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ЦитироватьСпутник AEHF-6 доставлен на мыс Канаверал
На Станцию ВВС США "Мыс Канаверал" (шт. Флорида, США) для предстартовой подготовки транспортным самолетом С-5 доставлен военный телекоммуникационный спутник AEHF-6. Запуск космического аппарата на борту РН Atlas-5/551 запланирован на середину марта и станет первым в текущем году, осуществляемым в США по военным программам, пишет SpaceFlightNow.
А.Ж.

Цитироватьhttps://www.facebook.com/lockheedmartin/posts/10158550608183538

Цитироватьhttps://www.defensedaily.com/air-force-sends-final-aehf-satellite-to-cape-in-first-official-delivery-to-space-force/space/ (https://www.defensedaily.com/air-force-sends-final-aehf-satellite-to-cape-in-first-official-delivery-to-space-force/space/)

ФОТО

The sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite is unloaded fr om an Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy Sunday Jan. 12 at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, was delivered to the 45th Space Wing of the U.S. Space Force. Photo: Kyle Ryan, Lockheed Martin
01/13/2020
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Цитироватьhttps://www.losangeles.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2059564/smc-its-mission-partners-team-up-to-deliver-aehf-6-safely-to-florida-ahead-of-m/

SMC Public Affairs / Published January 16, 2020

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The U.S. Space Force's (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center successfully delivered the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)-6 satellite to the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility in Titusville, Florida, Jan. 12.

"The delivery of the last AEHF satellite comes at an inflection point, as the first delivery of the USSF for launch," said Lt. Col. Paul La Tour, AEHF Space Segment materiel leader.

"The successful delivery of AEHF-6 is a significant achievement for the program, it brings us another step closer to delivering mission critical capabilities to the warfighter," said Mr. Cordell DeLaPena, Program Executive Officer for Space Production. "AEHF is an important asset to our sea, air, and ground missions and thanks to outstanding teamwork, innovation, and partnership we are ready to begin launch processing for the final AEHF space vehicle."

The enormous satellite was transported from the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Center satellite integration facility in Sunnyvale, California, via a C-5MSuper Galaxy aircraft, Jan. 11. The C-5 crew from the 22nd Airlift Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California, ensured the satellite was transported safely and according to the time sensitive schedule.

The C-5 was built to carry more cargo around the globe than any other plane.  It can lift more than a quarter million pounds, and the approximately 34,000-cubic-foot cargo bay is large enough to contain six helicopters.  The Air Force converted two C-5As to C-5C status, modifying them to carry "space containers" that safely transport satellites and other payloads.  This flight was a regular C-5M aircraft; however, the container carrying the satellite was specifically built for a C-5M and it fits in the cargo area with only inches to spare.

Спойлер

"The C-5M Super Galaxy provides an unmatched strategic airlift capability whether it be delivering cargo directly to the warfighter, in response to humanitarian crises, or for specialized outsized cargo like the transportation of this AEHF-6 satellite" said Capt. Adam Smith, 22nd Airlift Squadron pilot and aircraft commander for the AEHF-6 delivery.  "The whole "Double Deuce" (22AS) team takes great pride in delivering cargo to all of our users safely and efficiently; and make no mistake it is a team effort for not only the 22nd AS but also in partnership with the 60th Maintenance Group and the 312th Airlift Squadron from Air Force Reserve Command."

"It's not always the case for Special Assignment Airlift Missions to know what the cargo is, but for missions like this one wh ere we know the impact it will have for the warfighter, it is especially fulfilling to be a part of.  The whole crew recognizes the impact and importance of making an on-time delivery and worked tirelessly to overcome setbacks that could have delayed getting AEHF-6 to destination as scheduled," he said.

As the anchor satellite of the constellation, AEHF-6 is now on the path for final space vehicle checkout before launch.

A combined government and contractor team is preparing to execute the final ground activities, including a Launch Base Confidence Test to verify satellite integrity after shipment, an intersegment test to verify communication compatibility from the satellite to the ground operations center, and the final battery reconditioning for launch. Following these activities, the satellite will be fueled and prepared for integration with the United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle.

"As with the creation of the Air Force in 1947, identity matters to the people assigned to the USSF," La Tour noted. "AEHF speaks to a history of success in delivering unparalleled communications capability and serves as an excellent kernel to begin building a unique Space Force culture; a first win."

"Having started in 2000, the AEHF system was envisioned at another inflection point.  Initially designed for strategic and tactical users across the full spectrum of war, the AEHF system has met its purpose for the last decade supporting warfighters across the globe.  While AEHF design has spanned two decades it is increasingly relevant with the renewed rise of great-power conflict.  As space moves from a congested to a contested domain, the upgraded resiliency of AEHF-6 is posed to meet the coming threats and accelerate a culture of learning in space production," La Tour said.

[свернуть]

AEHF-6 is slated to launch in March 2020. The AEHF system is designed to augment and improve on the already existing Milstar constellation by providing enhanced survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets.  The AEHF program hit another recent milestone when AEHF-4 was accepted for operational use by U.S. Space Command on Jan 6.  Combined Force Space Component Command will begin mission activation of AEHF-4 and transition of operational users to the system.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67785.jpg) SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 14 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1217161716900876288)

On Friday, Jan. 10,AEHF-6 was loaded into a C-5 to transport the satellite from Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, Calif. to Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Cape Canaveral, Fla. 1st time Air Mobility Command supported a U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command mission.

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11 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1216139850690244610)

Thanks to the C-5 crew from 60th AMW at Travis AFB, AEHF-6 has safely arrived

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11 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1216140120769822720)

AEHF is a joint service communications satellite providing survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for military ground, sea & air assets. AEHF-6 is the final satellite in the AEHF constellation

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11 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1216144549451575297)

AEHF-6 is scheduled to launch in March 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida aboard an ULA Atlas V.


11 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1216144923373731840)

Thanks to the C-5 crew from 60th AMW at Travis AFB, AEHF-6 has safely arrived.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 13 янв. (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1216804035573010432)

Today, #ULARocketShip (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULARocketShip?src=hash) delivered the #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) that will launch the sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite for @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC). #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) was built by @LockheedMartin (https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin) to provide secure military communications.

Read more in our blog:
https://www.ulalaunch.com/explore/blog-detail/blog/2020/01/13/atlas-v-rocket-for-aehf-6-mission-arrives-at-the-cape ... (https://t.co/yjAVlheHAu)

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ЦитироватьAtlas V rocket for AEHF-6 mission arrives at the Cape
Jan 13, 2020, 11:57 AM

The R/S RocketShip sailed into Port Canaveral today to deliver the Atlas V rocket that will launch the sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) secure military communications satellite for the Space and Missile Systems Center.

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The Atlas V, flying in its powerful 551 configuration with a full complement of five side-mounted solid rocket boosters, will carry AEHF-6 to an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit that provides a fuel-efficient route to its final geostationary position 22,300 miles above Earth.
 
The rocket departed ULA's manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama, on Jan. 4 for the cruise to Florida's Space Coast. Arrival at the launch base occurred this morning.
 
Technicians at the wharf immediately went to work releasing the stages and transport vehicles fr om the RocketShip cargo bay and offloading the Atlas booster and Centaur upper stage.
 
The booster was hauled to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) to undergo receiving checks and horizontal processing. It will head to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) for the start of pre-launch assembly once the Solar Orbiter launch is accomplished and the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) is rolled back to the VIF next month.
 
The Centaur, after it emerged from RocketShip, was taken directly to the building wh ere it will be raised vertically, attached to the interstage adapter and fitted with the lower base segments of the payload fairing and support ring. That assembled structure then will be ready for joining the rest of the rocket in pre-flight preparations at the VIF.

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The AEHF-6 spacecraft arrived at the Cape just two days ahead of its rocket. The satellite was transported aboard a military cargo aircraft from the Lockheed Martin production facility in California on Saturday, Jan. 11. AEHF-6 will be checked out, fueled and encapsulated at the Astrotech payload processing complex in Titusville, Florida, before moving to the VIF for hoisting atop the Atlas V.
 
AEHF-6 is one of the most sophisticated communications satellites ever built. It will relay protected transmissions to strategic, nuclear and tactical forces, joining five other spacecraft in the series that have been launched exclusively by Atlas V rockets since 2010.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67785.jpg)SMC‏ @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) 13 янв. (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1216825802462904320)

#AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) arrived safely in Florida. The satellite will go through final check out prior to it March launch.

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ЦитироватьMarch 13 Atlas 5 • AEHF 6

Launch window: 1945-2145 GMT (3:45-5:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, this U.S. military spacecraft will provide highly-secure communications. The rocket will fly in the 551 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, five solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. [Jan. 22]

ЦитироватьAtlas V to Launch AEHF-6

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• Rocket: Atlas V 551
• Mission: Sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6)
• Launch Date: March 2020
• Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Mission Information: United Launch Alliance will use an Atlas V 551 rocket to launch the sixth and final spacecraft in the Lockheed Martin-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) series for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center. AEHF satellites provide global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. Atlas V rockets successfully launched the first five AEHF satellites between 2010 and 2019.

Launch Notes: The AEHF-6 launch will mark the 83rd Atlas V mission since the inaugural launch in 2002 and the 11th in the 551 configuration.

Цитировать• Launch Date: March 19 at 3:22 p.m. EDT with a two hour launch window

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230115838239354880)

Another #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) launch campaign begins! Today at Cape Canaveral, technicians will start assembling the #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) 551 rocket that will launch the #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) secure military communications for @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD). Watch for tweets throughout Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) day!

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/41914.jpg) (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) ULA✔@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 4:30 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230122538149273601)

The #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) launch of #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) marks the first national security space launch on behalf of the U.S. Space Force. United Launch Alliance is honored to launch this critical national asset for @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD).

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5:58 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230144550196465664)

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6:36 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230154260341542912)

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7:17 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230164526542262273)

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/41914.jpg) (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) ULA✔@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 8:32 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230183509140156417)

The high-performance #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) 551 rocket will launch #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) into a customized geosynchronous transfer orbit that requires less fuel for the satellite to reach its final destination. That fuel savings will directly enhance the spacecraft's mission.

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9:07 PM - Feb 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1230192221556789248)

Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) day is wrapping up for the #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) to launch #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) for @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD). In the coming days, five solid rocket boosters and Centaur will be hoisted into place. The encapsulated payload will be added next month to complete the 197-foot-tall rocket.

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Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 1:47 AM - Feb 20, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1230262667228655616)

LVOS is complete. SRB Ops tomorrow. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 4:45 PM - Feb 20, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1230488725974421506)

Weather looks good for SRB Ops today. Working a routine issue with a mechanical tensioner before we start. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 47 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1232265425985187840)

2 SRBs are attached. 3 to go. On track for launch. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 13 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1232649428453949440)

3 SRBs are up. 2 to go. The Space Force's first launch remains on track. @SMC_CC (https://twitter.com/SMC_CC) @AF_SMC (https://twitter.com/AF_SMC) #AEHF6  (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

ЦитироватьВ качестве дополнительной полезной нагрузки к AEFH-6 запустят кубесат
 Как сообщает Space News, во время запланированного на 19 марта с.г. запуска военного спутника связи AEFH-6 в качестве дополнительной полезной нагрузки на РН Atlas-5 будет размещен кубесат размером 12U, который изготовит компания Parsons. Этот аппарат станет вторым, который изготовлен Parsons в рамках пятилетнего контракта на 100 миллионов долларов с Центром космических и ракетных систем (SMC) Космических сил США. Первый был запущен летом минувшего года в качестве дополнительной нагрузки к спутнику AEFH-5.
А.Ж.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1232920346963169280)

4 SRBs up. 1 to go. The Space Force's first launch remains on track. #AEHF6  (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1233181181706932225)

All 5 SRBs are hung. #AEHF6  (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 1 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1233368723131699201)

Weather looks good. Rolling the OVI today. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

ЦитироватьAtlas V rocket assembled for U.S. Space Force AEHF-6 mission
Feb 28, 2020, 11:38 AM

A half-million pounds of hardware have come together at Cape Canaveral's Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) to form the Atlas V 551 rocket for the first launch of a national security space mission on behalf of the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220038.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220038.jpg)

Liftoff is planned for March 19 from Space Launch Complex-41 to deliver the sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) secure military communications satellite into an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Technicians began the rocket assembly process by bringing the Atlas V first stage to the VIF for Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) day on Feb. 19, a milestone marked by hoisting the 107-foot-long stage upright and placing it aboard the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP).

That operation was followed by the sequential attachment of five side-mounted solid rocket boosters (SRBs) to the Atlas first stage. They will generate three-quarters of the energy at liftoff to power the vehicle skyward on a complex, six-hour flight.

