NROL-76 – Falcon 9 – Кеннеди LC-39A – 01.05.2017 11:15 UTC

[tnt22]

http://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-nrol-76/nrol-76-satellite/

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Identifying the classified NROL-76 Satellite

The United States National Reconnaissance Office is an intelligence agency tasked with the design, construction and operation of all U.S. reconnaissance satellites and delivers satellite intelligence to other intelligence agencies including signals intelligence for the NSA, image reconnaissance data to the NGA and measurement & signature intelligence to the DIA. Established in 1961, the NRO has been shrouded in great secrecy and its existence as an agency was only first acknowledged in the early 1990s.

Спойлер

NROL-76 Mission Patch – Credit: NRO

As an intelligence agency, the NRO goes through great lengths to keep its activities secret, therefore the identity of all NRO satellites is classified. However, it is possible to identify the nature of satellites taking into account their launch site, launch window, launch vehicle type and ascent path. Sometimes, hints can be found in mission logos and, after launch, most satellites are typically tracked in orbit by a worldwide network of observers, revealing fr om where they operate, and often what they are tasked with.

Some cases are easier to solve while other NRO missions can only be narrowed down to a number of candidates. NROL-76 is a harder nut to crack for a number of reasons outlined below.


Launch Hazard Area – Image: Google Earth / Spaceflight101


Stage 2 Impact Zone – Image: Google Earth / Spaceflight101

The NROL-76 launch contract with SpaceX was first revealed by the NRO in 2016, but was awarded as early as mid-2012 or 13 according to comments made by NRO officials. At that point, SpaceX was in the midst of its transition from the Falcon 9 v1.0 to the much-improved v1.1 version. NROL-76 was most likely sized for the v1.1 version of Falcon 9, providing an upper lim it of 4,850kg if headed to GTO and 10,890kg if headed to LEO based on the rocket's performance numbers.

The most valuable clue for this mission is found in the launch hazard areas that reveal the orbital inclination this mission is headed to. Two safety areas have been identified through the typical NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen and Mariners), the first corresponding to the direct launch corridor out of Kennedy Space Center and another south east of South Africa, likely corresponding to the deorbit of the second stage.

To deliver NROL-76, Falcon 9 will depart Florida to the north-east – ruling out a Geostationary Mission. Still in play are a LEO Mission and a highly-elliptical Molniya Orbit that is used for reconnaissance and communications assets that need to cover the high-latitude regions in the north.

It has been disclosed that the NROL-76 mission would feature a first stage RTLS (Return to Launch Site) for recovery, indicating Falcon 9 has plenty of performance margin, either carrying a very light payload or targeting a low-energy orbit (or a combination of the two). Performance wise, Falcon 9 FT could deliver 2,300 Kilograms into a Molniya Transfer Orbit and still manage an RTLS landing while LEO capability with RTLS is on the order of 10.5 metric tons. This still leaves a number of options on the table.


Molniya Orbit Depiction – Image: NASA

Molniya Orbit is a characteristic orbit named after the Soviet/Russian Molniya communications satellites that used this type of orbit since the 1960s to optimize coverage for Russia's high-latitude regions. Molniya Orbits are characterized by a period of half a sidereal day (11 hrs & 56 min) and an inclination of 63.4 or 116.6 degrees which allows a satellite to have a constant argument of perigee and avoid perturbations by the gravitational field of Earth. Relative to Earth, the satellite's speed is slowest at higher altitudes, meaning that the spacecraft spends the majority of its time around apogee, i.e. the northern hemisphere.

Typically, Molniya orbits are used for communications in the high-latitude regions, meteorology satellites and missile-warning satellites tasked with covering the northern sector that can not be easily viewed from Geostationary Orbit. If indeed heading for Molniya Orbit, NROL-76, in all likelihood, is a member of the fourth generation of the Satellite Data System (SDS).

SDS, also known under the code name Quasar, operates relay satellites in Geostationary and Molniya Orbits to provide real-time downlink of imagery from low-orbiting reconnaissance satellites, notably the Keyhole electro-optical reconnaissance satellites and Lacrosse/Topaz radar assets. The SDS constellation typically consisted of at least two satellites in Geostationary Orbit and three in Molniya Orbits at the proper spacing to allow each to be over the northern hemisphere for eight hours to create 24/7 coverage.


