Author Topic: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09  (Read 214028 times)

Offline robertross

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #640 on: 01/18/2009 02:39 am »
Well this was my first D4H launch live, and it was worth staying up to watch. Thanks for the play-by-play everyone.

Offline general

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #641 on: 01/18/2009 02:40 am »
Wouldn't it be cool to see an Orion launch on a Delta IV Heavy!!!

Atlas V-H has my vote (because then we could add back in all of the Orion systems left in the parking lot, not to mention all but one box is redundant and a Cosmonaut-rated booster engine), as long as the culture doesn't become Titan-ic between now and then.

"Titanic culture"?  What's that saying about "Glass Houses?"  ;)

I agree.  Hopefully both Atlas Heavy and Delta-IV Heavy will be considered.

Offline DirtyDeeds

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #642 on: 01/18/2009 02:43 am »
Darn it... I live in NC and I checked a few minutes before the launch was supposed to happen (the first time tonight) and everything seemed to be a go. I went out to the beach to see if I could see it from here as I can with many shuttle launches, but didn't see anything. I didn't know that it was because of a delay. I've never looked for spy satellite launches from here, so I was going to use this as a sort of test to see if they were visible from the beach here. I guess next time I'm going to have to have a little crew for me... someone on the computer calling me on my cell phone and updating me  :D Really wish I had known. It was still a nice night, though.

Offline Lars_J

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #643 on: 01/18/2009 02:46 am »
It seemed to take forever for the D IV-heavy to clear the tower this time... Are there any examples of rockets which clear the tower any slower? The Shuttle seems to jump off the pad in comparison...

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #644 on: 01/18/2009 02:48 am »
ULA Presser (they are going to send a hi res launch photo shortly):

 First ULA Delta IV Heavy NRO Mission Successfully Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., (Jan. 17, 2009) – United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket  carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37 at CCAFS at 9:47 p.m. EST today.  This was the first Delta IV Heavy mission for the NRO. Designated NROL-26, the mission is in support of national defense. This was the third Delta IV Heavy launch in Delta program history.  A Delta IV Heavy demonstration flight occurred in December 2004, and the first Air Force operational mission was launched in November 2007.

“This first Delta IV Heavy launch for the NRO is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by the combined NRO, Air Force, supplier and ULA team,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA Vice President, Delta Product Line. “We appreciate the support from our mission partners in achieving this milestone.  ULA is pleased to contribute to our nation’s security, and to continue our strong partnership with the NRO.  We look forward to launching many more NRO missions on ULA’s Delta IV Medium, Delta IV Heavy and Atlas V vehicles.”

The ULA Delta IV Heavy vehicle featured a center common booster core with two strap-on common booster cores. Each common booster core was powered by the RS-68 cryogenic engine. An RL10B-2 cryogenic engine powered the second stage.  Both engines are built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.  The payload was encased by a 5-meter diameter (16.7-foot diameter) aluminum, tri-sector payload fairing. ULA constructed the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in Decatur, Ala.

This was the first launch for ULA in 2009.  ULA's next launch is NASA’s NOAA-N Prime mission currently scheduled for Feb. 4, aboard a Delta II from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo.  Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Tex. and San Diego, Calif.  Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

For more information on the ULA joint venture, visit the ULA Web site at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321).

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Offline William Graham

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #645 on: 01/18/2009 02:51 am »
This one lifted off only two hours 14 minutes late.  That's better than a lot of my airline passenger flights! 

Plus at least three years of pushing back the launch date...I wouldn't fly with that airline...

Again, it's not reasonable to expect your flight to take off when the other airplanes on the taxiway in front of you haven't taken off either...

I know the "three year delay" thing is a nice convenient way of bashing D-IV but it's really not accurate. I won't dispute they have a few kinks to work out though, as illustrated by tonight's launch...

I'm not anti-Delta IV, I just think they should have ironed out the bugs before they became dependent on the system (ie. by retiring Titan).

