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Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => ULA - Delta, Atlas, Vulcan => Topic started by: Jirka Dlouhy on 04/03/2008 07:50 pm

Title: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jirka Dlouhy on 04/03/2008 07:50 pm
Now begins the operations for launch NRO L-26 milsat


http://www.ulalaunch.com/
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/03/2008 10:15 pm
Interestingly, TWINS-B has reappeared on the MSDB manifest, and is sitting right next to L-26. I thought we'd seen the back of it when L-28 launched, but obviously that was not the case. Seeing as they are sitting next to each other on the manifest, and we know that TWINS-B is part of an NRO satellite, L-26 is the obvious candidate. If this is the case, however, it begs the question of the nature of L-26's mission. TWINS-B is going to Molniya orbit, but I am not aware of any NRO satellite classes which use this orbit and require a D-IVH to get there. All recent NRO launches to Molniya have used Medium EELVs (Atlas 401 for SDS, 411/DIVM+(4,2) for Trumpet). What could be big enough to need a D-IVH, if it is going to Molniya, if that is, indeed, where this is heading.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 04/04/2008 04:46 pm
Perhaps NRO-26 is a satellite similar to the old Trumpet's USA 103-112-136.
Those satellites were all launched by Titan4-Centaur into Molniya orbit.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/04/2008 06:12 pm
Quote
faustod - 4/4/2008  4:46 PM

Perhaps NRO-26 is a satellite similar to the old Trumpet's USA 103-112-136.
Those satellites were all launched by Titan4-Centaur into Molniya orbit.

It is possible, but most people think that the role of those satellites is now filled by NRO L-22 and L-28, which where launched by D-IVM+(4,2) and AV-411 respectively.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: rsnellenberger on 04/04/2008 06:59 pm
The Launch Schedule shows this one for July 28 -- does it really take 3-4 months after the booster rolls out to the pad to get it ready to launch, or is this a case where there wasn't any better use for the pad and USA wanted to free up space in the HIF?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 04/04/2008 08:18 pm
They haven't reduced the on pad time yet.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 04/05/2008 08:45 am
Quote
GW_Simulations - 4/4/2008  1:12 PM

Quote
faustod - 4/4/2008  4:46 PM

Perhaps NRO-26 is a satellite similar to the old Trumpet's USA 103-112-136.
Those satellites were all launched by Titan4-Centaur into Molniya orbit.

It is possible, but most people think that the role of those satellites is now filled by NRO L-22 and L-28, which where launched by D-IVM+(4,2) and AV-411 respectively.

I am among them.
Hovever may be that, this sat, is not a new generation one, but as happened for DSP-23, the last in line of an old generation.
Substantially, may be that, they ordered three Delta IV to start the program, one for test, and two for old sats, diverted from Titan's.
Don't forget that these launches were delayed for years.
Title: RE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/08/2008 08:59 am
Mission Patch:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=200214497445&Category=1346&_trksid=p3907.m29

I can't find any similar patches for NRO missions, which suggests that either I'm not looking hard enough, or it is a new programme.
Title: RE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: HIPAR on 04/10/2008 04:21 pm
Nice pictures of the 'Heavy' and its trip to the launch pad:

http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/nrol26/

---  CHAS
Title: RE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Antares on 04/10/2008 05:47 pm
Quote
GW_Simulations - 8/4/2008  3:59 AM
Mission Patch:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=200214497445&Category=1346&_trksid=p3907.m29
The shooting star in the patch makes me wonder if the black suits have a sense of humor: L-21/USA-193?
Title: RE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/11/2008 07:54 pm
Quote
Antares - 10/4/2008  5:47 PM

Quote
GW_Simulations - 8/4/2008  3:59 AM
Mission Patch:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=200214497445&Category=1346&_trksid=p3907.m29
The shooting star in the patch makes me wonder if the black suits have a sense of humor: L-21/USA-193?

The interesting thing is that the shooting star is absent from the patch on the launch tower.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/nrol26/rollout/index3.html
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/16/2008 04:35 pm
Okay. I've had another look at the mission patch, and I have noticed a few interesting features.

