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1086758796406382593) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Ignition!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174359.jpg)


14:59 (https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1086760035726708736) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Go Delta!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174360.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 15:10 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1086762959336964096) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

132

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29925.jpg)Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1086765580177133568)

My close-up shot of Delta IV Heavy sending NROL-71 into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174330.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/32932.jpg)Scott Tilley‏ @coastal8049 (https://twitter.com/coastal8049) 16:02 (https://twitter.com/coastal8049/status/1086775955400536064) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Confirmation of #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) payload is alive and operating on SGLS9 consistent with optical/SAR imaging missions.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35114.png)Cees Bassa‏ @cgbassa (https://twitter.com/cgbassa) 15:51 (https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1086773094864351233) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

The classified satellite launched on #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) four and a half hours ago passed over Europe just now and is transmitting at 2242.5MHz. This behaviour is very similar to previous electro-optical spy satellites. The Doppler curve is consistent with a 74 deg inclination orbit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174347.png)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184900.jpg)Dr Marco Langbroek‏ @Marco_Langbroek (https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek) 16:07 (https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1086777166753341440) - 19 янв. 2019 г.

Radio trackers have picked up the #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) payload already. It indeed is in a 74-degree Low Earth Orbit.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35114.png)Cees Bassa‏ @cgbassa (https://twitter.com/cgbassa) 21 мин.21 минуту назад (https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1087046184592703493)


Еще




Why #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) uses a 74 degree inclination is unclear. @Marco_Langbroek (https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek) suggested that it might be related to the 106 degree inclination of the 5th FIA radar (https://bit.ly/2RGtrej  (https://t.co/aBfidSelhl)), as 180 deg - 106 deg = 74 deg. However, the precession rates of both orbits are wildly different.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35114.png)Cees Bassa‏ @cgbassa (https://twitter.com/cgbassa) 5 мин.5 минут назад (https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1087050231437553665)


Еще




Time will tell if this elliptical orbit will describe future Doppler curves. It may not. Regardless, it's clear that an elliptical orbit is a better description that a circular one. This, combined with the ground locking, leads me to conclude that #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash) is an optical spy sat.

ЦитироватьDelta IV Heavy NROL-71 Launch Highlights

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 19 янв. 2019 г.

Lift off of a ULA Delta IV Heavy carrying a critical payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, NROL-71. The Delta IV Heavy lifted off from Space Launch Complex 6 on Jan. 19, 2019 at 11:10 a.m. PST.

ЦитироватьULA - Delta IV Heavy - NROL-71 - 4K wide angle w/ high fidelity audio, wait for the end!

Jay DeShetler (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxK2xRWY2jsE4vDmaMuopUg)

Опубликовано: 19 янв. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьDelta IV Heavy NROL-71 successfully launched
30th Space Wing Public Affairs / Published January 19, 2019

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143375.jpg)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143379.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143376.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143377.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143378.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143374.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143381.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143382.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143380.jpg)(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143373.jpg)

[свернуть]

Team Vandenberg supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Space Launch Complex-6 here, Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11:10 am PST. (U.S. Air Force photo by Michael Peterson/Released)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
Team Vandenberg supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Space Launch Complex-6 here, Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11:10 am PST.

Col. Bob Reeves, 30th Space Vice Wing commander, was the space launch commander.

"Congratulations to the 30th Space Wing, United Launch Alliance and the National Reconnaissance Office for a successful mission," said Reeves. "The entire team worked diligently to ensure mission assurance, public safety, and mission success on the Western Range."

This mission was launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy configuration Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The EELV program was established by the U.S. Air Force to provide assured access to space for Department of Defense and other government payloads.

ЦитироватьVandenberg successfully launches Delta IV Heavy NROL-71
30th Space Wing Public Affairs
Jan. 19, 2019 | 1:05

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Team Vandenberg supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload from Space Launch Complex-6 here, Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11:10 am PST.

