AEHF-6 – Atlas V 551 (AV-086) – Canaveral SLC-41 – 26.03.2020 20:18 UTC

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https://www.ulalaunch.com/explore/blog-detail/blog/2020/02/28/atlas-v-rocket-assembled-for-u.s.-space-force-aehf-6-mission

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno 5 ч. назад

OVI  is mated. #AEHF6

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

Mar 10 16:03

Status of AEHF-6 launch date

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

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 Tory Bruno‏ @torybruno 4 ч. назад

Spacecraft mate has been successfully completed for the  US Space Force's first Mission. #AEHF6 is resting comfortably atop the Mighty Atlas.  @SpaceForceDoD

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/12/final-aehf-satellite-mated-to-atlas-5-launcher-at-cape-canaveral/

Final AEHF satellite mated to Atlas 5 launcher at Cape Canaveral
March 12, 2020 | Stephen Clark


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Artist's concept of an AEHF satellite in orbit. Credit: Lockheed Martin

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

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

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

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

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


The first stage for the next Atlas 5 rocket launch was raised on ULA's mobile launch platform Feb. 19. Credit: United Launch Alliance

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

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

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

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

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Пока через 2-е руки...

 Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 4 мин. назад

Additional slip of the #AtlasV to 26 March. #AEHF6

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Теперь официально

ULA‏ @ulalaunch 17 мин. назад

The ULA #AtlasV rocket carrying the #AEHF6 mission for the @SpaceForceDOD is set to launch on Thurs., March 26. The team needed additional time to complete the booster valve replacement and retest. The two-hour launch window starts at 2:57 p.m. ET.

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К #24

https://www.ulalaunch.com/explore/blog-detail/blog/2020/03/13/aehf-6-payload-hoisted-atop-powerful-atlas-v-rocket

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

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



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

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 Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace 5 ч. назад

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

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

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Опубликован буклет миссии

aehf6_mob_social.pdf - 828.4 KB, 2 листа.

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Выпущено уведомление мореплавателям

lnm07112020.pdf, стр 5



Последовательно: зона космодрома, зоны затопления боковых ускорителей, головного обтекателя, 1-й ст РН.

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Tory Bruno✔@torybruno 4:45 PM - Mar 19, 2020

Still on track for the first US Space Force Mission #AEHF6.Previously misbehaving valve has been changed out and normal vehicle testing continues. Launch Team is in place through lift off on the 26th.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ULA‏ @ulalaunch 52 мин. назад

LAUNCH ALERT: The @45thspacewing Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral predicts an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for the #AtlasV launch of #AEHF6 on Thursday at 2:57pmEDT (1857 UTC). Full details: http://bit.ly/av_aehf6

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Прогноз погоды L-4 на 26 марта 2020 г.

Atlas V AEHF-6 L-4 Day Forecast

Пусковой день   (26.03) - 80 % GO
Резервный день (27.03) - 80 % GO