Форум Новости Космонавтики

ЦитироватьGPS III Space Vehicle 02 "Magellan" arrives in Florida; Prepares for July launch
SMC Public Affairs / Published March 20, 2019

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143388.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143387.jpg)
GPS III Space Vehicle 02 "Magellan" arrives in Florida in preparation for its July launch from Cape Canaveral Air force Station. Named in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, was transported in a custom container from the Lockheed Martin factory facility in Waterton, Colorado to the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, by a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, West Virginia. (US Air Force Photo: Lt. Daniel Eichman)

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center's Global Positioning Systems Directorate achieved another major program milestone March 19, successfully delivering the second GPS III Space Vehicle to Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida to begin satellite launch processing.

 "The shipment of this second GPS III satellite is once again an excellent representation of the collaborative effort and increasing efficiencies of SMC's push towards rapid acquisitions and operations of space technologies," said Lt Gen John F. Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. "We are adding this second GPS III satellite just seven months from the launch of the inaugural Block III space vehicle, continuing our objective of modernizing GPS."

The satellite, dubbed "Magellan" in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, was transported in a custom container from the Lockheed Martin factory facility in Waterton, Colorado to the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, by a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, West Virginia, 167th Air Lift Wing. The transportation crew consisted of both contractor and government personnel who oversaw the entire operation to ensure that the conditions of the transport environment would not damage any of the satellite's sensitive components.

The delivery of SV02 starts the clock for final testing and checkout of the spacecraft prior to launch. Like SV01, this satellite will be processed at the Astrotech Space Operations Florida facility. A government and contractor team will ensure the full functionality of the satellite by performing various tests. Processing this time around will gain efficiencies from lessons learned on SV01. As the spacecraft nears launch, the team will prepare for propellant loading and will encapsulate the satellite into its protective fairing supplied by the launch provider. At the completion of these activities, the satellite will be integrated with the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Delta IV launch vehicle. It is significant to note that GPS III SV02 will be the final payload to catch a ride on the Delta IV (4, 2) configuration of ULA's Launch Vehicle.

 "As we prepare to launch this second GPS III satellite, we acknowledge a major transition of the GPS III program into a production program." said Col. Steve Whitney, director of the GPS Directorate. "Having successfully launched our 'Satellite of Firsts,' Vespucci, last December; we now look forward to a more regular pace of launches with this one and several more just on the horizon, as we continue to uphold the Gold Standard in space based position, navigation, and timing."

GPS III SV02 is currently slated to launch in July this year. Once on-orbit it will join the operational constellation of 31 GPS satellites. GPS delivers the world's gold standard in positioning, navigation, and timing services supporting vital U.S. and allied operations worldwide, underpinning critical financial, transportation, and agricultural infrastructure that billions of users have come to depend on daily.

ЦитироватьCape Canaveral preparing for key military launches
by Sandra Erwin (https://spacenews.com/author/sandra-erwin/) — April 24, 2019

The Air Force 45th Space Wing is gearing up for three high-profile space launches at Cape Canaveral over the coming months. If all goes as planned, ... will fly ... the second vehicle of the Global Positioning System-3 constellation in July.

Lockheed Martin ... also completed the checkout testing of the $568 million GPS-3 SV-2 in anticipation of a July 25 launch.
...
GPS 3 SV-2
The second vehicle of the GPS 3 constellation will be the last mission flown by ULA's Delta 4 Medium "single stick" configuration with one common core booster. The company is taking the vehicle out of service as it moves to cut costs. Johnathon Caldwell, program manager for Lockheed Martin's navigation systems, said the company wrapped up checkout testing in Florida in late March and won't resume operations until May when preparations will begin for satellite fueling and integration with the Delta 4 fairing.

ЦитироватьDELTA IV TO LAUNCH GPS III SV-2

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220056.jpg)

• Rocket: Delta IV Medium+ (4,2)
• Mission: Global Positioning System III SV-2
• Launch Date: Thursday, July 25, 2019
• Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Mission Information: United Launch Alliance will use an Delta IV rocket to launch the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. GPS III represents the next step in modernization of the worldwide navigation network with a new generation of advanced satellites offering improved accuracy, better anti-jam resiliency and a new signal for civil users.

Launch Notes: GPS III SV-2 will be the 29th and final flight of the Delta IV Medium rocket, the 73rd GPS launch by a ULA or heritage vehicle and marks ULA's 135th mission.

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 #GPSIII.
 
Go Delta Go GPS III!

ЦитироватьLIVE UPDATES

Jun 06 15:55

Delta IV rocket moved to launch pad for GPS deployment

June 6, 2019 -- The launch campaign is underway for United Launch Alliance's final Delta IV Medium rocket, the single-stick variant that has successfully performed critical missions for nearly two decades.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_551788.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_551788.jpg)
The Delta IV rocket leaves the HIF. Photo: United Launch Alliance

First launched in 2002, Medium rockets have carried important payloads for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, National Reconnaissance Office, a generation of NOAA's geostationary weather satellites and more.

The 29th and final Medium mission this summer will launch a sophisticated new navigation satellite, nicknamed Magellan, for the U.S. military's Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation. Liftoff is scheduled for July 25.

The rocket that will launch Magellan rolled out of the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) aboard a 36-wheel, diesel-powered transporter on Tuesday, May 28 and traveled down the road to the Space Launch Complex-37. The trip took just 40 minutes.

Спойлер

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_843084.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_843084.jpg)
The Delta IV rocket travels to Space Launch Complex-37. Photo: United Launch Alliance

The fixed pad erector (FPE) hydraulically raised the rocket upright on the pad the next morning, May 29, accomplishing the milestone known as Launch Vehicle on Stand, or LVOS.

Two solid rocket motors (SRMs) that will help power the Delta IV off the pad were mated to the first stage on Friday, May 31 and Monday, June 3 to complete the initial assembly of the launch vehicle. The payload will be mounted atop the Delta IV closer to launch.

Each of the Graphite Epoxy Motors measures 60 inches in diameter and is 53 feet in length. Known as GEM-60s, both boosters will deliver over 550,000 pounds of thrust to augment the more than 705,000 pounds of thrust produced by the RS-68A main engine to power the Delta IV rocket skyward.

The SRMs and have flown 66 times to date on Delta IV rockets. This launch will mark the final flight of GEM-60s by the Delta IV program.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_962402.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_962402.jpg)
The fixed pad erector lifts the Delta IV upright. Photo: United Launch Alliance

In preparation for LVOS, the Delta IV arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station last November from the ULA factory in Decatur, Alabama. The common booster core first stage and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage underwent checkout, then the two stages were then mated in April at the HIF in preparation for rollout to the pad.

This particular rocket configuration is known as the Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) version and features a four-meter-diameter upper stage and two SRMs.

It is the most-flown of all the Delta IV Mediums, having performed half of the launches. The Medium family has provided a range of launch vehicle capabilities for the mass and orbit requirements of individual payloads.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_630420.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190606125517_630420.jpg)
The Delta IV goes vertical for continued processing. Photo: United Launch Alliance

In addition, three Mediums flew with no SRMs at all, three others used the larger five-meter upper stage and two SRMs and 8 flights incorporated a full set of four SRMs for maximum power of the Medium variant.

While the single-stick Delta IV Medium will soon launch for the final time, the triple-core Delta IV Heavy has several more flights booked on the manifest in the coming years in service to the U.S. national needs.

United Launch Alliance is developing the new Vulcan Centaur, a purpose-built rocket that will provide a modernized and affordable national security space launch solution to replace and expand the capabilities that the Delta IV and Atlas V rocket families have offered.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьFinal 'single stick' Delta 4-Medium rocket arrives at Florida launch pad
June 7, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/06/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145560.jpg)
The core of United Launch Alliance's final Delta 4-Medium rocket rolled out to Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad May 28. Credit: United Launch Alliance

Ground crews finished the initial build-up of the last "single stick" medium-lift variant of United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral last week in preparation for liftoff with a GPS navigation satellite July 25.

ULA is retiring the Delta 4-Medium rocket after next month's launch, but will continue flying the Delta 4-Heavy rocket through at least 2024 to carry clandestine payloads into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government's spy satellite fleet.

The Delta 4-Heavy uses three Delta 4 first stages connected together to loft more massive payloads into orbit, or spacecraft requiring higher-speed trajectories, while the Delta 4-Medium uses a single first stage and duplicates the capabilities offered by ULA's less expensive Atlas 5 rocket.

Positioned on a 36-wheel diesel-fueled transporter, the Delta 4's first and second stages — already mated together — emerged from ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility on May 28 for the short drive to Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad. A hydraulic lift raised the rocket vertical inside the launch pad's mobile gantry May 29, and workers installed a pair of solid-fueled boosters on each side of the orange first stage May 31 and June 3.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145561.jpg)
Credit: United Launch Alliance

The Delta 4's first and second stages, powered by hydrogen-fueled Aerojet Rocketdyne engines, were connected together inside ULA's hangar near the launch pad before last week's rollout.

The Delta 4-Medium's final launch will deliver the second in a new generation of U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System satellites into an elliptical transfer orbit ranging more than 12,000 miles (about 20,000 kilometers) from Earth at its highest altitude.

The GPS 3 SV02 navigation satellite, nicknamed "Magellan" and built by Lockheed Martin, arrived at the Florida spaceport in March for final launch preparations. It will be added atop the Delta 4 rocket closer to launch, wrapped inside the launcher's protective nose cone.

The first of the new generation of GPS satellites, named "Vespucci," launched in December aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The GPS network provides positioning and timing services worldwide for military and civilian users.

The launch, scheduled for the morning of July 25, will mark the 40th flight of a Delta 4 rocket since 2002. It will be the 29th rocket to fly in the Delta 4-Medium configuration, with variants that include zero, two, or four strap-on solid rocket boosters, and options for two different payload fairing sizes.

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145562.jpg)
The Delta 4 rocket was hoisted vertical at Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad May 29. Credit: United Launch Alliance

Originally designed and developed by Boeing, the Delta 4 rocket became part of ULA when the company was formed in 2006 by the merger of the Delta and Atlas launch vehicle divisions of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA's primary business has been in launching U.S. national security satellites, and the Air Force's policy requires two rocket families be available to carry military payloads into space, in case one of the launchers runs into reliability woes.