Firstly, the Statue of Liberty's crown could represent some form of dish or antenna - possibly a communication or radar reconnaissance satellite. Secondly, the differences between the mission patch on ebay, and the one on the tower suggest that there has been a change of circumstances surrounding what that star represents. There are 13 stars on the patch, 6 on the US flag, and 7 in the sky. This suggests that it may be the 7th or 13th satellite of a particular series.

I then compared it to several other NRO patches, from this, I was able to identify several similarities with the NRO L-21 payload patch.
Firstly, the group of five stars on the L-26 patch which contain the shooting star, are in a very similar pattern to the five stars on the left hand side of the L-21 patch. There are also 12 stars on the L-21 patch - one less than the L-26 patch. Sometimes the number of stars corresponds to a satellite's position in a series, and the fact that there is one more on the L-26 patch suggests that it could be the next in that series. This would also explain the shooting star - L-21 is now out of orbit, so the tail on the star in the patch was added to represent this (Antares' joke may not have been far from the truth) - possibly this was changed after the patch was painted onto the tower at LC-37, explaining the difference in patches - it will be interesting to see which version is painted on the rocket. There is also a similarity between details on the handle of the torch of the Statue of Liberty in the L-26 patch, and the Eagle's tongue in the L-21 patch, but I'm not sure what this could represent. Obviously L-21 was a lot smaller than L-26, but it is possible that it may be a new-generation satellite, and L-26 may be the last of an old series. Lacrosse 2 has been in orbit since 1991. Lacrosse 1, which was launched a little over two years previously, is long out of service. It was replaced during the second group of Lacrosse launches, but Lacrosse 2 was not replaced. I suspect that L-26 is it's replacement, and the last Lacrosse satellite before they are replaced by something a lot smaller. A launch to a 68° orbit, somewhere between 450-700km in altitude will confirm this. I would also expect a large payload fairing to be used (if different lengths are available).

I am disregarding what I said earlier about TWINS-B, as I don't think NASA know what is going on with it. NASA's Science Directorate seem to think that it was launched on 26 February (there was no launch on that date, although L-28 was scheduled for it, for a while). GSFC seem to think that is scheduled for a Delta IV from Vandenberg, in early 2008 (no such launch, although L-28 was transferred from Delta IV to Atlas). I think that L-28 carried TWINS-B, and the MSDB entry was a mistake. Anyway, according to the reported masses of the old Trumpet satellites, D-IVH would still be overkill, an M+(5,4) should be able to handle it, or even an M+(4,2) at a push.

I think this is either a big LEO satellite, or it is going directly to GSO. If I was a betting man, I would have money on Lacrosse.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 04/16/2008 06:32 pm
Reading too much into things.  Lacrosse is a west coast bird, shuttle mission was only due to backlog and VAFB shutdown
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/16/2008 06:41 pm
Quote
Jim - 16/4/2008  6:32 PM

Reading too much into things.  Lacrosse is a west coast bird, shuttle mission was only due to backlog and VAFB shutdown

I disagree with you there (morituri te salutant). Lacrosse 5 was launched from Canaveral as well (on a Titan). SLC-6 is not currently able to take D-IVH, and is closed for refurbishment anyway. Presumably if L2 is ageing, there will be some urgency to get a replacement up, so they can't wait for Vandenberg.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 04/16/2008 06:48 pm
Quote
GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  1:41 PM

SLC-6 is not currently able to take D-IVH, and is closed for refurbishment anyway. Presumably if L2 is ageing, there will be some urgency to get a replacement up, so they can't wait for Vandenberg.

How could SLC-6 be closed for refurbishment?  The place was just modified for Delta IV a few years ago.  There have only been two Delta IV launches from Six.  

Are they prepping it to support Heavy?

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 04/16/2008 07:00 pm
Quote
GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  2:41 PM

Quote
Jim - 16/4/2008  6:32 PM

Reading too much into things.  Lacrosse is a west coast bird, shuttle mission was only due to backlog and VAFB shutdown

I disagree with you there (morituri te salutant). Lacrosse 5 was launched from Canaveral as well (on a Titan). SLC-6 is not currently able to take D-IVH, and is closed for refurbishment anyway. Presumably if L2 is ageing, there will be some urgency to get a replacement up, so they can't wait for Vandenberg.

This still applies.
Reading too much into things.