SDS Constellation in 2009 – Image: Marco Langbroek

The first generation of SDS began deployment in 1976 and saw seven launches through 1987, employing 630-Kilogram satellites that offered twelve channels for UHF communications. The SDS-2 satellites, four of which were launched between 1989 and 1996, were more massive with a launch mass of 2.3 metric tons and the addition of K-Band downlink capability. SDS-3 debuted in 1998 and used Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles to lift eight satellites through the year 2014.

The first SDS-4 satellite is rumored to be the NROL-61 payload (USA-269) launched in July 2016 and taking up residence in Geostationary Orbit. The last SDS satellite launched into Molniya Orbit was NROL-24 in 2007, causing speculation that SDS may be transitioning to a purely GEO-based system.

If the Molniya Segment of the constellation is to be continued, a replacement for one of the aging satellites would have to go up soon as previous SDS satellites have shown a nominal replacement rate of around a decade.

The SDS satellites were reportedly manufactured by Hughes Space & Communications, now part of Boeing's Satellite Development Center. The latest Geostationary SDS satellite used the Atlas V 421 launch vehicle, indicating a mass of slightly over five metric tons consistent with Boeing's BSS-702HP high-power satellite bus suitable for powerful communications satellites.


702SP Satellites in Processing – Photo: Boeing

NROL-76, if indeed headed to Molniya orbit, could not use the 702HP version and would instead have to use the 702SP all-electric satellite that comes with a launch mass between 1,900 and 2,300 Kilograms (right in the performance range for Falcon 9 with RTLS).

Boeing received three orders from the U.S. Government in 2013 for 702SP satellites with no information on the programs these satellites would belong to. The procurement of SpaceX's Falcon 9 for the NROL-76 mission coincides with the timing of the Boeing order, adding merit to this being an SDS satellite. In a contrary statement, the NRO said NROL-76 was 'designed, built and operated' by the NRO itself – however, this phrase has been used in the past when generally describing the NRO's tasks.

The palette of LEO missions for NROL-76 is much larger than for the highly specialized Molniya Orbit. However, some options such as planar missions and existing NRO constellations can be ruled out because the launch time for NROL-76 was not affected by the two-week delay from a mid- to a late April 2017 launch. Planar windows shift by several minutes per day as would constellation missions, indicating NROL-76 – if headed to LEO – is likely a one-off or experimental mission targeting a non-synchronous orbit.


USA-193 Intercept 240km in altitude – Photo: U.S. Navy

One option, raised by satellite tracking expert Ted Molczan, is NROL-76 as a replacement for USA-193 that launched as NROL-21 atop a Delta II rocket in December 2006. The radar reconnaissance satellite entered an orbit of 350 by 365 Kilometers, 58.5° but failed shortly after launch. By February 2008, the satellite had decayed to 242 by 257 Kilometers and plans were set in motion to purposefully destroy the spacecraft to dissipate over 450kg of hazardous propellant and prevent pieces that could survive re-entry from reaching the ground.

USA-193 was intercepted by an SM-3 missile on February 21, 2008 which successfully destroyed the 2,300-Kilogram craft into 174 trackable debris most of which re-entered within a few days of the event while others lingered in orbit for another year and a half.

It is questionable whether the framework under which USA-193 was created is still in existence. The mission was developed under the NRO's Future Imagery Architecture that began in 1997 with the goal of consolidating electro-optical and radar reconnaissance programs to reduce cost through the use of common satellite systems.


Photo: NRO

Boeing was awarded the contract for FIA in 1999, but by 2005, the program had suffered a cost overrun of around $5 billion, leading to the cancellation of the FIA program with electro-optical satellite production going back to Lockheed Martin and Boeing progressing with the radar satellites proposed under FIA. It is also doubtful that a satellite re-flight mission would need eight to ten years for development if there is serious interest in the mission.

The NROL-76 payload patch may include hints to the satellite's task, showing two explorers (possibly Lewis & Clark), one peering into the distance with a telescope while the other holds a rifle. The words 'Explore – Discover – Know' are depicted on the patch as well as six smaller and a single larger & brighter star.