The basic buildup of the rocket was completed this morning by attaching the Centaur upper stage, which is fitted with the 500th RL10 engine. The stage will perform three separate engine firings during the launch to lift the satellite into a high-perigee, reduced-inclination geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The high-performance Atlas V 551 rocket will hit a top speed of 18,898 mph to place AEHF-6 into the customized orbit that requires the satellite to use less fuel to reach its station in space. That fuel savings will directly enhance the spacecraft's mission.

Atlas V was entrusted to launch the full series of AEHF communications satellites for the Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. The first successfully launched in 2010.

AEHF-6 will complete the constellation of geosynchronous satellites, built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, that provides global, survivable, protected communications for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.

The Space Force's AEHF system also includes allied partners the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia.

Next up in the pre-launch campaign, the rocket will be powered on for comprehensive testing of the avionics, subsystems and flight control steering checks of the engines. That will clear the way for the encapsulated AEHF-6 payload to be transported from its processing facility to the VIF for mounting atop the Centaur stage to complete the 197-foot-tall rocket.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1233497836362313730)

OVI  is mated. #AEHF6  (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

ЦитироватьMar 10 16:03

Status of AEHF-6 launch date

(Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., March 10, 2020) -- The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket launch carrying the AEHF-6 mission for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center is delayed due to an off-nominal valve reading during launch vehicle processing. Additional time is needed for the team to replace and retest the valve. Launch is now scheduled for no earlier than March 21.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 4 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1238036411086970886)

Spacecraft mate has been successfully completed for the  US Space Force's first Mission. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) is resting comfortably atop the Mighty Atlas.  @SpaceForceDoD  (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD)

ЦитироватьFinal AEHF satellite mated to Atlas 5 launcher at Cape Canaveral
March 12, 2020 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

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The base of the Atlas 5 rocket, fitted with five solid rocket boosters, for the launch of the U.S. Space Force's AEHF 6 satellite. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The sixth and final satellite in the U.S. Space Force's network of secure, jam-resistant AEHF communications satellites has been installed on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral for liftoff March 21.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the spacecraft was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5's payload shroud — built in Switzerland by RUAG Space — and transported to the Vertical Integration Facility near Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 launch pad Wednesday.

The AEHF 6 satellite was raised atop the Atlas 5 on its mobile launch platform inside the VIF. Tory Bruno, ULA's CEO, confirmed Thursday on Twitter that the spacecraft "is resting comfortably atop the 'Mighty Atlas.'"

The addition of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency payload capped assembly of the 83rd Atlas 5 launcher.

The 197-foot-tall (60-meter) rocket is scheduled for liftoff March 21 during a two-hour window opening at around 3:14 p.m. EDT (1914 GMT). Earlier this week, ULA announced a two-day delay in the AEHF 6 launch to March 21 "due to an off-nominal valve reading during launch vehicle processing."

"Additional time is needed for the team to replace and retest the valve," ULA said in a statement.

The Atlas 5 slated to launch the AEHF 6 satellite is flying in the "551" configuration with five strap-on solid rocket boosters and a 5.4-meter (17.7-foot) diameter payload fairing.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145688.jpg)
Artist's concept of an AEHF satellite in orbit. Credit: Lockheed Martin

The AEHF 6 satellite will be the first major U.S. Space Force payload to launch after the creation of the new military branch in December. It joins five previous AEHF satellites launched on Atlas 5 rockets since 2010, continuing and expanding secure communications services for U.S. military commanders and the president provided by the military's earlier generation of Milstar spacecraft.

The Space Force is comprised of military units that previously operated under the umbrella of the now-defunct U.S. Air Force Space Command, including space wings that manage launch ranges at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The new Space Force military branch remains part of the Department of the Air Force, and also includes the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, which oversees launch and spacecraft procurement and development programs, such as AEHF, GPS and SBIRS satellites for communications, navigation and early warning missions.

The AEHF fleet is a follow-on to the Air Force's Milstar satellite network, and the sixth satellite will be the final craft in the constellation. The AEHF satellites are designed to operate at last 14 years.

Northrop Grumman supplies the communications payloads for the AEHF satellites, each of which provides more capacity than the entire five-satellite Milstar constellation, which launched in the 1990s and 2000s. The AEHF satellites are cross-linked with one another, allowing the network to beam signals around the world without going through a ground station.

The Atlas 5 rocket will deliver the AEHF 6 satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit, then the spacecraft will use its own engine to circularize its orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above the equator.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145963.jpg)
The first stage for the next Atlas 5 rocket launch was raised on ULA's mobile launch platform Feb. 19. Credit: United Launch Alliance

After reaching a preliminary orbit, the Atlas 5 will deploy a secondary payload named TDO 2 around 31 minutes after liftoff. Based on a suitcase-sized 12U CubeSat platform, TDO 2 carries multiple U.S. government payloads that will provide optical calibration capabilities, which will support space domain awareness, according to the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.

"The mission of TDO 2 is to support space domain awareness through optical calibration and satellite laser ranging," SMC said in a statement. "This capability will assist the nation's warfighters in performing their critical missions."

The TDO 2 spacecraft was manufactured by Georgia Institute of Technology and sponsored by Air Force Research Laboratory, according to SMC. It is mounted to the aft end of the Atlas 5's Centaur upper stage.

A similar secondary payload named TDO 1 accompanied the AEHF 5 satellite into orbit on a previous Atlas 5 launch in August 2019.

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/1238456452873945088)

Additional slip of the #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) to 26 March. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/180775.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg)ULA‏ @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 17 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1238457196247203841)

The ULA #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) rocket carrying the #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) mission for the @SpaceForceDOD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD) is set to launch on Thurs., March 26. The team needed additional time to complete the booster valve replacement and retest. The two-hour launch window starts at 2:57 p.m. ET.

ЦитироватьAEHF-6 payload hoisted atop powerful Atlas V rocket
Mar 13, 2020, 08:52 AM

The capstone satellite to the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications system has been mounted atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket for its ride into orbit on March 26.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220039.jpg) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220039.jpg)

The sixth and final spacecraft in the series was delivered to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Cape Canaveral to join the rocket on March 11.  It was moved in the predawn hours from its payload processing facility to the VIF aboard ULA's KAMAG transporter (as pictured here), then hoisted onto the rocket by the building's heavy-duty crane.
 
Already encapsulated in the payload fairing for flight through the atmosphere, the satellite is fueled and ready for liftoff aboard 197-foot-tall Atlas V.
 
Atlas V rockets have launched all of the AEHF satellites, starting with AEHF-1 in 2010. The secure military communications system is built by Lockheed Martin for the Space Force.
 
Deploying the AEHF constellation over the past 10 years is an example of ULA's commitment to serving U.S. national security. More than 80 launches of our Atlas and Delta rockets have revitalized American space capabilities by deploying advanced fleets of modernized surveillance, communications and navigation satellites.
 
ULA is positioned to continue that legacy of dependability in the new era of competition and affordability with our Vulcan Centaur rocket that is purpose-built for the emerging security needs of the nation.
 
AEHF-6 is a sophisticated communications relay satellite that will provide the highest levels of protection for our nation's most critical users. It features encryption, low probability of intercept and detection, jammer resistance and the ability to penetrate the electro-magnetic interference caused by nuclear weapons, all essential when communications can be the top priority.
 
With the rocket and payload now assembled, a tip-to-tail electrical connectivity testing of the Atlas V and AEHF-6 will be completed. The Integrated Systems Test will verify proper functionality of launch vehicle systems, conduct a simulated countdown and run through the launch sequence to ensure all events will occur as planned.
 
The Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) will move the Atlas V to the pad the day before liftoff. The combined 1.9 million pounds of platform and rocket travel by rail tracks nearly 1,800 feet to the launch site.
 
Atlas V will be loaded with 25,000 gallons of RP-1 kerosene fuel immediately after rollout and 66,000 gallons cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen during the countdown to produce a 1,278,919-pound, fully-fueled rocket for liftoff.
 
This launch will mark the 138th ULA mission and 86th dedicated to U.S. national security. It will be the 83rd Atlas V and 11th to fly in the powerful 551 configuration.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67585.jpg) Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace (https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1239574788991000577)

In light of the closure for the European spaceport in French Guiana, I asked @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) about its March 26th launch of AEHF-6 from the Cape:

"At this time, we do not expect an impact to the launch of AEHF-6 for the U.S. Space Force."

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 4:45 PM - Mar 19, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1240635468766724098)

Still on track for the first US Space Force Mission #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash).Previously misbehaving valve has been changed out and normal vehicle testing continues. Launch Team is in place through lift off on the 26th.

ЦитироватьMar 20 21:45
Rehearsal tests AEHF-6 launch team

March 20, 2020 -- The joint ULA and U.S. Space Force team simulated the countdown to launch an Atlas V rocket and the AEHF-6 spacecraft during a successful final dress rehearsal today.

The launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41 is planned for next Thursday, March 26, at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

Known as the Mission Dress Rehearsal (MDR), the exercise is the last opportunity to simulate day-of-launch activities before the real countdown begins. The MDR follows earlier Integrated Crew Exercises (ICEs) that foster a cohesive working relationship between the ULA personnel running the countdown and the customer personnel managing the mission and controlling the payload.

These simulations are a common part of pre-launch preparations to familiarize the integrated team with the nuances of timelines for that specific mission, experience the problem-resolution process, rehearse how to react quickly and efficiently when issues arise and demonstrate the coordination required to sel ect a target launch time.

Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Launch Enterprise at the Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center and the mission director for the AEHF-6 launch, oversaw the rehearsal from the Mission Director's Center at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).

The ULA Launch Director for the mission is Tom Heter III. The launch director and the mission director work together to maintain overall situational awareness for launch-critical assets, launch vehicle and spacecraft health, timelines and major milestones, mission constraints, remaining launch window and final team readiness to support the planned T-0.

Running the countdown from the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center's Launch Control Center (LCC) was ULA Launch Conductor Scott Barney, a veteran of both Atlas V and Delta IV missions. On launch day, he will orchestrate all steps in the countdown procedure and manage two dozen console positions in the LCC.

Today's exercise also included 45th Space Wing personnel fr om the Eastern Range and Weather Squadron. The simulation practiced their duties during the countdown, including weather briefings, providing equipment status updates and approval processes.

ULA will use an Atlas V 551 rocket to launch AEHF-6, the final spacecraft in the AEHF satellite constellation. The global, survivable, jam-resistant network is the bedrock for assured communications for leaders to control tactical and strategic forces in the most hostile wartime conditions, even in a nuclear conflict. The satellites relay real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data to high-priority users on the ground, at sea or in the air.

ЦитироватьMar 22 17:21
Weather 80% GO for Thursday's launch

The initial forecast from Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich for Thursday's 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC) launch of Atlas V and the AEHF-6 communications satellite indicates an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions.

"High pressure is expected to remain in place over the Florida Peninsula through much of the upcoming week, leading to unusually warm and mainly dry conditions. Several fronts will approach the state, but the high will cause them to stall and dissipate north of the area," the launch weather team says.

"Favorable conditions are expected for launch and backup day as an upper-level ridge and its associated high pressure strengthen over the state. Light offshore flow is expected both mornings before winds turn onshore in the afternoon behind the sea breeze. While it is expected to remain dry, scattered clouds will develop due to daytime heating, thus the primary concern for both Thursday and Friday is the Cumulus Cloud Rule.

The operations forecast includes scattered low-level clouds, good visibility, easterly winds 10 to 15 knots and a temperature near 81 degrees F.

If the launch is postponed to Friday for some reason, there continues to be an 80 percent chance of good conditions.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29898.jpg) ULA‏ @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 52 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1241732900028022784)

LAUNCH ALERT: The @45thspacewing (https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing) Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral predicts an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for the #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) launch of #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) on Thursday at 2:57pmEDT (1857 UTC). Full details: http://bit.ly/av_aehf6  (https://t.co/4pLEu5h3pY)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181177.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184934.jpg) Geoff Barrett  :f09f9a80:‏ @GeoffdBarrett (https://twitter.com/GeoffdBarrett) 14 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/GeoffdBarrett/status/1242080213938442240)

Outstanding!

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181200.jpg)


(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185159.jpg) Karthik Naren‏ @nkknspace (https://twitter.com/nkknspace) 12 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/nkknspace/status/1242104107466403842)

Exciting to see Atlas-V 551, can't wait for this interesting Mission @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) @SpaceIntellige3 (https://twitter.com/SpaceIntellige3)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181211.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 24 19:23
Launch Readiness Review completed

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) has given the "go" to continue preparations for Thursday's liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) secure communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center.

Liftoff is scheduled for 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III, was completed this morning at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).