As for the other point, we can disagree

Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 04/16/2008 07:15 pm
Quote
edkyle99 - 16/4/2008  6:48 PM

Are they prepping it to support Heavy?


As I understand it. I believe the next launch will be in December 2010. Lacrosse 2 will be approaching 20 years on-orbit by then, assuming it is still going - Lacrosse 1 only lasted 8 years. That is why I suspect it will be replaced soon by an east-coast launched satellite. I could be wrong, but that is my belief.

I don't know why they couldn't have done this when they built it.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 05/01/2008 07:53 pm
Apparently, ULA have announced that it is a GSO launch. Much to my surprise this eliminates Lacrosse. If, as Faustod stated earlier, this satellite was originally scheduled for Titan IV, it is almost certain to be Advanced Orion. Otherwise, it could be a successor. I'm not sure whether the codename Prowler has been used in conjunction with such a programme.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 05/07/2008 06:13 am
According to Spaceflight Now, the launch date is now 9 September.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: daver on 05/15/2008 02:56 am
Spacefellowship says that the launch is on May 15th @ 8:00.
Is this possible?
http://spacefellowship.com/Calendar/calendar.php?mode=view&id=5324
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: WHAP on 05/15/2008 03:25 am
No
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 05/16/2008 07:14 pm
Quote
daver - 15/5/2008  2:56 AM

Spacefellowship says that the launch is on May 15th @ 8:00.
Is this possible?
http://spacefellowship.com/Calendar/calendar.php?mode=view&id=5324


Their schedule is out-of-date. It was scheduled for 15 May at one point, but was delayed months ago.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 06/10/2008 08:55 am
According to Spaceflow Now the launch is now scheduled for September 26.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 09/12/2008 07:55 am
And now late October. Less than one year after the last flight seems to much to ask. But still barely possible.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 09/12/2008 11:55 am
most were payload problems
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/02/2008 06:12 am
According to Spaceflight Now, the launch date is now 13 November.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/04/2008 06:06 am
To avoid the range conflict, with Endeavour launch on 14 November, the schedule for NRO L-26 is now 17 November.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/04/2008 06:40 am
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/04/2008 11:06 am
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.

Analyst

Yes, you are right.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 10/05/2008 04:10 am
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.

Analyst

Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the heck is going on with that payload?  For this long a delay, it must be nearly as complex as Shuttle.  It must be a massive program, employing tens of thousands at least. 

It must cost billions, each year.  There must be cavernous satellite factories hidden beneath mountains somewhere.  It must be the secret weapon that will find Bin Laden.  Maybe it will solve the credit crises and the energy crises and global warming all at once. 

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Damon Hill on 10/05/2008 06:02 am
Ed's been watching too much Star Gate.


--Damon
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/05/2008 08:33 am
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.

Analyst

Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the heck is going on with that payload?  For this long a delay, it must be nearly as complex as Shuttle.  It must be a massive program, employing tens of thousands at least. 

It must cost billions, each year.  There must be cavernous satellite factories hidden beneath mountains somewhere.  It must be the secret weapon that will find Bin Laden.  Maybe it will solve the credit crises and the energy crises and global warming all at once. 

 - Ed Kyle

LOL. Keep in mind this mission has been planned for Titan IV, ca. 2003. It can't solve the energy crises and global warming because both were not recognized as problems by then. Oh wait, they are redesigning the super satellite because of these new enemies. Now I have hope again.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 10/05/2008 11:54 am

LOL. Keep in mind this mission has been planned for Titan IV

Was that ever confirmed? My understanding was that an NRO satellite was moved from Titan to Delta, and that no specific launch has been identified as the one transferred. My money's still on L-15.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/05/2008 12:11 pm
I don't know. L-15 is planned for ~2011, giving them more time to redesign the super satellite to solve the problems Ed mentioned :) Would be an eight year delay.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 10/05/2008 01:00 pm
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.


Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the heck is going on with that payload?  For this long a delay, it must be nearly as complex as Shuttle.  It must be a massive program, employing tens of thousands at least. 

It must cost billions, each year.  There must be cavernous satellite factories hidden beneath mountains somewhere.  It must be the secret weapon that will find Bin Laden.  Maybe it will solve the credit crises and the energy crises and global warming all at once. 

