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

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Полигон открыт

 

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Опубликована

Airspace Closure Area

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Объявлена

Launch Hazard Area

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Прогноз погоды L-3 на 26 марта 2020 г.

Atlas V AEHF-6 L-3 Day Forecast

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

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 Geoff Barrett  :f09f9a80:‏ @GeoffdBarrett 14 ч. назад

Outstanding!




 Karthik Naren‏ @nkknspace 12 ч. назад

Exciting to see Atlas-V 551, can't wait for this interesting Mission @torybruno @SpaceIntellige3

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Прогноз погоды L-2 на 26 марта 2020 г.

Atlas V AEHF-6 L-2 Day Forecast

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

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Mar 24 19:23
Launch Readiness Review completed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Atlas V AEHF-6 Mission Profile

]United Launch Alliance

24 мар. 2020 г.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPfJq3aBJ6Y (3:45)

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https://www.ulalaunch.com/about/news/2020/03/24/united-launch-alliance-set-to-launch-the-first-national-security-space-mission-for-the-u.s.-space-force

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

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

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

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

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Mar 24 20:27
Pre-launch briefing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mar 25 00:51
Launch Visibility

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

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Трансляция пуска

на сайте ULA

ulalaunch.com/missions/atlas-v-aehf-6

или

на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=YBkB1BbblN0

The live launch webcast begins Thursday at 2:37 p.m. EDT (1837 UTC).
Начало трансляции: 26.03.2020 18:37 UTC / 21:37 ДМВ

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Mar 25 17:06
It's Rollout Day!

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


Photo by United Launch Alliance

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Mar 25 17:34
Roll Preps

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

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

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

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Прогноз погоды L-1 на 26 марта 2020 г.

Atlas V AEHF-6 L-1 Day Forecast

Пусковой день   (26.03) - = 80 % GO
Резервный день (27.03) - ↑ 90 % GO

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Mar 25 18:03
GO to Roll

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

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

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

We are standing by to initiate the roll.

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Mar 25 18:06
Rollout Underway

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

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

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Mar 25 18:16

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

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

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Mar 25 18:24

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

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

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Mar 25 18:32

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


Photo by United Launch Alliance


Mar 25 18:34

The Atlas V has entered the launch pad perimeter fence.


Photo by United Launch Alliance

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

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

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

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

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


Mar 25 18:37


Photo by United Launch Alliance