WGS 3 = Delta IV-M+ (5,4) - 6.12.09 04:47 ДМВ - Canaveral

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Nov. 18/19    Delta 4  •  WGS 3
Launch window: 0045-0130 GMT on 19th (7:45-8:30 p.m. EST on 18th)
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch the third Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite. Built by Boeing, this geostationary communications spacecraft will serve U.S. military forces. The rocket will fly in the Medium+ (5,4) configuration with four solid rocket boosters. Delayed from Sept. 30. [Sept. 24]

[Salo]

16.10.2009 / 18:30   Спутник связи Пентагона WGS-3 доставлен на мыс Канаверал

     Как сообщает пресс-служба компании Boeing, третий по счёту спутник связи ВВС США нового поколения WGS-3 (Wideband Global SATCOM satellite) доставлен на космодром на мысе Канаверал на борту военно-транспортного С-5.
    Предыдущий спутник WGS-2 был принят в штатную эксплуатацию в августе 2009 года.
    Запуск спутника запланирован на ноябрь 2009 года, пишет R&D CNews.

     - И.С.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Nov. 19/20    Delta 4  •  WGS 3
Launch window: 0045-0130 GMT on 20th (7:45 p.m.-8:30 p.m. EDT on 19th)
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch the third Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite. Built by Boeing, this geostationary communications spacecraft will serve U.S. military forces. The rocket will fly in the Medium+ (5,4) configuration with four solid rocket boosters. Delayed from Sept. 30 and Nov. 18. [Nov. 3]

[Salo]

http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/wgs-1.htm

WGS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6


WGS 1 [Boeing BSS]

In early 2001, a satellite communications industry team led by Boeing Satellite Systems was selected to develop the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) system as successors to the DSCS-3 series of communication satellites. This high-capacity satellite communications system is intended to support the warfighter with newer and far greater capabilities than provided by current systems. In March 2007 the acronym WGS was changed to Wideband Global Satcom.

A joint-service program funded by the U.S. Air Force and Army, WGS includes options for up to six BSS-702 satellites and their associated spacecraft and payload control equipment. Operational and logistics support and training are also included in the program.

WGS will augment DoD communications services currently provided by the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS), which provides Super High Frequency (SHF) wideband communications, and by the Ka-band Global Broadcast Service (GBS), which uses direct broadcast satellite technology to provide critical information to U.S. and allied forces. With an initial launch scheduled for mid-2004 aboard an Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, WGS will provide early transformational capabilities supporting government objectives for a Transformational Communications Architecture in 2009 and beyond.

WGS combines unique commercial spacecraft capabilities that Boeing has developed, including phased array antennas and digital signal processing technology, into a powerful, flexible architecture. Based on the Boeing BSS-702 bus, the satellite will have a dry mass of more than 3,000 kg and will produce more than 11 kilowatts of power at the end of its 14-year design life. The system provides tremendous operational flexibility and delivers the needed capacity, coverage, connectivity and control in support of demanding operational scenarios.

Capacity: WGS will offer 4.875 GHz of instantaneous switchable bandwidth. The system will provide capacity ranging from 1.2 Gbps to more than 3.6 Gbps to tactical users, depending on the mix of ground terminals, data rates and modulation schemes employed. Thus, each WGS can supply more than 10 times the capacity of a DSCS-3 Service Life Enhancement Program (SLEP) satellite.

Coverage: The WGS design includes 19 independent coverage areas that can be used throughout the field of view of each satellite to serve warfighters between 65 degrees North and South latitude. This includes eight steerable/shapeable X-band beams formed by separate transmit and receive phased arrays; 10 steerable Ka-band beams served by independently steerable, diplexed gimbaled dish antennas, including three with selectable polarization; and one X-band Earth coverage beam.

Connectivity: The enhanced connectivity capabilities of WGS enable any user talk to any other user with very efficient use of satellite bandwidth. A digital channelizer divides the uplink bandwidth into nearly 1,900 independently routable 2.6 MHz subchannels providing any-coverage-to-any-coverage connectivity (including X-to-Ka and Ka-to X crossbanding) for maximum operational flexibility. In addition, the channelizer supports multicast and broadcast services and provides an extremely effective and flexible uplink spectrum monitoring capability for network control.

In January 2002, the customer exercised options worth $336.4 million authorizing Boeing to build the first two WGS spacecraft and to procure long-lead material for a third satellite. The first satellite was scheduled to launch in early 2004, with the second one to follow in 2005, both aboard a U.S. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The program has been delayed to a first launch in 2007.

Boeing and the U.S. Air Force MILSATCOM Systems Wing have signed in October 2006 a $1.067 billion contract for up to three more Wideband Gapfiller Satellites (WGS), if all options are exercised. The Option for WGS 4 was execised in November 2006.

The Block II satellites will be similar to the three Block I satellites already in production. Under Block II, Boeing will add a radio frequency bypass capability designed to support airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms requiring ultra-high bandwidth and data rates demanded by unmanned aerial vehicles. The Block II contract calls for the launch of F4 by the first quarter of 2011 and subsequent launches every year thereafter.

[Salo]

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/702fleet.html

Boeing 702 Fleet




Satellite operators have responded enthusiastically to the vastly increased capabilities represented by the Boeing 702. Boeing announced the innovative satellite series in October 1995. Evolved from the popular, proven 601 and 601HP (high-power) spacecraft, the body-stabilized Boeing 702 is the world leader in capacity, performance and cost-efficiency.

As of 2008, 22 of these powerful satellites had been ordered. The first Boeing 702 satellite was launched in 1999. The satellite can carry more than 100 high-power transponders, and deliver any communications frequencies that customers request.

The Boeing 702 design is directly responsive to what customers said they wanted in a communications satellite, beginning with lower cost and including the high reliability for which the company is renowned. For maximum customer value and producibility at minimum total cost, the Boeing 702 offers a broad spectrum of modularity. A primary example is payload/bus integration. After the payload is tailored to customer specifications, the payload module mounts to the common bus module at only four locations and with only six electrical connectors. This design simplicity confers major advantages. First, nonrecurring program costs are reduced, because the bus does not need to be changed for every payload, and payloads can be freely tailored without affecting the bus. Second, the design permits significantly faster parallel bus and payload processing. This leads to the third advantage: a short production schedule.

High resolution image available here

Further efficiency derives from the 702's advanced xenon ion propulsion system (XIPS), which was pioneered by Boeing. XIPS is 10 times more efficient than conventional liquid fuel systems. Four 25-cm thrusters provide economical stationkeeping, needing only 5 kg of fuel per year - a fraction of what bipropellant or arcjet systems consume. Using XIPS for final orbit insertion conserves even more mass as compared to using an on-board liquid apogee engine. Customers can apply the weight savings to substantially increase the revenue-generating payload at small marginal cost, to prolong service life, or to change to a less expensive launch vehicle (when cost is based on satellite mass).

For even more versatility, the Boeing 702 also incorporates a bipropellant propulsion system, which can lift the satellite into final orbit after separation from the launch vehicle.

Innovation extends to the Boeing 702 power systems as well. The Boeing 702 offers a range of power up to 18 kW. Dual and triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells enable such high power levels. Spectrolab, Inc. a Boeing subsidiary, developed the cells.

The Boeing 702 separates the bus and payload thermal environments and substantially enlarged the heat radiators to achieve a cooler, more stable thermal environment for both bus and payload. This increases unit reliability over service life. Deployable radiators use flexible heat pipes, which increase packageable radiator area. Further thermal control occurs through passive primary rejection via heat pipes.

The baseline Boeing 702 is compatible with several launch vehicles. These include the Delta IV, Atlas V, Ariane 5, Proton, and Sea Launch.


Wideband Global SATCOM System
Space and Missile Systems Center, U.S. Air Force Space Command

In early 2001, a satellite communications industry team led by Boeing was selected to develop the Wideband Global SATCOM(WGS) system. This high-capacity satellite communications system is intended to support the warfighter with newer and far greater capabilities than provided by current systems.

A joint-service program funded by the U.S. Air Force and Army, WGS includes options for up to six Boeing 702 satellites and their associated spacecraft and payload control equipment. Operational and logistics support and training are also included in the program.

In 2002, the customer exercised options authorizing Boeing to build the first three WGS spacecraft and in 2006 ordered a fourth satellte and long-lead items for a fifth. The first satellite WGS-1 was launched in 2007, and WGS-2 and WGS-3 are scheduled to launch in 2009, all aboard a U.S. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. WGS provides two-way X-band and Ka-band communications as well as Ka-band broadcast services to U.S. Armed Forces and other agencies worldwide.

[anik]

Запуск планируется 3 декабря в 03:21 ДМВ (источник).

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/091110-third-wgs-satellite-delayed.html

"High winds prevented technicians from mating the satellite with its Delta 4 rocket Nov. 8 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the press release said. The satellite is being shipped back to Astrotech Corp.'s payload processing facility in nearby Titusville, Fla., to recharge its batteries"

[интересующийся]

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=963

CAPE CANAVERAL, Nov. 30, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE] announced today that the third Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite it has built for the U.S. Air Force has completed prelaunch testing. The satellite is ready for its scheduled Dec. 2 launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

WGS is the U.S. Department of Defense's highest-capacity communications satellite system. The launch of WGS-3 will mark the completion of the initial constellation of three satellites that provide high-data-rate communications for U.S. forces and allies around the world.