 - Ed Kyle

LOL. Keep in mind this mission has been planned for Titan IV, ca. 2003. It can't solve the energy crises and global warming because both were not recognized as problems by then. Oh wait, they are redesigning the super satellite because of these new enemies. Now I have hope again.

Analyst

No, the left over T-IV was for DSP
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/05/2008 02:05 pm
I am quite sure DSP-23 was not the only one left over from Titan.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: WHAP on 10/05/2008 02:25 pm
How do you guys define "left over"?  The TIV program wasn't cancelled abruptly.  So were these payloads just planned before the program ended and the assumption was that they would fly on a Titan, or were they actually manifested on a Titan IV?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/05/2008 02:47 pm
Well, this is iffy. Its a payload

- from a satellite program,
- which consists of several (almost) identical satellites,
- and many or all of these satellites were launched by Titan IV as long as it was available.

Examples: DSP, ELINT and SIGNIT payloads. There were 10 DSP second generation satellites, 9 of them used an IUS and 8 of these a Titan IV (one used a Shuttle) The tenth, the leftover, used the second Delta IV.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 10/05/2008 03:20 pm
I am quite sure DSP-23 was not the only one left over from Titan.


I wouldn't call them "leftover"   EELV's replaced Titans IV/II, Atlas II and Delta II.  Just as there was DSCS, GPS, DMSP, etc that flew on EELV's, there are "other" payloads that will or did.  The EELV spec enveloped the largest Titan payload.  So when the EELV 's were given a go ahead in 1997, spacecraft programs could continue to design/build to the same requirements as they did before.
The same thing occurred during the transition from shuttle to T-IV.  The DSP-23 spacecraft could have flown on the Shuttle, Titan-IV or EELV (I say EELV, since it was light enough for an Atlas V too).  DSP-23 (and a few of its sisters) were probably procured after the transition from Shuttle to Titan-IV but it just a continuation of a production line vs a new design.

Also just a note for those who didn't read between the lines, EELV specs were ultimately driven by the shuttle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 10/05/2008 03:42 pm
I don't know...Would be an eight year delay.

Not unheard of, I believe the record is 13 years.

How do you guys define "left over"?  The TIV program wasn't cancelled abruptly.  So were these payloads just planned before the program ended and the assumption was that they would fly on a Titan, or were they actually manifested on a Titan IV?

Wasn't there a Titan IV left over at the end of the programme? IIRC, it was just a core vehicle (no upper stage), which seems to suggest a LEO payload. DSP would have needed an IUS, and a GSO ELINT (which is what L-26 is believed to be) would require a Centaur. That suggests that there could be a leftover LEO bird waiting around. L-15's out of sequence designation suggests it has been delayed somewhat.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the heck is going on with that payload?  For this long a delay, it must be nearly as complex as Shuttle.  It must be a massive program, employing tens of thousands at least. 

The string of delays causes me to lean more towards this being the first new-generation GSO ELINT satellite (Intruder), as opposed to the last current-generation satellite (Advanced Orion).
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 10/05/2008 04:01 pm


Wasn't there a Titan IV left over at the end of the programme? IIRC, it was just a core vehicle (no upper stage), which seems to suggest a LEO payload. DSP would have needed an IUS, and a GSO ELINT (which is what L-26 is believed to be) would require a Centaur. That suggests that there could be a leftover LEO bird waiting around. L-15's out of sequence designation suggests it has been delayed somewhat.


It was for DSP-23 , there was a leftover IUS
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 10/05/2008 04:06 pm
Ed's been watching too much Star Gate.

--Damon

No.  I'm way too old school.  I don't have cable! 

(I grew up watching Star Trek reruns in fuzzy black & white.  Recently, the U.S. Government kindly bought me a couple of digital converter boxes, but I haven't bothered with both of them just yet, although I did enjoy building my own UHF antenna array (out of trimmed metal clothes hangers) to pick up those newfangled signals.)