ULA announced in 2014 it would retire the single-stick medium-lift version of the Delta 4. SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets are now certified by the Air Force to haul national security payloads into orbit. That places the Falcon and Atlas launcher families from SpaceX and ULA in head-to-head competitions for military launch contracts until a new generation of rockets come online in the early 2020s, including ULA's Vulcan Centaur, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and Northrop Grumman's planned OmegA system.

The Delta 4 the more expensive of ULA's two rocket families, hence the company's decision to retire it, and not the Atlas 5. But the Delta 4-Heavy variant will remain operational at least five more years. The National Reconnaissance Office, using the Air Force as a contracting agent, has purchased five more Delta 4-Heavy missions through 2024.

[свернуть]

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg)AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1138936288277458944)

GPS III SV02 launch window opens at 10:55 a.m. EDT Jul. 25 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
#SpaceStartsHere (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceStartsHere?src=hash) #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #SMC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SMC?src=hash) #LAAFB (https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAAFB?src=hash) #AFSPC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFSPC?src=hash) #USAF (https://twitter.com/hashtag/USAF?src=hash) #45SW (https://twitter.com/hashtag/45SW?src=hash) #Driveto48 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Driveto48?src=hash) #EpicSpeed (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpicSpeed?src=hash) #Magellan (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Magellan?src=hash) #GPSIIILaunchDay (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIILaunchDay?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/161861.jpg)

ЦитироватьSMC Ready for Summer of Launch Liftoff
SMC Public Affairs / Published June 18, 2019

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
Summer of 2019 heralds "Summer of Launch" for the Space and Missile Systems Center, the nation's launch vehicle procurer of choice. SMC leads the Department of Defense launch community as the organization celebrates its momentous milestones over a 31-day period.
...
Finally, on July 25, the GPS III SV02 mission will launch on United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Medium rocket. This will be the last "single-stick" Delta IV mission, ending a nearly two-decade-long era in which United Launch Alliance has successfully launched 24 Delta IV Mediums. Over the years the Delta IV has delivered a portfolio of critical warfighter capabilities to orbit including intelligence, military communications, defense meteorological services and GPS. These capabilities have supported the warfighter with the very best technology and information to dominate our adversaries in the land, sea, air and space domains.

The future of launch awaits!

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg)AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1141495330694815744)

Fill 'er up! It's almost GO time!: GPS III SV02 "Magellan" has reached another milestone on the road to its July launch after being loaded with 3200.9 lbs of high-purity hydrazine (N2H4) and 1559.4 lbm of oxidizer (N204).

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg)AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1146188765716721665)

GPS III SV02 successfully passed its final checkouts and was encapsulated last week at Astrotech's processing facility. One step closer to launch!
#SMC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SMC?src=hash) #SpaceStartsHere (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpaceStartsHere?src=hash) #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #LAAFB (https://twitter.com/hashtag/LAAFB?src=hash) #AFSPC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFSPC?src=hash) #USAF (https://twitter.com/hashtag/USAF?src=hash) #45SW (https://twitter.com/hashtag/45SW?src=hash) #EpicSpeed (https://twitter.com/hashtag/EpicSpeed?src=hash) #Magellan (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Magellan?src=hash) #GPSIIILaunchDay (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIILaunchDay?src=hash) #Summeroflaunch (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Summeroflaunch?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165718.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165721.jpg)

ЦитироватьGPS III Space Vehicle 02 encapsulated ahead of planned July launch
By Space and Missile Systems Center, SMC Public Affairs / Published June 27, 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The Air Force's Lockheed Martin-built Global Positioning System III satellite was encapsulated within the United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing at Astrotech June 26 in preparation for its upcoming launch next month at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The USAF Space and Missile Systems Center, home to the vanguard of satellite acquisition professionals, and the nation's launch procurer of choice, was responsible for GPS III SV02's rigorous Mission Assurance certifications and testing leading to full launch- and mission-readiness.

Encapsulation within the payload fairing protects it against the impact of dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating during its harrowing journey through Earth's atmosphere, and supports the ability to communicate with the satellite until separation fr om the rocket on orbit.

GPS III SV02, known as "Magellan," in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, is now ready to be rolled out to its pad at Space Launch Complex-37, wh ere it will be mated with the ULA Delta IV (4,2) rocket. This will be the final launch for the Delta IV (4,2) configuration. It is scheduled for liftoff on July 25 at 10:55 a.m. EDT.

SMC conducted a rigorous source selection to ensure the Delta IV rocket met all mission requirements. SMC is responsible for all Mission Assurance analyses, which encompass technical evaluations of the products, system requirements verification and validation and examining every single piece of hardware that builds the rocket. This due diligence enables Magellan to be reliably placed on orbit to meet civilian and Warfighter communications needs.

Magellan will join the current 31-satellite operational constellation, plus one GPS III satellite currently undergoing on-orbit checkout, to continue providing the "Gold Standard" in positioning, navigation and timing services for more than four billion users worldwide. The encapsulation brings Magellan one-step closer to launch.

This second GPS III launch exemplifies SMC's transition to the new SMC 2.0 - Production Corps construct, with more satellites awaiting their ride to orbit. As the U.S. enters a new era with space as a Warfighting domain, SMC is spearheading the way with more significant U.S. acquisition agility initiatives that will drive innovation within the space enterprise and speed the delivery of crucial new capabilities to Warfighters.

Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Air Force's Center of Excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the Global Positioning System, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch, range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

###

ЦитироватьJul 17 17:44
(Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., July 17, 2019) -- The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the GPS III SV02 mission for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is delayed, due to an anomaly during component testing at a supplier which has created a cross-over concern. Upon further evaluation, additional time is needed to replace and retest the component on the launch vehicle. Launch of the GPS III SV02 mission is now targeted for no earlier than Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019.

ЦитироватьВ США отложили два пуска ракет с военными спутниками
21:28

МОСКВА, 17 июл - РИА Новости. Пуски американских ракет-носителей Atlas-5 и Delta-4 с военными космическими аппаратами, планировавшиеся в июле, перенесены на август из-за технических проблем, сообщила компания United Launch Alliance (ULA).

В среду компания ULA, которая осуществляет пуски ракет Atlas-5 и Delta-4, сообщила о переносе с 25 июля на не ранее 22 августа старта ракеты Delta-4 со вторым навигационным спутником GPS-3 в интересах ВВС США с космодрома на мысе Канаверал.

В качестве причины отсрочки указана проблема, возникшая при наземном тестировании неназванного узла на предприятии одного из поставщиков. В связи с этим требуется дополнительное время для анализа ситуации, замены узла на ракете и его повторного тестирования.

Неделю назад компания ULA сообщила о переносе с 17 июля на не ранее 8 августа пуска ракеты Atlas-5 со спутником связи AEHF-5 также в интересах ВВС США и также с мыса Канаверал. При этом причина отсрочки была озвучена такой же, как и для Delta-4.

Ранее пуск ракеты Atlas-5 со спутником AEHF-5 уже откладывался из-за неисправной батареи на ракете.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg)Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1151549257461092352)

В ответ @HRiveravidales (https://twitter.com/HRiveravidales) @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC)
Example of our Mission Success process. "Sibling issue": Part on the rocket is functioning normally. Another of the same part failed a test at a supplier.  This demands that all parts are suspect until we can prove otherwise. If we can't, C/A. Guilty until proven innocent...

ЦитироватьJul 25 18:00

Launch window update

The launch window on Aug. 22 will open at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC) and extend to 9:27 a.m. EDT (1327 UTC),a duration of 27 minutes.

Our live countdown blog will begin at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 UTC) on Aug. 21. The launch webcast starts at 8:40 a.m. EDT (1240 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 01 19:33

Delta IV rocket aims new satellite for GPS constellation

August 1, 2019 -- Final preparations are underway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex-37 to send a modernized Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite into the orbiting navigation network atop a Delta IV rocket.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190801163351_931900.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190801163351_931900.jpg)
ULA technicians transport the GPS III satellite to the Delta IV launch pad. Photo: United Launch Alliance

The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's GPS III SV02 spacecraft, dubbed Magellan in honor of the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, was moved overnight this week from its processing facility to the seaside launch pad at a top speed never exceeding 5 mph.

The payload, already encapsulated in the 4-meter-diameter composite payload fairing, was hauled by a motorized KAMAG Elevating Platform Transporter (EPT) that provided hydraulic leveling and precision positioning capabilities along the route. The EPT also towed a Portable Environmental Control System (PECS) trailer to supply conditioned air to the payload fairing during the trip.

Once parked in the hoistway on the backside of the Mobile Service Tower (MST), technicians used the crane system in the gantry the next morning to carefully lift the satellite onto the Delta IV rocket's second stage to complete a successful vertical integration of the launch vehicle and payload. The fully-assembled rocket now stands 207 feet tall.

A payload's installation on the rocket signals a major milestone in the final launch campaign after years of diligent work by the spacecraft and launch vehicle production teams, engineers and specialists to prepare a new national asset to be boosted into orbit.

A tip-to-tail electrical test of the combined payload and launch vehicle will occur next, an operation known as the Integrated Systems Test (IST)

Once that is completed, the comprehensive process to verify flight readiness will begin in parallel to final vehicle closeouts for the launch targeted for Aug. 22 at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC).

GPS is a network of orbiting satellites that provide precision navigation and timing services to the U.S. military and civilian users around the world. The Lockheed Martin-built GPS III spacecraft possess improved accuracy, better anti-jamming and a longer design life than previous satellite generations.

ULA and our heritage rockets have successfully launched 70 GPS satellites since 1978.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1161979840095870978)
Everything continues on track for next week's final launch of the Delta IV Medium. #GPS (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPS?src=hash)

ЦитироватьAug 15 17:00
T-minus 1 week and counting!

LAUNCH ALERT! The Delta IV rocket will be taking the advanced GPS III Magellan satellite into space for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center next Thursday, Aug. 22 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

GPS is the world's best-known satellite constellation, providing precision navigation and timing services to the U.S. military and four billion civilian users around the world.

The 27-minute launch window opens at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC).

Watch our mission blog and live webcast on this page!

And see our Mission Overview for more details on the Delta IV Medium rocket, Magellan satellite and the launch sequence here (https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/launch-booklets/div_gpsiiisv02_mob.pdf).