"This launch represents another huge leap in communications capabilities for U.S. warfighters and allies around the world," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "These satellites support a broad range of communications, from full-motion video beamed down from unmanned aerial vehicles, to distribution of maps and imagery to ground troops, to quality-of-life services such as news broadcasts and e-mail delivery to deployed troops. For all branches of our military, WGS saves lives and makes lives better every day."

WGS-3 will be placed into geosynchronous Earth orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite joins WGS-1, which entered service over the Pacific Ocean in April 2008, and WGS-2, which began operations over the Middle East in August 2009. Both operational satellites meet and, in some cases, exceed mission requirements.

WGS satellites are built on the proven Boeing 702 platform with 13 kilowatts of power. The payload features reconfigurable coverage areas and the ability to connect X-band and Ka-band users anywhere within their field of view via an onboard digital channelizer -- features not available on any other military communications satellite.

Boeing is building three more WGS satellites for the Air Force with enhancements that include a radio frequency bypass to support airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms requiring additional bandwidth. Satellites four through six are planned for launch in 2011 and 2013.

[Брабонт]

Переход с Атласа на Дельту серьёзно изменил профиль выведения КА. Аппарат должен быть выведен на суперсинхронную орбиту 439 х 66980 км наклонением 24°.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

Weather delays military rocket launch to Thursday
A hotrod version of the Delta 4 rocket, souped up with extra solid-fueled boosters, takes its first trip into space Thursday evening on a mission for the U.S. military. The launch was delayed from Wednesday due to the forecast of stormy weather.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Dec. 3/4    Delta 4  •  WGS 3
Launch window: 0022-0143 GMT on 4th (7:22 p.m.-8:43 p.m. EST on 3rd)
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will launch the third Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft, formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite. Built by Boeing, this geostationary communications spacecraft will serve U.S. military forces. The rocket will fly in the Medium+ (5,4) configuration with four solid rocket boosters. Delayed from Sept. 30 and Nov. 18. Delayed from Nov. 19 due to winds holding up payload's mounting atop the rocket and the need to recharge spacecraft batteries back at processing facility. Delayed from Dec. 2 due to poor weather forecast. [Dec. 1]

[Salo]

http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/2009/12/stormy-weather-expected-to-clear-for.shtml

Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Stormy Weather Expected To Clear For Delta Launch
A huge mobile service tower is scheduled to be backed away from a Delta IV Medium rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station early Thursday, a move that will set the stage for the planned launch Thursday evening of a new military communications satellite.

The United Launch Alliance rocket and its payload -- a Widefield Global SATCOM spacecraft -- are slated to blast off from Launch Complex 37 at 7:22 p.m. Thursday. The launch window will extend through 8:43 p.m. that night.

The launch had been slated for 7:21 p.m. tonight, but managers pushed the flight back 24 hours as a result of an approaching storm that is expected to swamp parts of central Florida tonight and early Thursday.

Launch Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo of the Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron is forecasting a 60 percent chance conditions will be acceptable for flight Thursday night. The primary concerns are the chance of rains showers and thick, electrically charged clouds that could cause the rocket to trigger destructive bolts of lightning in flight.

Here is a synopsis of the forecast: Strong line of thunderstorms currently over the Gulf of Mexico will move through central FL this evening. Cold frontal boundary will slow as it passes through the area during the day tomorrow, while becoming stationary over southern FL. Cloud cover and precipitation will still be a concern as warm, moist air flows over the shallow cool surface layer left in the wake of the frontal boundary. Coverage of rain will increase from south to north Thursday night and Friday as upper level impulses ride along the stalled frontal boundary from west to east. The primary concern on launch day and the following day will be the Thick Cloud Rule and flight through precipitation. Vehicle exposure pre-liftoff and liftoff wind constraints are not expected to be at risk.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/



http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/091130launchtimeline.html

T-00:05.5   Engine start
The RS-68 main engine begins to ignite as the liquid hydrogen fuel valve is opened, creating a large fireball at the base of the rocket. The engine powers up to full throttle for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff.

T-00:00.0   Liftoff
The rocket's four strap-on solid rocket motors are lit, the four hold-down bolts are released and the Delta 4 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's pad 37B. The pad's three swing arms retract at T-0 seconds.

T+00:49.9   Max-Q
The vehicle experiences the region of maximum dynamic pressure. The solid motors and the RS-68 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine continue to fire as the vehicle heads downrange, arcing over the Atlantic along a 101-degree flight azimuth.

T+01:40.0   Jettison two solid motors
Having used up all their solid-propellant and experienced burnout six seconds ago, the two strap-on boosters with fixed nozzles are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage.

T+01:42.4   Jettison two solid motors
The pair of strap-on boosters with steerable nozzles are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage and fall into the ocean.

T+03:26.5   Jettison payload fairing
The five-meter diameter composite payload fairing that protected the WGS 3 cargo atop the Delta 4 during the atmospheric ascent is no longer needed, allowing it to be jettisoned in two halves.


T+03:59.3   Begin engine throttling
With the maximum axial acceleration reached, the RS-68 powerplant starts throttling down in preparation for finishing its firing.


T+04:06.3   Main engine cutoff
The hydrogen-fueled RS-68 rocket engine completes its burn and shuts down to complete the first stage of flight.

T+04:12.3   Stage separation
The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage are separated in one piece from the Delta 4's upper stage. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle drops into position as the first stage separates.

T+04:25.3   Second stage ignition
The upper stage begins its job to place the WGS 3 satellite into space with the first of two firings by the RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine.

T+20:11.9   Upper stage shutdown
The RL10 upper stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch. The rocket and attached satellite reach a parking orbit of 100 by 3,714 nautical miles with an inclination of 25.59 degrees.
T+28:17.4   Restart upper stage
After a short coast period, the upper stage is reignited to raise the orbit to the planned altitude for deploying the payload.

T+31:21.8   Upper stage shutdown
The powered phase of the Delta 4's mission to loft WGS 3 concludes. The second burn will reach the planned supersynchronous orbit 237 by 36,167 nautical miles with an inclination of 24 degrees.

T+40:31.8   Separate spacecraft
The Wideband Global SATCOM 3 military communications satellite is released into space from the Delta 4 rocket. The Boeing-built satellite will use its onboard propulsion to reach geostationary orbit where it will match Earth's rotation and appear fixed above the equator at 12 degrees West.

Data source: Air Force/ULA

[Космос-3794]

повтор.

[Космос-3794]

Liftoff remains scheduled for 7:22 p.m. EST, the opening of an 81-minute window that extends to 8:43 p.m. EST (0022-0143 GMT).
 T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes and holding.



Кстати, это "maiden flight" для Medium+ (5,4) configuration.

[Salo]

Предстартовая фотогалерея:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/prelaunch/

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

1828 GMT (1:28 p.m. EST)
The weather outlook is looking more optimistic as that cold front continues to move deeper into South Florida and away from the Cape. As a result, Air Force meteorologists have increased the odds of acceptable conditions during the launch window to 70 percent.

Current observations show no violation of the cloud rules, there's no rain in the area and ground winds are within limits.

The revised forecast for this evening's window calls for some scattered low clouds and a broken deck above that, northwesterly winds of 8 peaking to 12 knots and a temperature around 68 degrees F.

1818 GMT (1:18 p.m. EST)
Checks of the C-band beacon are beginning. This system is used in tracking the rocket during the flight downrange.

1807 GMT (1:07 p.m. EST)
The call to "man stations for Terminal Count" just went out to the launch team.

1752 GMT (12:52 p.m. EST)
T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has just entered a planned 60-minute built-in hold, giving the team time to catch up on any work that could be running behind schedule. Once the clocks resume ticking at 1:52 p.m. EST, the Terminal Countdown phase of today's launch operation will begin.

1730 GMT (12:30 p.m. EST)
A gallery of photographs taken at the Complex 37 launch pad this morning when the mobile service gantry was retracted to unveil the Delta 4 rocket is posted here.

1635 GMT (11:35 a.m. EST)
"It's truly my pleasure to be a member of this WGS launch team. The long hours and hard work the entire team has dedicated to ensuring we're able to place this incredible warfighting capability on-orbit is truly amazing," Lt. Col. Dave Hook, commander of the 5th Space Launch Squadron at Cape Canaveral, told reporters at a recent briefing.

"With the successful launch (today), our government and industry team will continue this momentum into the next year and continue to successfully deliver these vitally important national assets to orbit for our joint forces deployed around the world."

Hook's squadron is responsible for overseeing operations to fly the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rocket fleets from the Eastern Range at the Florida spaceport.

"For this mission alone, the 5th Space Launch Squadron monitored 380 critical ULA technical procedures over the span of seven months. The vital oversight of ULA procedures we provide ensures mission assurance is correctly and safely conducted throughout the duration of the entire launch flow."

1530 GMT (10:30 a.m. EST)
The skies are clearing as that weather system continues to slowly drift southward. After the rainy and gloomy start the morning, the sun is now shining on Central Florida.

The outlook for the launch still predicts a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions. Meteorologists are concerned that the cold front will stall and allow the rain to move back northward.

During this evening's window, the forecast calls for broken low clouds, overcast mid- and high-level clouds, showers in the vicinity, northerly winds of 8 peaking to 12 knots and a temperature around 68 degrees F.

In the event of a 24-hour delay to Friday, the odds of good weather drop considerably to only 30 percent due to concerns about thick clouds and rain in the rocket's flight path.

1330 GMT (8:30 a.m. EST)
The 330-foot tall mobile service tower has been retracted from the Delta 4 rocket at Cape Canaveral's pad 37B for today's launch that will place the third Wideband Global SATCOM military satellite into Earth orbit.

