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

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 07:27

The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage has been loaded with its liquid oxygen supply. With fueling reported complete, we have a 1.6-million-pound Delta IV Heavy rocket that is loaded for launch at 2:04 a.m. EDT (0604 UTC) today. At T-minus 1 hour, 22 minutes and counting, this is Delta Launch Control.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 07:32

The standard post-fueling inspections of the rocket's outer thermal insulation is underway using launch pad cameras.

08/29/2020 07:36 Stephen Clark

Final inspections of the Delta 4-Heavy's thermal insulation is underway at this time. The launch team is using cameras to survey the orange foam covering the rocket's tanks containing super-cold propellants.

Also, the launch team will soon verify the functionality of the Delta 4-Heavy's destruct system at this time.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 07:37 Stephen Clark

The anomaly team is being convened again to discuss an out-of-limits reading detected during a post-fueling test on the Delta 4's second stage.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 07:53

Weather conditions remain GO. The team is working no constraints at this time.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 07:54

The launch team is setting up for flight slews, the next major milestone in the countdown. This is the steering test patterns for the Delta IV Heavy's engine nozzles to ensure proper gimbaling during the ascent.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:02 Stephen Clark

A functional test of the swing arm system at Complex 37B has been completed. The arms are programmed to swing away from the rocket at liftoff.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:03 Stephen Clark

The anomaly team recommends disabling some alarms associated with the issue noted earlier during a post-fueling test on the rocket's first stage. The countdown will proceed.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:09 Stephen Clark

ULA's launch conductor reports the team is tracking no issues at this time that would prevent liftoff at 2:04 a.m. EDT (0604 GMT).

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:09

Weather 90% GO

The launch weather forecast has improved to a 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions for liftoff tonight.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:19

The rocket

The Delta IV Heavy rocket is the nation's proven heavy-lifter. It is the only rocket capable of launching NROL-44.



The Delta IV Heavy rocket is flying today for the 12th time.

This configuration of the Delta IV is created by taking three common booster cores, each with an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A main engine, and strapping them together. They are ignited on the launch pad to provide 2.1 million pounds of thrust that propels the 235-foot-tall rocket into the sky.

The throttleable RS-68A engine burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to produce 702,000 pounds of thrust. The stage measures 155 feet in length with interstage permanently attached, 16.7 feet in diameter and is covered in orange insulating foam.

The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage is powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine. The stage also burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to produce 24,750 pounds of thrust. The powerplant features a deployable carbon-carbon nozzle that is 7 feet in diameter.

The payload is encapsulated for atmospheric ascent by a tri-sector, five-meter-diameter payload fairing.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:23 Stephen Clark

The launch team is loading the trajectory profile into the Delta 4's INCA flight computer at this time. The profile takes into account the upper level winds measured over Cape Canaveral by a series of weather balloons deployed over the past few hours.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:27

The Automatic Determination and Dissemination of Just Updated Steering Terms, better known as the ADDJUST file, has been loaded into the Delta IV Heavy rocket's Inertial Navigation and Control Assembly (INCA) flight computer by the flight control operator here at the Launch Control Center. This is the planned steering parameters for the INCA to use based on tonight's upper level wind conditions.

A series of weather balloons has been launched throughout the countdown from the Range weather station at Cape Canaveral to collect measurements of wind speeds and directions to determine if conditions aloft violate the controllability or structural loads on the rocket during ascent. The balloon data was transmitted to ULA engineers in Denver to select a steering profile that minimizes launch vehicle responses.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:31

Pre-launch conditioning of the all eight cryogenic tanks aboard the Delta IV Heavy has been achieved.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:34

L-30 minutes!

We are 30 minutes away for liftoff time for the Delta IV Heavy rocket and NROL-44 for the National Reconnaissance Office. Standing by for the final weather briefing.

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:36

Weather is GO

Space Force Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich reports the current and forecast conditions are acceptable for liftoff. Weather is GO.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:36 Stephen Clark

Pressurization of the Delta 4-Heavy's RS-68A main engine spin start system is reported complete at this time.

[tnt22]

08/29/2020 08:36 Stephen Clark

The Delta launch team reports slew, or steering, checks of the rocket's three RS-68A main engines and the RL10B-2 upper stage engine have been completed.

[tnt22]

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:41

The launch team is evaluating temperature readings on the vehicle compartment. This could delay our target liftoff time.

08/29/2020 08:42 Stephen Clark

The Delta 4-Heavy team is looking at an issue that might prevent the launch from happening at the opening of this morning's window at 2:04 a.m. EDT (0604 GMT).

The launch window today extends around four hours

[tnt22]

Aug 29, 2020 08:44

Upper level winds have been verified acceptable for liftoff.