ЦитироватьFAJO

A3278/19 - (4156S 01318E, 4027S 01418E, 4812S 02648E, 4938S 02554E):
ROCKET RE-ENTRY OPS TAKING PLACE.
SFC - UNL, DLY 1959-2036, 22 AUG 19:59 2019 UNTIL 23 AUG 20:36 2019.
CREATED: 14 AUG 00:23 2019

ЦитироватьAug 19 16:43
Weather is 70% GO

The 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station expects generally favorable conditions to launch the Delta IV Medium rocket on Thursday morning, forecasting a 70 percent chance of allowable liftoff weather.

"For the Mobile Service Tower (MST) roll Wednesday night, lingering convection over the interior will diminish in the evening with mostly favorable conditions expected overnight," the launch weather team reported today in the forecast synopsis.

"Sufficient moisture and light steering flow should trigger isolated showers and storms over the Atlantic waters early Thursday morning. While light winds will keep most of this activity offshore, a shower approaching the coast and/or flight path cannot be ruled out, thus the primary concerns during the launch window are the Cumulus Cloud Rule and Flight Through Precipitation."

The forecast for the launch window includes scattered low- and mid-level clouds, isolated showers to the east, south-southeasterly winds at 8 knots and a temperature near 84 degrees F.

In the event of a delay to Friday morning, similar conditions are forecast with a 70 percent chance of "go" weather.

ЦитироватьULA's second launch of the month scheduled for Thursday
August 19, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/08/08/atlas-5-launch-timeline-on-the-aehf-5-mission/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145679.jpg)
The payload fairing for this week's Delta 4 launch is stacked on top of the launch vehicle on pad 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: United Launch Alliance

Weather forecasters expect a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions at Cape Canaveral for liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket Thursday with a GPS navigation satellite, marking the last flight of the Delta 4's single-core variant after 29 flights since 2002.

The mission's 27-minute launch window opens at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) Thursday. The Delta 4 rocket will take off fr om Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad and head northeast with the second of a new generation of GPS navigation satellites for the U.S. Air Force.

The launch scheduled for Thursday comes two weeks after ULA's most recent flight from Cape Canaveral, which used an Atlas 5 rocket to deliver an Air Force communications satellite into orbit.

An early weather outlook issued by the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron on Monday predicts a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions for launch Thursday.

Forecasters expect a typical summertime weather pattern over Central Florida this week, with scattered thunderstorms driven by the afternoon sea breeze. The mobile service tower, which protects the Delta 4 at pad 37, will be retracted Wednesday night in preparation for fueling of the launcher with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

"Sufficient moisture and light steering flow should trigger isolated showers and storms over the Atlantic waters early Thursday morning," forecasters wrote. "While light winds will keep most of this activity offshore, a shower approaching the coast and/or flight path cannot be ruled out."

The primary weather concerns during Thursday's launch window are with the possibility of violating the cumulus cloud and flight through precipitation rules, according to the forecast issued Monday.

During Thursday's launch window, forecasters predict isolated rain showers offshore, partly cloudy skies, south-southeast winds of 8 knots, and a temperature of 83 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Final pre-launch milestones planned this week include a launch readiness review scheduled for Tuesday. Workers at pad 37 will complete final closeouts on the rocket Wednesday before moving the mobile gantry to reveal the Delta 4 ahead of fueling.

The 207-foot-tall (63-meter) Delta 4 rocket will climb away from pad 37 with 1.1 million pounds of thrust from a hydrogen-fueled Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 main engine and two strap-on solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

Heading toward the northeast, the Delta 4 will surpass the speed of sound in less than a minute and jettison its twin solid rocket boosters at T+plus 1 minute, 40 seconds.

The RS-68 core stage engine will shut down at T+plus 3 minutes, 55 seconds, followed by stage separation roughly seven seconds later. An RL10 engine on the Delta's upper stage, also built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, will ignite for the first of two firings required to place the GPS satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit.

The Delta 4's payload fairing will jettison in a clamshell-like fashion at T+plus 4 minutes, 26 seconds, once the rocket soars into the rarefied upper atmosphere. The shroud protects the GPS payload during launch preparations and the ascent through the lower layers of the atmosphere.

The RL10 upper stage engine will switch off at T+plus 13 minutes, 33 seconds to reach a preliminary orbit. Restart of the RL10 engine is planned nearly 67 minutes after liftoff for a three-and-a-half-minute burn to inject the GPS spacecraft into an egg-shaped transfer orbit ranging between 745 miles (1,200 kilometers) and 12,542 miles (20,185 kilometers) above Earth, with its orbital plane tilted 55 degrees to the equator.

The Lockheed Martin-built GPS satellite will separate from the Delta 4 launcher at T+plus 1 hour, 55 minutes.

The GPS 3 SV02 navigation satellite, nicknamed "Magellan," will use its own engine to circularize its orbit and join the GPS constellation some 12,550 miles above the planet, wh ere ground teams will test the new spacecraft and put it into service to replace an aging member of the constellation.

The GPS network provides positioning and timing services worldwide for military and civilian users, beaming signals relied upon by airliners, ATMs, drivers and smart bombs, among numerous other users.

The satellite set for launch Thursday is the second in a new generation of GPS satellites, providing more accurate navigation signals and boasting longer design lifetimes. The new satellites are also compatible with other space-based navigation networks operated by Europe, Japan and China.

The first off the new series of GPS spacecraft launched in December aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145655.jpg)
File photo of a Delta 4-Medium rocket on the launch pad before a previous mission. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The Delta 4 launch Thursday will be be the final flight of the Delta 4-Medium rocket variant, which flies with a single first stage booster, with additional thrust provided by strap-on solid rocket boosters.

The Delta 4-Heavy rocket configuration, made by combining three Delta 4 rocket cores together, will continue flying into the 2020s. The National Reconnaissance Office, using the Air Force as a contracting agent, has contracts in place for at least five more Delta 4-Heavy missions through 2024.

ULA decided in 2014 to retire the Delta 4-Medium configuration because it is more expensive than the company's Atlas 5 rocket. The two rocket families are also largely redundant, but ULA kept the Atlas and Delta lines flying to ensure the Air Force had two rocket options to get military payloads into space.

There is no heavy-lift variant of the Atlas 5 rocket, so the Delta 4-Heavy will continue to fly into the 2020s, until ULA's next-generation Vulcan launcher is operational.

The retirement of the Delta 4-Medium rocket also marks the last flight of the Delta 4's 4-meter-diameter (13.1-foot) payload fairing. The Delta 4-Heavy rockets set for launch over the next five years all use a larger 5-meter (16.4-foot) payload shroud.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rocket are now certified to fly the military's national security satellites, providing the Air Force with a second family of launch vehicles alongside the Atlas 5 and Delta 4-Heavy.

ЦитироватьAug 20 16:31
Launch Readiness Review completed

Launch managers have approved entering the countdown for liftoff Thursday of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket carrying the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III SV02) spacecraft for the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.

The Launch Readiness Review, chaired by Paul Aragon, ULA's launch director for this mission, was completed this morning at the Delta Operations Center. Leaders from ULA and the Air Force assessed all aspects pf 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, the managers were polled, gave a unanimous "ready" for launch and then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

Thursday's launch is scheduled for 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The available window extends to 9:27 a.m., a duration of 26 minutes and 30 seconds.

Launch opportunities will be available at the top and bottom of every minute during the launch window, giving us a total of 54 shots for launching throughout the window.

The official launch weather forecast, according to the 45th Weather Squadron, has improved to an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions for the liftoff, with scattered clouds, southeasterly winds at 8 peaking to 12 knots and a temperature near 84 degrees F. The only concern will be showers offshore drifting too close to the launch area, causing a launch weather rule violation for cumulus clouds or flight through precipitation.

United Launch Alliance will provide complete live coverage of the night owl countdown in this blog starting Wednesday night at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 UTC). Our Live Launch Updates Blog brings you official and timely information during the Delta IV rocket's countdown with automatically-refreshing updates.

The live launch webcast begins on this page Thursday at L-20 minutes, or 8:40 a.m. EDT (1240 UTC).

ЦитироватьDelta IV GPS III Magellan Mission Profile

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220483.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 20 авг. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьUnited Launch Alliance Set to Launch GPS III Satellite for U.S. Air Force

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (Aug. 20, 2019) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket is in final preparations to launch the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite, nicknamed Magellan, for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The launch is planned for Aug. 22 at Space Launch Complex-37 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Delta IV family of launch vehicles combines design simplicity, manufacturing efficiency and streamlined mission and vehicle integration to meet customer launch requirements. GPS III SV02 will be the 29th and final flight of the Delta IV Medium rocket and the 73rd GPS launch by a ULA or heritage vehicle.

"As we prepare to launch the final Delta IV Medium, we look forward to continuing its legacy through the purpose-built Vulcan Centaur," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "We are proud to continue our strong support of the GPS program with this launch."

The GPS III system, built by Lockheed Martin, represents the next step in modernization of the worldwide navigation network with a new generation of advanced satellites offering improved accuracy, better anti-jam resiliency and a new signal for civil users.

This mission will launch aboard a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) configuration vehicle, which includes a 4-meter Payload Fairing and stands at 207 ft. The common booster core for Delta IV is powered by the RS-68A engine, and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage is powered by the RL10B-2 engine, both supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Northrop Grumman provided the two solid rocket motors.

ULA has a track record of 100% mission success with 134 successful launches.

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.

ЦитироватьGPS III SV 2 ready to launch aboard Delta IV from CCAFS
SMC Public Affairs / Published August 20, 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The Air Force's newest Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite, Space Vehicle 02 (SV02) is ready for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37

The Lockheed Martin GPS III SV02 is set to launch  Aug. 22 aboard an United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket. The launch window opens at 9 a.m. EDT and will remain open for 27 minutes. A live-feed will begin 20 minutes prior to the launch, concluding approximately 14 minutes after launch at the main engine cut off. A simulcast of the broadcast can be viewed at https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions (https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions).

The USAF Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), home to the vanguard of satellite acquisition professionals, and the nation's launch procurer of choice, was responsible for GPS III SV02's rigorous Mission Assurance certifications and testing leading to full launch- and mission-readiness. SMC also conducted a rigorous source selection to ensure the ULA Delta IV rocket met all mission requirements, which included examining every single piece of hardware that built the rocket. This due diligence enables the satellite to be reliably placed on orbit to meet civilian and Warfighter communications needs.