Leadership from ULA and the Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload and mission assets, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that continues to be favorable with an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

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

AEHF-6 is a sophisticated communications relay satellite built to provide the highest levels of protection for our nation's most critical users. It features encryption, low probability of intercept and detection, jammer resistance and the ability to penetrate the electro-magnetic interference caused by nuclear weapons, all essential when communications can be the top priority.

United Launch Alliance will offer live reports from the ASOC in our automatically-refreshing blog during the Atlas V's rollout to the launch pad on Wednesday, plus provide comprehensive countdown coverage beginning Thursday morning at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), with continuing commentary all the way to the spacecraft separation nearly six hours after liftoff.

ЦитироватьAtlas V AEHF-6 Mission Profile

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220329.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) ]United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

24 мар. 2020 г.

ЦитироватьUnited Launch Alliance Set to Launch the First National Security Space Mission for the U.S. Space Force

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (March 24, 2020) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is in final preparations to launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. The launch is on track for March 26 at Space Launch Complex-41 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Launch is planned for 2:57 p.m. EDT at the opening of a two-hour launch window. The live launch broadcast begins at 2:37 p.m. EDT on www.ulalaunch.com. The launch of AEHF-6 will mark the 138th launch for ULA and first National Security Space mission for the U.S. Space Force.
 
"In the current dynamic environment, national security is of utmost importance," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "We are proud to launch the first National Security Space mission for the U.S. Space Force and look forward to delivering the final AEHF asset to support our nation's national defense and the warfighter community."

Producing more than two and a half million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the Atlas V 551 configuration rocket is the most powerful in the Atlas V fleet. The 551 rocket has launched groundbreaking missions for our nation—from the critically important MUOS constellation to historic science missions including New Horizons, the first mission to Pluto and the Juno mission to Jupiter. The Atlas V 551 configuration first launched on January 19, 2006 and has launched 10 times to date.
 
The AEHF system, developed by Lockheed Martin, provides vastly improved global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for strategic command and tactical warfighters.
 
The Atlas V 551 configuration vehicle includes a 5-meter large Payload Fairing (PLF) and stands at 197 ft. tall. The Atlas booster for this mission is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne provided the five AJ-60A solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and RL10C-1 engine for the Centaur upper stage.

This launch will mark the 500th flight of the RL10 engine, which has flown hundreds of times on ULA and ULA heritage vehicles, and supported ULA's launches of military, civil and commercial satellites, and has sent spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system.
 
With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the world's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully launched more than 135 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, and support life-saving technology.

ЦитироватьMar 24 20:27
Pre-launch briefing

Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs, addressed reporters in the AEHF-6 pre-launch news briefing earlier today to preview Thursday's Atlas V launch. His remarks:

Allow me to echo the comments of the leaders here today and add that on behalf of our team and mission partners, United Launch Alliance is very proud to launch the first National Security Space mission for the U.S. Space Force with AEHF-6.

The Atlas V 551 rocket will deliver AEHF-6 into an optimized, high-energy geosynchronous transfer orbit. ULA and the AEHF program produced this ascent profile to maximize mission flexibility over the satellite's lifetime.

ULA Atlas V rockets successfully launched the first five AEHF satellites. We look forward to completing the constellation to support national security and the warfighter community.

The Atlas V 551 rocket produces more than two and a half million pounds of thrust at liftoff and is the most powerful in the Atlas V fleet. The 551 configuration includes a 5-meter large Payload Fairing and stands at 197 ft. tall. The Atlas booster for this mission is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne provided the five AJ-60A solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and RL10C-1 engine for the Centaur upper stage.

It's important to note that the launch of AEHF-6 launch will mark the 500th flight of the RL10 engine, which has flown hundreds of times on ULA and ULA heritage vehicles, and supported ULA's launches of military, civil and commercial satellites, and sending spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system.

This launch will mark ULA's 138th launch since ULA was formed in December 2006. ULA's unrivaled mission success is only made possible when our highest priority remains a one-launch-at-a-time focus on safely and reliably delivering these national assets.

We are proud to deliver AEHF-6 to orbit. ULA will continue to reliably deliver our nation's most important payloads and critical capabilities to orbit, with 100% success.

Thank you, and Go Atlas! Go Centaur! Go AEHF-6!

ЦитироватьMar 25 00:51
Launch Visibility

Wondering when and where you may see the Atlas V launch of the AEHF-6 satellite? This visibility map shows when and where your best chances are to see the rocket in the Southeastern U.S.! Launch is scheduled for Thursday at 2:57 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200324215152_383804.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200324215152_383804.jpeg)

Цитироватьна сайте ULA

ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-aehf-6 (https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-aehf-6)

или

на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=YBkB1BbblN0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBkB1BbblN0)

ЦитироватьMar 25 17:06
It's Rollout Day!

Welcome to Rollout Day for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and AEHF-6 from the Vertical Integration Facility to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41. Launch is planned for Thursday at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325140607_386491.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325140607_386491.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 25 17:34
Roll Preps

Final preparations are underway for this morning's rollout of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from its assembly building to the pad at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41.

The transfer will cover a distance of one-third-of-a-mile and position the rocket and the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite for Thursday's countdown and liftoff to complete the AEHF satellite constellation that provides global, protected military communications.

A weather briefing from Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich of the 45th Weather Squadron has verified conditions are acceptable for the move, which is expected to begin shortly. Skies are clear, winds are light and there's no threat of heavy rain or lightning today.

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:03
GO to Roll

A readiness check of systems' status by ULA Launch Conductor Scott Barney has been completed satisfactorily, and ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III has authorized the rollout to begin.

Pre-roll preps are complete and the weather is acceptable to move the 197-foot-tall rocket on its Mobile Launch Platform to the launch pad.

"Stand Engineer, proceed with MLP roll to pad," Barney radioed to Dane Drefke at the VIF.

We are standing by to initiate the roll.

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:06
Rollout Underway

Rollout of the Atlas V rocket to launch AEHF-6 is underway with first motion at 11:04 a.m. EDT (1504 UTC) of the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) departing the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF).

The VIF is a 30-story building where the rocket stages and payload were put together for this mission aboard the Mobile Launch Platform. The MLP will travel to the pad with the help of undercarriage railcars and trackmobile machines that push the entire 1.9-million-pound platform and rocket along tracks up the hill to the pad.

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:16

The MLP convoy is led by two boxcars, called the PVan and GVan. The payload support van houses Starliner ground equipment such as the electrical and communication interfaces between the spacecraft systems and the launch pad throughout the countdown. The ground van supports the launch vehicle with a dedicated set of control electronics.

Bringing up the rear are two portable environmental control system trailers that supply conditioned air to the rocket's compartments during rollout.

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:24

The Atlas V rollout continues as the rocket completes the first 1,800 feet on its journey into space, traveling by rail from the Vertical Integration Facility to the Space Launch Complex-41 pad.

This will be the 83rd flight for Atlas V since debuting in August 2002. The vehicle has a 100 percent mission success record for the Defense Department, the National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and commercial customers.

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:32

The Atlas V rocket and AEHF-6 emerge from the assembly building as they make their way to the pad for tomorrow's launch for the U.S. Space Force.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325153249_606398.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325153249_606398.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance


Mar 25 18:34

The Atlas V has entered the launch pad perimeter fence.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325153416_645698.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325153416_645698.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

Following successful launches of the first five Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications (AEHF) satellites aboard Atlas V rockets between 2010 and 2019, United Launch Alliance is using an Atlas V 551 rocket to launch AEHF-6 on Thursday from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Liftoff is scheduled for 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC), at the opening of a two-hour available launch window.

The Atlas V 551 rocket will deliver the sixth and final AEHF satellite into an customized, high-energy geosynchronous transfer orbit that will require the satellite to expend less fuel to reach its operational orbit.

AEHF-6 is a Lockheed Martin A2100 satellite that gives senior leadership with an assured line of communications to tactical and strategic military forces in all levels of conflict, including nuclear war.

AEHF serves survivable, high availability communications connections across the full spectrum of military operations from peacetime training to nuclear warfare to route real-time video, maps and targeting data to users on land, at sea or in the air.


Mar 25 18:37

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325153743_205232.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325153743_205232.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:39

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325153953_076923.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325153953_076923.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance


Mar 25 18:44

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325154417_469145.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325154417_469145.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 25 18:55
On the Pad!

Our Atlas V rocket has arrived at its Cape Canaveral launch pad for Thursday's liftoff of AEHF-6, a protected communications relay station in orbit for the U.S. Space Force and allied partner nations.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200325155509_176729.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200325155509_176729.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away, and the first stage will be loaded with 25,000 gallons of RP-1 fuel, a highly refined kerosene.

The seven-hour launch countdown will begin Thursday morning, leading to a liftoff at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

Our live countdown updates will begin on this page at 8 a.m. EDT.

The live video webcast of the launch begins at 2:37 p.m. EDT (1837 UTC) and will be viewable on this page.

Цитировать(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1230194583352549376/jl61Xta-_normal.jpg) (https://twitter.com/EmreKelly) Emre Kelly✔@EmreKelly (https://twitter.com/EmreKelly) 7:00 PM - Mar 25, 2020 (https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1242843844246372358)

This is ... a great photo. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) being encapsulated last month ahead of tomorrow's 1457 ET (1857 UTC) Atlas V liftoff from CCAFS.

((https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) : @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/180895.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 25 19:38

The MLP has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 12:38 p.m. EDT.

This will enable the undercarriages with the attached portable environmental control system trailers to be removed and retreat from the pad later this afternoon.

ЦитироватьMar 25 19:46
Weather still 80% GO

The launch weather forecast remains unchanged with an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions to allow liftoff on Thursday afternoon. The outlook calls for just scattered clouds, good visibility, easterly winds 10 peaking to 17 knots and a temperature near 78 degrees F.

"For today, a weakening front over north Florida will bring offshore flow up to 15 to 20 knots and temperatures near 90 degrees F to the Space Coast. The remnants of the front are expected to move over the area tomorrow, bringing little more than scattered cumulus clouds off of the Atlantic and a shift in wind direction to the northeast and then east," the launch weather team reports.

ЦитироватьMar 25 20:44

Post-rollout operations are continuing at Space Launch Complex-41. Technicians are powering up the Atlas and Centaur rocket stages for today's testing and RP-1 fueling activities.

ЦитироватьMar 25 21:11

A guidance system test for the Atlas V rocket is getting underway.


Mar 25 21:17

The environmental control system has been transfered to the launch pad facilities from the portable trailers used during rollout. That has allowed the first trailer and undercarriage to be removed from the Mobile Launch Platform.

ЦитироватьMar 25 22:24
Atlas RP-1 Loading Begins

Fueling of the Atlas V first stage is underway at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41. The launch team is pumping 25,000 gallons of RP-1 fuel, a highly refined kerosene, into the rocket for tomorrow's flight.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185230.jpg) (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) John Kraus (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)@johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 11:24 PM - Mar 25, 2020 (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1242910254834290689)

The logo of the newly-formed United States Space Force is seen on the side of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket, which is poised to launch the AEHF-6 satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral at 2:57pm EST Thursday.

( (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) /for @SuperclusterHQ (https://twitter.com/SuperclusterHQ))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/180869.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 25 23:24
Atlas RP-1 Load Completed

The Atlas V's first stage has been loaded with RP-1 fuel that will power the main engine during the initial phase of the AEHF-6 launch. Cryogenic fueling of the rocket with liquid oxygen to the main stage and liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen occurs during the final two hours of the countdown tomorrow.

Launch of the Atlas V to deploy the AEHF-6 spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center remains scheduled for Thursday from Cape Canaveral. The two-hour launch window opens at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

ЦитироватьMar 25 23:56

Today's guidance system testing has been completed.

ЦитироватьMar 26 00:11

The joint ULA and U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center team is wrapping up the planned activities for Rollout Day and the Atlas V rocket is being powered down for the night. The next event will be starting the launch countdown.

The countdown clocks will be positioned at T-minus 6 hours, 20 minutes in anticipation of initiating the countdown tomorrow.

ЦитироватьПентагон в четверг планирует провести запуск спутника связи, несмотря на пандемию коронавируса в США
26.03.2020 1:15:21

Вашингтон. 26 марта. ИНТЕРФАКС - Ракета-носитель Atlas V в четверг должна стартовать на орбиту с очередным спутником спецсвязи AEHF в интересах Космических сил США, сообщила американская компания-оператор United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Запуск спутника AEHF-6 завершит формирование новейшей орбитальной группировки из шести космических аппаратов, предназначенной для обеспечения высшего военного руководства США защищенной и устойчивой к помехам связью для стратегического управления американскими вооруженными силами.