From the patch, one could conclude that NROL-76 will serve as a reconnaissance or technology demonstration satellite, possibly exploring the use of a new type of sensor or wavelength band. Because the satellite is not targeting a synchronous orbit, the instrument is likely suitable for day-and-night data collection.

Satellite trackers around the globe will be at the ready to spot NROL-76 in its classified orbit in the days and weeks after its launch. Once knowing the orbit of the satellite, trackers will monitor for potential maneuvering and changes in the satellite's brightness which could reveal deployment events of large appendages such as antennas.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX 2 ч. назад

Falcon 9 and NROL-76 vertical on Pad 39-A. Launch window opens tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. EDT, 11:00 UTC.

[tnt22]

DEIMOS IMAGING‏ @deimosimaging 4 ч. назад

#Falcon9 caught vertical on #LC39A at @NASAKennedy today by #DEIMOS2! Good luck @SpaceX & @elonmusk for tomorrow's launch with #NROL76!

[tnt22]

Маск прибыл на пуск...

Bob Root
2 ч · Соединённые Штаты Америки, Florida, South Titusville

Saw Elon's G650 landing at the exec field about a half hour ago.

[tnt22]

Robin Seemangal‏Подлинная учетная запись @nova_road 3 ч. назад

Visiting the @SpaceX Falcon 9 before tomorrow's @NatReconOfc mission. 2-hr Launch window opens at 7AM ET. Booster landing will occur at LZ-1

[tnt22]

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/04/spacex-falcon-9-first-nro-mission-nrol-76/

SpaceX Falcon 9 set for first NRO mission with NROL-76
April 29, 2017 by William Graham



SpaceX will conduct its first dedicated launch for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Sunday, with a Falcon 9 carrying out the NROL-76 mission. Liftoff fr om the Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A is scheduled for a two-hour window opening at 07:00 Eastern time (11:00 UTC).

SpaceX launch:

Спойлер

Sunday's launch comes a month after SpaceX successfully demonstrated the Falcon 9's reusability with the successful launch of SES-10 aboard a rocket which featured a "flight-proven" first stage.

Although a newly-built vehicle will be used to deploy the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-76 payload, SpaceX will again attempt to recover the first stage for possible future reuse.



The name NROL-76, shortened fr om NRO Launch 76, is part of an arbitrary numbering system used to identify the NRO's satellites – without disclosing their identities – prior to launch.

Once in orbit payloads are usually assigned another numerical designation, prefixed by the letters USA. In recent years, these USA designations have been assigned sequentially, with USA-276 the next available designation in the sequence.

Like most NRO missions, the identity of the satellite – or satellites – that will be deployed during the NROL-76 mission remains classified, as does the mission's target orbit and the nature of the mission the spacecraft will perform. As is also normal for NRO launches, this has not stopped speculation.

As Sunday's launch is the first time a large NRO spacecraft has flown aboard a Falcon 9, it has been difficult to compare NROL-76 to previous launches. SpaceX and the NRO have confirmed that after stage separation the first stage will fly back to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to attempt a landing at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1.



Ahead of the launch, notices to airmen (NOTAMs) and mariners have been released, establishing hazard areas that show the course NROL-76 will take after leaving the Kennedy Space Center.

The rocket will head in a north-easterly direction, flying out over the Atlantic Ocean.

This indicates that the payload will be placed into an inclined orbit, and is definitely not bound for geosynchronous orbit. The hazard area off the coast of Florida suggests an orbit inclined at around 50 degrees, although the rocket could perform a dogleg maneuver during second stage flight to increase the inclination.

A second hazard area off the coast of South Africa is likely to be for the deorbit of the second stage – with the NOTAM valid fr om 14:38 to 17:15 UTC. This suggests either a deorbit burn during the second or third revolution of a low Earth orbit mission, or the first revolution of an intermediate orbit for a spacecraft which would later maneuver into an elliptical Molniya orbit.



The NROL-76 launch will not be targeting a sun-synchronous orbit, typically used by the NRO's optical imaging satellites. While it is possible to reach such orbits from the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, the rocket would have to perform a series of dogleg maneuvers that would severely lim it its payload capacity.

Sun-synchronous launches are instead made from West Coast launch sites such as Vandenberg Air Force Base, wh ere the rocket can fly out over the Pacific without needing to make these maneuvers. Likewise, the mission will not be targeting the retrograde orbit used by the NRO's Topaz radar imaging satellites, although the prograde orbits used by the agency's previous-generation Lacrosse and Onyx satellites would be accessible from the East coast.