"As we seek to modernize GPS, we bid farewell and thank you to a launch vehicle with an excellent track record in the Delta IV (4,2). We look forward to this final, successful launch for this ULA mainstay," said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. "The GPS program is a prime example of SMC 2.0 as we continue to modernize our fleet at EPIC Speed."

GPS III SV02, also known as "Magellan," in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, will be launched to augment the current GPS constellation comprised of 31 operational spacecraft. GPS satellites operate in Medium Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles) in six planes. Each satellite circles Earth twice per day.

GPS is the "Gold Standard" of positioning, navigation and timing services for more than four billion users worldwide. This latest generation of GPS satellite boasts a 15-year design life, 25 percent longer than the most recent GPS IIF satellites on orbit. It brings new capabilities to users such as a fourth civil signal, the new L1C civilian signal, which opens the window for future interoperability with international satellite navigation systems.

"Within the Production Corps we believe 'Winning is an attitude.' The road to this second launch is a prime example of how the team transforms belief into action," said Col. Edward Byrne, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Spacecraft Production Division chief. "Through this extremely collaborative effort, we're on the verge of launching our second satellite in just seven months, with a third launch on the horizon. We continue to strive towards our goal of maintaining the 'Gold Standard' of PNT."

GPS III satellite signals are more accurate and more powerful than in previous generations, providing improved performance for civilian and military users. Magellan will add another M-Code-capable satellite as the team continues to modernize the GPS fleet. M-Code will provide more accurate military signals with improved anti-jamming capabilities for the Warfighter. Full M-Code capability is set to roll out with OCX (the GPS ground segment) Block 2.

"We are in final preparations to launch Magellan thanks to an amazing amount of hard work and dedication from the entire government and industry team," said Col. Robert Bongiovi, Launch Enterprise director. This final voyage for the Delta IV Medium launch vehicle will be a momentous occasion capping a legacy of success that started 17 years ago."

SMC's Production Corps, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, leads the Magellan team. SMC's Launch Enterprise leads the launch, which will be on ULA's Delta IV (4,2) rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation is the prime satellite contractor. Air Force Space Command's 50th Space Wing and 2nd Space Operations Squadron operate the GPS constellation.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png) Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1164178137430843392)

Good morning, gorgeous! #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #GPSIII (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIII?src=hash) #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176174.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 21 16:37
Weather still 80% GO

Air Force Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich continues to forecast an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions for liftoff Thursday at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC).

"Given the unusually dry air in place, little more than an isolated shower is expected over the adjacent Atlantic waters overnight and early Thursday morning. Therefore, the primary concern during the launch window is the Cumulus Cloud Rule," today's L-1 forecast says.

The launch time outlook includes scattered clouds, good visibility, easterly winds of 8 to 12 knots, and a temperature around 84 degrees F.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164204908280799232)

News media photographers have deployed their sound-activated cameras at Space Launch Complex-37 that will capture tomorrow's #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) liftoff.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176194.jpg)

Цитироватьна сайте ULA

ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-gps-iii-sv-2/ (https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-gps-iii-sv-2/)

или

на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=0AgiyxDoXtE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AgiyxDoXtE)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69643.jpg) Scott Schilke‏ @SchilkeScott (https://twitter.com/SchilkeScott) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SchilkeScott/status/1164242769516347393)

The 15th and last mission for United Launch Alliance Delta IV medium rocket carrying the GPSIII satellite for a 9:00am launch tomorrow morning from launch pad 37! @45thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing) @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) @ExploreSpaceKSC (https://twitter.com/ExploreSpaceKSC)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176184.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176185.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176183.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176186.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 21 23:59
Launch visibility

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190821205759_452719.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190821205759_452719.jpg)

Wondering when and where you may see the #DeltaIV #GPSIIISV02 launch tomorrow? This visibility chart will show you when and where your best chances are to see the rocket! Launch is scheduled for 9:00:30 a.m. EDT.

ЦитироватьЧебурашка написал:
Этим спутником заменят последний GPS-IIA который пашет аж с 1993 года    и

ЦитироватьAug 22 06:45
Welcome to live coverage!

From the Delta Operations Center (DOC) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, this is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 8 hours and holding.

The countdown is about to begin for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket to deploy a Global Positioning System satellite for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.

Launch is scheduled for 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-37. The available launch window today extends to 9:27 a.m., a duration of 26 minutes and 30 seconds.

The countdown will start 30 seconds after 12 midnight EDT from the T-minus 8 hour mark. Two pre-planned, 30-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.

ЦитироватьAug 22 07:00
Countdown begins!

The countdown has been initiated! We are just nine hours away from liftoff of the Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket to add an advanced satellite to the U.S. military's Global Positioning System constellation.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822040043_862845.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822040043_862845.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance

The application of power to the avionics aboard the Delta IV 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.

At Space Launch Complex-37, the Mobile Service Tower retraction to the launch position is scheduled to begin shortly. A check of the weather conditions will be made by mission managers five minutes from now.

ЦитироватьAug 22 07:11
Weather acceptable for tower roll

Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich from the 45th Weather Squadron here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has provided a forecast of conditions expected during retraction of the Mobile Service Tower away from the Delta IV rocket and the outlook for the rest of the morning.

Current conditions are favorable to proceed with tower roll, with winds within limits and no adverse weather in the area. Also, the weather for the rest of the morning hours when the vehicle will be exposed during fueling operations also poses no concern for lightning or high winds.

For launch this morning at 9 a.m. EDT, meteorologists are predicting scattered clouds, good visibility, easterly winds of 6 to 10 knots and a temperature near 83 degrees F.

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

The primary concern will be any showers forming over the ocean and drifting towards the coast to violate the cumulus cloud rule.

ЦитироватьAug 22 07:12
GO for tower roll

We have concurrence to retract the Mobile Service Tower following a engineering readiness poll by the ULA launch director. That "go" has been passed to the launch conductor for implementation.


Aug 22 07:14
"Proceed with MST jacking and roll to the park position," Launch Conductor Dillon Rice just radioed to Stand Engineer John Daley at Space Launch Complex-37.


Aug 22 07:24
MST jacking is underway. Using 40 hydraulic cylinders at pressures nearing 3,500 psi, the tower will be raised a few inches in preparation for the roll.

A short time ago, the tie-down clamps at the base of the Mobile Service Tower were opened so technicians could proceed to hydraulically raise the gantry for the rollback. These large claw-like devices secure the MST to anchor points on the pad surface.


Aug 22 07:39
MST roll is underway

This is Delta Launch Control. Retraction of the Mobile Service Tower in progress at Space Launch Complex-37.

First motion occurred at 12:38 a.m. EDT (0438 UTC).

An undercarriage transport system will move the 33-story building at a top speed of 0.25 miles per hour.


Aug 22 07:41
T-minus 7 hours, 20 minutes (L-8 hours, 20 minutes) and counting. The Delta IV rocket has been powered up for its launch of GPS III SV02.

The flight control operator Jim Thomson in the Launch Control Center performed the power up. Soon, he will begin avionics testing while the rocket's Inertial Guidance and Control Assembly (INCA) flight computer is allowed to warm up. Later, the operator will conduce guidance system testing and steering checks of the engine nozzles prior to cryogenic fueling.


Aug 22 07:45
The MST gantry stands 330 feet tall and weighs nearly 10 million pounds. It is being wheeled on rail tracks about the length of a football field away from the rocket for this morning's scheduled launch.


Aug 22 07:48

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822044806_167969.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822044806_167969.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance


Aug 22 07:54

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822045438_253940.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822045438_253940.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьAug 22 08:06
Guidance system testing is getting started at this point in the countdown as we continue to press ahead toward a liftoff at 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 08:44
MST rolled back

The Mobile Service Tower at Space Launch Complex-37 has been retracted and secured in the launch position, revealing the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket for its flight to place the GPS III SV02 navigation satellite into orbit for use by the U.S. warfighter and civilians around the world.

The MST reached the "harddown" milestone at 1:43 a.m.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822054418_998602.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822054418_998602.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьAug 22 08:49
The MST 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 the Delta IV rockets.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822054951_333519.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822054951_333519.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance

Rollback of the MST signals a major milestone at the start of 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 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 08:56
SLC-37

Space Launch Complex-37 is the East Coast home of the Delta IV rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. "Slick-37" was constructed by NASA in the 1960s for uncrewed test flights in the Apollo-Saturn program.

There were six Saturn I and two Saturn IB rocket launches from this site between 1964 and 1968, testing rocket stages, spacecraft systems and the first lunar module.

The pad was rejuvenated in an extensive overhaul to support the Delta IV starting in late 1990s. The Fixed Umbilical Tower and swing arms were built, along with a Mobile Service Tower, a launch table and hydraulic erector system. And a nearby horizontal processing facility was constructed to house and integrate the main stages before rollout to the pad.

GPS III SV02 will be the 38th launch from this complex and the 32nd by a Delta IV.

ЦитироватьAug 22 09:00
L-minus 7 hours, mark.

The ULA launch team is controlling the countdown from the Delta Operations Center, or DOC, located about one-and-a-half miles from the launch pad. The Launch Control Center and Engineering Support Area are located on the third floor of the DOC and the Mission Director's Center is on the fourth floor. The Cape works in conjunction with design teams at ULA's Denver Operations Support Center, or DOSC.

Engineers and specialists from the Air Force and Aerospace Corp. are monitoring systems from consoles at Cape Canaveral's Hangar AE and Technical Support Facility.

Teams at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville are monitoring he health of the GPS satellite atop the Delta IV rocket.

Range functions and weather forecasting duties are being performed by Air Force officials at the Morrell Operations Center here at the Cape.

ЦитироватьAug 22 09:08
The flight control operational test is beginning for the Delta IV 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.

ЦитироватьAug 22 09:30
The flight control operational test has been completed successfully. This was an engine nozzle steering check performed prior to cryogenic fueling. A similar test wull be conducted after the rocket is loaded with super-cold propellant.

ЦитироватьAug 22 09:50

All systems are "go" here at the Delta Operations Center (DOC) and at the Space Launch Complex-37 pad as we count down to today's launch at exactly 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 UTC).

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2272747951759641813/20190822065004_131425.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2272747951759641813/20190822065004_131425.jpg)
Photo: United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьAug 22 09:52
The S-band system has been tested. This will be used for telemetry downlink during the flight.