"Спутник AEHF-6 является высокозащищенным средством связи для передачи важнейшей оборонной информации для ключевых пользователей страны. Он обеспечит высшее руководство надежной линией связи с вооруженными силами в любом конфликте, в том числе в ядерной войне", - говорится в сообщении ULA.

Запуск ракеты-носителя Atlas V со спутником AEHF-6 планируется осуществить с 41-го стартового комплекса на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал в штате Флорида в двухчасовое временное окно, открывающееся в 14:57 по времени Восточного побережья США (21:57 мск). Спутник будет выведен на геостационарную орбиту высотой 35 888 км.

Предыдущие пять спутников AEHF были выведены на орбиту в течение 2010-2019 годов. Все шесть космических аппаратов должны будут заменить прежнюю орбитальную группировку из пяти спутников системы MILSTAR. Каждый аппарат AEHF в пять раз превосходит по своему потенциалу спутники MILSTAR, отмечает ULA.

При этом американское военное командование подчеркнуло, что запуск проводится на фоне пандемии коронавируса в США в условиях заморозки гражданских космических программ, но что для защиты обслуживающего запуск военного персонала предпринимаются все необходимые меры.

"Мы будем продолжать делать то, что у нас получается лучше всего, это обеспечивать гарантированный доступ в космос, а также заботиться о наших военных и их семьях", - сказал бригадный генерал Дуг Шисс, командир 45-го космического крыла на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал.

По его словам, Пентагон приказал командирам обеспечить защиту своим подразделениям в условиях пандемии коронавируса, продолжая выполнять важнейшие оборонные задания. По словам бригадного генерала, где это возможно, обслуживающий персонал будет выполнять свои задачи дистанционно, остальные будут обеспечивать запуск непосредственно на своих местах.

По имеющимся данным, в непосредственном обеспечении запуска на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал в четверг будет задействовано около 300 военных.

United Launch Alliance - совместное предприятие корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin, которое осуществляет запуски в интересах Пентагона и американского разведывательного сообщества.

Цитировать03/26/2020 02:06 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance teams at Cape Canaveral are readying an Atlas 5 rocket for launch at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 GMT) Thursday with the U.S. Air Force's sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the AEHF 6 satellite will join a network of geostationary relay stations providing secure, jam-resistant video, voice and data links for the U.S. military.

Teams at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 launch pad loaded around 25,000 gallons of RP-1 kerosene fuel into the Atlas 5's first stage this morning. The first stage's Russian-built RD-180 engine will consume the kerosene in combination with super-cold liquid oxygen, which the launch team will load into the rocket in the final hours of the countdown Thursday afternoon.

The Atlas 5's Centaur upper stage will also be filled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen during the countdown.

Cryogenic tanking is scheduled to commence before 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).

ЦитироватьSpace Force's first launch scheduled for Thursday
March 25, 2020 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145968.jpg)
The logo of the U.S. Space Force is seen on the Atlas 5 rocket set to carry the AEHF 6 communications satellite into orbit. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The first launch of a U.S. Space Force mission since the establishment of the new military service is planned Thursday, when a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is set for liftoff fr om Cape Canaveral with a billion-dollar jam-resistant communications satellite designed to ensure national leaders remain connected with the armed forces.

The sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite is mounted on top of the Atlas 5 rocket awaiting liftoff Thursday, heading for a post more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above Earth.

The AEHF 6 spacecraft is the first Space Force payload to launch since the military service was established in December. The AEHF satellites — like the military's navigation and missile warning satellite assets — were previously managed by Air Force Space Command before their transfer to the Space Force.

The Space Force remains part of the Department of the Air Force — much like the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy.

"This AEHF 6 mission will be the first launch for the newly-established U.S. Space Force," said Col. Robert Bongiovi, AEHF 6 mission director and head of the launch enterprise office at the Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. "My entire team is squarely focused on ensuring mission for this satellite to provide certain, secure communications for the nation and its leaders."

Built by Lockheed Martin with a sophisticated communications payload fr om Northrop Grumman, the AEHF 6 spacecraft is the last in the Space Force's AEHF fleet. Five previous AEHF satellites have launched successfully on Atlas 5 rockets since August 2010.

Each of the AEHF satellites weigh around 13,600 pounds (6,168 kilograms) fully fueled at launch.

"While this is the final AEHF satellite launch, it really brings the constellation to full strength, capability and truly marks the beginning of the AEHF system's full lifecycle," said Mike Cacheiro, vice president for protected communications at Lockheed Martin, in a statement. "Still, it is a bittersweet moment for everyone involved, knowing this is our last launch for the AEHF program."

Atlas 5 launch preparations at Cape Canaveral are proceeding amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted launch schedules around the world. ULA and military officials said teams are engaging in social distancing to try and lim it the exposure of personnel to the virus, and 20 to 25 percent of the employees who would typically be present for the launch will not be there in person Thursday.

ULA teams rolled the 197-foot-tall (60-meter) Atlas 5 rocket from its Vertical Integration Facility to Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 launch pad Wednesday in preparation for Thursday's launch, which is scheduled at the opening of a two-hour window at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 GMT).

There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for launch Thursday, with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures in the forecast.

Mounted on a mobile launch platform, the Atlas 5 followed rail tracks laid along the third-of-a-mile distance between the vertical hangar and pad 41. After arriving at the launch pad, the Atlas 5's first stage was fueled with rocket-grade kerosene ahead of the start of the seven-hour countdown Thursday.

During Thursday's countdown, ULA's launch team will activate the rocket's avionics and guidance system, run the Atlas 5 through a series of launch day checkouts, and fill the launcher with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145959.jpg)
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket approaches Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 launch pad during rollout Wednesday. Credit: United Launch Alliance

During a final built-in hold at T-minus 4 minutes, ULA's launch conductor will poll the Atlas 5 team for approval to begin the terminal countdown. Once the countdown clocks resumes, the Atlas 5 will be switched to internal battery power and its propellant tanks will pressurize in the final four minutes before launch.

In the last moments of the countdown, the first stage's Russian-made RD-180 main engine will start up, followed by ignition of the Atlas 5's five strap-on solid rocket boosters, which were manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The main engine and solid rocket boosters will combine to generate around 2.6 million pounds of thrust, sending the Atlas 5 eastward over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlas 5 rocket will fly in its most powerful configuration, known as the 551 variant, for Thursday's mission. The launcher has a 5.4-meter-diameter (17.7-foot) payload fairing built in Switzerland by RUAG Space.

The rocket will shed its strap-on boosters at T+plus 1 minute, 46 seconds, leaving the liquid-fueled RD-180 engine to power the Atlas 5 until about four-and-a-half minutes into the mission. During that time, the Atlas 5's payload shroud will jettison to fall into the Atlantic Ocean.

Then the rocket's Centaur upper stage will ignite its Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C engine for the first of three planned burns to inject the AEHF 6 spacecraft into its planned elliptical geostationary transfer orbit. The RL10C engine will shut down at T+plus 11 minutes, 46 seconds, then reignite about 11 minutes later for a second firing.

After the first Centaur burn, the rocket will release a small secondary payload named TDO 2 into orbit around 31 minutes after liftoff.

Based on a suitcase-sized 12U CubeSat platform, TDO 2 carries multiple U.S. government payloads that will provide optical calibration capabilities, which will support space domain awareness, according to the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.

"The mission of TDO 2 is to support space domain awareness through optical calibration and satellite laser ranging," SMC said in a statement. "This capability will assist the nation's warfighters in performing their critical missions."

The TDO 2 spacecraft was manufactured by Georgia Institute of Technology and sponsored by Air Force Research Laboratory, according to SMC. It is mounted to the aft end of the Atlas 5's Centaur upper stage.

A similar secondary payload named TDO 1 accompanied the AEHF 5 satellite into orbit on a previous Atlas 5 launch in August 2019.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145967.jpg)
The U.S. Space Force's AEHF 6 communications satellite is seen during encapsulation inside the Atlas 5 rocket's payload fairing Feb. 27. The spacecraft was readied for launch in an Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: United Launch Alliance

Once the TDO 2 payload is deployed, the Centaur upper stage will coast for more than five hours. As the rocket reaches the high point of its orbit more than 20,000 miles from Earth, the RL10C engine will fire once more to raise the orbit's perigee, or low point, and nudge its tilt closer to the equator.

With that maneuver completed, the Centaur will release the AEHF 6 spacecraft around 5 hours, 41 minutes, after liftoff. The target orbit for Thursday's mission ranges in altitude between 6,758 miles (10,876 kilometers) and 21,933 miles (35,298 kilometers), with an inclination of 13.9 degrees.

The AEHF 6 satellite will use its own engine and plasma thrusters to maneuver into a circular geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator, wh ere the craft's speed will match the rate of Earth's rotation. That will allow AEHF 6 to remain over the same part of the world 24 hours per day.

Military officials have not disclosed the geographic coverage area for AEHF 6.

Designed to operate at least 14 years, the AEHF satellites are follow-ons to the Air Force's Milstar satellite network.

Each of the AEHF satellites, which are spread around the world to enable global coverage, provides more capacity than the entire five-satellite Milstar constellation, which launched in the 1990s and 2000s. The AEHF satellites are cross-linked with one another, allowing the network to beam signals around the world without going through a ground station.

AEHF 6 will go straight into operations once it passes post-launch tests, according to Col. John Dukes, Jr., senior materiel leader for the geosynchronous orbit division SMC's production corps.

The AEHF satellites provide connectivity at different specified data rates between 75 bits per second to 8 megabits per second. Those data rates are slow by modern standards, but what distinguishes the AEHF satellites is their ability to resist jamming and continue operating, even in the event of nuclear war.

Each satellite also carries gimbaled dish antennas to reach users on-the-move, phased array antennas with beams can be steered electronically rather than mechanically, and nulling antennas to provide "extremely high anti-jam capability to in-theater users," according to Northrop Grumman, supplier of the AEHF communications payload.

"AEHF, if we were to have to operate in (the highest bandwidth) mode, will enable the President of the United States, national leaders and four international allies to be able to communicate in voice-recognizable communication, even through any event," Dukes said.

The governments of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have joined the AEHF program.

"Across the globe, we have numerous Army, Navy, Air Force, and joint international partner terminals with the AEHF constellation online," Dukes said. "We have enough bandwidth to service all the terminals in our concept of operations. So by upgrading from the Milstar to the AEHF constellation, we're able to provide that capability from now to beyond 2030."

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 1:19 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243120315162669056)

Weather's looking good.  Mighty Atlas is champing at the bit. Feels like a good day to go to space. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

ЦитироватьMar 26 15:07
Countdown Begins

T-minus 6 hours, 20 minutes (L-6 hours, 50 minutes) and counting!

The countdown has been initiated for liftoff of the Atlas V rocket and AEHF-6 spacecraft this afternoon from Cape Canaveral in the U.S. Space Force's first dedicated launch.

There are two pre-planned, built-in holds, each lasting 15 minutes, scheduled in the count. One pause is reserved prior to fueling at T-minus 2 hours, the other occurs prior to the terminal count at T-minus 4 minutes. That will lead us to a liftoff at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

The Atlas V rocket, designated AV-086, will launch AEHF-6 into a customized high-perigee, reduced-inclination geosynchronous transfer orbit. This orbit benefits the satellite by requiring less fuel to reach its final circular geosynchronous altitude 22,300 miles above the Earth.

It will take five hours and 41 minutes to perform this Atlas V mission, from liftoff until deployment of the AEHF spacecraft, and the Centaur upper stage will perform three burns to haul the heavy payload to the optimized orbit.

Our rocket variant being flown today is the Atlas V 551 configuration that is distinguished by the five-meter-wide composite payload fairing, five solid rocket boosters that are side-mounted to the first stage and a single RL10C-1 engine on the Centaur upper stage. It stands 197 feet tall and will weigh nearly 1.3 million pounds once fully fueled.

ЦитироватьMar 26 15:22

This is Atlas Launch Control at T-minus 6 hours, 5 minutes (L-6 hours, 35 minutes) and counting.

The application of power to the Atlas and Centaur stages is underway at the start of today's countdown procedures. The stages are being powered up to begin launch day testing and final preparations for fueling operations.

Over the next few hours, final preps for the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen systems will be performed, along with a test of the rocket's guidance system and the first stage propulsion and hydraulic preps, internal battery checks and testing of the GPS metric tracking system used to follow the rocket as it flies downrange, plus a test of the S-band telemetry relay system.

ЦитироватьMar 26 15:37

The launch team is controlling the countdown from the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, or ASOC, located about four miles from the launch pad, in conjunction with a team of personnel performing hands-on tasks at Space Launch Complex-41. The Cape also has assistance from design teams at ULA's Denver Operations Support Center, or DOSC.