The wheeled structure was moved along rail tracks to its launch position about the length of a football field away from the rocket. The 9-million pound tower shielded the Delta from the elements during the four-month stay on the pad, provided workers 360-degree access to the various areas on the vehicle and was used to attach the strap-on solid motors and the payload during the launch campaign. The tower is 90-feet wide and 40-feet deep.

Crews will spend the next couple of hours securing the complex for launch before leaving the danger area around the pad. All workers must be clear of the area for the start of hazardous operations in the countdown, which include fueling the vehicle later this afternoon.

Liftoff remains scheduled for 7:22 p.m. EST, the opening of an 81-minute window that extends to 8:43 p.m. EST (0022-0143 GMT).

1306 GMT (8:06 a.m. EST)
Tower rollback is underway.

1225 GMT (7:25 a.m. EST)
Good morning from soggy Cape Canaveral Air Force station were the heavy overnight rains have pushed to the south but the skies remain gray and overcast. Out at Complex 37, ground technicians are making final preps to retract the dual-purpose assembly gantry and mobile shelter away from the Delta 4 rocket for today's countdown to launch.

[Брабонт]

Идёт заправка; трансляция видео на http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

Не заметил в релизах, упоминался ли для сабжа этап тестирования над США, как у предшественников?

[Salo]

2158 GMT (4:58 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid hydrogen tank is being placed into its topping phase.
 
2155 GMT (4:55 p.m. EST)
The weather board is still looking good. No constraints are posted. The updated forecast for launch time now includes scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, broken decks at 6,000 and 12,000 feet, visibility of 7 miles, northwesterly winds of 8 peaking to 12 knots and a temperature around 68 degrees F.

2135 GMT (4:35 p.m. EST)
The rocket team is not tracking any technical issues of note.

2130 GMT (4:30 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid hydrogen tank has been loaded. Vent and relief checks will be completed before topping is initiated.

Post-filling tests on the first stage liquid oxygen system are complete and the tank is in topping mode. The upper stage tanks continue to be loaded.
 
2125 GMT (4:25 p.m. EST)
A check of the current weather conditions shows none of the launch rules are being violated. The weather reconnaissance aircraft will be taking off around 6 p.m. EST to verify that the cloud thickness is not an issue. But so far, so good.

2122 GMT (4:22 p.m. EST)
Now entering the last three hours of the countdown. Fueling of the Delta 4 rocket continues in work for the 7:22 p.m. EST launch of the WGS 3 military communications satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

2056 GMT (3:56 p.m. EST)
The upper stage conditioning on the liquid oxygen side has finished. Loading of the tank is starting. This is the last of the rocket's four cryogenic supplies to be filled in today's countdown to launch.

2052 GMT (3:52 p.m. EST)
Now three-and-a-half hours till launch.

2050 GMT (3:50 p.m. EST)
The chilldown of the upper stage stage liquid hydrogen system is reported complete, clearing the way for loading the rocket's tank.

2045 GMT (3:45 p.m. EST)
To recap, the Delta 4 rocket's Common Booster Core first stage has been loaded with supercold liquid oxygen. The filling of liquid hydrogen propellant into the first stage is continuing along with the precursor preps for fueling the upper stage stage.

2039 GMT (3:39 p.m. EST)
The "go" has been given for the upper stage liquid oxygen chilldown in advance of fueling.

2030 GMT (3:30 p.m. EST)
The loading of liquid oxygen into the Common Booster Core first stage has been completed out at launch pad 37B as activities proceed toward a 7:22 p.m. EST liftoff of the Delta 4 rocket.

Ahead in the countdown, the launch team plans to conduct vent and relief checks following the first stage LOX tanking and begin chilldown procedures for the upper stage liquid oxygen system.
 
2021 GMT (3:21 p.m. EST)
The launch team has gotten the approval to start chilldown conditioning of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system.

2020 GMT (3:20 p.m. EST)
First stage liquid oxygen loading continues in progress. The rocket's tank will be loaded with 40,000 gallons of the supercold oxidizer that's chilled to Minus-298 degrees F.

2012 GMT (3:12 p.m. EST)
First stage liquid hydrogen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode.

2008 GMT (3:08 p.m. EST)
Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons. Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons.

The cryogenics are fed from the storage tanks through pipelines to the pad. For the Common Booster Core, the propellants are routed up to the launch table upon which the rocket sits. Tail service masts, the large box-like structures at the base of the vehicle, feed the oxygen and hydrogen to the booster via separate umbilicals.

The upper stage will be filled in a little while. It receives the cryos from the middle swing arm that extends from the Fixed Umbilical Tower to the front-side of the rocket.

1955 GMT (2:55 p.m. EST)
The start of liquid hydrogen fueling of the first stage is now confirmed. Some 110,000 gallons of LH2 will fill the rocket's tank.

1951 GMT (2:51 p.m. EST)
The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished. Liquid hydrogen propellant will start to flow into the first stage in "slow-fill" mode. That is sped up to "fast-fill" after a small portion of the tank is loaded.

Chilled to Minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit, the liquid hydrogen will be consumed by the RS-68 main engine along with liquid oxygen during the first four minutes of the launch.

1946 GMT (2:46 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid oxygen chilldown is complete. Fueling is beginning in the "slow-fill" mode to load a small percentage of the tank. The process then speeds up to the "fast-fill" mode until the tank is nearly full.

1935 GMT (2:35 p.m. EST)
We have posted another photo gallery from this morning. This new page features beautiful up-close views of the Delta 4 as it gets ready to fly in a configuration with four solid rocket boosters that's not been seen before.

1921 GMT (2:21 p.m. EST)
A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the first stage liquid hydrogen system.

1915 GMT (2:15 p.m. EST)
Live streaming video of the Delta 4 rocket can be viewed on your iPhone. Check it out!

1914 GMT (2:14 p.m. EST)
Chilldown of the first stage liquid oxygen system is beginning. This preps the tank and pumping to guard against shock when the supercold oxidizer begins flowing into the rocket a short time from now.

1903 GMT (2:03 p.m. EST)
The launch director has given approval for the start of fueling operations as planned today.

1900 GMT (2:00 p.m. EST)
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

1852 GMT (1:52 p.m. EST)
T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes and counting! The Terminal Countdown has commenced for this evening's scheduled launch of the Delta 4 rocket to deliver a new communications satellite into orbit for the United States military.

The countdown has one planned built-in hold at T-minus 5 minutes lasting some 15 minutes, leading to liftoff at 7:22 p.m. EST (0022 GMT).

The launch pad has been verified evacuated of all personnel in advance of fueling the rocket's two stages this afternoon. Pad systems and equipment stand ready for fueling activities, which should kick off shortly.

1841 GMT (1:41 p.m. EST)
No technical problems are being reported in the countdown and the weather looks favorable. The launch pad has been buttoned up and the area cleared for the rest of the countdown.

1838 GMT (1:38 p.m. EST)
The launch team has been polled to verify all consoles are manned and ready to begin the Terminal Countdown when this hold ends at 1:52 p.m. A briefing on countdown procedures is now underway.

[Salo]

2230 GMT (5:30 p.m. EST)
Engineers are conducting the standard evaluation of the Delta 4 rocket's thermal insulation following the loading of supercold propellants into the vehicle.
2222 GMT (5:22 p.m. EST)
Launch of the Delta 4 rocket with the third Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft is just two hours away.

The first two WGS satellites were hauled into space aboard Atlas 5 rockets. But WGS 3 is riding atop the Delta 4, the other rocket in the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle fleet. Both vehicles are produced by United Launch Alliance, the firm created three years ago this month that joined Lockheed Martin's Atlas and Boeing's Delta rockets under one organization.

"This mission is symbolic of why ULA formed for a couple of reasons," says James Bell, ULA's WGS mission manager.

"First, it exemplifies why the government brought the Atlas and Delta programs together. The first two WGS satellites were launched on our Atlas vehicles and for WGS 3, instead of our Delta 4 team having to start from scratch, ULA was proactive in implementing a seamless integration and processing services for this repeat customer.

"Also, because I was the WGS mission manger for those two Atlas launches, I was able to share the knowledge we gained from those launches with our Delta team. This is not only a tremendous benefit for ULA but also for our Air Force mission partners who are relying on us to provide them assured access to space. This simply wasn't possible prior to ULA.

"Second, this mission marks the 36th launch for ULA in 36 months, which is quite a record of reliability and mission success. When ULA was formed, our primary goal was to provide safe and reliable assured access to space with mission success paramount in everything we do."
2218 GMT (5:18 p.m. EST)
The upper stage liquid oxygen tank has been filled up, now making the Delta 4 a fully fueled rocket.
2203 GMT (5:03 p.m. EST)
The countdown remains on track and current weather conditions are within limits for today's liftoff at 7:22 p.m. EST. Three of the cryogenic tanks of the rocket has been filled -- the first stage and upper stage liquid hydrogen supplies and the first stage liquid oxygen tank. The launch team continues to load upper stage liquid oxygen, which is about 67 percent full right now.

[Брабонт]

Хронология:

03:11 дмв : Сдвинулись на 00:37 GMT. Ограничения по ветру.
03:23 дмв : А теперь на 00:53 GMT. Окно закрывается в 01:43.
03:31 дмв : Дождались нижнего яруса облаков - no go ориентировочно до 01:30.
03:45 дмв : Наметили на 01:23 GMT. Помимо облачности и ветра, возникла некая тех. проблема.
03:48 дмв : Кажется, дождик собирается (С).
04:09 дмв : На всякий случай дали конец окна, 01:43. В-принципе, на сегодня всё ясно, ждём, когда прозвучит слово Scrub.
04:31 дмв : Всё, отбой. Проблема с "launch system" пока не озвучена.