Also, the internal battery checks have been completed.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:09
The initiation of gaseous nitrogen flow to the payload fairing is starting. This changes the environmental control systems to supply conditioned nitrogen gas rather than air to the rocket in preparation for the cryogenic fueling and in-flight environments.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:27
Hold-fire checks were complete satisfactorily. Also, guidance system testing is complete.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:33
The environmental control system changeover from air to gaseous nitrogen for the launch vehicle has started. This supplies conditioned nitrogen gas to internal compartments of the Delta IV rocket.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:36
Weather is GO for fueling

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 24 minutes (L-5 hours, 24 minutes) and counting. In the pre-fueling weather briefing, conditions at Cape Canaveral are acceptable for proceeding into cryogenic tanking operations at Space Launch Complex-37.

Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich from the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron also reports that the weather outlook remains favorable for the flight of Delta IV and GPS III SV02 this morning. The forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of allowable liftoff conditions, with just scattered clouds, good visibility, easterly winds peaking to 10 knots and a temperature of near 83 degrees F.

The only concern is cumulus clouds from any showers that develop offshore.

All rules are green and "go" at the present time.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:41
Clear the complex

The launch pad crew has completed its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex-37 for today's mission, and the launch conductor has given the instruction for personnel to depart the site in advance of fueling operations.

ЦитироватьAug 22 10:45
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 30-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 progressing well and no significant problems are being addressed by the launch team.

The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

ЦитироватьAug 22 11:13
GO for fueling

A readiness poll of the launch team by Launch Conductor Dillon Rice, with concurrence of ULA Launch Director Paul Aragon, has authorized cryogenic tanking operations to begin as the countdown continues this morning. The Delta IV rocket will be loaded with approximately 165,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen over the next couple of hours.

ЦитироватьAug 22 11:16
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 for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket for today's satellite-delivery flight of GPS III SV02.

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

ЦитироватьULA's last Delta 4-Medium rocket set for launch Thursday
August 22, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/08/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145652.jpg)
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Medium rocket, fitted with two solid rocket boosters, stands ready for launch Thursday at Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad. Credit: United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance is set to retire part of its rocket family Thursday with the final flight of the Delta 4 rocket's "single stick" configuration, a mission set for liftoff fr om Cape Canaveral carrying a new GPS navigation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Air Force.

The Delta 4-Medium's 29th and last flight is scheduled for takeoff fr om Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 launch pad at 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 GMT) Thursday. The launch window extends until 9:27 a.m. EDT.

There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for Thursday's launch window.

ULA is phasing out the Delta 4-Medium as the company faces stiff competition from SpaceX for U.S. military launch contracts. The new Vulcan Centaur rocket, set for an inaugural launch in 2021, will be less expensive than than the Atlas and Delta rockets it will replace, according to ULA.

The Delta 4-Heavy rocket, made by combining three Delta 4 first stage cores together, will continue flying through 2023. ULA's Atlas 5 rockets, which are less expensive than the Delta 4, will also remain operational through the early-to-mid 2020s.

"We made a business decision a few years ago that we would transition from the Delta 4 and Atlas vehicles over to a Vulcan Centaur, purpose-built to satisfy the entire mission suite, so it was time for us to phase out the Delta 4-Medium at this point,: said Gary Wentz, ULA's vice president of government and commercial programs, in a pre-launch press briefing. "We don't see any specific payloads that would require the Delta 4-Medium that we can't fly on an Atlas 5."

The Delta 4 launcher was originally designed and developed by Boeing. The Atlas 5 was conceived by Lockheed Martin.

The competing aerospace contractors merged their launch divisions in 2006, marking the birth of ULA as a 50-50 joint venture.

ULA's launch team will load super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the two-stage Delta 4 rocket during Thursday morning's countdown.

The cryogenic propellants will feed the first stage's RS-68A main engine and the second stage's RL10 engine. Both powerplants are produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The Delta 4 launching Thursday will fly in the "4,2" configuration with a 4-meter (13.1-foot-diameter) payload fairing and two strap-on solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145695.jpg)
Thursday's launch will mark the final flight of a Delta 4-Medium rocket. ULA plans at least five more Delta 4-Heavy missions, using the configuration on the right side of this chart with three first stage booster cores. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The RS-68A core engine will ignite at T-minus 5 seconds and throttle up for a computer-run health check. Assuming all systems are ready, the side-mounted solid-fueled boosters will fire when the countdown clock reaches zero to push the Delta 4 into the sky.

The main engine and solid rocket boosters will generate 1.1 million pounds of combined thrust. Vectoring nozzles on the RS-68A engine and twin strap-on motors will steer the Delta 4 on a northeasterly trajectory roughly parallel to the U.S. East Coast.

The launcher will surpass the speed of sound in less than a minute, and the two 53-foot-long (16-meter) solid rocket boosters will burn out and jettison at T+plus 1 minute, 40 seconds.

The RS-68 core stage engine will shut down at T+plus 3 minutes, 55 seconds, followed by stage separation roughly seven seconds later. An RL10 engine on the Delta's upper stage, also built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, will ignite for the first of two firings required to place the GPS satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit.

The Delta 4's payload fairing will jettison in a clamshell-like fashion at T+plus 4 minutes, 26 seconds, once the rocket soars into the rarefied upper atmosphere. The shroud protects the GPS payload during launch preparations and the ascent through the lower layers of the atmosphere.

The RL10 upper stage engine will switch off at T+plus 13 minutes, 33 seconds to reach a preliminary orbit. Restart of the RL10 engine is planned nearly 67 minutes after liftoff for a three-and-a-half-minute burn to inject the GPS spacecraft into an egg-shaped transfer orbit ranging between 745 miles (1,200 kilometers) and 12,542 miles (20,185 kilometers) above Earth, with its orbital plane tilted 55 degrees to the equator.

The Lockheed Martin-built GPS satellite will separate from the Delta 4 launcher at T+plus 1 hour, 55 minutes.

[свернуть]

The GPS 3 SV02 navigation satellite, nicknamed "Magellan," will use its own engine to circularize its orbit and join the GPS constellation some 12,550 miles above the planet, wh ere ground teams will test the new spacecraft and put it into service to replace an aging member of the constellation.

The GPS network provides positioning and timing services worldwide for military and civilian users, beaming signals relied upon by airliners, ATMs, drivers and smart bombs, among numerous other users.

"We're committed to maintaining GPS as the gold standard of positioning, navigation and timing for all other systems to be measured against," said Lt. Col. Maggie Sullivan, the Air Force's GPS 3 program manager.

Thirty-one satellites are currently providing GPS navigation services.

The satellite set for launch Thursday is the second in a new generation of GPS satellites, providing more accurate navigation signals and boasting longer design lifetimes. The new GPS 3 satellites provide a new L1C civilian signal that is compatible with Europe's Galileo network.

Other space-based navigation networks operated by Japan and China are also adopting similar compatible signals.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145658.jpg)
The GPS 3 SV02 navigation satellite, nicknamed "Magellan," was encapsulated inside the Delta 4 rocket's payload fairing in late June. Credit: Lockheed Martin

"Compared to the satellites in today's constellation, this next generation of GPS satellites have three times greater accuracy, eight times improved anti-jam capabilities, and the new L1C civil signal compatible with other international satellite navigation systems like Galileo," said Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin's vice president of navigation systems.

"For those user equipment (providers) who elect to incorporate the L1C civil signal into their chipsets, those users will now have access not just to the GPS constellation but to Galileo and others who choose to then follow on with the L1C civil signal implementation," Caldwell said. "So for users who are authorized to do that, instead of having just the legacy 31 points in the sky that you get from GPS, you'll add on to it the ever-growing Galileo constellation.

"When it comes to finding out wh ere you are, the more satellites you can see the better your position is."

The first GPS 3-series satellite, named GPS 3 SV01, completed its post-launch checkout July 12 following an on-target deployment by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last December, officials said. More testing is planned before GPS 3 SV01, named "Vespucci," is ready to join the active GPS network.

"We're excited now that the vehicle is through its on-orbit checkout and moving into the next phase of operational testing," Caldwell said. "We expect that to begin later this year, and we're looking forward to officially handing over the vehicle to the Air Force."

Like the previous line of Boeing-built GPS 2F satellites, the GPS 3-series spacecraft will broadcast a dedicated L5 signal geared to support air navigation. The GPS 3 satellites also continue beaming an encrypted military-grade navigation signal known as M-code.

The M-code signal allows GPS satellites to broadcast higher-power, jam-resistant signals over specific regions, such as a military theater or battlefield. The capability provides U.S. and allied forces with more reliable navigation services, and could also allow the military to intentionally disrupt or jam civilian-grade GPS signals in a particular region, while the M-code signal remains unimpeded.

L3Harris Technologies builds the navigation payloads for the GPS 3 satellites.

[свернуть]

Thursday's launch is timed to place the GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft into Plane D, Slot 3 of the GPS constellation. That position is currently occupied by a GPS satellite launched in March 2003. Sullivan said the Air Force will make an "operational decision" on which aging GPS satellite, presumably in Plane D, the new spacecraft will replace.

The GPS satellites are spread among six orbital planes, each with four primary spacecraft, plus spares.

According to Sullivan, the GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft cost around $500 million. Future GPS 3 satellites will cost less, and officials target a cost of less than $200 million per spacecraft by time GPS 3 SV10 is ready for launch.

"The great thing about GPS is the volume of satellites," Caldwell said. "You gain tremendous efficiencies when you have production volume, and you get commensurate cost reduction."

Lockheed Martin is on contract with the Air Force to build up to 32 satellites, including 10 GPS 3 spacecraft and 22 upgraded GPS 3F satellites.

The next GPS mission, designated GPS 3 SV03 and nicknamed "Columbus," is set for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in January. The satellite for that mission has already been declared available for launch, Air Force officials said.

ЦитироватьAug 22 11:28
The flight control operator is performing the ECU BIT test on the Delta IV rocket's first stage. This is the built-in test (BIT) of the engine control unit (ECU) that cycles hydraulically-actuated engine valves prior to the start of fueling operations.

ЦитироватьAug 22 11:43
Chilldown begins

A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system on the common booster core. This is the precursor step before filling the first stage with propellant.

