WGS-4 = Delta IV-M+(5,4) - 20.01.12 04:38 ЛМВ - Canaveral

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Заправка первой ступени уже идёт.

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23:38 UTC Countdown is entering the final 60 minutes! No technical problems of note, weather is fine, upper level winds are go. tinyurl.com/GoWGS4

23:55 UTC Steering checks of the Delta 4 rocket's engine nozzles have been run successfully.

0:13 The WGS 4 spacecraft atop the Delta 4 is switching from ground-fed power to its internal batteries for launch.

0:19 T-minus 5 minutes and holding. Countdown has entered planned 15-minute hold leading toward the 7:38pmEST liftoff.

0:32 Final pre-launch readiness checks of launch team complete and all systems are reported "go" for on-time liftoff!


0:38UTC LIFTOFF of Delta 4 rocket with WGS 4 satellite, enhancing military communications for the warfighter!

~0:38:12UTC
Улетела!

~1:19UTC
SPACECRAFT SEPARATION! Critical U.S. military communications satellite successfully delivered into orbit by Delta 4!

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Летит...

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Обращает внимание гладкость подготовки к пуску; ракета улетела в начале стартового окна, без переносов и каких-либо существенных трудностей.

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Есть отделение КА!

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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/pond/

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http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/dew/

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http://www.launchphotography.com/WGS-4.html

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США запустили спутник для обеспечения связи с БПЛА на Ближнем Востоке

МОСКВА, 20 янв - РИА Новости. ВВС США запустили в космос спутник, который, как ожидается, будет служить для обеспечения связи с беспилотными летательными аппаратами (БПЛА), используемыми на Ближнем Востоке и в Азии, передает агентство Ассошиэйтед Пресс.

Ракета-носитель Delta 4 со спутником WGS 4 на борту оторвалась от пусковой площади на мысе Канаверал в 19.38 четверга по местному времени (04.38 пятницы мск).

По данным агентства, это уже четвертый военный спутник, запущенный в космос с 2007 года. Планируется, что следующий будет отправлен на орбиту в 2013 году. Новые космические аппараты заменят собой устаревающие спутники, которые уступают новичкам по производительности и возможностям примерно в десять раз.

http://ria.ru/world/20120120/544120311.html

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Delta 4 rocket soars on Defense Department mission

A new Air Force satellite headed for service over the Middle East to route essential communications to U.S. military forces and improve data links to unmanned aerial drones was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral last night.

The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 spacecraft, better known as WGS 4, rode a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket away from the Florida spaceport's pad 37B at 7:38 p.m. EST (0038 GMT) on a 40-minute ascent to supersynchronous orbit.

Liftoff occurred at the opening minute of a launch window set months in advance.

Valued at $464 million, the 6.5-ton satellite will enhance military communications over a turbulent portion of the globe when it commences broadcasting duties in a few months.

Dropped off into a highly-elliptical, preliminary orbit by the Delta 4 rocket, the satellite's conventional bi-propellant chemical main engine will execute four apogee and four perigee firings through early February before beginning 40 days of final orbit circularization maneuvers with its xenon-ion propulsion thrusters to reach geosynchronous perch 22,300 miles above Earth in March.

Once its appendages are fully unfurled in space, the craft's solar-power wings will span 134 feet.

In-orbit testing with the military's Camp Roberts facility in California will occur from mid-March through mid-April. Boeing will control the craft's initial flying until handover to the Air Force at the end of April.

From there, the spacecraft will drift to the operational location over the Indian Ocean to receive final acceptance into the WGS constellation and enter service this summer.

The Air Force says it plans to put this WGS 4 spacecraft's coverage footprint over the Middle East and Southeast Asia for use by U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command.

"WGS provides critical operation and situational awareness information to the warfighter," said Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center. "I want to thank Boeing and the work they have done to give us a first-class quality satellite that's going to be a critical add to our constellation."

WGS 4 starts an enhanced "block" of satellites with improved bandwidth for communications to the military's remote-controlled drones known for their stealthy and undercover operations in global hotspots. The vehicles can carry cameras, radar sensors and detectors to sniff out uranium and radioactive material.

"The UAVs and moving large amounts of data around is a major requirement that drove us to do the upgrade, which is giving us the significantly more bandwidth and capacity," said Madden.

Once slid into its orbital home high above the Indian Ocean, the satellite will join the expanding fleet of Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellites that form the Pentagon's worldwide communications backbone across all branches of the military.

"WGS is the DOD's highest capacity communications satellite system. These satellites provide tremendous operational flexibility to deliver the needed capacity, coverage and connectivity in support of demanding operational scenarios," said Mark Spiwak, the WGS program director for satellite-builder Boeing.

The craft's communications package provides shaped, steerable spotbeams of bandwidth wherever requested across its field-of-view for Ka- and X-band frequencies, plus the onboard capability to switch signals from one band to the other.

