Author Topic: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013  (Read 77660 times)

Offline robertross

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #180 on: 03/19/2013 11:43 pm »
William's article updated:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/ula-atlas-v-launch-sbirsgeo/

Extremely informative. Thanks Will!

Great job ULA on the cameras, and to all who covered this.

Offline davey142

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #181 on: 03/19/2013 11:44 pm »
Anyone have a video of the full launch coverage?

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #182 on: 03/20/2013 01:04 am »
Holy moly, check out these launch photos from Ben Cooper! :o
http://www.launchphotography.com/SBIRS-2.html
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #183 on: 03/20/2013 01:23 am »
Holy moly, check out these launch photos from Ben Cooper! :o
http://www.launchphotography.com/SBIRS-2.html
Chris, you should have put it in all CAPS, taking shots that close his ears must be gone ;)


-Yes I realize those are remote cameras and he was no closer than anyone else... but still very cool!
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Offline mikes

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #184 on: 03/20/2013 01:54 am »
When ULA heard we'd be in Titusville this week, they kindly moved the AV-037 launch so that we could see it *

Can't really compete with Ben's astounding shots, but here are a few photos of the launch taken by my wife Sarah (who's a much better photographer than I am) from the KSCVC Saturn V Center.


* That's my interpretation and I'm sticking to it.

Offline catdlr

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #185 on: 03/20/2013 02:59 am »
ULA's own version:

Atlas V SBIRS GEO-2 Launch Highlights

Published on Mar 19, 2013
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., carrying the second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-2 satellite for the U.S. Air Force. This was the 3rd ULA launch of the year, the 37th Atlas V mission, and the 69th ULA launch since the company was formed in December 2006. SBIRS is a consolidated system intended to meet United States infrared space surveillance needs for decades to come. The SBIRS program addresses critical warfighter needs in the areas of missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace characterization.



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Offline hpras

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #186 on: 03/20/2013 04:26 am »
Cool.  What is the pipe sticking out of the fairing, can see it as the vehicle breaks the sound barrier.

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #187 on: 03/20/2013 04:34 am »
Cool.  What is the pipe sticking out of the fairing, can see it as the vehicle breaks the sound barrier.

What is that sticking out of the launcher?
If I recall correctly, Jim mentioned on previous launches that it is used to vent the interstage?
I believe that's the GH2 vent fin for the Centaur upper stage.
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Offline hpras

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #188 on: 03/20/2013 04:55 am »
ahh, damn, completely missed that..... oops.. thanks!

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #189 on: 03/20/2013 11:45 am »
I think we need a sticky note for all future Atlas launches,

The GH2 vent fin for the Centaur upper stage is that funny object sticking out of the side of the fairing.

That or make it a drinking game...
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Offline Art LeBrun

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #190 on: 03/20/2013 12:47 pm »
I think we need a sticky note for all future Atlas launches,

The GH2 vent fin for the Centaur upper stage is that funny object sticking out of the side of the fairing.

Since 1962...............
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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #191 on: 03/20/2013 01:56 pm »
When ULA heard we'd be in Titusville this week, they kindly moved the AV-037 launch so that we could see it *

Can't really compete with Ben's astounding shots, but here are a few photos of the launch taken by my wife Sarah (who's a much better photographer than I am) from the KSCVC Saturn V Center.


* That's my interpretation and I'm sticking to it.


Nice work Mike!
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Offline catdlr

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #192 on: 03/20/2013 02:35 pm »
Full Launch Coverage (27 min):

SBIRS GEO-2 Launch Coverage

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Offline Prober

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #193 on: 03/20/2013 07:06 pm »
Don't know how anyone else feels,  but yesterdays launch gave me a great deal of pride for many reasons.
 
The cam videos were excellent as well as the launch work etc.
 
For me its a launch to remember  ;)
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Offline Star One

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #194 on: 03/20/2013 08:53 pm »
Don't know how anyone else feels,  but yesterdays launch gave me a great deal of pride for many reasons.
 
The cam videos were excellent as well as the launch work etc.
 
For me its a launch to remember  ;)

Makes me wonder how many lives of front line troops that these systems have saved over the years, or conflicts avoided etc etc.
« Last Edit: 03/20/2013 09:20 pm by Star One »

Offline asmi

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #195 on: 03/21/2013 01:35 am »
Makes me wonder how many lives of front line troops that these systems have saved over the years, or conflicts avoided etc etc.
You'd better not go there, or this topic will go really wrong way really quickly.

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #196 on: 03/21/2013 10:28 am »
Makes me wonder how many lives of front line troops that these systems have saved over the years, or conflicts avoided etc etc.

FWIW, I understood from ULA's broadcast that the SBIRS/GEO constellation is part of a ballistic missile detection and tracking system.  I imagine that the IR telescopes could be used to track high altitude reconnaissance and/or bomber aircraft too, depending on their sensitivity.
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #197 on: 03/21/2013 11:20 am »
During the first gulf war along with tracking scud launches it was reported widely that the DSP's where able to track Iraq jet afterburners.

It all depends on the engine exhaust temperature... More modern Turbo Fan powered jets do not produce a very hot exhaust so they are harder to track.
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #198 on: 03/21/2013 11:34 pm »
De-classsified references for "Space-Based Early Warning: From MIDAS to DSP to SBIRS" By Jeffrey T. Richelson at http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB235/20130108.html refer to DSP detecting Backfire bombers and detection of 4 aircraft crashes/shootdowns (page 7 of reference 39.)
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #199 on: 04/03/2013 04:53 am »
new cobra judy radars tracked the launch...

Demonstrating exceptional dual-band radar capability

TEWKSBURY, Mass., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN)-led Cobra Judy Replacement (CJR) program surpassed expectations during its first tests against a live rocket launch on March 19. From approximately 100 miles off the Florida coast, the powerful X- and S-band radars integrated onboard the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM 25) successfully acquired and tracked both stages of an Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral and collected all associated data.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2304
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

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