Engineers and specialists from the U.S. Space Force and Aerospace Corp. are monitoring systems from consoles at Cape Canaveral's Hangar AE. Range functions and weather forecasting duties are being performed by Space Force officials at the Morrell Operations Center here at the Cape.

And a team at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville is monitoring he health of AEHF-6 atop the Atlas V rocket.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno)3:49 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243158118386683906)

Nice morning at the Cape. A little overcast, but ok. All systems are green. The count is proceeding  on track. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno)Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 3:54 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243159344016814080)

Today's Atlas launch of #AHEF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AHEF6?src=hash) will fly several #Vulcan (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vulcan?src=hash) systems: Common Avionics (again) and upgrades to the ground support systems.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181264.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 26 15:52

The Atlas-Centaur rocket has been powered up for its launch of AEHF-6.

The flight control operator 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 conduct guidance system testing and steering checks of the engine nozzles prior to cryogenic fueling.

The countdown continues to track on schedule for liftoff at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC). At T-minus 5 hours 34 minutes (L-6 hours, 4 minutes) and counting, this is Atlas Launch Control.

ЦитироватьMar 26 16:14

The guidance system test is beginning, the next major milestone in today's countdown. This activity will take the next couple of hours to complete.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/91701.jpg) (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNow (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow) 3:13 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1243149130584731649)

The countdown has begin for today's launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral.

The United Launch Alliance rocket is set for liftoff at 2:57pm EDT (1857 GMT) with the US military's AEHF 6 communications satellite.

LIVE COVERAGE: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/25/atlas-5-aehf-6-mission-status-center/ ... (https://t.co/DTzM4i4Ejz)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181262.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 26 16:34
Weather improves to 90% GO

This is Atlas Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 52 minutes (L-5 hours, 22 minutes) and counting. Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich from the 45th Weather Squadron reports that conditions at Cape Canaveral are looking favorable for the flight of Atlas V and AEHF-6 this afternoon, forecasting a 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions at liftoff time.

All conditions are GO at the present time and the low stratus clouds overhead this morning should burn off by noon.

The outlook for launch time calls for some scattered low clouds, good visibility, easterly winds of 10 gusting to 15 knots and a temperature near 78 degrees F.

The main concern will be cumulus clouds from the onshore flow.

ЦитироватьMar 26 17:00

Space Launch Complex-41 is the East Coast home of the Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. "Slick-41" was constructed by the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s for the Titan rocket program.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326140044_992824.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326140044_992824.jpeg)

There were 27 launches of the Titan rocket family between 1965 and 1999, including NASA's two Viking missions in 1975 that landed on Mars and both Voyager probes to the outer solar system in 1977.

The site was rejuvenated in support of the Atlas V starting in 1999. It employs a "clean pad" concept of operations to ready launch vehicles and payloads for ascent into space.

The Atlas V rocket elements are assembled atop a Mobile Launch Platform inside the Vertical Integration Facility located adjacent to the launch pad. The platform and fully stacked Atlas V then travels by rail approximately 1,800 feet northward from the VIF to the pad for the final countdown, fueling and liftoff.

AEHF-6 will be the 68th Atlas V launch from this pad and the 95th overall since 1965.

ЦитироватьMar 26 17:03

The flight control operational test is getting underway. This test will validate the control functions on the Atlas first stage main engine and the Centaur upper stage's engine by confirming that valves cycle properly and that the engine steering systems perform as commanded.

ЦитироватьMar 26 17:32
Sunset Photos

See our Flickr album (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ulalaunch/albums/72157712668294221) for photos from last night's sunset at the Atlas V pad.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326143204_725565.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326143204_725565.jpeg)

ЦитироватьMar 26 17:46

First stage propulsion and hydraulic preps have been completed. The propulsion preps configured the ground liquid oxygen transfer system and ground pneumatic supply systems for filling the Atlas first stage LOX tank and pressurizing the Atlas helium bottles for launch. The hydraulic preps configured the ground hydraulic pressure unit to provide for first stage main engine pre-launch hydraulic control.

ЦитироватьMar 26 18:01

The main engine steering test is underway.

ЦитироватьMar 26 18:15

We are working no issues in the countdown here in the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) or at the Space Launch Complex-41 pad. Liftoff remains scheduled for 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

ЦитироватьMar 26 18:37

Antenna checks are being performed to verify functionality of the GPS Metric Tracking system. GPS MT is the system that uses the orbiting Global Positioning System navigation satellite constellation to track the rocket's flight downrange with position, velocity and timing information.

ЦитироватьMar 26 18:58

Internal battery checks are nearing completion and the GPS Metric Tracking antenna checks have been accomplished.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:05

The initiation of gaseous nitrogen flow to the launch vehicle has started. This changes the environmental control system (ECS) to supply nitrogen gas rather than conditioned air to the internal compartments of the Atlas V and the payload fairing in preparation for fueling and launch.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:11
Weather Remains 90% GO

In the pre-fueling weather briefing to mission management, Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich reports that conditions remain favorable at Cape Canaveral for a rocket countdown. Skies are mostly clear, winds are within limits and there are no weather constraints against proceeding into Atlas V fueling operations as scheduled.

The launch time forecast remains 90 percent favorable, with the only concern being cumulus clouds.

The launch time outlook calls for scattered low clouds, easterly winds 10 to 15 knots and a temperature near 78 degrees F.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:14

The launch pad crew has completed its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex-41 for today's mission, and Launch Conductor Scott Barney has given the instruction for personnel to depart the site in advance of fueling operations.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:15

Hold-fire checks are being conducted at this time. This verifies the circuitry used to stop the countdown if a safety concern arises.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:16
No COLAs Today

Safety officials have confirmed that there are no Collision Avoidance (COLA) periods during today's 120-minute launch window. 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 Atlas V and AEHF-6.

ЦитироватьAtlas 5 launch timeline for the AEHF 6 mission
March 26, 2020 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/) | Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

A United Launch Atlas 5 rocket is set to launch the U.S. Air Force's sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite from Cape Canaveral. This timeline shows the major mission events planned over a nearly six-hour flight to an optimized geostationary transfer orbit.

The 197-foot-tall (60-meter) rocket, propelled by an RD-180 main engine and five solid rocket boosters, is set for liftoff during a two-hour launch window Thursday, March 26, that opens at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 GMT).

The AEHF 5 mission will be the 83rd flight of an Atlas 5 rocket, and the second Atlas 5 launch of 2020.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the AEHF 6 satellite joins five previous satellites in the AEHF constellation launched by Atlas 5 rockets in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018 and 2019. The first four AEHF satellites in orbit allowed the Air Force's new generation of secure, nuclear-hardened voice, video and data relay spacecraft to span the globe, and the addition of two more AEHF geostationary relay satellite will grow the network's capacity and resiliency.

The Atlas 5 launch sequence will last 5 hours, 40 minutes, from liftoff until deployment of the AEHF 6 spacecraft. On this mission, ULA added extra hardware and maneuvering fuel to the Centaur upper stage, enabling the launcher to deliver the AEHF 6 satellite closer to its final orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above the equator.

The GSO kit was added to the Atlas 5 rocket on the fifth AEHF launch last August, after the first four AEHF missions did not employ the additional capability.

The extra performance provided by the GSO kit will allow the Centaur upper stage to coast an additional two hours before its third firing. Spacecraft separation is scheduled for T+plus 5 hours, 40 minutes.

Thanks to the mission profile change, the AEHF 6 satellite will separate in an orbit with a perigee, or low point, several thousand miles higher than would be possible without the GSO kit. That means AEHF 6 — like AEHF 5 last year — will need to consume less of its own finite propellant supply to circularize its orbit, leading to a longer operating lifetime for the mission.

According to an Atlas 5 user's guide published by ULA, the GSO kit includes additional battery power, a full load of hydrazine to control the upper stage's orientation in space, and additional shielding over sensitive components, including the Centaur' hydrogen and oxygen tanks.

An overview of the Atlas 5/AEHF 6 launch sequence and a ground track map illustrating the rocket's path after liftoff are are posted below.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPfJq3aBJ6Y (https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPfJq3aBJ6Y)
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Credit: United Launch Alliance

T+0:00:01.1: Liftoff

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After igniting its RD-180 main engine at T-minus 2.7 seconds, the Atlas 5 rocket fires its five solid rocket boosters and rises away from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, with approximately 2.6 million pounds of thrust.

T+0:00:34.4: Mach 1

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The Atlas 5 rocket exceeds the speed of sound, flying east from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

T+0:00:46.2: Max-Q

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The Atlas 5 rocket passes through the region of maximum dynamic pressure during ascent through the lower atmosphere.

T+0:01:46.7: Jettison SRBs

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Having burned out of propellant approximately 15 seconds earlier, the five spent Aerojet Rocketdyne-built solid rocket boosters are jettisoned once dynamic pressure conditions are satisfied. The first pair of boosters will jettison, followed a second-and-a-half later by the remaining three.

T+0:03:24.9: Payload Fairing Jettison

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The Atlas 5 rocket's payload fairing, made in Switzerland by RUAG Space, is jettisoned in a clamshell-like fashion once external heating levels drop below predetermined limits after climbing through the dense lower atmosphere. The Forward Load Reactor deck that connected the payload fairing's structure to the Centaur upper stage is released five seconds after the shroud's jettison.

T+0:04:26.3: Main Engine Cutoff

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The RD-180 main engine completes its firing after consuming its kerosene and liquid oxygen fuel supply in the Atlas first stage.

T+0:04:32.3: Stage Separation

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The Common Core Booster first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket separates from the Centaur upper stage. Over the next few seconds, the Centaur engine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are readied for ignition.

T+0:04:42.3: Centaur Ignition 1

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The Centaur RL10C-1 engine ignites for the first of three upper stage firings. This burn will inject the Centaur stage and the AEHF 6 satellite into an initial parking orbit.

T+0:11:46.9: Centaur Cutoff 1

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The Centaur engine shuts down after arriving in a planned low-Earth parking orbit. The vehicle enters an 11-minute coast period before arriving at the required location in space for the second burn.

T+0:22:44.3: Centaur Ignition 2

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145058.jpg)
Producing 22,900 pounds of thrust, the Centaur re-ignites to accelerate the AEHF 6 payload into a highly elliptical transfer orbit from the parking altitude achieved earlier in the launch sequence. This burn lasts more than six minutes.

T+0:28:52.7: Centaur Cutoff 2

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145055.jpg)
The second Centaur firing places the AEHF 6 satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit stretching more than 20,000 miles above Earth, beginning a five-hour coast period for the mission's final orbital adjustment maneuver. A secondary U.S. Air Force smallsat payload named TDO 2 will separate from the Centaur upper stage's aft bulkhead around 30 seconds after the RL10 engine shuts down. The TDO 2 mission support space domain awareness through optical calibration and satellite laser ranging.

T+5:36:39.1: Centaur Ignition 3

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/145969.jpg)
After a five-hour coast, the Centaur's RL10 engine reignites for a roughly one-minute, 28-second firing to place the AEHF 6 satellite in the proper orbit for spacecraft separation.

T+5:38:07.8: Centaur Cutoff 3

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/150003.jpg)
The powered phase of flight is concluded as the Centaur reaches the planned elliptical geostationary transfer orbit with an expected perigee, or low point, of 6,758 miles (10,876 kilometers), an apogee, or high point, of 21,933 miles (35,298 kilometers), and an inclination of 13.9 degrees. The final RL10 engine burn will fire until depletion of the Centaur upper stage's propellant, giving the AEHF 6 satellite the most favorable orbit possible before spacecraft separation.

T+5:40:56.9: AEHF 6 Separation

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/150001.jpg)
The AEHF 6 spacecraft deploys from the Centaur upper stage.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:23

The hazard area around the launch site has been cleared of all personnel for fueling and liftoff.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:27
Countdown Holding

This is Atlas Launch Control at T-minus 2 hours (L-2 hours, 30 minutes) and holding. The countdown has entered the first of two planned, built-in holds that are scheduled in today's timeline. This first block of time gives the countdown some margin to resolve issues or catch up work that could be running late, and the hold provides an opportunity to ensure all is ready before fueling operations begin.

The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

At the present time, all activities are on schedule and no problems are being addressed by the launch team.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:39
Go for Fueling

A readiness poll of the launch team by Launch Conductor Scott Barney, with concurrence of ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III, has approved cryogenic tanking operations to begin once the countdown resumes.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:42
Countdown Resumes

This is Atlas Launch Control at T-minus 2 hours (L-2 hours, 15 minutes) and counting. The next phase of today's launch countdown has started on schedule as we continue to target 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC) for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the AEHF-6 communications spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.

Preparatory steps for fueling are being kicked off, including ground chilldown of the Atlas first liquid oxygen system and chilldown of the transfer lines to the Centaur upper stage liquid oxygen system.