The common booster core will be loaded with 110,000 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, will be consumed by the RS-68A main engine.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 41 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1164449298005798912)

Weather is good. The board is green. Feels like a good day to go to space. #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash). #GPSIII (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIII?src=hash)

ЦитироватьAug 22 11:50
The 165,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will fill the Delta IV rocket amounts to 150,000 gallons on the first stage and 15,000 gallons on the second stage. The first stage does the heavy-lifting in the initial four minutes of flight to exit Earth's atmosphere. The second stage will perform a pair of burns to achieve and then shape the orbit, delivering GPS III SV02 into its targeted transfer orbit.

A third and final burn about 35 minutes after payload deployment will serve as a de-orbit burn to dispose of the spent rocket body.

ЦитироватьAug 22 12:12
CBC LH2 loading begins

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 3 hours, 18 minutes and counting. The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the common booster core's liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished, clearing the way to begin propellant loading in "slow-fill" mode. That will transition to "fast-fill" after a small portion of the tank is loaded.

FUEL1 console operator Manny Marinas is overseeing the CBC LH2 loading today.

ЦитироватьAug 22 12:33
The fueling specialists in the launch control center are standing by while engineers assess ground software before proceeding further into tanking.


Aug 22 12:39
The countdown clock is proceeding and there is available margin in the timeline to make up for this pause in fueling operations while still making our launch window today.

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:04
Anomaly Chief Steve Huff in the Delta Operations Center has reported that engineers have completed the ground software review and the team recommends proceeding with the the countdown and fueling operations.

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:26
CBC LOX loading begins

This is Delta Launch Control. The liquid oxygen chilldown is complete for the booster core, allowing 40,000 gallons of super-cold LOX to begin transferring into the rocket for today's launch under the control of LOX1 console operator Jim Wheble.

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:27
Some approaching rain showers east of Cape Canaveral may cause a red condition shortly on the launch weather status board. However, Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich is optimistic that constraint will clear in time for the launch window.

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:40
DCSS LH2 loading begins

The next step in fuel operations is getting underway by loading 10,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen into the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage following completion of that system's chilldown.

The stage receives its fuel from the launch pad's middle swing arm that extends from the Fixed Umbilical Tower to the Delta IV rocket.

FUEL2 console operator Giavanna Piccirilli oversees second stage liquid hydrogen.

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:49
We have finished the "fast-fill" loading mode for the common booster core's liquid hydrogen tank, and the post-fueling checks and valve tests are underway before topping commences.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185122.jpg) Julia‏ @julia_bergeron (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron) 11 мин.назад (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1164487218766987264)

I made a special delivery to the DOC last night but was delayed by something that stopped me in my tracks. Moon rising over LC-37 where #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) was beginning the countdown to launch.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176240.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 22 13:52
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. This is the last of the rocket's cryogenic tanks to be filled in today's countdown.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67594.png)Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF) 6 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1164490353375944704)

Near total standstill on the road into the Cape. #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #GPS (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPS?src=hash) #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176242.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:04
New launch time

Safety officials have confirmed that there is one momentary Collision Avoidance (COLA) period during today's launch window. That COLA conjunction prohibits liftoff at the very opening of the window. So the target liftoff time has been shifted to 9:01:00 a.m. EDT (1301 UTC).

COLAs are brief moments in time when the launch is not allowed to occur because the trajectory would pass too close to another object already in space. This analysis is based on a screening of known active and debris objects in orbit that could cause a conjunction with the ascending Delta IV and GPS III SV02.

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:07
A hydrogen leak has been detected by the HazGas system around a quick-disconnect fitting on the second stage liquid hydrogen vent.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164493899794198528)

Safety officials have confirmed that there is one momentary Collision Avoidance (COLA) period during today's launch window. That COLA conjunction prohibits liftoff at the very opening of the window. So the target liftoff time has been shifted to 9:01:00 a.m. EDT (1301 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:08
Engineers are reviewing data on this leak indication to determine a recommendation.

ЦитироватьDelta 4 rocket's launch timeline with GPS 3 SV02
August 22, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/08/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will deliver the U.S. Air Force's second GPS 3-series navigation satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit nearly two hours after liftoff from Cape Canaveral.

Liftoff is scheduled during a launch window opening at 9:00:30 a.m. EDT (1300:30 GMT) Thursday. The window extends to 9:27 a.m. EDT (1327 GMT).

T+00:00:00 — Liftoff

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145697.jpg)
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket takes off powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engine and two solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. The hydrogen-burning main engine ignites at T-minus 5 seconds, following by ignition of the two boosters at T-minus 0, the release of four hold-down bolts and retraction of the launch pad's three swing arms.

T+00:00:58.5 — Max-Q

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145698.jpg)
Heading northeast from Cape Canaveral on an azimuth of roughly 60 degrees, the Delta 4 surpasses the speed of sound at T+plus 42 seconds, then experiences the most extreme aerodynamic pressures of the mission at T+plus 58.5 seconds.

T+00:01:40.0 — Solid Rocket Motor Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145703.jpg)
The Delta 4's two GEM-60 solid rocket boosters are jettisoned in two pairs around seven seconds after consuming all their propellant.

T+00:03:55.9 — Booster Engine Cutoff

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145693.jpg)
The Delta 4's RS-68A main engine shuts down after burning its supply of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

T+00:04:02.4 — Stage Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145704.jpg)
The Delta 4's Common Booster Core separates from the rocket's second stage.

T+00:04:16.9 — First Second Stage Ignition

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145701.jpg)
The Delta 4's second stage Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine ignites and powers up to 24,750 pounds of thrust in the first of its two firings to place the GPS 3 SV02 satellite into a MEO transfer orbit.

T+00:04:26.9 — Payload Fairing Jettison

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145694.jpg)
The Delta 4's composite bisector fairing jettisons from the rocket once the launcher reaches a safe altitude above the dense lower layers of Earth's atmosphere.

T+00:13:33.1 — First Second Stage Engine Shutdown

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145699.jpg)
The second stage's RL10B-2 engine shuts down after placing the GPS 3 SV02 satellite in a preliminary parking orbit, beginning a 53-minute coast before the engine reignites.

T+01:06:47.3 — Second Stage Engine Restart

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145702.jpg)
The RL10B-2 second stage engine ignites again for a three-and-a-half-minute burn to send the GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft into a higher, elliptical transfer orbit.

T+01:10:14.6 — Second Stage Engine Shutdown

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145700.jpg)
The Delta 4's second stage engine shuts down after placing the GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft in a transfer orbit ranging between 745 miles (1,200 kilometers) and 12,542 miles (20,185 kilometers) above Earth, with an orbital plane tilted 55 degrees to the equator.

T+01:55:26.6 — GPS 3 SV02 "Magellan" Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145696.jpg)
The Lockheed Martin-built GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft, nicknamed "Magellan," separates from the Delta 4's second stage.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:14
Loading of the upper stage liquid hydrogen tank was just reported complete. Oxygen filling on the DCSS will finish fueling operations shortly.

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:16
The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage has been loaded with its liquid oxygen supply. The propellant, along with liquid hydrogen fuel that has been filled, will be consumed by the stage's RL10B-2 engine.

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:20
The Cumulus Cloud Rule has gone red. The expected clear time is 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:36
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 rocket nozzles to ensure proper gimbaling during the ascent.

Цитировать08/22/2019 14:43 Stephen Clark

Testing of the Delta 4 rocket's flight termination system is complete. The flight termination system would be activated to destroy the rocket if it flew off course and threatened populated areas.

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:46
The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage has been loaded with its liquid oxygen supply. LOX and LH2 will be consumed by the stage's RL10B-2 engine.

We have a 735,000-pound Delta IV rocket that is fueled for launch.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185117.jpg) Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ExploreSpaceKSC (https://twitter.com/ExploreSpaceKSC) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ExploreSpaceKSC/status/1164503990337511426)

We are currently set up to watch the #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) launch from the LC-39 Observation Gantry, approximately 5.5 miles from SLC-37. (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176236.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:50
The team is preparing to run post-fueling checks on the second stage. The HazGas system will be used again to measure if there is an actual leak.

ЦитироватьAug 22 14:54
All launch weather rules are GO again.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185162.jpg) John Kraus  :f09f9a80:‏ @johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1164509069517959173)

The final Delta IV Medium rocket stands tall at SLC-37B, ready to launch the second GPS III satellite, dubbed "Magellan," at 9:01am EDT this morning.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176238.jpg)

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg) AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1164508556323971074)

GPS is a global utility, providing high-quality, precise positioning, navigation and timing for all users "Any Time, Any Place, Right Time, Right Place."


5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1164509192243359745)

GPS III SV02, dubbed "Magellan" in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, is ready for launch!


2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1164510110137356289)

Magellan (GPS III SV02) is slated for D-Plane (Slot 3) joining the 31-operational satellite constellation providing global space-based positioning, navigation, and timing information.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176239.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1164510974918791168)

Board is green. No wing to speak of

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:18
This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 12 minutes and counting. We will be taking the countdown clock to T-minus 4 minutes before holding there for a planned, 30-minute built-in hold. During the final programmed hold, the status polls by managers will be performed to verify all is in readiness to launch.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:20
Anomaly Chief Steve Huff has out briefed the final disposition of the ground software issue that the launch team worked earlier in the countdown this morning. The issue has been closed for flight.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:21
Here's how today's launch window works. Launch opportunities are available at the top and bottom of every minute during the launch window that extends from 9:00:30 to 9:27 a.m. EDT. That gives us a total of 54 shots for launching throughout the window today.

Цитировать08/22/2019 15:23 Stephen Clark

The countdown continues to tick toward a built-in hold at T-minus 4 minutes, when the clock will be paused to allow the Delta 4 team to be polled for a "go" for launch. Here are some statistics on today's mission:

[/li]
• 384th Delta rocket launch since 1960
  
• 40th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
  
• 15th Delta 4-Medium+ 4,2 configuration to fly since 2002
  
• 62nd main engine from RS-68 family launched
  
• 20th RS-68A main engine flown
  
• 66th and 67th GEM-60 solid rocket motors flown
  
• 32nd Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
  
• 2nd GPS 3-series satellite to launch
  
• 73rd GPS satellite to launch on ULA heritage vehicle
  
• 135th United Launch Alliance mission since the company's formation in 2006
  
• 4th ULA launch this year
  
• 3rd Delta 4 launch in 2019
  
• 11th orbital launch overall from Cape Canaveral in 2019
  

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:26
Countdown holding

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the planned 30-minute, 30-second built-in hold designed to give a bit of margin to deal with any problems. Also during this time, the final readiness polls of the launch team and members of the Mission Management Team will be performed.