I have been in a "satellite factory" or two, but they weren't under mountains.  ;)

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/05/2008 06:26 pm
Quote from: Jim
[/quote
It was for DSP-23 , there was a leftover IUS

Yes, they were Titan IVB-37 and IUS-23.
But, what about Titan IVB-40?
That was probably cancelled and not finished, I don't have confirm about that.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: johng on 10/09/2008 11:35 am
I was looking down missile row yesterday - looked like the D-IV stack was out in the sunshine.  Isn't that unusual?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: MZ on 10/09/2008 01:48 pm
Delta IV is doing a tanking test.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 10/09/2008 04:35 pm
It is the 3rd one.  Atlas did theirs yesterday
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Nick L. on 10/10/2008 01:17 am
Is it a full-blown WDR or just fill the tanks and empty them?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 10/10/2008 11:15 am
Atlas was a WDR.
D-IV was H2 tanking test
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: WHAP on 10/10/2008 04:00 pm
Didn't happen yesterday due to a bad weather forecast.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/22/2008 08:41 am
Now, on http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php
I read : NRo L-26 launch date 11 November.
So, it can be advanced a few days.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/22/2008 06:46 pm
Now, on http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php
I read : NRo L-26 launch date 11 November.
So, it can be advanced a few days.


Sorry, now MSDB write December 11, it was surely a typo mistake.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/28/2008 08:24 am
I would not be surprised - based on history - if this flight slips more. Wouldn't be the first time. Even Stuttle is more on schedule than Detla IV.

Analyst

Makes you wonder, doesn't it, what the heck is going on with that payload?  For this long a delay, it must be nearly as complex as Shuttle.  It must be a massive program, employing tens of thousands at least. 

It must cost billions, each year.  There must be cavernous satellite factories hidden beneath mountains somewhere.  It must be the secret weapon that will find Bin Laden.  Maybe it will solve the credit crises and the energy crises and global warming all at once. 

 - Ed Kyle

Now December, according to Spaceflight Now.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/28/2008 08:36 am
The date is 16 December.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=8184.msg324605#msg324605
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 10/28/2008 01:16 pm
The date is 16 December.

For now ;)

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 10/28/2008 01:49 pm
The date is 16 December.

For now ;)

Analyst

I agree!
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: mike robel on 11/20/2008 04:42 pm
Any updates to this launch as of yet?  Looks to still be 16 DEC?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: faustod on 11/21/2008 12:36 pm
Hoping that 16 December will be the right day!
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 11/21/2008 01:27 pm
I wouldn't bet any money.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - 17 December
Post by: William Graham on 11/22/2008 04:52 pm
Launch period is 03:29-06:28 GMT on 17 December.
Can anyone confirm whether that fits with previous GSO ELINT launches?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - 17 December
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/05/2008 02:49 am
Launch period is 03:29-06:28 GMT on 17 December.
Can anyone confirm whether that fits with previous GSO ELINT launches?

MSDB now shows the launch as no earlier than 12/19/08.  Spaceflightnow shows it as TBD.

2009?

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: astrobrian on 12/05/2008 04:55 am
Here's a pic of the Delta IV from November 13th
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: wannamoonbase on 12/05/2008 12:06 pm
Oh, that's a big tower eh!

I remember watching it getting built and to think that its the size of an office tower and that it rolls back and forth is crazy.

I just love this stuff!

GO DELTA!
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - 17 December
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/05/2008 07:38 pm
Now NET 12/20/08, per MSDB.  Saturday before big holiday week, but "No Earlier Than" still.

Edit:  It could be late Friday EST as well and still list as 12/20, Universal Time.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Antares on 12/06/2008 01:53 am
Oh, that's a big tower eh!  I remember watching it getting built and to think that its the size of an office tower and that it rolls back and forth is crazy.

10 million pounds on wheels.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: bad_astra on 12/08/2008 06:57 pm
I'll be staying at Ponce Inlet Christmas week. I know they're unlikely to launch during that period, but I would really like to see a D IV Heavy launch.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: mike robel on 12/08/2008 11:32 pm
Postponed.  apparently trying to see if they will launch before xmas or in new year.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/09/2008 07:10 am
Delta IV history points to new year.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/09/2008 01:03 pm
Postponed.  apparently trying to see if they will launch before xmas or in new year.

Old news. That's the delay from 17 December (16th EST). It's already been rescheduled for 20 December.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/09/2008 02:58 pm
Postponed.  apparently trying to see if they will launch before xmas or in new year.

Old news. That's the delay from 17 December (16th EST). It's already been rescheduled for 20 December.

December 20 seems to be the old news.  The launch has now slipped into January, according to SFN.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/09/2008 05:30 pm
Postponed.  apparently trying to see if they will launch before xmas or in new year.

