NROL-44: Orion 10 (Mentor 8) – Delta IV-H [D-385] – Канаверал SLC-37B – 11.12.2020 01:09 UTC

[tnt22]

 Dr Marco Langbroek @Marco_Langbroek 1 ч. назад

Cape Canaveral is spewing out rockets in all directions these few days (Navigational Warnings: for Starlink-11 towards NE; NROL-44 towards E; SAOCOM 1B towards S):

[tnt22]

Прогноз погоды L-1 на 29 августа 2020 г. (UTC)

Delta IV Heavy L-44 L-1 Forecast

Пусковой день         (29.08) - = 80 % GO
Резервный день       (30.08) - = 70 % GO
2-й Резервный день (31.08) - = 80 % GO

[tnt22]

 Space and Missile Systems Center @AF_SMC 21 ч. назад

NROL-44 is 41st flight of the Delta IV launch vehicle, 12th flight of the Delta IV Heavy config, & 33rd from Cape Canaveral AF Station, Fla. Since 2004, Delta IV Heavy has placed 9/9 NatSec Space Vehicles into designated orbits. #NROL44 #DeltaIVHeavy #WeAretheNRO #SpaceStartsHere

[tnt22]

Aug 28, 2020 16:45

Weather Forecast Remains 80% GO

Meteorologists from the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral forecast an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions for tonight's Delta IV Heavy liftoff on the NROL-44 mission. There is only a slight concern for the Thick Cloud Rule delaying the 2:04 a.m. EDT (0604 UTC) launch time.

"A pattern change will turn winds southwesterly through the weekend. This will bring an increased chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms to the Spaceport each day as sea breeze interactions become more likely. For MST Roll this evening, scattered showers and thunderstorms capable of producing gusty winds are expected. This activity is expected to dissipate before midnight, but lingering cloud cover will bring a small chance for a Thick Cloud Layer Rule violation during the launch window," the launch weather team says.

The operations forecast for launch includes scattered mid-level clouds and a broken layer of high-level clouds, good visibility, southwesterly winds 8 to 13 knots and a temperature near 80 degrees F.

[tnt22]

 Spaceflight Now @SpaceflightNow 3 ч. назад

SpaceX could launch two missions just nine hours apart Sunday from different pads on Florida's Space Coast.

But weather Sunday could be iffy, and the schedule hinges on the launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket from a nearby pad early Saturday.


2 ч. назад

Weather permitting, here's the launch rundown at Cape Canaveral:

• Delta 4-Heavy / NROL-44 from pad 37B at 2:04am EDT Saturday

• Falcon 9 / Starlink from pad 39A at 10:08am EDT Sunday

• Falcon 9 / SAOCOM 1B from pad 40 at 7:18pm EDT Sunday

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/08/28/up-to-three-launches-planned-this-weekend-from-cape-canaveral/...

[tnt22]

 Greg Scott @GregScott_photo 4 ч. назад

ULA's launch of the Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-44 satellite is scheduled for tonight from LC37 @ 2:04 am EDT. This launch, despite the time, should be a dont miss launch as the Delta Heavy launches are always beautiful & my personal favorite. #ULA #NASA Space Intellegence

[tnt22]

 ULA @ulalaunch 1 ч. назад

LAUNCH ALERT: Meteorologists from @SpaceForceDoD forecast an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions for tonight's #DeltaIVHeavy liftoff on the #NROL44 mission at 2:04amEDT (0604 UTC). Read more details on the forecast: http://bit.ly/div_nrol44

[tnt22]

Божатся, что проблемы с пневматикой решили:

 ULA @ulalaunch· 1 ч. назад

В ответ @apollozac и @SpaceForceDoD

The team has concluded their assessment and the pneumatic system is performing nominally and configured to support launch.

[tnt22]

https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=537099

Ракета Delta IV в субботу должна вывести на орбиту гигантский разведспутник США
29.08.2020 0:00:01

Вашингтон. 29 августа. ИНТЕРФАКС - Тяжелая ракета-носитель Delta IV в субботу стартует на орбиту с секретным спутником NROL-44 Национального управления военно-космической разведки США (NRO), сообщает компания-оператор United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Запуск трехступенчатой ракеты, принадлежащей ULA - совместному предприятию корпораций Boeing и Lockheed Martin, планируется осуществить в 02:04 по времени Восточного побережья США (09:04 мск) со стартового комплекса SLC-37 на авиабазе ВВС США на мысе Канаверал в штате Флорида. Погода на 80% благоприятствует его проведению.