[Salo]

V.V., спасибо за ночное бдение!  :wink:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

0150 GMT (8:50 p.m. EST Thurs.)
Here's the official Air Force statement to the press:

"The launch of the Air Force's Delta 4 Wideband Global SATCOM 3 (WGS 3) mission was scrubbed this evening due to additional time required to troubleshoot an anomaly with a ground launch control system. A second launch attempt has been preliminarily rescheduled for Friday, December 4, with a launch window of 7:22-8:45 p.m. EST."

[LRV_75]

Да, там тоже смотрю ребята лихие сидят  

[Salo]

На моей памяти Delta IV вовремя почти никогда не улетала.

[Tiger]

На моей памяти Delta IV вовремя почти никогда не улетала.

Вот интересно, у АнгароРуси тоже будут такие жёсткие погодные ограничения?  :roll:

[Брабонт]

Пуск перенесён на 03:23 дмв в ночь на воскресенье. Техникам нужно время для замены электронной платы в наземном оборудовании.

The launch of the Air Force's Delta 4 Wideband Global SATCOM 3 (WGS 3) mission is now targeted for December 5 with a launch window of 7:23-8:47 p.m. EST.

After evaluating the situation, mission managers believe this will give the launch team the time required to replace an electronics card that is part of the ground equipment used to monitor telemetry data from the Delta 4 and related systems for the launch. An anomaly with this monitoring system hardware led to the scrub of the first launch attempt December 3.

[us2-star]

Как успехи?

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009
After resolving a minor technical glitch and waiting out rainy weather, the Delta 4 rocket is targeting a Saturday evening blastoff from Cape Canaveral to deploy a sophisticated communications satellite for the U.S. military.

Liftoff from Complex 37 will be possible during an 84-minute window extending from 7:23 to 8:47 p.m. EST (0023-0147 GMT).

Air Force officials said late Friday that the faulty electronics card has been replaced in a piece of ground support equipment used to monitor telemetry data. The issue arose during Thursday's countdown, ultimately leading to the launch postponement.

A gloomy weather forecast caused Wednesday's original launch opportunity to be scrapped in advance and unfavorable conditions were a problem during Thursday's countdown as well. Persistent rain fell all day on Friday and meteorologists are giving only 40 percent odds of acceptable weather during Saturday night's try.

Once the rocket does fly, it will perform a 40-minute ascent to supersynchronous transfer orbit to launch the Air Force's third Wideband Global SATCOM communications spacecraft, known as WGS 3.

WGS satellites are giving a major upgrade to the military's main communications infrastructure, replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications System spacecraft. Each WGS has 10 times the capacity of a DSCS satellite, allowing users to process and receive data quicker than ever before.

The new WGS 3 satellite will be positioned above the Eastern Atlantic at an orbital slot of 12 degrees West longitude to serve the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.

WGS 1 entered service last year to cover the vast Pacific Command that spans the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia. The WGS 2 satellite launched earlier this year was placed into operation over the Indian Ocean for use by U.S. Central Command to provide coverage for the warfighters in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

Delta 4 rocket aims for Saturday night launch

After resolving a minor technical glitch and waiting out rainy weather, the Delta 4 rocket is targeting a Saturday evening blastoff from Cape Canaveral to deploy a sophisticated communications satellite for the U.S. military.

1345 GMT (8:45 a.m. EST)
The second launch attempt is officially underway at Cape Canaveral today for the Delta 4 rocket that will place the third Wideband Global SATCOM military satellite into Earth orbit.

Ground technicians have rolled the 330-foot tall mobile service tower away from the rocket, retracting the wheeled structure along rail tracks to its launch position about the length of a football field away from the Delta 4. The 9-million pound tower shielded the rocket from the elements during the stay on the pad, provided workers 360-degree access to the various areas on the vehicle and was used to attach the strap-on solid motors and the payload during the launch campaign. The tower is 90-feet wide and 40-feet deep.

Crews will spend the next couple of hours securing the complex for launch before leaving the danger area around the pad. All workers must be clear of the area for the start of hazardous operations in the countdown, which include fueling the vehicle later this afternoon.

Liftoff remains scheduled for 7:23 p.m. EST.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

2100 GMT (4:00 p.m. EST)
Fast-fill just finished for the first stage liquid hydrogen tank.

2057 GMT (3:57 p.m. EST)
Live streaming video of the Delta 4 rocket can be viewed on your iPhone. Check it out!

2047 GMT (3:47 p.m. EST)
The chilldown of the upper stage stage liquid hydrogen system is reported complete, clearing the way for loading the rocket's tank.

2043 GMT (3:43 p.m. EST)
The "go" has been given for the upper stage liquid oxygen chilldown in advance of fueling.

2039 GMT (3:39 p.m. EST)
The loading of liquid oxygen into the Common Booster Core first stage has been completed. The launch team will conduct vent and valve checks before putting the tank into topping mode.

2030 GMT (3:30 p.m. EST)
Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons. Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons.

The cryogenics are fed from the storage tanks through pipelines to the pad. For the Common Booster Core, the propellants are routed up to the launch table upon which the rocket sits. Tail service masts, the large box-like structures at the base of the vehicle, feed the oxygen and hydrogen to the booster via separate umbilicals.

The upper stage will be filled in a little while. It receives the cryos from the middle swing arm that extends from the Fixed Umbilical Tower to the front-side of the rocket.

2023 GMT (3:23 p.m. EST)
The launch team has gotten the approval to start chilldown conditioning of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system.

2020 GMT (3:20 p.m. EST)
First stage liquid oxygen loading continues in progress. The rocket's tank will be loaded with 40,000 gallons of the supercold oxidizer that's chilled to Minus-298 degrees F.

2017 GMT (3:17 p.m. EST)
The countdown sequence is on schedule and no problems are being worked, the launch team reports.

2009 GMT (3:09 p.m. EST)
First stage liquid hydrogen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode. Some 110,000 gallons of LH2 will load up the rocket's tank.

1954 GMT (2:54 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen loading in "slow-fill" mode has commenced.

1951 GMT (2:51 p.m. EST)
The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished. Liquid hydrogen propellant will start to flow into the first stage in "slow-fill" mode. That is sped up to "fast-fill" after a small portion of the tank is loaded.

Chilled to Minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit, the liquid hydrogen will be consumed by the RS-68 main engine along with liquid oxygen during the first four minutes of the launch.

1947 GMT (2:47 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid oxygen chilldown is complete. Fueling is beginning in the "slow-fill" mode to load a small percentage of the tank. The process then speeds up to the "fast-fill" mode until the tank is nearly full.

1939 GMT (2:39 p.m. EST)
A little less than five hours until liftoff time. No significant technical issues are being tracked and the launch team is active with the thermal conditioning of the first stage for fueling.

1926 GMT (2:26 p.m. EST)
A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the first stage liquid hydrogen system.

1920 GMT (2:20 p.m. EST)
Chilldown of the first stage liquid oxygen system is beginning. This preps the tank and pumping to guard against shock when the supercold oxidizer begins flowing into the rocket a short time from now.

1917 GMT (2:17 p.m. EST)
The launch director has given approval for the start of fueling operations.

1858 GMT (1:58 p.m. EST)
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

1853 GMT (1:53 p.m. EST)
T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes and counting! The Terminal Countdown has commenced for this evening's scheduled launch of the Delta 4 rocket to deliver a new communications satellite into orbit for the United States military.

The countdown has one planned built-in hold at T-minus 5 minutes lasting some 15 minutes, leading to liftoff at 7:23 p.m. EST (0023 GMT).

The launch pad has been verified evacuated of all personnel in advance of fueling the rocket's two stages this afternoon. Pad systems and equipment stand ready for fueling activities, which should kick off shortly.
 
1843 GMT (1:43 p.m. EST)
Checks of the C-band beacon are beginning. This system is used in tracking the rocket during the flight downrange.

1839 GMT (1:39 p.m. EST)
The launch team has been polled to verify all consoles are manned and ready to begin the Terminal Countdown when this hold ends at 1:53 p.m. A briefing on countdown procedures is now underway.

1835 GMT (1:35 p.m. EST)
The weather officer says the thick clouds and rain have moved to the south and east of Complex 37, giving more optimism about the chances for a launch today.

It remains a gloomy overcast sky at the Cape. But meteorologists report the low clouds are thin and not violating any of the weather criteria. At the present time, the weather is "go" for launch.

The main worry for this evening will be the winds. Overall, the odds of acceptable weather during the 7:23 to 8:47 p.m. EST launch window have improved to 60 percent.

The revised launch forecast calls for some broken decks of clouds at 4,000 and 8,000 feet, good visibility, northwesterly winds of 15 peaking to 20 knots and a temperature around 56 degrees F.

The outlook for Sunday night, if the launch should slip 24 hours for some reason, is 80 percent favorable with lighter winds and scattered clouds.

1808 GMT (1:08 p.m. EST)
The call to "man stations for Terminal Count" just went out to the launch team.

1753 GMT (12:53 p.m. EST)
T-minus 5 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has just entered a planned 60-minute built-in hold, giving the team time to catch up on any work that could be running behind schedule. Once the clocks resume ticking at 1:53 p.m. EST, the Terminal Countdown phase of today's launch operation will begin.

1725 GMT (12:25 p.m. EST)
Here's some fresh photos taken this morning at pad 37B as the second launch attempt began. See the gallery.