ЦитироватьMar 26 19:50
Centaur LO2 Loading Begins

With the thermal conditioning, or chilldown, now complete, liquid oxygen has started to flow into the Centaur upper stage for today's launch. About 4,150 gallons of liquid oxygen will be loaded into Centaur.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/184818.jpg) (https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98) Thomas Burghardt @TGMetsFan98 (https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98) 7:49 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1243218531451392001)

Let's watch a rocket launch, shall we? #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

Article by @w_d_graham (https://twitter.com/w_d_graham): https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/03/atlas-v-launch-space-forces-aehf-6/ ... (https://t.co/ifr8pAQ2aX)

NSF webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaa3lADTlTQ&feature=emb_title ... (https://t.co/1cVnPRvQEK)

ULA webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBkB1BbblN0 ... (https://t.co/8w7fa2eEbr)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181269.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:14
Atlas LO2 loading begins

Filling of the Atlas V rocket's largest tank has begun. About 48,800 gallons of super-cold oxidizer for the main engine is flowing into the liquid oxygen tank on common core booster first stage.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:19

The Centaur liquid oxygen tank is topping to flight level.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:27

The first stage liquid oxygen tank has reached the 20 percent mark. And Centaur liquid oxygen is at flight level.

Цитировать03/26/2020 20:33 Stephen Clark

The chilldown sequence to thermally condition the Centaur stage's Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-1 engine has started.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:38
Centaur LH2 Loading Begins

The launch team has received the "go" to begin filling the Centaur upper stage with the super-cold liquid hydrogen fuel following chilldown of the system. The Centaur holds about 12,300 gallons of the cryogenic propellant for this three-burn mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:42

The countdown is passing T-minus 1 hour. We will be taking the clocks down to T-minus 4 minutes where they will hold for 15 minutes while managers perform the final readiness polls. Liftoff remains targeted for 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

Цитировать03/26/2020 20:44 Stephen Clark

There are no major weather concerns being monitored in the countdown, with partly cloudy skies over Cape Canaveral and no rain showers in the vicinity of the launch pad.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:50

Flight control final preps are getting underway. This is the steering test pattern run on the Atlas V engine nozzles to ensure proper gimbaling during the ascent.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:52

The high-pressure helium bottles for first stage main engine pneumatics have been charged for flight.

ЦитироватьMar 26 20:57

The liquid hydrogen tank in the Centaur upper stage just reached the 96 percent level. Topping is beginning.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:00

Fast-filling of the first stage liquid oxygen tank has been completed. Topping mode is now underway. The cryogenics will be replenished throughout the countdown until the final minutes before launch to replace the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen that naturally boils away.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:02

Today's launch availability lasts from 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC) to 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 UTC). Liftoff is possible at the top of every minute within that two-hour period, for a total of 121 opportunities to launch today.

The window timing and duration are dictated by the orbital requirements of the AEHF-6 spacecraft and the Atlas V rocket's robust ability to meet those parameters.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:07
AEHF-6 Logo

The AEHF-6 patch is emblazoned on the Atlas V rocket's payload fairing.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326180706_445650.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326180706_445650.jpeg)

The artwork depicts the AEHF-6 satellite deployed in space, joining the five previous AEHF spacecraft launched since 2010, as well as the flags of the countries involved in the AEHF program -- the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.

Цитировать03/26/2020 21:17 Stephen Clark

40 minutes until launch. Here are some statistics on this morning's mission:

[/li]
• 665th launch for Atlas program since 1957
  
• 367th Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral
  
• 254th mission of a Centaur upper stage
  
• 231st use of Centaur by an Atlas rocket
  
• 500th production RL10 engine to be launched
  
• 31st RL10C-1 engine launched
  
• 89th flight of an RD-180 main engine
  
• 119th-123rd AJ-60 solid rocket boosters flown
  
• 83rd launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
  
• 31st U.S. Air Force/Space Force use of an Atlas 5
  
• 68th launch of an Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral
  
• 2nd Atlas 5 launch of 2020
  
• 123rd Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
  
• 138th United Launch Alliance flight overall
  
• 75th Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
  
• 98th United Launch Alliance flight from Cape Canaveral
  
• 53rd ULA launch for U.S. Air Force/Space Force
  
• 28th 500-series flight of the Atlas 5
  
• 11th Atlas 5 to fly in the 551 configuration
  
• 95th launch from Complex 41
  
• 68th Atlas 5 to use Complex 41
  
• 7th orbital launch overall from Cape Canaveral in 2020
  

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:22

Initial telemetry coverage of today's flight of the Atlas V rocket will be relayed via the TEL-4 tracking station here at the Cape. The Jonathan Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex (JDMTA) in South Florida will acquire the vehicle shortly after liftoff. A handoff from the ground sites to NASA's orbiting Tracking and Data Relay Satellites in geosynchronous orbit occurs during the initial burn of the Centaur and TDRS satellites continue for the rest of the mission.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:25

Anomaly Chief David McFarland is convening the problem-resolution team to discuss the loss of an RL10 temperature sensor.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:26

The fuel fill sequence is beginning. This procedure releases RP-1 kerosene fuel into the RD-180 main engine in preparation for ignition.

Цитировать03/26/2020 21:27 Stephen Clark

T-minus 15 minutes and counting. The Atlas 5 countdown is ticking toward a 15-minute planned hold at T-minus 4 minutes.

Цитировать03/26/2020 21:28 Stephen Clark

Less than 30 minutes until liftoff. The Atlas 5 team reports flight control final preps are completed at this time.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:29

Weather is observed and forecast GO for liftoff a half-hour from now, according to the countdown's final planned briefing by weather officer Will Ulrich.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:30

The problem-resolution team reports that the failed temperature sensor is no constraint to launch.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:32

Video cameras aboard the Atlas V rocket will be used to record key portions of today's mission. An aft-facing camera on the first stage will provide views of the vehicle climbing away from the Earth, solid rocket motor jettison and all the way nearly to staging. Just prior to booster engine cutoff, the view will switch to the aft-facing camera on the Centaur stage to show the first stage separating and ignition of the RL10C-1 engine. That same view will be available for the end of the first burn and then the ignition and shutdown of the engine on the second and third burns of the day. In addition, a forward-facing camera on Centaur will capture payload fairing jettison and AEHF-6 separation.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:33

The Automatic Determination and Dissemination of Just Updated Steering Terms, better known as the ADDJUST file, is being loaded into the Atlas V 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 today'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.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:36

The AEHF-6 spacecraft atop the Atlas V rocket is transitioning to internal battery power for launch. This is the final configuring of the payload for liftoff.

The protected communications satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, is destined to operate in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above Earth.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:40

United Launch Alliance is using the Atlas V 551 rocket, with a five-meter-diameter payload fairing and a full complement of five strap-on solid rocket rockets, to launch the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) communications spacecraft into an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Leaving the pad on 2.6 million pounds of thrust from the combined power of the kerosene-fueled first stage main engine and all five solid boosters, the Atlas V will perform pitch, yaw and roll maneuvers to align with a due east heading along a flight azimuth of 93 degrees.

The vehicle will hit Mach 1, the speed of sound, in 35 seconds and pass through Max Q, the region of maximum dynamic pressure, at 46 seconds.

The solid boosters will burn out and separate in less than two minutes. The payload fairing that protected the satellite during atmospheric ascent will be jettisoned at the edge of space three-and-a-half minutes into flight.

Cutoff of the main engine and staging occurs four-and-a-half minutes after launch, allowing the cryogenic Centaur upper stage to ignite for a 7-minute initial burn to reach a preliminary parking orbit. A brief 11-minute coast through space sets up the Centaur to perform another 6-minute burn that accelerates the payload into a highly elliptical intermediate orbit.

The TDO-2 rideshare payload will be deployed at T+plus 29 minutes, 24 seconds.

Centaur then goes into its long-duration coast mode for more than five hours to reach the high point of the orbit. A third firing of the RL10 engine, lasting more than a minute-and-a-half, will raise the orbit's low point and reduce inclination relative to the equator.

Spacecraft separation is expected at T+plus 5 hours and 41 minutes in an optimized high-perigee, low inclination geosynchronous transfer orbit. ULA and the AEHF program produced this ascent profile to maximize mission flexibility over the satellite's lifetime.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:43

Upper level winds have been verified acceptable for launch at 2:57 p.m. EDT (1857 UTC).

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/47036.png) (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 9:52 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1243249367995252736)

Polling to proceed out of the Built In Hold.

All GO!

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243249282242748418/pu/vid/1136x640/Bpl5-Ie9L2fg6zDt.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243249282242748418/pu/vid/1136x640/Bpl5-Ie9L2fg6zDt.mp4) (1:00)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/47036.png) (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight) 9:58 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1243250992797437954)

HOLD HOLD HOLD.

LC Switch Not Ready.

Back to T-4 mins. Two hour window.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243250861003943938/pu/vid/1136x640/fThfJbQ7rzUWHK48.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243250861003943938/pu/vid/1136x640/fThfJbQ7rzUWHK48.mp4) (0:21)

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:56
Hold

HOLD.

ЦитироватьMar 26 21:58

Launch Conductor Scott Barney is guiding the launch team through steps to safe the rocket and pad systems following the unplanned hold called at T-minus 46 seconds. Meanwhile, engineers are examining the cause of the countdown stoppage.

ЦитироватьMar 26 22:03

Activities to safe the launch vehicle and ground support equipment are putting the Atlas V and Space Launch Complex-41 back into the same configuration as they were at the T-minus 4 minute hold point.

Today's available launch window extends to 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 UTC) for liftoff to occur.

ЦитироватьMar 26 22:08

The launch team has completed the countdown recycle of all systems. Engineers are troubleshooting what caused the countdown to be stopped and how to resolve the issue.

ЦитироватьMar 26 22:11

Once the issue is resolved, mission management will establish a liftoff time. We do not have new time yet.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno)Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 10:11 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243254331480170496)

Ground hydraulics accumulator fault. Working it

Цитировать03/26/2020 22:41 Stephen Clark

While the Atlas 5 remains in an extended hold, launch crews are re-chilling the liquid oxygen transfer lines at the launch pad.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 10:32 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243259652973850625)

Cause understood. Working on a solution. Stand by.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 10:46 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243263135990996992)

Bad amplifier card on a ground system hydraulic pump controller.  Working on a solution

Цитировать03/26/2020 22:51 Stephen Clark

The launch team is uploading a new trajectory profile into the Atlas 5 rocket to take into account the latest upper level wind conditions over Cape Canaveral.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:02

After the hold, the launch team completed procedures to back out of the partially-completed terminal count. We are awaiting resolution of the issue before a new target launch time can be selected and the readiness polls reconducted at L-7 minutes.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 11:04 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1243267695576924161)

Looks like we might have a solution. Stand by

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:06

The engineering team developed a troubleshooting test that proved successful in resolving the ground hydraulics issue. We are standing by to establish a new launch time today.

The available launch window remains open through 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 UTC).

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:08

NEW LAUNCH TIME has seen set for 4:18 p.m. EDT (2018 UTC).

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:12
GO for Launch!

The ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III has confirmed that the Atlas V rocket is ready to launch and U.S. Space Force Mission Director Col. Robert Bongiovi has given the final permission to launch.

The pronouncement was made following the readiness poll of the launch team by Launch Conductor Scott Barney that verified all systems are "go" to resume the countdown today.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:14
Countdown Resumes

T-minus 4 minutes and counting. The final phase of today's countdown is underway at Cape Canaveral to launch the Atlas V rocket and AEHF-6 secure military communications satellite. The countdown clocks have resumed, leading us to liftoff of the first national security launch for the U.S. Space Force mission.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:16

T-minus 1 minute, 55 seconds. The start command has been issued to the launch sequencer. The sequencer will perform independent verifications of systems for the rest of the countdown, control the detachment of umbilicals from the vehicle and release the rocket from the pad at liftoff.

The first stage RP-1 kerosene fuel and the liquid oxygen tanks have stepped up to proper pressure levels for flight and the Atlas and Centaur stages have switched from ground power to internal batteries.

In the next few seconds, the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant topping to the Centaur upper stage will be secured and the tanks go be confirmed stable at flight pressures.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:16

T-minus 80 seconds. The rocket's ordnance controller and the vehicle safety system have been armed. The flight software on the Atlas V is going active at this time.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:18
LIFTOFF!

Liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the first dedicated U.S. Space Force mission, completing the global constellation of AEHF protected communications satellites!

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/41914.jpg) (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) ULA ✔@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 12:11 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1243284549708046336)

and LIFTOFF of the United Launch Alliance #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) rocket with #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) on the 1st mission for the @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD)!