The NRO operates several fleets of satellites in orbits inclined at around 63 degrees, which can be reached from Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center or Vandenberg.

These include the Trumpet signals intelligence (SIGINT) satellites and Quasar communications satellites in highly-elliptical Molniya orbits and Intruder naval SIGINT spacecraft in low Earth orbit.

Another use the NRO has had of similarly-inclined orbits was for a pair of stealthy imaging satellites launched under the Misty program.



The first of these, USA-53, was deployed from Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-36 mission in February 1990 (Declassified Misty schematic via L2 STS-36). A second, USA-144, was launched by a Titan IV in May 1999, while a third satellite under construction was canceled.

These satellites were highly expensive and far larger than the Falcon 9 would be able to carry to orbit – even in a fully-expendable configuration – and with the apparent cancellation of the Misty program in the mid-2000s it is very unlikely that NROL-76 would be a smaller follow-up satellite.

NROL-76 is unlikely to be an Intruder mission; the NROL-79 launch at the beginning of March deployed two Intruder satellites and, barring the failure of a spacecraft in orbit, the constellation is unlikely to need further replenishment until at least 2020.

In addition, Sunday's launch window is not consistent with Intruder; NROL-76 was previously scheduled for mid-April with the same daily launch window, while Intruder launches target specific orbital planes and have launch windows that vary day-to-day. The NROL-76 payload is also probably not part of the Trumpet constellation as these tend to be larger, heavier satellites that would lim it Falcon's ability to return to the launch site, especially if flying a dogleg ascent.



The Quasar constellation was developed to support the NRO's transition from film-return to electro-optical reconnaissance satellites by providing spacecraft with the ability to transmit images and data back to ground stations without waiting for them to pass overhead.

The first-generation constellation, which launched aboard Titan III(34)B rockets, operated exclusively in Molniya orbits. A geostationary satellite was added along with a second generation of Molniya satellites launched between 1989 and 1996 – the first three aboard the Space Shuttle and the last using a Titan IV(405)A.

Third-generation Quasar launches between 1998 and 2007 replaced the Molniya and geostationary spacecraft, also adding a second geostationary satellite. Further launches between 2011 and 2014 all went to geostationary orbit, replacing satellites launched in 2000 and 2001 and adding a third.

Last year's NROL-61 mission has been tentatively identified as a fourth-generation Quasar, along with the NROL-52 mission due to launch later this year, indicating further expansion of the geostationary aspect of Quasar.

The Molniya aspect of the constellation has not been replenished since 2007. For a Molniya-orbit constellation to provide continuous coverage it requires three satellites, and both the second and third generation Quasar constellations included three Molniya-orbit satellites.



With the third-youngest Molniya-orbit Quasar the nineteen-year-old USA-137 (NROL-5), this part of the constellation looks to have been discontinued. If the NRO only required two Molniya satellites, however, the USA-179 (NROL-1) spacecraft is not much older than the first two third-generation geostationary satellites were when they were replaced.

A Quasar launch would not necessarily deploy the payload directly into Molniya orbit – Quasars have typically been deployed in a lower initial orbit and maneuvered to their final destinations under their own power.

The last Molniya Quasar launch, NROL-24, used a transfer orbit with a perigee at around 250 kilometers (155 miles, 135 nautical miles) and an apogee at around 16,500 km (10,300 mi, 8,910 nmi) with 60 degrees inclination. Such an orbit would be roughly consistent with the NOTAMs published for second stage reentry, assuming a deorbit burn during the first revolution.

The NRO have announced that the launch "will carry a classified payload designed, built and operated" by the National Reconnaissance Office. This could be an indication that the spacecraft is not part of one of the agency's existing payload classes, which are believed to be mostly constructed by defense contractors.



This suggests that the payload could either be the first of a new series of satellite or – more likely – a technology demonstration mission. The NRO has occasionally launched spacecraft dedicated to research and development, most recently the Rapid Pathfinder Program (RPP) satellite launched as NROL-66 in February 2011.

