Author Topic: Atlas-V401 - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - Sept 16, 2014  (Read 98548 times)

Offline Skyrocket

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A secret satellite launch from Cape Canaveral for a mission called "CLIO".

First information found: CLIO is apparently built by Lockheed Martin:

Quote from: Ryan Kelly, Propulsion Engineer at Lockheed Martin http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankelly44
Certified Principle Engineer Delegate for 5 lbf and 0.2 lbf Rocket Engine Assemblies (REAs) on the GOES-R, GPS-III, MUOS, and CLIO Satellites in charge of procuring the REA components through proper requirements development, rigorous environment and hotfire testing, management of the supplier, and ensuring that the project meets strict budget and schedule guidelines and restrictions
« Last Edit: 02/01/2019 02:34 pm by gongora »

Online Targeteer

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #1 on: 01/27/2014 12:32 am »
In Greek religion and mythology, Pan (/ˈpæn/;[1] Ancient Greek: Πᾶν, Pān) is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs.[2] His name originates within the Ancient Greek language, from the word paein (πάειν), meaning "to pasture."[3] He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr. With his homeland in rustic Arcadia, he is recognized as the god of fields, groves, and wooded glens; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. The ancient Greeks also considered Pan to be the god of theatrical criticism.[4]

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_%28god%29 )

In Greek mythology, Clio (/ˈklaɪ.oʊ/; Greek: Κλειώ) or Kleio,[1] is the muse of history,[2] or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre playing.[3] Like all the muses, she is a daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. Along with her sisters, she was considered to dwell either Mount Helicon or Mount Parnassos.[2] Other common locations for the Muses were Pieria in Thessaly, near to Mount Olympus.[3] She had one son, Hyacinth, with one of several kings, in various myths—with Pierus, King of Macedon, or with king Oebalus of Sparta, or with king Amyclas,[4] progenitor of the people of Amyclae, dwellers about Sparta. Some sources say she was also the mother of Hymenaios.[citation needed] Other accounts credit her as the mother of Linus, a poet that was buried at Argos, but Linus has a number of differing parents depending upon the account, including several accounts where he is the son of Clio's sisters Urania or Calliope.[5]

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clio)

 ??? ??? ??? ?
« Last Edit: 04/21/2014 06:44 am by input~2 »
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Nick L.

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #2 on: 01/27/2014 02:11 am »
The mythologies of Greek, Roman, Norse, and other cultures are prevalent throughout the aerospace industry (Thor, Atlas, Saturn, Athena, Mercury, etc.). Perhaps it's a reflection of the early days of rocketry and spaceflight where whether your launch succeeded seemed to depend on the fickleness of the gods as much as anything else. I wouldn't read too much into it, especially since there doesn't appear to be a connection between Pan and Clio other than they are both figures in Greek mythology.
« Last Edit: 01/27/2014 02:11 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 TheMightyM

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #3 on: 01/27/2014 02:26 am »
The linked article suggest CLIO is currently number four in the Cape Canaveral Atlas launch queue:

• March 25 - NRO L-67 - Atlas V 541
• May - NRO L-33 - Atlas V 401
• July - GPS IIF SV-7 - Atlas V 401
• presumably late August or early September - CLIO - Atlas V version not currently known
• October or November - MMS (x4) - Atlas V 421

Frankly, CLIO sounds like PAN all over again. Son of PAN, if you will. The interesting thing about PAN was that no government agency claimed ownership, so presumably CLIO also isn't a NRO or Air Force bird either.

A Spaceflightnow article on PAN provides some limited information, including that it was built by Lockheed Martin on a commercial basis (30 months from contract to launch), with the theory expressed by skywatchers just after launch was that PAN was a UFO - MUOS gapfiller.
Quote
"The most likely remaining possibility is that a civilian intelligence agency, perhaps the CIA, decided much earlier, about 2005-06, that it could not risk a coverage gap, and obtained approval to rapidly procure and launch a satellite compatible with the UFO satellites," Molczan added.

Article is at: http://www.space.com/7258-clues-emerge-mystery-satellite-launch.html

If we assume assume CLIO is for the same customer as PAN and for the same function (communications) and again contracted for on a commercial basis, that might suggest an early 2012 contract date. So as a starting point, how was the UFO constellation holding up and the MUOS program doing circa 2010 to 2011?

A related possibility is that the unnamed government agency won a turf fight after PAN flew to permanently operate its own satellites, and CLIO is the result.