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243284117610848257/pu/vid/1280x720/BaPFS0D5OYZLA05Y.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1243284117610848257/pu/vid/1280x720/BaPFS0D5OYZLA05Y.mp4) (0:12)

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:19

T+plus 60 seconds. Atlas V is launching the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications spacecraft to improve the U.S. military's strategic communications satellite technology in space.

The rocket has broken through the sound barrier to go supersonic and passed the period of maximum aerodynamic stresses in the lower atmosphere.

Atlas V is consuming propellant at a rate of 6,900 pounds per second with the main engine running at full throttle and all five SRBs firing.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:19
SRB Separation

T+plus 1 minute, 50 seconds. Solid rocket booster jettison is confirmed. All five of the Aerojet Rocketdyne-made solid rocket motors have successfully separated from the Atlas V first stage, having completed their job of proving nearly three-quarters of the energy at liftoff.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/75977.jpg) (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) Michael Sheetz ✔@thesheetztweetz (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) 11:25 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1243272998385266688)

A great shot of the Atlas V's solid rocket boosters peeling away:

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/EUD95BVWoAEoPI_.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/EUD95BVWoAEoPI_.mp4) (0:08)

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:21
Fairing Separation

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Payload fairing jettison is confirmed from the edge of space. The two-halves of the RUAG Space-made composite shroud have separated to expose the satellite after ascent through the atmosphere. Also, the Centaur Forward Load Reactor, a two-piece deck that rings the upper stage to support the fairing during launch, has separated as planned.

The main engine is revving back up to its 95 percent throttle setting.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/75977.jpg) (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) Michael Sheetz ✔@thesheetztweetz (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) 11:31 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1243274444522618882)

Here's the Atlas V nosecone ("fairing") breaking away cleanly, followed by the Centaur's Forward Load Reactors

https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/EUD_fjCXkAA9zTU.mp4 (https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/EUD_fjCXkAA9zTU.mp4) (0:08)

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:22
Staging

T+plus 4 minutes, 49 seconds. Successful staging and ignition of the Centaur upper stage is confirmed. The vehicle now weighs a little more than five percent of its liftoff mass.

The first stage of flight was completed with booster engine cutoff, or BECO, followed by separation of the Atlas V's common core booster.

That enabled the Centaur's RL10C-1 engine to begin the first of three planned firings today to deliver AEHF-6 to the desired high-perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:24

T+plus 6 minutes. The 500th RL10 engine is performing well with good operating parameters reported. This first burn by Centaur will last seven minutes to place the vehicle into an initial parking orbit around the Earth.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:29
MECO-1

T+plus 11 minutes, 45 seconds. The first main engine cutoff, or MECO-1, is confirmed for the Centaur upper stage. The vehicle has reached a preliminary Earth orbit where it will coast above the Central Atlantic for the next 11 minutes before the next burn begins.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:40
Main Engine Start-2

T+plus 22 minutes, 50 seconds. Ignition! The Centaur's single RL10C-1 engine has re-ignited to climb from its initial parking orbit into a highly elliptical orbit on the way to the optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit later today.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:46
MECO-2

T+plus 28 minutes, 55 seconds. The second main engine cutoff, or MECO-2, is confirmed for Centaur, completing the next step towards the targeted orbit to deploy AEHF-6. The rocket now begins a five-hour coast away from Earth to reach the proper point in space for the day's third burn by the upper stage to optimize the orbit for payload release.

But first we are standing by in the next few moments for ejection of the rideshare payload from Centaur.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:47
TDO-2 Deploy

T+plus 29 minutes, 30 seconds. The TDO-2 rideshare payload, a 12U CubeSat, has been released from Centaur's aft bulkhead into geosynchronous transfer orbit.

TDO-2 is carrying multiple U.S. government payloads that will provide optical calibration capabilities and satellite laser-ranging to support space domain awareness.

The Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise Mission Manifest Office delivered the small satellite vehicle to the AEHF-6 mission. The satellite was manufactured by Georgia Institute of Technology and sponsored by Air Force Research Laboratory.

ЦитироватьAtlas V launches AEHF-6

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220393.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/SciNewsRo)SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

26 мар. 2020 г.

ЦитироватьMar 26 23:50

T+plus 32 minutes. The Orbital Parameters Message (OPM) confirms that the second burn by Centaur achieved the targeted orbit as planned.

ЦитироватьMar 27 00:06

T+plus 48 minutes. This is Atlas Launch Control. To recap, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket lifted off at 4:18 p.m. EDT (2018 UTC) carrying the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-5) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center fr om Cape Canaveral, Florida.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326210610_843723.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326210610_843723.jpeg)

Following the first stage of flight, the Centaur upper stage performed an initial burn that achieved a parking orbit. A second burn then injected the rocket and payload into a standard geosynchronous transfer orbit. The CubeSat rideshare payload was then deployed.

We're now in the midst of a five-hour coast away from Earth to reach apogee, or the high point, of the orbit wh ere Centaur will perform a third and final burn to benefit AEHF-6 significantly by raising perigee, or the low point, of the orbit and reduce inclination relative to the equator. It is advantageous for the satellite to use the remaining performance of Centaur to put AEHF-6 closer to its final orbit as possible

Deployment of the payload to complete this launch is expected at T+plus 5 hours, 41 minutes.

Today's seven-hour countdown started at 8:07 a.m. EDT under the guidance of ULA Launch Conductor Scott Barney. The rocket was powered up and underwent standard day-of-launch testing while crews finished configuring the launch pad. The "go" for fueling was given by ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III at 12:39 p.m. Tanking operations were successfully performed as 66,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen were placed into the rocket's tanks. The clear to launch was given at 4:12 p.m. EDT by Space Force Mission Director Col. Robert Bongiovi.

ЦитироватьНа орбиту стартовал американский военный спутник стратегической системы связи
       Вашингтон. 26 марта. ИНТЕРФАКС - Ракета-носитель Atlas V в четверг стартовала на орбиту с очередным спутником AEHF (Advanced Extremely High Frequency) стратегической системы связи в интересах Космических сил США, сообщила американская компания-оператор United Launch Alliance (ULA).
       Спутник AEHF-6, созданный корпорацией Lockheed Martin стоимостью примерно в 1,5 млрд. долл, должен завершить формирование новейшей орбитальной группировки из шести космических аппаратов, предназначенной для обеспечения высшего военного руководства США защищенной и устойчивой к помехам связью для стратегического управления американскими вооруженными силами.
      "Спутник AEHF-6 является высокозащищенным средством связи для передачи важнейшей оборонной информации для ключевых пользователей страны. Он обеспечит высшее руководство надежной линией связи с вооруженными силами в любом конфликте, в том числе в ядерной войне", - говорится в сообщении ULA.
       Запуск двухступенчатой ракеты-носителя Atlas V со военным спутником AEHF-6 был осуществлен с 41-го стартового комплекса на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал в штате Флорида в 16:48 по времени Восточного побережья США (23:48 мск). Спутник будет выведен на геосинхронную орбиту с высотой 35888 км.
       По сообщению компании ULA, на первой ступени ракеты-носителя Atlas V, стартовавшей в четверг, были установлены российские "двигатели РД-180 производства "НПО Энергомаш".

"Ранее"

United Launch Alliance - совместное предприятие корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin, которое осуществляет запуски в интересах Пентагона и американского разведывательного сообщества.
       Предыдущие пять спутников AEHF были запущены на орбиту в 2010-2019 годах. Все шесть космических аппаратов должны заменить прежнюю американскую орбитальную группировку из пяти спутников системы MILSTAR. Каждый аппарат AEHF в пять раз превосходит по своему потенциалу спутники MILSTAR, отмечает ULA.
       Американское военное командование отметило, что запуск проведен на фоне пандемии коронавируса в США в условиях заморозки гражданских космических программ, но что для защиты обслуживающего запуск военного персонала предприняты все необходимые меры.
      "Мы будем продолжать делать то, что у нас получается лучше всего, это обеспечивать гарантированный доступ в космос, а также заботиться о наших военных и их семьях", - сказал перед запуском бригадный генерал Дуг Шисс, командир 45-го космического крыла на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал.
       По его словам, Пентагон приказал командирам обеспечить защиту своим подразделениям в условиях пандемии коронавируса, продолжая выполнять важнейшие оборонные задания. По возможности, обслуживающий персонал выполняет свои задачи дистанционно, остальные должны обеспечивать пуски непосредственно на своих местах.
       По имеющимся данным, в непосредственном обеспечении запуска на авиабазе на мысе Канаверал в четверг были задействованы около 300 военных.

[свернуть]

Цитироватьzandr написал:
С временем, очевидно, ошибка: не 48, а 18.

ЦитироватьMar 27 00:18

T+plus 1 hour. Our official liftoff time was 4:18:00.148 p.m. EDT (2018:00.148 UTC).

Vehicle performance so far has been nominal. The third burn by Centaur and spacecraft separation are coming up in a few hours.

ЦитироватьMar 27 00:32

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326213252_176149.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326213252_176149.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 27 00:48

T+plus 1 hour, 30 minutes. Centaur continues to coast away from the Earth in this orbit. Stage systems are reported nominal as the rocket performs a slow roll to keep the solar heating evenly distributed on all surfaces.

ЦитироватьLive Broadcast: Atlas V AEHF-6

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220329.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

Трансляция началась 3 часа назад

Цитировать03/27/2020 00:17 Stephen Clark

Here are some images from photographer Alex Polimeni of today's launch, as seen from a media viewing site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2485630524045188703/20200326211737_909040.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2485630524045188703/20200326211737_909040.jpeg)
(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2485630524045188703/20200326211742_808384.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2485630524045188703/20200326211742_808384.jpeg)

ЦитироватьMar 27 01:28

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200326222801_403927.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200326222801_403927.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 27 02:22

T+plus 3 hours, 4 minutes. Today's launch marks the 254th flight of the Centaur. This venerable U.S. upper stage is the high-energy, hydrogen-fueled rocket that unlocked access to the moon and every planet in our solar system for robotic explorer spacecraft.

The first operational payloads launched by Centaur were Surveyor missions that sent landers to touch the lunar surface. Mariner missions went to Mars, Venus and Mercury, Pioneer 10 went by Jupiter and Pioneer 11 visited both Jupiter and Saturn, Vikings 1 and 2 launched to Mars, Voyagers 1 and 2 explored the gas giants in our outer solar system, Cassini orbited Saturn, New Horizons flew by Pluto, and more recently the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Curiosity rover, MAVEN orbiter and InSight lander all departed Earth for the red planet thanks to Centaur.

The stage has evolved considerably from its early days, becoming more capable, more powerful and more accurate. It has flown on numerous Atlas and Titan rocket configurations. Besides planetary exploration, Centaur has served as a linchpin in launching communications, weather and military satellites to various Earth orbits for decades.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185230.jpg) (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) John Kraus (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)@johnkrausphotos (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos) 1:56 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1243310913727365125)

Many birds taking flight. Can you spot them all? (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125362.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125535.png)

A few closeup looks at United Launch Alliance's Atlas V launch of the #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) satellite for the @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD) today.

( (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) /for @SuperclusterHQ (https://twitter.com/SuperclusterHQ))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181278.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181277.jpg)


11:29 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1243273933991874570)

Liftoff! United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket, flying in its largest configuration, lifts off from Cape Canaveral at 4:18pm today with the #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) satellite for the @SpaceForceDOD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD).

( (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) /for @SuperclusterHQ (https://twitter.com/SuperclusterHQ))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181267.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181266.jpg)


12:03 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1243282336134901761)

Atlas V pitching downrange. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

( (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) /for @SuperclusterHQ (https://twitter.com/SuperclusterHQ))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181279.jpg)


11:39 PM - Mar 26, 2020 (https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1243276306609029120)

United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket streaks to orbit with the #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) satellite for the @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD) at 4:18pm this afternoon!

( (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125426.png) /for @SuperclusterHQ (https://twitter.com/SuperclusterHQ))

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181272.jpg)

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185267.jpg) (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron) Julia @julia_bergeron (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron) 1:54 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1243310265745244165)

The beauty of an Atlas V with five solid boosters leaping off the pad to deliver AEHF 6 into orbit.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181276.jpg)


1:10 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1243299258192855040)

What goes up must come down. Mighty Atlas deploying solid boosters after their mission is complete. #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181280.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181281.jpg)


1:48 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1243308807293407237)

So....@w00ki33 (https://twitter.com/w00ki33).....I am sorry for what Atlas did today
 She was a beautiful and messy bird. Editing remote shots now. Your cameras helped me capture something beautiful. #Canon (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canon?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181273.jpg)

ЦитироватьMar 27 03:18

T+plus 4 hours. The Centaur rocket is equipped with a special kit for today's long-duration mission that includes extra batteries to keep systems running for six hours and additional insulation to protect the onboard propellants.