ЦитироватьDelta 4-Heavy rocket launches U.S. spy satellite into unusual orbit
January 19, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/01/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145307.jpg)
A Delta 4-Heavy rocket, comprising three hydrogen-fueled first stage boosters connected together, lifted off at 11:10 a.m. PST (2:10 p.m. EST; 1910 GMT) Saturday fr om Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Credit: United Launch Alliance

A top secret surveillance payload owned by the National Reconnaissance Office soared into space Saturday fr om Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on top of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket, entering an unusual orbit not previously used by the U.S. government's spy satellite fleet.

The mysterious spacecraft lifted off at 11:10 a.m. PST (2:10 p.m. EST; 1910 GMT) Saturday aboard the Delta 4-Heavy fr om picturesque Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg, a military base around 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

Running more than a month late after a series of scrubbed launch attempts in December, the 233-foot-tall (71-meter) rocket lit its three hydrogen-fueled Aerojet Rocketdyne-built RS-68A main engines in a stepwise fashion in the final seconds of Saturday's countdown. After clearing a health and readiness check from the Delta 4's countdown control computer, the engines powered the launcher off the pad at the southern edge of the rugged military base overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The rocket headed south-southeast from the West Coast spaceport over the Pacific, following a trajectory that roughly paralleled the cost of Southern California, according to pre-flight hazard notices warning airplanes and ships to stay away from downrange drop zones for the Delta 4-Heavy's first stage boosters.

The rocket's twin side boosters shut down and jettisoned from the core stage around four minutes into the mission. The center core's RS-68A engine throttled up from a fuel-saving partial thrust mode to full thrust and fired until around T+plus 5 minutes, 36 seconds.

A few seconds later, the first stage core booster separated, giving way to the Delta 4's second stage powered by an RL10 engine, also burning hydrogen fuel and built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Just after the mission's six-minute mark, the Delta 4's two-piece nose shroud separated in a clamshell-like motion after the rocket reached space, wh ere the payload's protective aerodynamic shield was no longer required.

At that point, ULA ended its live video broadcast of the flight at the request of the NRO, and the rest of the mission occurred under a veil of secrecy.

ULA issued a press release around 90 minutes after liftoff to confirm the successful conclusion of the mission, which was codenamed NROL-71.

Спойлер

"Congratulations to our team and mission partners for successfully delivering this critical asset to support national security missions," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of government and commercial programs, in a post-launch press release. "Thank you to the entire team for their perseverance, ongoing dedication and focus on 100 percent mission success."

This was the first of up to seven ULA flights on the books this year, and the 132nd ULA mission since the company formed in 2006 with the merger of the Atlas and Delta rocket programs developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. All of the launches in the ULA era have been successful.

"We are very happy to have achieved another successful launch in support of our country's national security mission," said Air Force Col. Matthew Skeen, director of the NRO office of space launch, in a statement. "This launch, like the ones that have come before, represents years of hard work and dedication from our government and industry team members and serves as a true testament to the meaning of teamwork."

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145302.jpg)
The Delta 4-Heavy fires away from Vandenberg. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The identity, purpose and orbit of the payload launched Saturday have been kept secret by the NRO, which owns the U.S. government's spy satellite fleet, supplying imagery and data to intelligence agencies and the military.

But expert observers who carefully track satellite activity surmise the spacecraft likely entered an orbit several hundred miles above Earth, at an inclination of around 74 degrees to the equator, based on information in the public domain about the rocket's course after launch, and the location in the Pacific Ocean wh ere the Delta 4's upper stage was expected to deorbit and re-enter the atmosphere.

The Delta 4-Heavy rocket, the largest vehicle in ULA's inventory, had only flown twice from Vandenberg before Saturday — once in 2011 and another time in 2013. Those missions are believed by analysts to have delivered new Keyhole, or KH-11, electro-optical reconnaissance satellites to orbit.

When the NRO announced the next Delta 4-Heavy mission from Vandenberg, observers expected the rocket to loft a new optical imaging satellite to join the others in higher-inclination sun-synchronous orbits tailored for regular, repeatable observations of strategic sites, military installations and other targets of interest to U.S. intelligence agencies.

The KH-11 satellites are essentially bus-sized telescopes peering down on Earth, with primary mirrors measuring 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) across, the same size as the mirror on the Hubble Space Telescope. The ultra-sharp, very-high-resolution imagery produced by such satellites is believed to be unparalleled, and the spy craft relay their observations to the ground via the NRO's dedicated network of communications satellites.