Offline sdsds

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #4 on: 01/27/2014 02:34 am »
Clio, second-born of the nine muses, was the muse of history. The name derives from the Greek kleô: to make famous (or perhaps more generally, to make known). She is often depicted with a scroll. Famously, the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer is attributed the quote,  “Clio, the muse of history, is as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis.”

So yeah, it has CIA written all over it.

 :D
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Offline Jim

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #5 on: 01/27/2014 02:51 am »

A Spaceflightnow article on PAN provides some limited information, including that it was built by Lockheed Martin on a commercial basis (30 months from contract to launch), with the theory expressed by skywatchers just after launch was that PAN was a UFO - MUOS gapfiller.


There would be no need for secrecy then.

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #6 on: 01/27/2014 02:52 am »
“Clio, the muse of history, is as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis.”

So yeah, it has CIA written all over it.

 :D

Wow that's harsh :)  It's not like CIA was headed by anyone like Putin.  Bush and Hayden weren't THAT bad...
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline vapour_nudge

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #7 on: 04/29/2014 01:38 pm »
A number of sites now have this launch listed for September
One example:
http://spacecoastlaunches.com/

Offline vapour_nudge

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - September 16, 2014
« Reply #8 on: 08/07/2014 01:26 pm »
Most sources now have the launch date listed as the 16th of September. Still no word on the Atlas configuration though. I've gone through old documents and can't find any "missing" launch vehicles which were manifested way back that would account for this vehicle. I'm at a loss. Does anyone know (and have accurate information) as to what the configuration will be?

Those who remember the secrecy around PAN will know we didn't have much info on that either, up until very close to launch day. That one turned out to be an Atlas V 401 configuration.

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #9 on: 08/07/2014 01:31 pm »
Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
« Last Edit: 08/07/2014 01:31 pm by Galactic Penguin SST »
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Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #10 on: 08/07/2014 04:56 pm »
This must be the most secretive payload in years, it makes the standard NRO payload look positively open.;)

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #11 on: 08/11/2014 02:21 am »
Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
No information about the SC or AV configs, but the secrecy bubble my shrink a bit by the end of this month.

EDIT: I read on another site that webcast coverage may not be available for this launch do to the unnamed customer's request.
« Last Edit: 08/11/2014 02:31 am by russianhalo117 »

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #12 on: 08/11/2014 02:34 am »
Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
No information about the SC or AV configs, but the secrecy bubble my shrink a bit by the end of this month.

EDIT: I read on another site that webcast coverage may not be available for this launch do to the unnamed customer's request.
What configurations of Atlas V can be erected, tested, and launched in 1 month and 16 days???
« Last Edit: 08/11/2014 02:35 am by russianhalo117 »

Offline Jim

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #13 on: 08/11/2014 02:39 am »
4X1
« Last Edit: 08/11/2014 02:39 am by Jim »

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #14 on: 08/11/2014 06:31 am »

Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
No information about the SC or AV configs, but the secrecy bubble my shrink a bit by the end of this month.

EDIT: I read on another site that webcast coverage may not be available for this launch do to the unnamed customer's request.

Has webcast coverage ever been completely restricted before on an ULA launch?

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #15 on: 08/11/2014 06:33 am »

Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
No information about the SC or AV configs, but the secrecy bubble my shrink a bit by the end of this month.

EDIT: I read on another site that webcast coverage may not be available for this launch do to the unnamed customer's request.

Has webcast coverage ever been completely restricted before on an ULA launch?

There's STSS-ATRR in 2009 (DARPA was the customer).
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #16 on: 08/11/2014 08:31 am »


Last time for PAN some information came out from Lockheed Martin's own magazine. Anyone checking previous issues out to see if something about CLIO can be found as well?  ;)
No information about the SC or AV configs, but the secrecy bubble my shrink a bit by the end of this month.

EDIT: I read on another site that webcast coverage may not be available for this launch do to the unnamed customer's request.

Has webcast coverage ever been completely restricted before on an ULA launch?

There's STSS-ATRR in 2009 (DARPA was the customer).

Thanks. Seems odd, surely a launcher is just a launcher to look at.

Offline Jim

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Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #17 on: 08/11/2014 01:00 pm »

There's STSS-ATRR in 2009 (DARPA was the customer).

DARPA was not the customer

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #18 on: 08/11/2014 01:13 pm »

There's STSS-ATRR in 2009 (DARPA was the customer).

DARPA was not the customer

Meant to write MDA.  ;)
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Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Atlas-V - CLIO - Cape Canaveral - midyear 2014
« Reply #19 on: 08/14/2014 07:42 am »
Mission shirts now available for this launch. While not very clear, the mission poster looks......interesting.  ::)

Also it looks like that the Atlas V will be in the 401 configuration.  ;)
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

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