Online TJL

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #646 on: 01/18/2009 02:51 am »
Darn it... I live in NC and I checked a few minutes before the launch was supposed to happen (the first time tonight) and everything seemed to be a go. I went out to the beach to see if I could see it from here as I can with many shuttle launches, but didn't see anything. I didn't know that it was because of a delay. I've never looked for spy satellite launches from here, so I was going to use this as a sort of test to see if they were visible from the beach here. I guess next time I'm going to have to have a little crew for me... someone on the computer calling me on my cell phone and updating me  :D Really wish I had known. It was still a nice night, though.
Don't believe you would have seen tonights launch of Delta 4 since it was being launched due east from Pad 37.
Shuttle is visible to you in N.C. and most east coast states because the shuttle flies in a north east trajectory.

Offline DirtyDeeds

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #647 on: 01/18/2009 03:02 am »
Yeah, I know. I figured I would likely not be able to see it because of that, but I've never tried, either, so I figured tonight I would figure out if it was possible or not. Now I still don't know for sure!

Offline Nick L.

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #648 on: 01/18/2009 03:28 am »
It seemed to take forever for the D IV-heavy to clear the tower this time... Are there any examples of rockets which clear the tower any slower? The Shuttle seems to jump off the pad in comparison...
Yeah, Delta IV Medium (no solids), that's even slower. Atlas V 401 (also no solids) is not exactly a hot rod either. The Ariane 4s without solid motors were pretty slow too. Some people call it "slow", I call it majestic. :)
« Last Edit: 01/18/2009 03:31 am by Nick L. »
"Now you may leave here for four days in space, but when you return it's the same old place..."

Offline Jim

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #649 on: 01/18/2009 03:30 am »
It seemed to take forever for the D IV-heavy to clear the tower this time... Are there any examples of rockets which clear the tower any slower? The Shuttle seems to jump off the pad in comparison...

Saturn V

Offline Rocket Nut

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #650 on: 01/18/2009 03:43 am »
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

Offline ascendent

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #651 on: 01/18/2009 04:18 am »
Wouldn't it be cool to see an Orion launch on a Delta IV Heavy!!!

well, may just get that chance...

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #652 on: 01/18/2009 05:10 am »
Damn! :o

By Pat Corkery, ULA.

Click it to enlarge, sit back, and nod in approval.
« Last Edit: 01/18/2009 05:11 am by Chris Bergin »
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Offline Khadgars

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #653 on: 01/18/2009 05:31 am »
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

I'm jealous!
Evil triumphs when good men do nothing - Thomas Jefferson

Offline Ford Mustang

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #654 on: 01/18/2009 05:42 am »
Chris, I don't think "Damn!" is the phrase for it.. but to keep it PG rated, we'll go with that.  ;)

Offline Nick L.

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #655 on: 01/18/2009 05:54 am »
She's like an actress. Temperamental, fiery (literally!), doesn't always show up on time, and you don't always know what she's going to do next. But when she does her thing, everyone sits up and takes notice.  ;D

That photo is really spectacular. You get a sense of the sheer power of the thing. I can't wait for some different angles.
« Last Edit: 01/18/2009 05:55 am by Nick L. »
"Now you may leave here for four days in space, but when you return it's the same old place..."

Offline arachnitect

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #656 on: 01/18/2009 06:23 am »
Damn! :o

By Pat Corkery, ULA.

Click it to enlarge, sit back, and nod in approval.

I'm assuming that image comes from a remote camera set up before hand? Or is it a still from an HD video camera?

Great to watch the launch live (via webcast), especially when there are others nearby to share the experience.

Offline ShuttleDiscovery

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #657 on: 01/18/2009 08:41 am »
Wow that looked like one great launch! Congrats to ULA and everyone that made this launch (finally) possible!

Online EE Scott

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #658 on: 01/18/2009 11:49 am »
Damn! :o

By Pat Corkery, ULA.

Click it to enlarge, sit back, and nod in approval.

Great picture.  I noticed the charring from the fireball is not nearly so bad as on other flights.  Maybe that is just a function of the breeze direction at launch time?
Scott

Offline psloss

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Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
« Reply #659 on: 01/18/2009 11:52 am »
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.
It was OK for the first cutoff, but the wind picked up a little after that where I was.  Regardless, the launch was definitely worth the wait.

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