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

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:00

The initiation of gaseous nitrogen flow to the rocket is starting. This changes the environmental control system to supply conditioned nitrogen gas rather than air to Delta IV Heavy in preparation for the cryogenic fueling and in-flight environments.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:15

The first weather balloon of the countdown is being launched at this time. A series of balloons will be sent aloft over the next few hours to measure the speed and direction of upper level winds that the Delta IV Heavy will experience during flight.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:30

The NROL-44 countdown continues and we are tracking no constraints to our 8:00 p.m. EST (0100 UTC) launch time today at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for Delta IV Heavy.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:37

The clearing of all personnel from the danger area around the launch site is underway.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:45

Hold-fire checks are being conducted at this time. This verifies the circuitry used to stop the countdown if a safety concern arises.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 22:54

Pre-fueling tests are underway to verify the proper functions of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen valves on both stages of the launch vehicle.

[Чебурашка]

Не, 4 часа ночи - выше моих сил. Без меня. Удачи лысому из ULA.
Тем более после двух ночей наблюдения за Звиздалётом.

[tnt22]

Погода - добро на заправку

Dec 10, 2020 23:05

Weather is GO for Fueling



In the pre-fueling weather briefing, conditions at Cape Canaveral are acceptable for proceeding into cryogenic tanking operations at Space Launch Complex-37.

Launch Weather Officer Will Ulrich from the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron also reports that the weather outlook remains favorable for the flight of Delta IV Heavy this evening.

The forecast has improved to a 100 percent chance of allowable liftoff conditions with just some scattered high cirrus, good visibility, light and variable winds 3-5 knots and a temperature near 60 degrees F.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 23:14

Countdown Holding

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the first of two planned, built-in holds that are scheduled in today's timeline. Each is a block of time that gives the countdown some margin to resolve issues or catch up on work could be running behind.

This particular hold serves as a margin before fueling operations begin. At the present time, however, all activities are progressing well and no significant problems are being addressed by the launch team.
The final hold occurs at T-minus 4 minutes.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 23:35

Countdown Resumes

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 4 hours, 15 minutes (L-minus 4 hours, 25 minutes) and counting. The next phase of today's launch countdown has been initiated for liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Preparatory steps for fueling are being kicked off, including liquid hydrogen storage tank pressurization and charging the high-pressure helium bottles on the common booster cores and second stage.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 23:46

The flight control operator is performing the ECU BIT test on the Delta IV Heavy rocket. This is the built-in test (BIT) of the engine control units (ECUs) that cycle hydraulically-actuated engine valves prior to the start of fueling operations.

[tnt22]

Dec 10, 2020 23:53

Valves on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage are being opened and closed as part of the pre-loading purge cycle test.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:03

The launch team is troubleshooting an issue with the HazGas detection system. Engineers are performing a recalibration.

The countdown clocks continue to tick, but fueling operations will not begin until the issue is resolved.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:15

Countdown Stopped

An unplanned hold is being inserted into the countdown while an issue with the HazGas system is being addressed. Launch Conductor Scott Barney called for clocks to stop at T-minus 3 hour, 35 minutes.

Once the issue is resolved and fueling operations are allowed to begin, the countdown will resume.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:19

The launch team reports the recalibration of the HazGas system analyzer has resolved the issue that engineers were experiencing. This clears the earlier issue and allows the countdown resume to begin fueling operations.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:21

Chilldown Begins

A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system on the three common booster cores. This is the precursor step before filling the cores with propellant.

The three common booster cores will be loaded with 330,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen that is chilled to minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid hydrogen, along with the liquid oxygen to be loaded shortly as well, will be consumed by the three RS-68A main engines during the first minutes of the launch to exit Earth's atmosphere.

The port and starboard boosters will fire at full throttle for nearly four minutes and then separate. The center booster burns at partial thrust for most of that time in a fuel-conservation mode until the outer cores jettison, then its RS-68A engine revs up to full throttle for another minute-and-a-half of propulsion before staging.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:24

Countdown Resumes

And the countdown is running once again.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:27

Antenna checks will be performed shortly to verify functionality of the GPS Metric Tracking system. GPS MT is the system that uses the overhead Global Positioning System navigation satellite constellation to track the rocket's flight downrange with position, velocity and timing information.

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:37

New Launch Time

ULA Launch Director Lou Mangieri has instructed the launch team to coordinate a new liftoff time of 8:09 p.m. EST (0109 UTC) for the Delta IV Heavy rocket on the NROL-44 mission from Cape Canaveral tonight.

Пуск 11 декабря 2020 г. в 01:09 UTC / 04:09 ДМВ

[tnt22]

Dec 11, 2020 00:42

CBC LH2 Loading Begins

This is Delta Launch Control at T-minus 3 hours, 20 minutes (L-3 hours, 30 minutes) and counting. The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the common booster cores' liquid hydrogen systems has been accomplished, clearing the way to begin propellant loading in "slow-fill" mode. That will transition to "fast-fill" after a small portion of each tank is loaded.

The FUEL1 console operator here in launch control is overseeing the CBC LH2 loading today.