1700 GMT (12:00 p.m. EST)
The cold front passed over the launch site a short time ago, producing some wind gusts around 29 knots as a light, constant rain continues to fall over the Space Coast.

But the launch weather officer says with the front now moving on southward, the winds should settle down this afternoon to the 20-22 knot range and the rain will end.

For the rest of the countdown and this evening's launch window, the concerns will be the thickness of the clouds overhead and surface winds hovering around the liftoff constraint of 20 knots.

Meteorologists are hopeful that the clouds will thin and scatter out this afternoon and they'll be keeping a close eye on the wind speeds at the pad.

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

2223 GMT (5:23 p.m. EST)
Launch of the Delta 4 rocket with the third Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft is just two hours away.

The first two WGS satellites were hauled into space aboard Atlas 5 rockets. But WGS 3 is riding atop the Delta 4, the other rocket in the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle fleet. Both vehicles are produced by United Launch Alliance, the firm created three years ago this month that joined Lockheed Martin's Atlas and Boeing's Delta rockets under one organization.

"This mission is symbolic of why ULA formed for a couple of reasons," says James Bell, ULA's WGS mission manager.

"First, it exemplifies why the government brought the Atlas and Delta programs together. The first two WGS satellites were launched on our Atlas vehicles and for WGS 3, instead of our Delta 4 team having to start from scratch, ULA was proactive in implementing a seamless integration and processing services for this repeat customer.

"Also, because I was the WGS mission manger for those two Atlas launches, I was able to share the knowledge we gained from those launches with our Delta team. This is not only a tremendous benefit for ULA but also for our Air Force mission partners who are relying on us to provide them assured access to space. This simply wasn't possible prior to ULA.

"Second, this mission marks the 36th launch for ULA in 36 months, which is quite a record of reliability and mission success. When ULA was formed, our primary goal was to provide safe and reliable assured access to space with mission success paramount in everything we do."

2219 GMT (5:19 p.m. EST)
The upper stage liquid oxygen tank has been filled up, now making the Delta 4 a fully fueled rocket.

2209 GMT (5:09 p.m. EST)
For the first time in a couple of days at the Cape, the clouds are giving way to the sun. This low overcast is sliding out!

2157 GMT (4:57 p.m. EST)
The first stage liquid hydrogen tank is being placed into its topping phase.

2153 GMT (4:53 p.m. EST)
Now entering the last two-and-a-half hours of the countdown. Fueling of the Delta 4 rocket continues in work for the 7:23 p.m. EST launch of the WGS 3 military communications satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
 
2140 GMT (4:40 p.m. EST)
A status check of the fueling activities shows the fast-fill loading to the upper stage liquid hydrogen tank just ended. The launch team continues to load the liquid oxygen supply to the stage.

2123 GMT (4:23 p.m. EST)
The upper stage conditioning on the liquid oxygen side has finished. Loading of the tank is starting. This is the last of the rocket's four cryogenic supplies to be filled in today's countdown to launch.

2115 GMT (4:15 p.m. EST)
Post-filling tests on the first stage liquid oxygen system are complete and the tank is going into topping mode.

2112 GMT (4:12 p.m. EST)
The official launch weather forecast has removed the concern for thick clouds for tonight. A line of clearing is making its way toward the Cape, there's no rain in the area and the surface winds remain below limits.

The upper wind conditions are being closely watched, however, due to a strong wind shear up through 15,000 feet. A pre-planned series of weather balloons will be released throughout the countdown to monitor the direction and speed of the winds for engineers to select the best flight profile for launch.

2107 GMT (4:07 p.m. EST)
After finishing up work on the first stage liquid oxygen side, the launch team is moving into the chilldown procedures for the upper stage liquid oxygen system.

[Salo]

[Frontm]

Интересно, сколько нас, кто будет ждать З:2З?

[Salo]

0011 GMT (7:11 p.m. EST Sat.)
DELAY. Liftoff will not occur at 7:23 p.m. because upper level wind conditions have been declared "no go" again.

0010 GMT (7:10 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch team will be polled in the next minute to confirm all systems are "go" to press onward for 7:23 p.m. EST liftoff.

0008 GMT (7:08 p.m. EST Sat.)
The WGS 3 spacecraft atop the Delta 4 is switching from ground-fed power to its internal batteries for launch.
 
0007 GMT (7:07 p.m. EST Sat.)
Our live video stream of the launch is back after a technical glitch. Just hit reload to this page.

0003 GMT (7:03 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 5 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the planned 15-minute hold leading toward the 7:23 p.m. EST liftoff of the Delta 4 rocket.

This pause is designed to give the launch team the opportunity to catch up on any work running behind schedule and verify all is in readiness for the final moments of the count. A series of management polls will be conducted during the hold to give approval to proceed with the launch.

0002 GMT (7:02 p.m. EST Sat.)
The final guidance update on upper level winds is being loaded into the rocket. At the current time, the winds are acceptable.

2358 GMT (6:58 p.m. EST)
For those looking to watch the ULA broadcast of the launch, here's a link.
 
2351 GMT (6:51 p.m. EST)
The external inspections of the Delta 4 rocket's thermal insulation following fueling has been completed without any issues of note.

2344 GMT (6:44 p.m. EST)
Current observations show no violation of the cloud rules, there's no rain in the area and ground winds are within limits. The upper level winds are the only issue being watched.

2338 GMT (6:38 p.m. EST)
T-minus 30 minutes and counting. The countdown is headed to the T-minus 5 minute point where a 15-minute hold is planned. Liftoff is targeted for 7:23 p.m., the opening of today's 84-minute launch window.

2334 GMT (6:34 p.m. EST)
The engine slew checks have been performed successfully. The test sequence started with the upper stage RL10 engine, followed by the first stage RS-68 engine gimbaling and then some commanding checks for the strap-on solid rocket motors.

2330 GMT (6:30 p.m. EST)
A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

2328 GMT (6:28 p.m. EST)
No technical issues are being reported in the countdown and the team remains on the timeline for launch at 7:23 p.m. EST.

2327 GMT (6:27 p.m. EST)
The propellant conditioning has been completed on all four cryogenic tanks. The Delta 4 rocket is fueled up and ready for today's launch window to open.

2323 GMT (6:23 p.m. EST)
Now moving into the final 60 minutes of the countdown.

This launch will deliver to orbit the third satellite in the Wideband Global SATCOM series. Although more spacecraft are under construction in the Block 2 phase of the program, today's deployment of WGS 3 marks the last satellite in Block 1.

"The upcoming launch of WGS is really a landmark achievement for the DOD and The Boeing Company. It completes the initial constellation of three WGS satellites that will provide vital, flexible, high-capacity communications to the U.S. warfighters and allies across the theaters of operation," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director at Boeing.

Boeing shipped the WGS 3 satellite from its factory in El Segundo to Cape Canaveral on September 28. Over the past two months, the craft underwent final testing, fueling and encapsulation in the shroud that will cover it during launch.

On November 14, the spacecraft was transported from the Astrotech processing facility in Titusville to Complex 37 where it was hoisted atop the Delta 4 rocket.

"It's ready to join its brothers in arms -- WGS 1 and 2 -- in providing this capability to the men and woman of our armed forces. We look forward to a great ride from ULA," said Spiwak.

The company has three additional WGS satellites currently in production for launches slated to start in 2011.

"On behalf of The Boeing Company, we are very proud to be providing them to the United States Air Force. They are a key element in the very highly flexible and capable system providing this quantum leap in communications for the warfighter."
 
2320 GMT (6:20 p.m. EST)
The engine steering tests are getting underway.
 
2318 GMT (6:18 p.m. EST)
The RS-68 first stage main engine spin start pressurization operation is about to start.

2310 GMT (6:10 p.m. EST)
The streaming video on the right-hand side of this page is having technical difficulties. But while we work on that, our iPhone feed can be watched on your computer if you have the latest version of QuickTime installed. Check it out!

2300 GMT (6:00 p.m. EST)
The safety system checks are being performed at this point in the countdown.

2253 GMT (5:53 p.m. EST)
The launch team is entering the last 90 minutes of the countdown. With fueling of the Delta 4 rocket completed, team members are monitoring systems while the clocks tick down.

In the immediate future, the rocket's safety system will be checked and a series of engine steering tests will occur.

Everything continues to proceed on schedule at Cape Canaveral for liftoff at 7:23 p.m. EST. The upper level winds are the main thing being watched right now.

2240 GMT (5:40 p.m. EST)
Engineers are conducting the standard evaluation of the Delta 4 rocket's thermal insulation following the loading of supercold propellants into the vehicle.

[Frontm]

включилось
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/status.html

[Frontm]

0017 GMT (7:17 p.m. EST Sat.)
A new target liftoff time has not yet been established. The countdown remains holding at T-minus 5 minutes. Tonight's launch window extends from 7:23 to 8:47 p.m. EST.

0024 GMT (7:24 p.m. EST Sat.)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff has been retargeted for 8:00 p.m. EST. That will allow the team to receive and process new weather balloon data on the winds aloft.

как с аресом чтоль?

[Salo]

0024 GMT (7:24 p.m. EST Sat.)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff has been retargeted for 8:00 p.m. EST. That will allow the team to receive and process new weather balloon data on the winds aloft.

[Старый]

Ну мы летим или не летим?

[Старый]

Тьфу, блин! Что там кажут - опять высотный ветер?
Спать...

[Salo]

0043 GMT (7:43 p.m. EST Sat.)
The revised data file is being loaded into the Delta 4 rocket's guidance computer based on the latest upper level wind information.