"It does that by using a channelizer, which is kind of the heart of the satellite which is able to convert the frequencies from X-to-Ka or X-to-X or Ka-to-Ka, and that provides a certain bandwidth availability and a number of channels associated with that," Spiwak said.

But the new Block 2 satellites, beginning with WGS 4, come with a bypass feature for unmanned aerial drone communications to skip the crossbanding path and use two uplink and two downlink channels that offer three times the bandwidth as the normal channels, opening up a much bigger pipeline for data to flow.

That increased capacity will directly help the military's remotely-controlled unmanned drone programs, which are used for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.

"So why is that good? That's good because as the Global Hawks, the Reapers, the Predators, all of the AISR platforms, as they are converting to their different terminals, obviously the more bandwidth is good for them, and you can lock on to one or several Global Hawks, multiple Reapers and Predators, and the more bandwidth allows the operators to pump more data through. You've got that wider pipe on two uplink and two downlink channels," Spiwak said.

"That's kind of the main change (for Block 2). It still has all of the X-band flexibility, Ka-band flexibility that the first three have, but this has these extra, larger pipes that you can really pump a lot of data through."

Three WGS spacecraft are operating in geosynchronous orbit today, and The Boeing Co. has four more in production at its El Segundo factory in Los Angeles and will soon start working on two additional craft being ordered -- WGS 9 and 10. The craft are built upon the company's powerhouse 702-model design.

WGS 1 was launched in October 2007 to cover the vast U.S. Pacific Command that stretches from the U.S. western coast all the way to Southeast Asia.

WGS 2 satellite followed with an April 2009 launch to serve U.S. Central Command and the forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of Southwest Asia.

WGS 3 went up in December 2009 to cover U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, plus lend additional support over the Middle East.

"Three Block 1 satellites are currently on-orbit, providing critical communication links to DOD and allied forces worldwide," said Spiwak.

For over four decades, the Defense Satellite Communications System was the foundation for flowing secure information to military forces around the globe. But that heritage system is being phased out as the aging craft retire and the new WGS satellites ascend to orbit to take advantage of new technology.

The final DSCS craft was launched by a Delta 4 rocket in 2003. (Our launch story)

There's still 8 DSCS satellites in service today.

"We will use 'em up till the very last minute because the DSCS's are still providing significant capability as well," said Madden.

Each WGS bird possesses 10 times the capacity of a single DSCS satellite and offers 19 coverage areas with its steerable antennas versus 8 under the heritage craft.

The X-band communications through DSCS and WGS allow data, photos and video to be relayed to troops on the battlefield. But WGS also brings Ka-band to the table for high-volume broadcasting to user terminals across the reception area.

A key advancement that WGS brings is an internal box called a digital channelizer that enables a user with a Ka-band terminal to seamlessly connect to someone with an X-band terminal, or vice versa.

The data transmission rates range from 2.1 to 3.6 Gbps.

"Everyday WGS helps save and improve the lives of users worldwide. This launch (is) another important step in advancing these capabilities," said Spiwak.

The 217-foot-tall Delta 4 carrying WGS 4 flew in the Medium+(5,4) configuration, which is the most powerful of the Medium-version rockets and below only the triple-core Heavy in the modular family's lineup.

WGS is one of the satellite programs that's interchangeable between ULA's Atlas and Delta rocket families. The first two WGS satellites went up on Atlas, and now the subsequent two have flown on Delta.

"WGS was the first constellation of satellites to launch on both Delta 4 and Atlas 5 vehicles since the formation of ULA. We're honored to have worked closely with our Air Force partners in integrating and launching these important WGS satellites," said Jim Sponnick, United Launch Alliance vice president of mission operations.

"Our ability to integrate and launch satellites successfully and efficiently on two launch systems to provide operational flexibility was a primary reason that ULA was formed."

The Medium+(5,4) features a five-meter-diameter upper stage loaded with more cryogenic propellants than the optional four-meter motor used for other launches, such as GPS missions. The rocket also has a full set of four solid-fuel boosters strapped to the first stage, double the number used for GPS and other lower-weight payloads.

The first stage is powered by the RS-68 hydrogen-fed main engine and the upper stage has the RL10B-2 engine, the powerplants used on all 18 Delta 4 missions to date.

It was the first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral of the new year and begins the Delta 4 rocket's 2012 that is dedicated to military service with as many as five flights scheduled from both Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to deploy WGS, GPS and classified National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/

[К.А.]

"  20 января 2012 года в 00:38 UTC (04:38 мск) с площадки SLC-37B Станции ВВС США "Мыс Канаверал" стартовыми расчетами компании United Launch Alliance при поддержке боевых расчетов 45-го Космического крыла ВВС США осуществлен пуск ракеты-носителя Delta-4 Medium+ (5,4) № D358 с телекоммуникационным спутником WGS 4 (Wideband Global SATCOM 4). Через 40 минут 50 секунд после старта космический аппарат отделился от носителя и вышел на околоземную орбиту. В каталоге стратегического командования США спутник получил обозначение USA-233 и номер 38070. Международное обозначение объекта - 2012-001А.     - К.И.  "  - лента новостей НК


Непонятно почему 2012-001А ведь уже были два пуска в КНР

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Space-Track выложил параметры орбиты аппарата (506 х 69522 км, 23.85°) и верхней ступени. Двухстрочных наборов, естественно, нет.