Запуск предполагалось осуществить еще в четверг. Однако из-за выявленной перед стартом проблемы в ключевой наземной системе управления пневматикой он был перенесен.

О целях, орбите, размере и других характеристиках секретного американского спутника NROL-44 официально не сообщается. Миссия и возможности спутников данного типа строго засекречены.

Между тем, по словам бывшего сотрудника NASA Дэвида Бейкера, знакомого с программой NRO, речь идет о запуске американского космического аппарата Orion, также известного как Mentor или Advanced Orion - серии американских спутников, предназначенных для радиоэлектронной разведки.

"Он весит более 5 тонн, оснащен огромной параболической антенной диаметром более 100 метров, которая раскрывается на орбите", - сказал эксперт. По его словам, гигантский спутник размером с автобус будет выведен на экваториальную орбиту высотой 36 тыс. км.

Основная задача нового американского спутника - перехват телеметрической информации и прослушивание каналов связи геостационарных спутников.

Спойлер

На геостационарную орбиту с 1995 года уже было выведено семь подобных спутников, разработанных NRO при участии ЦРУ.

В настоящее время на орбите Земли находятся 49 космических аппаратов Национального управления военно-космической разведки США. Всего США располагают орбитальной группировкой в составе, по меньшей мере, 154 военных спутников.

По данным эксперта, по сравнению с США сегодня Россия располагает на орбите 71 военными спутниками, Китай - 63.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 00:34

Countdown Begins!

We are underway with the second countdown for the Delta IV Heavy launch from Cape Canaveral. We are just eight-and-a-half hours away from liftoff of the triple-core rocket on the NROL-44 mission for U.S. national security.

The engineering team has concluded their assessment of the ground pneumatics control system. That assessment had postponed the launch from Thursday. The pneumatic system is performing nominally and configured to support launch tonight.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 00:39

The application of power to the avionics aboard the Delta IV Heavy rocket is beginning at the start of the countdown. The equipment will be powered up for launch day testing and final preparations for fueling operations.

Following the scrub, the rocket and pad systems were deactivated. Our countdown today will repeat the activities performed Wednesday night and then proceed into fueling to ready the rocket for flight.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 00:58

Following the launch postponement Thursday morning, the Mobile Service Tower at Space Launch Complex-37 was returned to its enclosure position around the rocket.

Retraction to the launch position is scheduled to begin shortly. Mission managers just received a weather briefing, and all conditions are acceptable to move the gantry.


Aug 29, 2020 00:59

"Proceed with MST jacking and roll to the park position," Launch Conductor Scott Barney just radioed to the pad lead engineer at Space Launch Complex-37.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:06

The tie-down clamps at the base of the Mobile Service Tower have been opened so technicians can proceed to hydraulically raise the gantry for the rollback. These large claw-like devices secure the MST to anchor points on the pad surface.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:11

MST jacking is underway. Using 40 hydraulic cylinders at pressures nearing 3,500 psi, the tower will be raised a few inches in preparation for the roll.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:20

T-minus 7 hours, 14 minutes (L-7 hours, 44 minutes) and counting. The Delta IV rocket has been powered up for the NROL-44 launch.

The flight control operator in the Launch Control Center performed the power up. Soon, he will begin avionics testing while the rocket's Inertial Guidance and Control Assembly (INCA) flight computer is allowed to warm up. Later, the operator will conduce guidance system testing and steering checks of the engine nozzles prior to cryogenic fueling. 

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:24

MST Roll is Underway

This is Delta Launch Control. Retraction of the Mobile Service Tower is in progress at Space Launch Complex-37.

First motion occurred at 6:24 p.m. EDT (2224 UTC).

The tower was hydraulically raised a few inches, allowing an undercarriage transport system with drive trucks in all four corners of the MST to move the 33-story building at a top speed of 0.25 miles per hour.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:29

All systems are "go" here at the Delta Operations Center (DOC) and at the Space Launch Complex-37 pad as we count down to tonight's launch at 2:04 a.m. EDT (0604 UTC).

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:38

Guidance system testing is getting started at this point in the countdown as we continue to press ahead toward a liftoff.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:45

Gantry retraction continues. The tower stands 330 feet tall, weighs nearly 10 million pounds and is the integral element that enables vertical integration of payloads atop #DeltaIVHeavy.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 01:56

An open-loop test of the S-band system used to relay telemetry from the launch vehicle during flight is underway.