ЦитироватьMar 27 03:38

Feel the heat! The ULA Atlas V 551 leaves the launch pad on 2.6 million pounds of thrust from its kerosene-fueled main engine and five side-mounted solid rocket boosters.

(https://24liveblog.tradingfront.cn/event/2460230452763934712/20200327003856_859303.jpeg) (https://photo.24liveblog.com/2460230452763934712/20200327003856_859303.jpeg)
Photo by United Launch Alliance

ЦитироватьMar 27 04:18

T+plus 5 hours. The upcoming Centaur burn uses Minimum Residual Shutdown (MRS), meaning the engine will continue to fire until propellant is depleted in the stage. Most all other burns use Guidance Commanded (GC) shutdowns, where the rocket stage stops firing once the specific orbit is achieved. But today's third burn is using all available Centaur performance to put the AEHF-6 satellite into the best possible orbit.

ЦитироватьMar 27 04:54
Main Engine Start-3

T+plus 5 hours, 36 minutes, 46 seconds. Ignition! Centaur's single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-1 engine is running again for its third firing during this launch to deliver the final push to place AEHF-6 into a highly optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit.

ЦитироватьMar 27 04:56

T+plus 5 hours, 38 minutes, 20 seconds. The third main engine cutoff, or MECO-3, is confirmed to complete the powered phase of flight today. Centaur has performed its third burn that raised the orbit's low point and reduced orbital inclination for the AEHF-6 payload.

ЦитироватьMar 27 04:59
SPACECRAFT SEPARATION!

T+plus 5 hours, 41 minutes, 4 seconds. The Advanced Extremely High Frequency-6 communications satellite has been deployed into space by the Atlas V rocket's Centaur upper stage for U.S. national security.

AEHF-6 will join the constellation of sister-satellites in geosynchronous orbit to provide global coverage for survivable, protected, anti-jam communications to strategic commanders, nuclear forces and tactical warfighters on land, at sea and in the air.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/45842.jpg) (https://twitter.com/torybruno) Tory Bruno ✔@torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno)  

138

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/41914.jpg) (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) ULA ✔@ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) 5:07 AM - Mar 27, 2020 (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1243359053272600576)

MISSION SUCCESS! United Launch Alliance's #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) has deployed #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) for the U.S. Space Force. Success #138 for ULA

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181282.jpg)

ЦитироватьUnited Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First National Security Space Mission for the U.S. Space Force
Atlas V AEHF-6 Launch Information Page (https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-aehf-6)
Atlas V AEHF-6 Photos (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ulalaunch/albums/72157712668294221)

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (March 26, 2020) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 26 at 4:18 p.m. EDT. This marks the 83rd successful launch of an Atlas V rocket, 138th launch for ULA and first mission for the U.S. Space Force.

"The success of today's launch is the culmination of years of dedication, hard work and teamwork with several of our mission partners," said Gen. Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force. "From our acquisition experts at SMC, to the satellite developers at Lockheed Martin, to the aircrews at Air Mobility Command, and our range support teams at the 45th Space Wing, we greatly appreciate the collaboration with the ULA team who all contributed to this historic, first National Security Space launch under the U.S. Space Force," added Raymond. "On behalf of the U.S. Space Force and all of our joint warfighters who depend on protected SATCOM, thank you and congratulations on today's successful launch."

"Congratulations to the U.S. Space Force on liftoff of your first mission," said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. "We are proud to be your partner for this historic mission and honored to have launched the entire Lockheed Martin produced AEHF constellation on Atlas V rockets. We understand the critical importance of delivering protected communications to strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air."

This mission launched aboard an Atlas V 551 configuration vehicle, producing more than two and a half million pounds of thrust at liftoff. The most powerful in the Atlas V fleet, the Atlas V 551 includes a 5-meter Payload Fairing (PLF) and stands at 197 ft. tall. The Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne provided the five AJ-60A solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and RL10C-1 engine for the Centaur upper stage.

With the launch of AEHF-6, the RL10 engine has flown 500 times, including hundreds of times on ULA and ULA heritage vehicles.

"Thank you to the Aerojet Rocketdyne team for your outstanding partnership," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "The RL10 is integral to our unique Centaur upper stage, supporting ULA's launches of military, civil and commercial satellites and has sent spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system."

ULA's next launch is USSF-7 in support of the U.S. Space Force in May 2020.

With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the world's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully launched more than 135 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, and support life-saving technology.

ЦитироватьProtected Globally: AEHF-6 Satellite Actively Communicating With U.S. Space Force
The AEHF constellation is a critical national security asset that provides 24x7, global coverage

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/151476.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49701555168/in/album-72157631807031794/)
The sixth Lockheed Martin-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) protected communications satellite launched on March 26.

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, COlorado, Mar. 26, 2020 – The first national security launch for the U.S. Space Force and the final satellite (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49698204837/in/album-72157631807031794/) to build out the protected communications constellation is now connected.

The sixth Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 4:18 p.m. ET.  AEHF-6 successfully separated from its United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket approximately five hours and 45 minutes after launch and is now responding to commands from ground control.

"This is a great milestone to share with the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missiles Systems Center," said Mike Cacheiro, Vice President for Protected Communications at Lockheed Martin Space. "I am incredibly proud of the teams that made this happen over the many years supporting the program. It is a bittersweet moment and I look forward to working with the Space Force to continue deliver this system on orbit, and increase our nation's overall survivable and protected."

The AEHF-6 satellite (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49698204757/in/album-72157631807031794/) adds increased resiliency and advanced capabilities to the AEHF-MILSTAR constellation which ensures the ability to transmit data anywhere, anytime. This marks the first launch under U.S. Space Force control.

AEHF-6 is part of the protected communications network (https://vimeo.com/398074555) providing global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for national leaders and tactical warfighters operating across ground, sea and air platforms.

AEHF-5, launched in 2019 and recently handed over for operations (https://www.losangeles.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2082859/aehf-5-satellite-control-authority-transferred-to-space-operations-command/), formed the global, anti-jam system, which is an asset shared by international allies to include Canada, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia.

Lockheed Martin developed and manufactured all six satellites at their production facility located in Sunnyvale, California. The satellite shipped (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49655617077/in/album-72157631807031794/) to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a Super Galaxy C-5 aircraft from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the AEHF system, and the AEHF team is led by the Production Corps, Medium Earth Orbit Division, at the Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

ЦитироватьAEHF-6 Successfully Launched
SMC Public Affairs / Published March 26, 2020

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143427.webp) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270779/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-105.JPG)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143428.webp) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270780/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-106.JPG)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143423.jpg) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270775/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-101.JPG)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143424.webp) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270776/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-102.JPG)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143425.webp) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270777/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-103.JPG)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/143426.webp) (https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/26/2002270778/-1/-1/0/200326-F-ZZ999-104.JPG)

[свернуть]

The Atlas V carrying the AEHF-6 mission lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex-41 at 4:18 p.m. EDT, March 26. (Courtesy photos)

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center successfully launched the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite at 4:18 p.m. EDT, March 26, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The satellite was carried to orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 launch vehicle. This lift-off marks the 11th Atlas V 551 launch,  83rd Atlas V launch and the first for a U.S. Space Force mission.

The satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle nearly six hours after liftoff and will now undergo approximately 120 days of orbit-raising operations, followed by approximately 30 days of on-orbit testing. After these critical events, SMC will be ready to transfer Satellite Control Authority of AEHF-6 to Space Operations Command, which is expected to occur in six to eight months after launch.

"We are thrilled to accomplish this important milestone on the last AEHF satellite. The combined integrated team worked diligently to ensure the success of this mission. The satellite is operating as expected and is ready to undergo orbit raising and on-orbit testing for the next several months after which it will provide mission critical capabilities to our warfighters," said Col. John Dukes, senior materiel leader, SMC Production Corps' Geosynchronous Orbit Division.

The SMC-procured AEHF satellite is a joint service communications system that provides connectivity across the spectrum of mission areas, including land, air and naval warfare; special operations; strategic nuclear operations; strategic defense; theater missile defense and space operations and intelligence. The AEHF system enhances the current Milstar constellation, augmenting and improving upon the capabilities of Milstar, and expanding the MILSATCOM architecture to enable enhanced capacity and flexibility. AEHF also provides secure communications for our international partners Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Australia.

SMC procured AEHF-6 from Lockheed Martin Space as a part of a Firm Fixed Price Contract block buy, which included AEHF-5, for a total cost of $2.15 billion for both satellites. By buying parts for both satellites at the same time, the total costs for two satellites were reduced.

SMC plans, acquires and sustains space-based global communications supporting the President, Secretary of Defense and combat forces. The entire SMC MILSATCOM architecture consists of satellites, terminals and control stations, which provide communications for more than 16,000 air, land and sea platforms.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏ @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 7 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1243415648455159808)

All three objects from the AV-086 launch now have TLEs:
45464        190 x 35314 km x 26.6 deg - probable TDO 2 cubesat
45465    10890 x 35310 km x 13.7 deg - probable AEHF 6 satellite
45466    11355 x 35314 km x 13.7 deg - probable Centaur AV-086 upper stage

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67627.jpg) Greg Scott‏ @GregScott_photo (https://twitter.com/GregScott_photo) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/GregScott_photo/status/1243521458808242178)

Engine shots of yesterdays ULA #AtlasV (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtlasV?src=hash) 551 liftoff. I couldn't decide which one I liked best so I included a few. Let me know which one you think stands out from the rest.    @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD) #NASA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASA?src=hash) #ULA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULA?src=hash) #Space (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Space?src=hash)

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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/69643.jpg) Scott Schilke‏ @SchilkeScott (https://twitter.com/SchilkeScott) 5 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SchilkeScott/status/1243526750690295808)

You did it again @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) and @ulalaunch (https://twitter.com/ulalaunch) what a terrific team & gorgeous launch when America needs an uplifting event for our souls. Keep inspiring us & congratulations to the entire team! @SpaceForceDoD (https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD) @45thSpaceWing (https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing) It was a pleasure to be cover this launch! @WeReportSpace (https://twitter.com/WeReportSpace)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181307.jpg)

ЦитироватьAtlas V AEHF-6 Launch Highlights

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220329.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

29 мар. 2020 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 9 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1245408113169137664)

Another bullseye #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash)

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181330.jpg)

ЦитироватьAtlas V AEHF-6 Rocket Cam

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220329.jpg) (https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance) United Launch Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnrGPRKAg1PgvuSHrRIl3jg)

6 апр. 2020 г.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29931.jpg) Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno (https://twitter.com/torybruno) 10 апр. (https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1248660879031361537)

For your interest. We offer some unique techniques to provide "more lift" than contracted for, given performance that day. One is a depletion burn that improves specific parameters while maintaining precision on others. ie; #AEHF6 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEHF6?src=hash) desired better Per, Incl, but exact Ap, Arg, RAAN

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181691.jpg)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/181694.jpg)

ЦитироватьAEHF-6 Protected Communications Satellite Completes On-Orbit Testing

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/33188.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49698204757/in/album-72157631807031794/)
Lockheed Martin's sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) protected communications satellite completed On-Orbit Testing on Aug. 27, 2020. AEHF-6 launched earlier this year on March 26.

ЦитироватьSuccessful OOT demonstrates that all space vehicle performance requirements have been met and that we are on track for satellite control authority handover to Space Operations Command before the end of the year.

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 15 -- The sixth Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49698204837/in/album-72157631807031794/)) protected communications satellite successfully completed its On-Orbit Test (OOT) period on Aug. 27, 2020.

"Successful OOT demonstrates that all space vehicle performance requirements have been met and that we are on track for satellite control authority handover to Space Operations Command before the end of the year," said Erik Daehler, director of Lockheed Martin's Protected Communications mission area. "This is a great accomplishment for the industry-government team, bringing incredible capability for our warfighters."

AEHF-6 will be part of a geostationary ring of ten satellites in the AEHF-MILSTAR constellation delivering global coverage for survivable, highly secure and protected communications (vimeo.com/398074555) for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. The satellite adds increased resiliency and advanced capabilities to this constellation, which ensures the ability to transmit data anywhere, anytime.

Besides U.S. forces, the AEHF system also serves international partners Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

AEHF-6 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/49698204757/in/album-72157631807031794/) was successfully launched about five months ago, on March 26, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket.  The launch was the first mission launch for the U.S. Space Force.
As prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Space developed and manufactured all six AEHF satellites at its production facility located in Sunnyvale, California.

The AEHF team is led by the Production Corps, Geosynchronous Earth Orbit/Polar Division, at the U.S. Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.