We continue to target a liftoff at 9:01 a.m. EDT (1301 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:30
The Automatic Determination and Dissemination of Just Updated Steering Terms, better known as the ADDJUST file, is being loaded into the Delta IV rocket's Inertial Navigation and Control Assembly (INCA) flight computer by the flight control operator here at the Launch Control Center. This is the planned steering parameters for the INCA to use based on tonight's upper level wind conditions.

A series of weather balloons has been launched throughout the countdown from the Range weather station at Cape Canaveral to collect measurements of wind speeds and directions to determine if conditions aloft violate the controllability or structural loads on the rocket during ascent. The balloon data was transmitted to ULA engineers in Denver to select a steering profile that minimizes launch vehicle responses.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:34
Air Force Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich just reported that meteorologists are monitoring two rain showers just east of the launch site. Weather is GO currently.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:37
Subsequent testing has determined that there is not a hydrogen leak associated with the second stage. Engineers recommend proceeding with the launch countdown today. The 26-minute launch window opens at 9:01amEDT (1301 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:43
Upper level winds have been verified acceptable for liftoff today.

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:47
The GPS spacecraft atop the Delta IV rocket is transitioning to internal battery power for launch. This is the final configuring of the payload in preparation for liftoff.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164518800592707585)

The Global Positioning System is a marvel of the modern world, connecting humanity with the benefits of space and touching the lives of four billion users around the planet. Today's #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) launch will add a modernized #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) satellite to the system.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176241.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:52
GPS III SV02 is configured for launch.

The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. It weighs approximately 8,100 pounds at launch, which includes about 4,700 pounds of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide fuel for orbit raising and mission life

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:53
We will be extending this built-in hold an additional five minutes to complete second stage propellant conditioning.

Today's launch window extends to 9:27 a.m. EDT (1327 UTC).

ЦитироватьAug 22 15:56
A new launch time of 9:06amEDT (1306 UTC) has been established for the the Delta IV.

Цитировать08/22/2019 16:23 Stephen Clark

The first burn by the Delta 4's second stage placed the GPS satellite payload into a parking orbit. The next burn, set for ignition at 10:12 a.m. EDT (1412 GMT), will raise the high point of the orbit to more than 12,500 miles above Earth.

ЦитироватьDelta IV Medium launches GPS III SV02 Magellan

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220612.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/SciNewsRo) SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Опубликовано: 22 авг. 2019 г.

ЦитироватьLive Broadcast: Delta IV GPS III Magellan

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220483.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Трансляция началась 87 минут назад

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185162.jpg) John Kraus  :f09f9a80:‏ @johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 40 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1164527487482847232)

Liftoff! ULA's Delta IV Medium rocket soars into the skies for the final time, launching the second GPS III satellite, dubbed "Magellan," for the U.S. Air Force. Liftoff occurred from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral at 9:06am EDT.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176232.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176231.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176233.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185307.jpg) Mike Deep‏ @mike_deep (https://twitter.com/mike_deep) 42 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/mike_deep/status/1164527185367097348)

LIFTOFF!

#DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176234.jpg)


24 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/mike_deep/status/1164532036620759041)

What a beautiful launch. I'm gonna miss these Delta IVs with the solid boosters.
#DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176237.jpg)

ЦитироватьAug 22 17:12
Main Engine Start 2

T+plus 1 hour, 6 minutes, 53 seconds. We have ignition! The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage's single RL10B-2 engine has re-ignited to propel GPS III into a transfer orbit around the Earth.


Aug 22 17:14
T+plus 1 hour, 8 minutes. This scheduled three-and-a-half-minute firing by the Delta IV's second stage is progressing well, according to nominal parameters streaming back from the rocket.

ЦитироватьAug 22 17:16
MECO 2

T+plus 1 hour, 10 minutes, 18 seconds. We have confirmation of the second main engine cutoff (MECO 2) on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage, completing powered flight to boost GPS III towards its future slot within the GPS constellation.

ЦитироватьAug 22 17:17
T+plus 1 hour, 11 minutes. Unlike most launches, today's deployment of the payload will not occur for nearly 45 minutes after the the second stage completes the orbit injection burn. This allows the satellite separation to happen within Air Force ground station visibility.

ЦитироватьAug 22 17:20
T+plus 1 hour, 14 minutes. Telemetry shows that the Delta IV has achieved the desired orbit for release of GPS III SV02.

Цитировать08/22/2019 17:21 Stephen Clark

The Delta 4 rocket's second stage accomplished the second burn on today's mission as it soared south of Australia. The maneuver was programmed to boost the rocket's orbital apogee, or high point, to around 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers).

The rocket will coast another 40 minutes or so before deploying the 8,170-pound (3,705-kilogram) spacecraft once in range of a U.S. military tracking station in Hawaii.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2328735769001223939/20190822142154_882421.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2328735769001223939/20190822142154_882421.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA ‏Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164546770652864513)

T+plus 90 minutes. The #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) rocket continues in a quiescent coast mode high above the Pacific Ocean. The rocket will release its payload once coming within range of tracking sites in about 26 minutes.

ЦитироватьPhotos: Final "single stick" Delta 4 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral
August 22, 2019 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/08/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

The last Delta 4-Medium rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Thursday with a GPS navigation satellite for the U.S. Air Force.

The 207-foot-tall (63-meter) rocket launched from pad 37 at 9:06 a.m. EDT (1306 GMT), powered by a hydrogen-fueled RS-68A main engine and two strap-on solid rocket boosters producing more than 1.2 million pounds of thrust.

The engine and booster nozzles vectored their thrust to steer the Delta 4 rocket northeast from Cape Canaveral, aligning its trajectory with one of six orbital planes in the GPS navigation satellite network some 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers) above Earth.

Thursday's launch was the 40th flight of a Delta 4 rocket since November 2002, and the 29th and final mission to use one of ULA's Delta 4-Medium variants, which use a single first stage core. At least five more launches by ULA's Delta 4-Heavy rocket, made of three Delta 4 first stage booster cores, are planned through late 2023.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145724.jpg)
Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145725.jpg)
Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145717.jpg)
Credit: United Launch Alliance

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145726.jpg)
Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145727.jpg)
Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145728.jpg)
Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now

ЦитироватьAug 22 17:55
T+plus 1 hour, 49 minutes. After the completion of the primary mission today by deploying the payload, the second stage will perform a third and final burn. Engine start is expected in about 30 minutes. This brief, 15-second firing will serve as a de-orbit burn by lowering the rocket body's perigee for disposal into the atmosphere at the end of this revolution of the globe, which will occur about five hours from now. The disposal guards against unnecessary space debris.

ЦитироватьAug 22 18:01
Spacecraft separation!

T+plus 1 hour, 55 minutes, 31 seconds. The United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket has released the GPS III SV02 Magellan satellite into the targeted orbit to improve the quality of military navigation and expand civil capabilities.

Цитировать08/22/2019 18:02 Stephen Clark

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2328735769001223939/20190822150208_098871.jpg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2328735769001223939/20190822150208_098871.jpg)

GPS 3 SV02 separation confirmed! The U.S. Air Force's GPS navigation network has a new member after today's successful launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket.

The 8,170-pound (3,705-kilogram) GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft is dubbed "Magellan," after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It's the second in a new block of GPS 3-series satellite made by Lockheed Martin, providing higher-power and more accurate navigation signals for military and civilian users around the world.

The GPS 3 SV02 spacecraft will use its own propulsion system to reach a circular orbit some 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers) above Earth, where it will join more than 30 other satellites currently broadcasting positioning, navigation and timing signals.

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/692443836736507904/4I0Bh5oX_bigger.jpg) AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1164554205832646657)

Delta IV successfully deployed the GPS III satellite into its targeted low-inclination orbit, 1200 kilometers above the Earth. From this transfer orbit, Magellan will circularize into its final plane, and slot and proceed into checkout and testing for its first 6 months in space.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno ‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1164555651638366208)

135

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67530.jpg) Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1164559072710025218)

Satellite-builder Lockheed Martin confirms ground controllers have established contact with the GPS 3 SV02 navigation satellite after its separation from the Delta 4 rocket this morning.

Цитировать08/22/2019 18:32 Stephen Clark

With today's launch, the Delta 4-Medium rocket family logged 29 missions in its career, beginning with the debut Delta 4 launch Nov. 20, 2002. All 29 of the Delta 4-Medium missions were successful, giving the rocket an unblemished record.

Today's mission marked the final flight of the GEM-60 strap-on solid rocket motors built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems. Northrop Grumman derived the GEM-60 booster from the smaller GEM-40 and GEM-46 motors that flew on the Delta 2 and Delta 3 rockets.

A larger solid rocket booster named the GEM-63 will begin flying on Atlas 5 rockets next year, replacing boosters currently made by Aerojet Rocketdyne. A variant of the GEM-63 solid rocket motor will also fly on ULA's next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket.

ЦитироватьAug 22 18:51
The quick-look

The traditional quick-look post-flight data review of today's mission has occurred at the Delta Operations Center following the successful flight by the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket.

Today's launch represents the 135th successful mission for United Launch Alliance and the 71st Global Positioning System satellite delivered into orbit by ULA and our heritage rockets. This flight also marked the 40th mission for the Delta IV and the final flight of the Medium variant.

Liftoff occurred at 9:06:00.167 a.m. EDT with southeasterly winds at 5 knots and a temperature of 86 degrees F.

Engineers representing various launch vehicle elements offered brief synopses of system performance -- such as the engines, hydraulics and avionics. The vehicle performed nominally during its mission and injected the GPS III SV02 payload into the proper orbit.

The quick-look meeting received congratulatory speeches from company leadership and the customer. ULA officials expressed appreciation to the Air Force in being entrusted in launching this national asset.

The Delta IV Medium vehicle retires with a 100 percent mission success record in its 17 years of launches. Today's mission was the final use of the single-core Delta IV configuration as we transition to our future Vulcan Centaur rocket that will provide an affordable, higher performance launch service for our customers.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164568170973356034)

MISSION SUCCESS! United Launch Alliance's #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) has deployed #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash) Magellan for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Success #135 for ULA @usairforce (https://twitter.com/usairforce) @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) @LockheedMartin (https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176250.jpg)

ЦитироватьUnited Launch Alliance Successfully Launches GPS III Satellite for U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (Aug. 22, 2019) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite, designated Magellan, for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from Space Launch Complex-37 on August 22 at 9:06 EDT. This mission marked the 29th and final flight of the Delta IV Medium rocket and the 73rd GPS launch by a ULA or heritage vehicle.