0041 GMT (7:41 p.m. EST Sat.)
The team is complete with all of its procedures up to the Launch Minus 10-minute point. Pending a "go" on upper level winds, countdown activities would restart at 7:50 p.m. in preparation for a liftoff at 8:00 p.m. EST.

[Salo]

0053 GMT (7:53 p.m. EST Sat.)
DELAY. The launch will be pushed back from the 8:00 p.m. EST target. The latest balloon has shown "no go" conditions.

0051 GMT (7:51 p.m. EST Sat.)
The final readiness polls have been completed and all team members voiced "ready" status for continuing the countdown except for one. Officials are waiting on confirmation of acceptable upper level winds based on the next balloon.

0050 GMT (7:50 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch team is being polled to confirm all systems are "go" to press onward for 8:00 p.m. EST launch.

[Чебурашка]

Старый как всегда прав  

DELAY. The launch will be pushed back from the 8:00 p.m. EST target. The latest balloon has shown "no go" conditions in comparison to the previous data run.

[Frontm]

0100 GMT (8:00 p.m. EST Sat.)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff has been retargeted for 8:30 p.m. EST.

   

0104 GMT (8:04 p.m. EST Sat.)
To recap, the countdown is holding at the T-minus 5 minute mark while engineers assess the wind conditions in the atmosphere that the Delta 4 rocket will fly through tonight. Concerns about those upper level winds have delayed liftoff twice so far, scrapping target launch times of 7:23 and 8:00 p.m. EST.

The team is expecting the next flight data file based upon the newer weather balloon information to be ready for transmission to the rocket around 8:15 p.m. EST.

If the conditions aloft are deemed improved and acceptable, the launch will occur at 8:30 p.m. EST.

The last moment that launch could happen tonight is 8:47 p.m. EST. That is when the window closes for today.

0107 GMT (8:07 p.m. EST Sat.)
NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff has delayed to 8:37 p.m. EST. There was a problem with one of the weather balloons that has added some time before the next data will be available.

:shock:

NEW LAUNCH TIME. Liftoff is being targeted for the very end of today's launch window at 8:47 p.m. EST. That is because there was a problem transmitting latest weather balloon data to engineers in Denver. The time to re-send the info will push back when the flight data will be ready.

[Salo]

0128 GMT (8:28 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch team will be re-polled at 8:37 p.m. to verify systems remain ready for liftoff once the winds are declared acceptable. There won't be any additional margin to delay liftoff tonight. The window closes at 8:47 p.m. EST.

[Frontm]

отсчёт пошёл

[Salo]

0142 GMT (8:42 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 5 minutes and counting! The final phase of today's countdown has commenced for launch of the Delta 4 rocket carrying the Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft. Liftoff is set to occur at 8:47 p.m. EST (0147 GMT) from pad 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

0141 GMT (8:41 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch director has given approval given to resume the count for liftoff at 8:47 p.m. EST. The winds aloft declared "go" for launch!

0139 GMT (8:39 p.m. EST Sat.)
Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:
The 346th Delta rocket launch since 1960
The 11th Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
The 9th Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
The 8th Delta 4 flight for the Air Force
The first Medium+ 5,4 configuration to fly
The 10th launch of the Delta family in 2009
The third Delta 4 of 2009
The 36th United Launch Alliance mission in 36 months
The fourth Delta 4 under the ULA banner
0138 GMT (8:38 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch pad swing arm retraction system pins are being pulled. The three arms will be rotated away from the Delta 4 rocket at liftoff.

0137 GMT (8:37 p.m. EST Sat.)
The launch conductor just performed another readiness poll of his team. All elements remain "ready" for flight.

[Salo]

Пошла!

[Salo]

0151 GMT (8:51 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 4 minutes, 55 seconds. Delta is 128 miles in altitude, 321 miles east of the launch pad.

0151 GMT (8:51 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 4 minutes, 26 seconds. The cryogenic RL10B-2 upper stage engine has been lit!

0151 GMT (8:51 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 4 minutes, 14 seconds. The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage have been separated in one piece. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle is dropping into position to prepare for ignition.

0151 GMT (8:51 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 4 minutes, 5 seconds. MECO! Main engine cutoff confirmed as the RS-68 powerplant shuts down.

0150 GMT (8:50 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 3 minutes, 57 seconds. The main engine is throttling down to 57 percent thrust for the rest of its firing in today's launch.

0150 GMT (8:50 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 3 minutes, 26 seconds. The protective payload fairing enclosing the WGS 3 satellite atop the rocket has separated.

0149 GMT (8:49 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 2 minutes, 55 seconds. Altitude 51 nautical miles, 84 nautical miles downrange.

0149 GMT (8:49 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 2 minutes, 10 seconds. Altitude 31.4 miles, 38.2 miles downrange.
 
0149 GMT (8:49 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 2 minutes. The RS-68 is consuming nearly a ton of propellants per second as the powerplant pushes the Delta 4 rocket closer to space.

0148 GMT (8:48 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 1 minute, 44 seconds. Solid motor separation! The spent boosters have been shed from the first stage. Delta 4 continues powering its way on the thrust generated by the RS-68 main engine.

0148 GMT (8:48 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 1 minute, 34 seconds. The four solid rocket boosters have burned out of their propellant. Standing by for jettison.

0147 GMT (8:47 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 50 seconds. Now passing through the region of maximum aerodynamic pressure.

0147 GMT (8:47 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 36 seconds. The launcher has broken through the sound barrier.

0147 GMT (8:47 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 20 seconds. The Delta 4 rocket cleared the Complex 37 towers in a heartbeat and continues racing away from the spaceport with its main engine firing at full throttle and the four strap-on motors giving an impressive boost in speed.

0147 GMT (8:47 p.m. EST Sat.)
LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the energetic new version of Delta 4 launching a sophisticated communications relay satellite for U.S. military forces overseas.

0146 GMT (8:46 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 12 seconds. Residual hydrogen burnoff ignitors have been fired beneath the main engine.
 
0146 GMT (8:46 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 22 seconds. The steering system for the solid rocket motor nozzles has been activated.

0146 GMT (8:46 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 30 seconds. Green board. All systems remain "go" for launch.

0146 GMT (8:46 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 40 seconds. Upper stage liquid hydrogen tank is confirmed at flight level.

0146 GMT (8:46 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 1 minute and counting. The ignition conditions for the RS-68 main engine are "go." The terminal countdown sequencer will take control at T-minus 8.5 seconds. Ignition of the RS-68 powerplant will follow at T-minus 5.5 seconds. The engine powers up to the 102 percent level of thrust for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 70 seconds. The Air Force-controlled Eastern Range has given its "go" for launch.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 75 seconds. The liquid hydrogen fuel tank on the upper stage is being secured for launch.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 80 seconds. Upper stage liquid oxygen tank has been secured at flight level.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 1 minute, 50 seconds. The first stage liquid hydrogen tank has reached flight level and pressure.

0145 GMT (8:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 2 minutes. The rocket's upper stage liquid oxygen tank is being secured.

0144 GMT (8:44 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 2 minutes, 45 seconds. The liquid oxygen tank in the first stage is confirmed at the proper level and pressure for flight.

0143 GMT (8:43 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 3 minutes, 15 seconds. Replenishment of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the Common Booster Core first stage is being secured in preparation to pressurize the tanks for launch.

0143 GMT (8:43 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 4 minutes and counting. Ordnance devices aboard the vehicle are being armed.

0142 GMT (8:42 p.m. EST Sat.)
T-minus 4 minutes, 10 seconds. The systems of the first and second stages of the Delta 4 rocket have switched from ground-fed power to internal batteries for launch.

[Salo]

0158 GMT (8:58 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 11 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle's steep climb leveled off as it gains speed toward orbital velocity. Delta is 227 nautical miles in altitude, 1,228 miles downrange from the launch pad.

0157 GMT (8:57 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 10 minutes, 20 seconds. The upper stage is stable and giving WGS 3 a good ride.

0156 GMT (8:56 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 9 minutes, 10 seconds. Delta is 222 miles in altitude, 919 miles east of the launch pad.

0154 GMT (8:54 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 8 minutes, 30 seconds. The second stage engine continues to fire. All is looking good.

0153 GMT (8:53 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The upper stage is the larger five-meter version that has flown three previous times on the Delta 4-Heavy vehicle, another element that distinguishes this Medium+ (5,4) rocket configuration. The earlier Medium variants used four-meter upper stages.

Today's stage has a wider liquid hydrogen tank and a lengthened liquid oxygen tank to carry additional propellants, enabling the RL10 engine to fire longer.

0153 GMT (8:53 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 6 minutes, 50 seconds. Good controls by the upper stage. Delta is 186 miles in altitude, 587 miles downrange from the launch pad.

0153 GMT (8:53 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 6 minutes, 10 seconds. Delta is 167 miles in altitude, 484 miles east of the launch pad.

0152 GMT (8:52 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 5 minutes, 50 seconds. Good chamber pressure data being reported from the RL10 engine as it thrusts to reach orbit.

0152 GMT (8:52 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Delta is 148 miles in altitude, 402 miles east of the launch pad.

[Salo]

0223 GMT (9:23 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 36 minutes. The rocket is coasting in orbit and will soon deploy the next Wideband Global SATCOM, continuing the modernization effort for the U.S. military's satellite communications network in space.

0221 GMT (9:21 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 34 minutes. Release of the payload just under seven minutes away.

0219 GMT (9:19 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 32 minutes. Delta is traveling at 32,830 feet per second, some 6,209 miles downrange from the launch pad.