The Delta 4-Heavy missions in 2011 and 2013 deployed gap-filler KH-11-type satellites to continue supplying the government with reconnaissance imagery after the NRO canceled a contract with Boeing for a replacement line of optical imaging craft as part of the Future Imagery Architecture program.

Keyhole satellites before 2011 launched on Titan rockets from Vandenberg.

The NRO eventually sel ected Lockheed Martin — the same company that built the past generation of KH-11 satellites — to construct at least two new-generation spacecraft, introducing new technology and other upgrades into the spy satellite constellation.

The new electro-optical surveillance satellites, sometimes called KH-11 Block 5, have the same 2.4-meter mirror diameter as the earlier Keyhole-type Earth-imaging platforms, according to past public statements by government officials.

[свернуть]

The direction of Saturday's launch toward the south-southeast, first revealed in advance of the Delta 4-Heavy's first launch attempt last month, threw a wrinkle in analysts' predictions about the payload's identity. The unexpected orbit targeted by the Delta 4-Heavy raised speculation that the rocket might carry a radar imaging satellite, or perhaps a stealthy payload designed to evade tracking from the ground.

But Ted Molczan, a leader in the global community of hobbyists who expertly monitor satellite movements, still believes the most likely candidate for the payload launched Saturday is the first in the U.S. government's new line of sharp-eyed optical imaging birds.

"I have long expected NROL-71 to launch the first Block 5 KH-11, and that has been the consensus among others who have expressed their opinion," Molczan wrote in an online forum wh ere the satellite tracking community discusses their observations.

There are no other known hefty satellites in the NRO's pipeline that require the Delta 4-Heavy's lift capability, and the timing of the launch is consistent with when a new program formally started in 2012 could be ready for flight, Molczan wrote.

The NRO also began launching modernized data relay satellites in 2016, a step taken just before the first launch of each new generation of Keyhole-type satellites dating back nearly 30 years, according to Molczan.

He added that the "radical change" in orbit maybe explained by desire or need by intelligence agencies "for imagery taken under more varied illumination conditions than occur with a (sun-synchronous orbit)."

Satellites in sun-synchronous orbits view their imaging targets at the same time every day, under the same solar lighting conditions. Viewing from a different orbit would allow imaging with the sun at different angles, enabling the satellites to spot changing shadows and other characteristics.

Marco Langbroek, an archaeologist who also tracks satellites in the Netherlands, suggested the NROL-71 payload could be a radar satellite, which typically fly in orbits with big tilts against the equator, but not in sun-synchronous orbit.

Trackers around the world will attempt to locate the satellite with visual and radio observations to compare its behavior with the NRO's other spy craft.

Observers in Europe said they detected radio signals fr om the new satellite a few hours after launch Saturday, which confirmed the satellite was in a low Earth orbit inclined 74 degrees to the equator, as predicted.

"NROL-71 appears to be the first in a new block of 'something,'" Langbroek wrote on his website

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет: 
По сабжу прогноз TLE на SatObs от Ted Molczan - http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Jan-2019/0097.html 

Цитировать

ЦитироватьMy close-up shot of Delta IV Heavy sending NROL-71 into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash) #DeltaIVHeavy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIVHeavy?src=hash) #NROL71 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NROL71?src=hash)
 

ЦитироватьRocket Cam: Delta IV NROL-71

United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 8 февр. 2019 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) (https://mobile.twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno @torybruno (https://mobile.twitter.com/torybruno) · 22 ч (https://mobile.twitter.com/torybruno/status/1097902964306395136)

It's the 1 month anniversary of NROL71. So, here's another bullseye for your enjoyment.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/174925.jpg) (https://mobile.twitter.com/torybruno/status/1097902964306395136/photo/1)

ЦитироватьULA - Delta IV Heavy - NROL - 71 - Classified Payload - 4K Format

Jay DeShetler (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxK2xRWY2jsE4vDmaMuopUg)

Опубликовано: 6 мар. 2019 г.

Multi-views from my remote cameras and long range camera w/ high fidelity audio recorder onsite.