The USA-193 satellite, launched as NROL-21 in December 2006, is also believed to have been a technology demonstrator, however, the satellite failed immediately after separating from its Delta II carrier rocket. NROL-76 could be targeting a similar 58.5-degree orbit to NROL-21, however, given the time that has passed it is unlikely that the missions would be related.

NROL-76 is the first NRO mission to launch from the Kennedy Space Center since December 1992, when Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-53 mission carried a Quasar communications satellite into orbit.

...



LC-39A is one of two SpaceX launch pads on Florida's Space Coast, alongside Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SLC-40 is currently out of action for repairs following the explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket during fuelling ahead of a static fire ground test last September. SpaceX has also leased Cape Canaveral's former Launch Complex 13, which has been converted into Landing Zone 1, a landing pad for returning Falcon 9 first stages.

...



Sunday's launch will use a new first stage, core 1032, which will provide the initial thrust to propel NROL-76 away from the launch pad and begin the mission. Powered by nine Merlin-1D engines, arranged in an octagonal – or OctaWeb – pattern, the first stage burns RP-1 propellant oxidized by liquid oxygen. The stage will light its engines three seconds before the countdown reaches zero, with liftoff occurring at zero.

...

Sunday's launch is the fifth of the year for SpaceX and the Falcon 9, which has made more orbital launches than any other rocket so far in 2017. Worldwide it is the twenty-third launch of the year.

SpaceX's next Falcon 9 launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than 15 May, with the Inmarsat-5 F4 spacecraft for British mobile satellite communications operator Inmarsat. The NRO's next launch is scheduled for 14 August with an Atlas V slated to lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the NROL-42 mission.

(Images via SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, NRO and L2 Historical. To join L2, click here)

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 4 ч назад

That's a Falcon 9 rocket backlit by the sun. Launch from Florida's Space Coast set for 7am EDT (1100 GMT) tomorrow.

[tnt22]

Spacenews360‏ @SpaceNews360 4 ч. назад

Thirteen hours from launch. #SpaceX #Falcon9 glowing in the evening Florida sun at #LC39A. Booster will launch and return to Landing Zone 1

[tnt22]

Spacenews360‏ @SpaceNews360 3 ч. назад

Twelve hours to launch. #

[tnt22]

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/29/photos-falcon-9-rocket-poised-for-first-national-security-flight/

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket poised for first national security flight
April 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is being readied for launch with a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office early Sunday, the commercial launcher's 33rd overall flight, and first dedicated to a U.S. government national security mission.

Спойлер

The two-stage rocket stood vertical on launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Saturday evening as photographers set up remote cameras to document the liftoff.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9's second stage will place the top secret payload into orbit, while the first stage booster will attempt to return to Landing Zone 1 at neighboring Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for refurbishment and potential reuse.


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now


Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/29/falcon-9-flight-timeline-for-nrol-76-mission/

Falcon 9 flight timeline for NROL-76 mission
 April 29, 2017 Stephen Clark
 
SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Sunday morning, but most of the launcher's ascent into orbit will be under a news blackout at the request of the National Reconnaissance Office, the secretive U.S. government intelligence agency whose mission is riding on the rocket.

Спойлер

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket is poised for launch from pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) Sunday at the opening of a two-hour launch window.

The timeline of upper stage events after the release of the rocket's payload fairing, scheduled for T+plus 2 minutes, 48 seconds, has not been released. SpaceX's live coverage of the second stage's progress will conclude then at the NRO's request.

Meanwhile, the rocket's first stage booster will flip around with the aid of cold gas thrusters, then reignite a subset of its engines for re-entry and landing burns, aiming for a vertical touchdown at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, around 9 miles (15 kilometers) south of pad 39A.

Data source: SpaceX

 T-0:00:00: Liftoff


After the rocket's nine Merlin engines pass an automated health check, hold-down clamps will release the Falcon 9 booster for liftoff from pad 39A.

T+0:01:00: Mach 1


The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Mach 1, the speed of sound, as the nine Merlin 1D engines provide more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust.

T+0:01:08: Max Q


The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure.

T+0:02:17: MECO


The Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.

T+0:02:20: Stage 1 Separation


The Falcon 9's first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.

T+0:02:28: Ignition of Second Stage


The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites to place the NROL-76 payload into orbit.