0218 GMT (9:18 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 31 minutes, 29 seconds. SECO 2. The second of two firings by the upper stage during today's launch has been completed, ending the powered phase of flight.

0217 GMT (9:17 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 30 minutes, 15 seconds. This burn injects the rocket into a highly elliptical orbit stretching about 36,000 nautical miles in altitude at its furthest point from Earth.

0216 GMT (9:16 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 29 minutes, 45 seconds. Engine performing well.

0216 GMT (9:16 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 29 minutes, 30 seconds. This burn will last just over three minutes in duration.

0216 GMT (9:16 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 29 minutes, 10 seconds. Pitch and yaw control are normal.

0215 GMT (9:15 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 28 minutes, 42 seconds. Good engine chamber pressure reported.

0215 GMT (9:15 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 28 minutes, 33 seconds. The RL10B-2 engine, fed by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, has been ignited once again! This firing will propel WGS 3 to its targeted orbit.

0212 GMT (9:12 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 25 minutes, 30 seconds. The vehicle is now in a coast mode before the next firing of the upper stage engine. Re-ignition of the RL10 engine is three minutes away.

0211 GMT (9:11 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 24 minutes. To see the track the rocket is following this evening, click here.

0210 GMT (9:10 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 23 minutes. The upper stage is reorienting to the proper position for the next burn.

0209 GMT (9:09 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 22 minutes. The initial orbit appears to be right on target.

0207 GMT (9:07 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 20 minutes, 31 seconds. SECO 1. Confirmation that the second stage engine has shut down after the first of two planned firings to inject the WGS 3 spacecraft into a supersynchronous transfer orbit.

0206 GMT (9:06 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 19 minutes, 20 seconds. Delta is traveling at 27,503 feet per second over the central Atlantic Ocean.

0205 GMT (9:05 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 18 minutes. The upper stage's the RL10 engine working well, still firing as planned to reach the parking orbit this evening.

0204 GMT (9:04 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 17 minutes, 5 seconds. Delta is traveling at 24,897 feet per second, 2,361 miles downrange from the launch pad.

0203 GMT (9:03 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 16 minutes, 30 seconds. About four minutes remain in this firing of the second stage.

0202 GMT (9:02 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 15 minutes, 40 seconds. The telemtry relay duties for the rest of the mission are being handed from ground stations to NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

0201 GMT (9:01 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 14 minutes, 30 seconds. This burn will place the vehicle into an initial parking orbit around Earth. The rocket is headed for an elliptical orbit of 100 by 3,714 nautical miles with an inclination of 25.59 degrees.

0200 GMT (9:00 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 13 minutes, 30 seconds. The RL10 engine is burning a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen cryogenic propellants. Chamber pressures still look good.

0159 GMT (8:59 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 12 minutes, 30 seconds. Normal chamber pressures and good pitch and yaw steering reported.

0159 GMT (8:59 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 12 minutes, 15 seconds. Delta is 221 miles in altitude, 1,418 miles east of the launch pad.

[Salo]

0226 GMT (9:26 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 39 minutes, 45 seconds. Separation will occur while soaring away from the planet over the Indian Ocean.

0225 GMT (9:25 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 38 minutes, 40 seconds. About two minutes from separation.

[Salo]

0227 GMT (9:27 p.m. EST Sat.)
T+plus 40 minutes, 40 seconds. SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! The Air Force's Wideband Global SATCOM 3 military communications satellite has been deployed into orbit from the Delta 4 rocket's upper stage, completing tonight's launch.

The spacecraft will spend the next few weeks being maneuvered into geostationary orbit by controllers at Boeing's satellite facility in El Segundo, California. The orbit raising activities will use both the conventional propellant engines as well as ion propulsion thrusters.

"WGS has the chemical propulsion system, as well as xenon ion propulsion," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director for satellite-builder Boeing.

"When we come off the rocket, we've got a little over two weeks of the chemical burns...and 36-37 days of xenon ion propulsion that brings the inclination down and also rounds out the orbit."

Boeing will oversee the craft's solar array and antenna deployments, plus complete an initial round of testing before WGS 3 is handed over to the Air Force in February. The military plans to conduct its own set of checks and verifications, then position the craft at its orbit

[Salo]

Аплодисменты! :wink:

[Старый]

Старый как всегда прав  

Ну вот... Был неправ... Проспал...

[Salo]

Мне проще, у нас GMT+2.

[Salo]

Фотогалерея со старта:
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/causeway/

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/

New communications craft launched for U.S. military
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: December 5, 2009



The Delta 4 rocket debuted its latest variant with a display of power and precision Saturday night, successfully using an energetic creation to heave a vital communications satellite into space for the U.S. military.
 Credit: Pat Corkery/ULA

Blasting away from Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 at 8:47 p.m. EST with a dashing speed not seen on previous Delta 4 vehicles, the rocket roared through the sound barrier in just 36 seconds and climbed past the edge of space only three minutes later.

Four solid-fueled boosters affixed to the rocket in pairs provided the impressive kick that propelled the 217-foot-tall Delta into the nighttime sky, augmenting the thrust from the first stage's hydrogen-fed main engine.

The hotrod rocket is known as the Medium+ (5,4) configuration. It's distinguished by a five-meter composite payload shroud, a similarly-sized upper stage and the quad arrangement of solid rockets. Previous Medium+ rockets have flown with the smaller four-meter nose cone, an upper stage that carries less fuel and only two solid motors.

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 family was conceived around a modular design, allowing mission planners to match different rocket configurations with the payloads they carry. Earlier flights spanned the spectrum of options ranging from the simplest version featuring just two stages all the way to the triple-body heavy-lifter that can haul the largest satellites.

The spacecraft needing a ride to space Saturday night was the Air Force's third Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite, weighing a hefty 12,800 pounds. The "5,4" variant of Delta 4 fit the role of launching the craft into the desired supersynchronous transfer orbit.

The cryogenic main engine and all four solids were ignited on the launch pad, causing the rocket to depart the Florida spaceport in a hurry.

The strap-on motors fired for 94 seconds and then separated. The RS-68 engine continued burning through the initial four minutes of flight by consuming liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

Shortly before the first stage's burn concluded, having already left the atmosphere, the 47-foot-long nose shroud covering the satellite was jettisoned.

The first stage finished its job and separated about 100 nautical miles over the ocean, leaving rocket's upper stage and cryogenic RL10B-2 powerplant to perform a lengthy firing to achieve an intermediate parking orbit and then a second, brief burn near the western coast of Africa that sent the payload toward an orbit that was targeted to hit 237 nautical miles at perigee, 36,167 nautical miles at apogee and inclined 24 degrees.

The payload separated from the launcher just before T+plus 41 minutes while soaring away from the planet over the Indian Ocean.

"Now more than ever, our nation depends on our ability to successfully deliver space-based capabilities with 100 percent mission success," Col. Gary Henry, commander of the Air Force's Launch and Range Systems Wing.

Known as WGS 3, this satellite is the third in a major program to upgrade to the military's main communications infrastructure, replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) spacecraft. Each WGS has 10 times the capacity of a DSCS satellite, allowing users to process and receive data quicker than ever before.

"WGS is the nation's next generation wideband satellite communications system that will increase the security, availability and bandwidth of communications for our globally-engaged service men and woman," said Lt. Col. Dave Hook, commander of the 5th Space Launch Squadron at Cape Canaveral.

The satellites supply communications such as maps and data to soldiers on the battlefield, relay video from unmanned aerial reconnaissance drones, route voice calls and data messaging, and even offer quality-of-life considerations like television broadcasts and email delivery to the troops.

WGS 1 entered service last year to cover the vast Pacific Command that stretches from the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia. The WGS 2 satellite launched earlier this year was placed into operation over the Indian Ocean for use by U.S. Central Command to provide coverage for the warfighters in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.

The new WGS 3 satellite will be positioned above the Eastern Atlantic at an orbital slot of 12 degrees West longitude. Its broad reach will cover U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.

"WGS 3 is the next step in deploying Wideband Global SATCOM to augment and eventually replace the legacy Defense Satellite Communications System, or DSCS, which has been the Department of Defense's backbone for satellite communications over the last three decades," said Col. Bill Harding, vice commander, Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing.

"WGS 3 is slated for operations over EUCOM and AFRICOM and will provide an order of magnitude increase in military communications bandwidth for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines."

The satellite will be maneuvered into a circular geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the planet where it can match the Earth's rotation and appear parked over one area of the globe. On-orbit testing is scheduled to last a few months, enabling the craft to begin full use next April.

The WGS spacecraft are constructed around Boeing's powerhouse 702-model design used by commercial satellite operators. But within the WGS craft are Ka- and X-band military communications packages.

The WGS craft offer X-band communications, like the venerable DSCS satellites, to connect with military users anywhere within the field of view from orbit.

What's new on WGS is Ka-band communications. Officials describe the extra frequency as a way of serving up large amounts of information for reception by U.S. and allied forces across a wide area using the so-called Global Broadcast System, or GBS.

"The GBS is like DirecTV to the warfighter. With the emerging requirements for more and more Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial system data, the GBS is allowing us to double the amount of full motion video we are able to carry," Harding said. "With the GBS data, it allows us to bring that full motion video down to small, one-meter terminals."

The satellites also adjust and shift their multiple beams of coverage, a feature that is employed as local hotspots on Earth move.

"That is a key advance for our warfighters of giving them the communications where they need it, when they need it," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director for satellite-builder Boeing.