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Delta IV WGS-4 Launch Highlights

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Выполнен маневр подъёма перигея.

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WGS satellite passes builder's post-launch tests

Three months after rocketing into space atop a Delta 4 booster, maneuvering into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles high and passing a thorough checkout, the U.S. Air Force's newest communications craft has been delivered into the hands of military controllers from builder Boeing.

The Wideband Global SATCOM 4 satellite was transferred from Boeing control to Air Force operators on Wednesday. The initial flying of the bird was conducted from the aerospace firm's facilities in El Segundo, California, where the spacecraft was manufactured.

"This fourth WGS satellite adds substantial capacity and resiliency to the WGS constellation," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "The team worked around the clock to ensure that all testing was completed successfully, and that the satellite was healthy and ready for customer handover. We remain committed to the Air Force, the WGS mission, and to continuing to support the delivery of this critical enhancement of warfighter communications."

Boeing said in a statement that on-orbit testing had demonstrated the functionality of WGS 4's communications payload features by passing test signals through each of the satellite's 19 antenna beams. The tests also verified the craft's beam-steering functions.

The military ground control team will finish some additional testing on the satellite and reposition it over the Middle East to enter service this summer.

Valued at $464 million, the satellite joins three other WGS satellites that form the Pentagon's worldwide communications backbone across all branches of the military.

WGS 4 is the first craft, however, with an internal reconfiguration to improve communications bandwidth to the military's remote-controlled drones known for their stealthy and undercover operations in global hotspots for surveillance, intelligence-gathering and offensive operations.

Read more about WGS 4 in our earlier launch story.

The ever-growing WGS constellation now has four craft in space and five more in production. Teaming with five allied nations, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and New Zealand, the Air Force ordered WGS 9 under the broadening fleet earlier this year.

All of these spacecraft provide high-data-rate, large-volume communications services from geosynchronous orbit. The provide 10 times the capacity over the heritage Defense Satellite Communications System birds they gradually replace in space.

"We don't see any reduction in wideband capability needed for the warfighter. It's just the opposite -- it's going exponential," Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, said on the eve of the WGS 4 launch in January.

"The Canadian Forces' recent efforts in Libya and Afghanistan have highlighted the critical importance of rapid communications between headquarters and deployed forces," Peter MacKay, minister of national defence, said in signing the WGS 9 deal. "This agreement with our allies will meet the requirement for secure data and voice transmissions, which are essential to the success of modern military operations."

Cooperation with other nations isn't new for the wideband program. Australia joined as a partner in 2007 and financed WGS 6 that will be launched next summer.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d358/handover.html

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Boeing Awarded $111M To Upgrade Two U.S. Air Force Communications Satellites

WASHINGTON — Boeing Satellite Systems will boost the capacity of two military communications satellites under a $111 million contract modification awarded by the U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon said in a July 2 contract announcement.

El Segundo, Calif.-based Boeing will install upgraded digital channelizers aboard the eighth and ninth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellites under the contract. The upgraded hardware also will be installed on the 10th WGS satellite, which the Air Force is expected to order in July, according to Mark Spiwak, Boeing WGS program director.

In a written response to Space News questions, Spiwak said the new digital channelizers will boost capacity on the WGS-8 and -9 satellites by 30 percent. "With additional enhancements to the WGS satellite, including the addition of more beams and/or greater radio frequency transmit power, each satellite could provide greater than 80% more capacity by leveraging enhanced channelizer bandwidth which would otherwise be inaccessible," he said.

The Air Force in December and January authorized Boeing to build the two satellites as part of the WGS Block 2 Follow On program that also includes the seventh spacecraft and is valued at $1.09 billion. The combined value of the WGS-8 and -9 contracts, not including the modification for the upgraded digital channelizers, is $731 million, according to Air Force figures.

Spiwak said the Block 2 Follow On contract provided savings that enabled the Air Force to invest in upgrades like the new channelizers, which are routing devices that enable satellites to use bandwidth efficiently. In announcing the WGS-8 contract in January, the Air Force said the Block 2 Follow On craft were being procured under a more commercial-like contract arrangement that would save the service $100 million. The service in December awarded Boeing a $9.4 million contract to study the addition of the new channelizers.

"Discussions with the customer in the future will focus on enhancements that are able to unlock additional bandwidth and capacity on WGS to realize more of the available bandwidth," Spiwak said.

Four WGS satellites are on orbit, with the fifth and sixth satellites — these are the initial Block 2 craft — slated to launch next year.

http://www.spacenews.com/military/120706-boeing-upgrade-af-comm-sats.html