T+0:02:48: Fairing Jettison


The 5.2-meter (17.1-foot) diameter payload fairing jettisons once the Falcon 9 rocket ascends through the dense lower atmosphere. The 43-foot-tall fairing is made of two clamshell-like halves composed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core. The rest of the rocket's ascent into orbit will not be broadcast by SpaceX at the NRO's request, and further details about the mission timeline have not been released.

T+0:07:09: Stage 1 Entry Burn


A subset of the first stage's Merlin 1D engines ignite for an entry burn to slow down for landing. A final landing burn will occur just before touchdown.

T+0:08:46: Stage 1 Landing


The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster touches down at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

04/30/2017 07:55
Liftoff fr om pad 39A is set for 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT), and the forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions during the two-hour launch window.

The 229-foot-tall rocket was lifted vertical Saturday morning atop the historic launch complex, wh ere the Apollo moon landing missions took off.

Final launch preps this evening will include the evacuation of the launch pad prior to fueling, activation of the Falcon 9's computer and navigation system, and a prelaunch poll by the SpaceX launch conductor at 5:47 a.m. EDT (0947 GMT) to verify all consoles are "go" for the terminal countdown.

Super-chilled RP-1 kerosene fuel will be loaded first into the two-stage booster, beginning around 5:50 a.m. EDT (0950 GMT). Liquid oxygen, chilled and densified near its freezing point, will follow starting at around 6:15 a.m. EDT (1015 GMT).

The computer-controlled countdown will prep the rocket's nine Merlin 1D main engines for ignition, transition the Falcon 9 to internal battery power, and pressurize the booster's propellant tanks in the last 10 minutes of the countdown.

[Apollo13]

https://sattrackcam.blogspot.nl/2017/04/what-is-nrol-76-and-what-orbit-wil-it.html

[LRV_75]

Коллеги, я правильно понимаю, что пуск в 14:00 по мск, начало заправки в 13:15 по мск?

[vogel]

LRV_75 пишет:
Коллеги, я правильно понимаю, что пуск в 14:00 по мск, начало заправки в 13:15 по мск?

Да, заправка кислородом в 13:15. RP-1 с 12:50.

[tnt22]

LRV_75 пишет:
Коллеги, я правильно понимаю, что пуск в 14:00 по мск, начало заправки в 13:15 по мск?

На текущий момент пуск 14:00 ДМВ, в 13:15 заправка LOX, ну а керосин пораньше - в 12:50

[tnt22]

Apollo13 пишет:
https://sattrackcam.blogspot.nl/2017/04/what-is-nrol-76-and-what-orbit-wil-it.html

Уже было #160

[tnt22]

На всякий случай[TH]COUNTDOWN[/TH][TH]
[/TH][TH]EDT[/TH][TH]UTC[/TH][TH]ДМВ[/TH][TH]Hh:Mm:Ss[/TH][TH]Events[/TH][TH]
[/TH][TH]
[/TH][TH]
[/TH][TH]01:13:00[/TH][TH]12:47:00[/TH][TH]01:10:00[/TH][TH]12:50:00[/TH][TH]00:45:00[/TH][TH]13:15:00[/TH][TH]00:07:00[/TH][TH]13:53:00[/TH][TH]00:02:00[/TH][TH]13:58:00[/TH][TH]00:01:30[/TH][TH]13:58:30[/TH][TH]00:01:00[/TH][TH]13:59:00[/TH][TH]00:01:00[/TH][TH]13:59:00[/TH][TH]00:00:03[/TH][TH]13:59:57[/TH][TH]00:00:00[/TH][TH]14:00:00[/TH]

Launch Conductor takes launch readiness poll	05:47:00	09:47:00
RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading underway	05:50:00	09:50:00
LOX (liquid oxygen) loading underway	06:15:00	10:15:00
Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch	06:53:00	10:53:00
Range Control Officer (USAF) verifies range is go for 1st stage return	06:58:00	10:58:00
SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch	06:58:30	10:58:30
Flight computer commanded to begin final prelaunch checks	06:59:00	10:59:00
Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins	06:59:00	10:59:00
Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start	06:59:57	10:59:57
Falcon 9 liftoff	07:00:00	11:00:00

[Безумный Шляпник]

Версия про "наследника USA-193" какая-то не слишком убедительная...