"We can make (the beams) more oblong, we can put notches in them, we can make them bigger and global. But we can shape the beams and shape the throughput."

The Air Force says nine DSCS satellites remain in use while the new WGS craft are continuing to be built and deployed.

"We're trying to squeeze as much as capability out of the DSCS birds as we possible can. We continue to monitor the capability of the spacecraft and how much fuel in there," Harding said.

With the first two WGS satellites already in use and the third en route, the Air Force seems pleased with the new constellation of spacecraft they are assembling.

"We're getting great feedback in terms of the support they are providing," Harding said. "The first one went up over (Pacific Command). As you realize, that particular theater deals with the tyranny of distance a lot more than some of the other theaters, so (satellite communications) is extremely important to them. Of course, the X-band -- the DSCS replacement capability -- plus the Ka-band provide them not only a lot of bandwidth...but a lot more coverage area. So there's a lot of antennas and we're able to cover forces no matter where they are in the Pacific."

"Quality-of-life for the folks on the ships has been significantly increased due to WGS being fielded," Spiwak added, noting that WGS 1 can provide 24/7 Internet and television to the military deployed across the Pacific.

Three more WGS satellites are under construction at Boeing's manufacturing plant in El Segundo, California. They are incorporating a slight upgrade from the previous trio of spacecraft and should be ready to begin launching in 2011.

"We are very active on satellites 4, 5 and 6. In fact, before the end of the year we will be assembling the F4 satellite into a complete satellite," Spiwak said.

"Those satellites are on schedule...we've got the formula now."

Harding said the WGS program -- and its six satellites ordered thus far -- is valued at $2.1 billion.

"WGS addresses our military's ever-growing appetite for high-bandwidth satellite communications," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager at Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "We're now working with the Air Force to determine how future WGS satellites could be enhanced to handle missions involving airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and communications-on-the-move."

[Salo]

http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/2009/12/delta-iv-roars-off-on-spectacular.shtml

Saturday, December 05, 2009
Delta IV Roars Off On Spectacular Nighttime Flight
A Delta IV rocket roared off its Cape Canaveral launch pad tonight and cut a blazing trail into the night sky as it hauled a new military communications satellite toward an orbit 22,300 miles above the planet.

The 217-foot-tall United Launch Alliance rocket blast off from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 8:47 p.m. -- the very end of a 90-minute window of opportunity. Stiff upper-altitude winds prevented an on-time launch at 7:23 p.m.

The Delta IV looked like a bright ball ascending into dark skies as the rocket arced out over the Atlantic Ocean and sped toward orbit. A shooting star could be seen streaking through the skies about 90 seconds after liftoff and then four solid rocket motors peeled away from the first stage 10 seconds later. The solid-fueled boosters could be seen tumbling like bright orange embers as the spent motors plummeted toward the ocean.

No problems were reported during the initial climb toward orbit.

The rocket is carrying a Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft -- an advanced Air Force communications satellite that will serve U.S. and allied troops on missions around the world, including those now taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Retired Air Force Capt. John Kutz, a 57-year-old Titusville resident who now is the lead avionics engineer for United Launch Alliance, knows exactly how important communications satellites have become to American warfighters. Check out the story HERE.

The launch originally was set for Wednesday, but late Tuesday, managers pushed it back 24 hours as a result of an approaching storm system. Stiff upper level winds and thick clouds held up a countdown Thursday and then an electrical card in a ground launch control system failed as the end of the window approached that night.

The launch was rescheduled for Friday, but managers reset it for tonight to give engineers time to replace the faulty card and then install and test a spare.

ABOUT THE IMAGES: Click to enlarge the Florida Today image (top) of the Delta IV rocket leaping off its Cape Canaveral launch pad with a new military communications satellite onboard. Photo credit: Michael R. Brown/Florida Today. The second image, from United Launch Alliance image of Delta IV rocket on Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo Credit: Pat Corkery/United Launch Alliance.

[Salo]

http://www.floridatoday.com/content/blogs/space/2009/12/delta-iv-delivers-new-military.shtml

Saturday, December 05, 2009
Delta IV Delivers New Military Satellite To Orbit
A new military communications satellite that will serve U.S. and allied troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is circling high above Earth today after a spectacular holiday season launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Forty minutes and 55 seconds after launch, the 6.5-ton spacecraft separated cleanly from the Delta IV Medium rocket that hauled it into orbit.

The spacecraft "is flying on its own," said United Launch Alliance flight commentator Steve Agid said.

"This is another important milestone for our war-fighters and our nation," said Air Force Maj. Mark Hadley, a deputy program manager for the Wideband Global SATCOM project.

The spacecraft is the third in a series that will deliver broadband communications services to U.S. and allied forces in theaters around the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge the Florida Today image of the Delta IV Medium rocket streaking through the night skies over Florida's Space Coast. Photo credit: Craig Bailey, Florida Today.

posted by Todd Halvorson at 9:26 PM

[Salo]

Ещё одна фотогалерея:
http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d346/launch/

[Dude]

Оригинальный ракурс.

[интересующийся]

Жив курилка:
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=981

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Dec. 6, 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE] has acquired the first on-orbit signals from the third of six Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites. The signals indicate that the spacecraft is healthy and ready to begin orbital maneuvers and operational testing. WGS is the latest U.S. Department of Defense satellite communications system.

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket launched the WGS-3 satellite at 8:47 p.m. Eastern time on Dec. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A ground station in Dongara, Australia, received the satellite's first signals 58 minutes later at 9:45 p.m. Eastern time. Boeing's Mission Control Center in El Segundo, Calif., confirmed that the satellite is functioning normally.

"This mission marks another important advancement in the communications capabilities that our advanced satellites provide to U.S. military personnel around the world," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The nation's warfighters rely on satellites like this one to help them execute difficult missions safely and effectively, and the Air Force-Boeing team is committed to coming through for them."

Following a series of orbital maneuvers and on-orbit tests over the West Coast of the United States, WGS-3 will be placed into geosynchronous Earth orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite joins WGS-1, which entered service over the Pacific Ocean in April 2008, and WGS-2, which began operations over the Middle East in August 2009. The WGS-1 and WGS-2 satellites meet and, in some cases, exceed Air Force mission requirements. Together, the three WGS satellites will provide assured access to high-data-rate communications for U.S. forces and allies around the world.

WGS is the Department of Defense's highest-capacity communications satellite system. The satellites are built on the proven Boeing 702 platform with 13 kilowatts of power. The payload provides reconfigurable coverage areas and the ability to connect X-band and Ka-band users anywhere within their field of view via an onboard digital channelizer -- features not available on any other communications satellite.

[Pol]

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/03/05/Air-Force-accepts-WGS-3-from-Boeing/UPI-22481267800215/

Air Force accepts WGS-3 from Boeing
Published: March. 5, 2010 at 9:43 AM

Share EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 5 (UPI) -- Boeing marked a milestone with its third Wideband Global Satellite Communication system following a successful transfer of control to the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. defense contractor Boeing has been conducting functionality and payload tests of the WGS-3 Block II military communications satellite after its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Boeing says the WGS-3 passed the on-orbit tests and was transferred to the Air Force. The WGS-3 is designed to provide military users with next-generation broadband communication capabilities.

"Knowledge is power, especially on the battlefield, where the ability to quickly communicate large amounts of information can make a world of difference to mission success," Air Force Col. Don Robbins, WGS group commander, said in a statement.

"With their wide bandwidth and high throughput, WGS satellites are game-changers that give our warfighters a distinct advantage."

[интересующийся]

3-й в строю:
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1359

Boeing-built WGS Satellite Enters Service with US Air ForceEL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 2, 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE] announced today that the third Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) military communications satellite has entered service for the U.S. Air Force. It is now part of a constellation that is delivering significantly improved broadband communications to U.S. military forces and their allies in every theater of operation around the world.

WGS is the U.S. Department of Defense's highest-capacity satellite communications system. It provides unmatched high-data-rate communications links to support delivery of everything from full-motion video captured by unmanned aerial vehicles to e-mail, television and other quality-of-life services for U.S. warfighters overseas. The first two WGS satellites are operating over the Pacific Ocean and Middle East, respectively. WGS-3 is located over the Atlantic Ocean.

"This milestone means that our warfighters around the world, even deep in the mountains or far out at sea, can now reap the benefits of high-capacity communications," said Air Force Col. Don Robbins, WGS SATCOM Group Commander. "WGS delivers the information they need to make quicker decisions, which is a key enabler of mission success. This is a system that saves warfighters' lives and makes their lives better."

WGS-3 is the final satellite in the Block I series. Under its current Block II contract with the Air Force, Boeing is building three more WGS satellites that are scheduled for launch in 2012 and 2013. Boeing also is working with the Air Force to establish a follow-on series with up to six more WGS satellites.

"New airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms require increased bandwidth, and we're enhancing the Block II WGS satellites to deliver that critical capability," said Ken Torok, vice president, Navigation and Communication Systems, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "WGS is proving to be a cost-effective solution that delivers results for warfighters today and can be evolved to meet the military's future communications needs."

WGS satellites deliver fast, flexible broadband communications services to remote areas. They can interconnect X-band and Ka- band users, deliver service to new users within days, and be repositioned on orbit if necessary to meet changing mission requirements.

[Брабонт]

Теперь вопрос, двинет ли куда-нибудь десятилетний DSCS III F12, находящийся в той же точке 12W / USGOVSAT-8, что и WGS 3.

[Брабонт]

Перегон либо увод на орбиту захоронения?
11 лет отработал, маловато для американской техники.