"Thank you to the team and our mission partners for the tremendous teamwork as we processed and launched this critical asset, providing advanced capabilities for warfighters, civil users, and humankind across the globe," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "We are proud of the strong legacy of the Delta IV Medium program, and look forward to the future with our purpose-built Vulcan Centaur."

The GPS III system, built by Lockheed Martin, represents the next step in modernization of the worldwide navigation network with a new generation of advanced satellites offering improved accuracy, better anti-jam resiliency and a new signal for civil users.

This mission launched aboard a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) configuration vehicle, which included a 4-meter Payload Fairing and two Northrop Grumman solid rocket motors. The common booster core for Delta IV was powered by the RS-68A engine, and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage was powered by the RL10B-2 engine, both supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

ULA's next launch is Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, Orbital Flight Test, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

ULA maintains a track record of 100% mission success with 135 successful launches.

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.

Цитировать22 АВГ, 16:21 Обновлено 19:06
Компания ULA запустила навигационный спутник для ВВС США

Это последний пуск Delta IV в конфигурации Medium+

НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 22 августа. /ТАСС/. Американская компания United Launch Alliance (ULA) в четверг запустила и доставила на заданную орбиту навигационный спутник GPS третьего поколения. Старт ракеты-носителя Delta IV с базы ВВС США на мысе Канаверал (штат Флорида) состоялся в 09:06 по времени Восточного побережья (16:06 мск).

"Ракета Delta IV United Launch Alliance высвободила на заданной орбите спутник GPS-3 SV02 Magellan, предназначенный для улучшения качества военной навигации и расширения возможностей гражданского назначения", - отметила в своем Twitter (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164527594722795520) компания.

Отделение первой ступени носителя произошло через 4 минуты и 30 секунд после пуска. Вторая ступень ракеты достигла назначенной орбиты через 1 час 14 минут после старта. Эту ступень предполагается через пять часов уничтожить в плотных слоях атмосферы. Трансляция полета на сайте (http://www.ulalaunch.com/) United Launch Alliance была ранее прервана ввиду секретности миссии.

До этого отправку в космос данного аппарата, собранного компанией Lockheed Martin, откладывали (https://tass.ru/kosmos/6675127) не меньше четырех раз.

Запуск первого из навигационных спутников GPS третьего поколения для нужд ВВС США был осуществлен в декабре 2018 года компанией SpaceX. Она отмечала, что аппарат разработан для "передачи информации о расположении, навигации и времени" в три раза точнее и при обеспечении "в восемь раз более высокой помехоустойчивости". Это 29-й по счету и последний пуск Delta IV в конфигурации Medium+, а также 135-я миссия United Launch Alliance.

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

Новость обновлена (16:39 мск) - добавлены подробности; новость обновлена (19:06 мск) - добавлены данные о выводе спутника на орбиту

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185162.jpg) John Kraus  :f09f9a80:‏ @johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 16 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1164576296271319040)

Wow. Closeup views from Space Launch Complex 37B as the final Delta IV Medium rocket launches the U.S. Air Force's second GPS III satellite from Cape Canaveral this morning.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176255.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176254.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176256.jpg)

ЦитироватьSMC and its government, industry partners successfully launch GPS III SV 2 satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
SMC Public Affairs / Published August 22, 2019

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143370.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143371.webp)
A Delta IV carrying the GPS III SV2 satellite lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-37, Aug. 22. The satellite will become part of a 31 satellite constellation on orbit providing enhanced timing and navigation to civilians and the warfighter. (Photo courtsey of ULA)

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
The U.S. Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the second Global Positioning Systems (GPS) III satellite at  9:06 a.m. EDT, Aug. 22 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellite, known as "Magellan" (in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese navigator who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe), was carried to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV (4,2) launch vehicle, the final flight for the Delta IV medium launch vehicle.

The USAF Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), home to the vanguard of satellite acquisition professionals, and the nation's launch procurer of choice, was responsible for Magellan's rigorous Mission Assurance certifications and testing leading to full launch- and mission-readiness. SMC also conducted a rigorous source selection to ensure the ULA Delta IV rocket met all mission requirements, which included examining every single piece of hardware that built the rocket. This due diligence enabled the satellite to be reliably placed on orbit to meet civilian and warfighter communications needs.

"A successful launch like today's is always a proud moment for the team and its many members. I can't reiterate how important this second GPS III launch is as we progress toward a modernized fleet and maintain US superiority in space." said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. "The launch of Magellan epitomizes the constant collaborative efforts which exemplify the continual improvements our teams at SMC are making in getting these satellites built and launched at EPIC Speed. With a third GPS launch planned for the end of the year, we continue to provide the "Gold Standard" in positioning, navigation and timing services for our military and for the world."

GPS III's Magellan separated from its upper stage approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes after launch. Engineers and operators at Lockheed Martin's Waterton facility will now begin  on-orbit checkout and tests, which are estimated to complete in one month. Operational use is expected to begin within a year

"This launch was 7 months in the making. As soon as we launched Vespucci last December, the team got to work on the SV02 campaign to get Magellan into orbit," stated said Col. Edward Byrne, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) Spacecraft Production Division chief. "This isn't the end of our job with Magellan. We now have to carry out on-orbit checkouts, in parallel with preparations to launch SV03; not to mention the continual production effort of SV04. That is why the Production Corps space vehicles division is known as the 'A-Team'. "

Magellan will join the current GPS constellation comprised of 31 operational spacecraft, and will be the 21st M-Code-capable satellite added to the fleet. GPS satellites operate in Medium Earth Orbit at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles) in six planes. Each satellite circles the Earth twice per day, providing the "Gold Standard" of position, navigation and timing services for billions of users worldwide. GPS III, the newest generation of GPS satellites, brings new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities.

"Having launched a GPS III satellite in December 2018 aboard a Falcon 9 and now today on a Delta IV, the team demonstrated again their commitment and capability to achieve 100% mission success," said Col. Robert Bongiovi, Launch Enterprise director."

SMC's Production Corps, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, leads the GPS III Magellan team. SMC's Launch Enterprise led the launch, which took place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation is the prime satellite vehicle contractor. Air Force Space Command's 50th Space Wing and 2nd Space Operations Squadron operate the GPS constellation from Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

SMC is the U.S. Air Force's Center of Acquisition Excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes GPS, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

This second successful GPS III launch is an exemplary case of SMC's ongoing transition to the "SMC 2.0" initiatives, as even more satellites await their ride to orbit. The U.S. is entering a new era with space as a Warfighting domain, and SMC is leading the way with more significant U.S. acquisition agility initiatives that will birth innovation within the space enterprise and speed the delivery of crucial new capabilities to Warfighters. SMC 2.0 encompasses the collaborative nature of the space enterprise and embraces the agility of production driving forward.

With Another launch of GPS III planned later this year, SMC will continue to support U.S. superiority in space at EPIC Speed.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ Подлинная учетная запись @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1164599119526146048)

See our Flickr gallery for a collection of spectacular photos taken by United Launch Alliance of the #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) launching #GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash): https://www.flickr.com/photos/ulalaunch/albums/72157710353196416 ... (https://t.co/weqHOqdTlF)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176247.jpg)

ЦитироватьDelta IV GPS III SV-2 Launch Highlights

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220483.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Опубликовано: 22 авг. 2019 г.

A ULA Delta IV rocket carrying the GPS III SV-2 mission for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center lifts off from Space Launch Complex-37 at 9:06 a.m. ET on Aug. 22, 2019.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1164625538138484736)

]GPS III SV02 cataloged in a 1199 x 20177 km x 55.0 deg transfer orbit. The Delta 384 stage is in a negative-perigee orbit and descending towards impact in the ocean south of S Africa at 2014 UTC

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/35114.png) Cees Bassa‏ @cgbassa (https://twitter.com/cgbassa) 25 авг. (https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1165553048367849473)

Radio tracking shows that the latest GPS III satellite (#GPSIIISV02 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/GPSIIISV02?src=hash)), has started raising its orbit. It was launched by a @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) #DeltaIV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeltaIV?src=hash) rocket on August 22nd into a 1200 by 20185 km orbit. The last @18SPCS (https://twitter.com/18SPCS) orbit (from August 23rd) is already out of date.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176349.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno[/COLOR] (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 12 сент. (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1172175948910694401)

Nostalgic for that last Delta IV single stick mission?  Here's her accuracy. Another bullseye!  She went out on a flawless mission with incredible accuracy, delivering Magellan to a perfect orbit, and allowing it to go on station incredibly fast. Fare well Delta Medium

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/176861.jpg)

Цитировать

Код Выделить Развернуть

2020015 --------------------------
SVN75 (PRN18) USABLE JDAY 092/1945

NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2020015
SUBJ: SVN75 (PRN18) USABLE JDAY 092/1945
1. NANU TYPE: USABINIT
NANU NUMBER: 2020015
NANU DTG: 011942Z APR 2020
REFERENCE NANU: N/A
REF NANU DTG: N/A
SVN: 75
PRN: 18
START JDAY: 092
START TIME ZULU: 1945
START CALENDAR DATE: 01 APR 2020
STOP JDAY: N/A
STOP TIME ZULU: N/A
STOP CALENDAR DATE: N/A

2. CONDITION: GPS SATELLITE SVN75 (PRN18) WAS USABLE AS OF JDAY 092
(01 APR 2020) BEGINNING 1945 ZULU.

3. POC: CIVILIAN - NAVCEN AT 703-313-5900, HTTPS://WWW.NAVCEN.USCG.GOV
MILITARY - GPS OPERATIONS CENTER AT HTTPS://GPS.AFSPC.AF.MIL/GPSOC, DSN 560-2541,
COMM 719-567-2541, GPSOPERATIONSCENTER@US.AF.MIL, HTTPS://GPS.AFSPC.AF.MIL
MILITARY ALTERNATE - JOINT SPACE OPERATIONS CENTER, DSN 276-3526. COMM 805-606-3526.
JSPOCCOMBATOPS@US.AF.MIL

Цитироватьtnt22 написал:
Сабж официально введён в работу в составе системы с 1 апреля 2020 г (19:45 UTC)