Old news. That's the delay from 17 December (16th EST). It's already been rescheduled for 20 December.

December 20 seems to be the old news.  The launch has now slipped into January, according to SFN.

 - Ed Kyle

That's a new slip. They're now targeting 11 January.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/10/2008 07:56 am
As expected. ;)

This ends US space launch activity for this year: 15 launches, 14 successful.

5 Delta II, 4 STS, 2 Atlas V, 2 Pegasus, 2 Falcon 1 (1 failure). No Delta IV, just 2 EELVs. 9 out of 15 by soon to be retired systems. Quite depressing.

From January: "United Launch Alliance plans 16 Atlas and Delta rocket launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station next year. Six Delta 2 rockets, four Delta 4 rockets and six Atlas 5 rockets are to be sent aloft."

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ft-080102-lauches-ahead.html

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/10/2008 09:29 am
As expected. ;)

This ends US space launch activity for this year: 15 launches, 14 successful.

5 Delta II, 4 STS, 2 Atlas V, 2 Pegasus, 2 Falcon 1 (1 failure). No Delta IV, just 2 EELVs. 9 out of 15 by soon to be retired systems. Quite depressing.

From January: "United Launch Alliance plans 16 Atlas and Delta rocket launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station next year. Six Delta 2 rockets, four Delta 4 rockets and six Atlas 5 rockets are to be sent aloft."

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ft-080102-lauches-ahead.html

Analyst

I took the first post I made this year in the "US Launch Schedule" thread (2 January), and compared the schedule to what actually happened:

2008
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (GMT)
January/February - STS-122 - Atlantis - Kennedy - Launched 7 February
14 February - STS-123 - Endeavour - Kennedy - Launched 11 March
26 February - NRO L-28 - Atlas V 411 - Vandenberg - Launched 13 March
13 March - GPS IIR-19 - Delta II 7925 - Canaveral - Launched 15 March
21 March - ICO-G1 - Atlas V 421 - Canaveral - Launched 14 April
15 April - C/NOFS - Pegasus-XL - Kwajelein - Launched 16 April
17 April - STSS ATRR - Delta II 7920 - Vandenberg - Delayed to April 2009
24 April - STS-124 - Discovery - Kennedy - 12:26 - Launched 31 May
15 May - NRO L-26 - Delta IV-H -  Canaveral - Delayed to January 2009
16 May - GLAST - Delta II 7920H - Canaveral - Launched 11 June
May - WGS-2 - Atlas V 421 - Canaveral - Delayed to March 2009
15 June - Jason 2 - Delta II 7320 - Vandenberg - Launched 20 June
25 June - TacSat-3/GeneSat-2/PharmaSat 1 - Minotaur - MARS - Delayed to January 2009
June - GPS-IIR-20 - Delta II 7925 - Canaveral - delayed to March 2009
2nd Quarter - Celestis-Explorers/Demosat?? - Falcon 1 - Omelek - Failed 3 August*
2nd Quarter - RazakSat/3 CubeSats - Falcon 1 - Omelek - Delayed to 2009
15 July - IBEX - Pegausus-XL - Kwajelein - Launched 19 October
16 July - STSS Demo - Delta II 7920 - Canaveral - Delayed to June 2009
20 July - GOES-O - Delta IV-M+(4,2) - Canaveral - Delayed to April 2009
July - DMSP-5D3-18 - Atlas V 401 - Vandenberg - Delayed to August 2009
7 August - STS-125 - Atlantis - Kennedy - 12:24 - Delayed to May 2009
August - NRO L-25 - Delta IV-M - Vandenberg - Delayed to 2010
19 September - STS-126 - Endeavour - Kennedy - Launched 15 November
September - WGS-3 - Delta IVM+(5,4) - Canaveral - Delayed to 2009
3rd Quarter - GeoEye-1 - Delta II 7920 - Vandenberg - Launched 6 September
28 October - LRO/LCROSS - Atlas V 401 - Canaveral - Delayed to 2009
October - TacSat-4 - Minotaur IV - Vandenberg - Delayed to Septemer 2009
October - GPS-IIR-21 - Delta II 7925 - Canaveral - Delayed to August 2009
6 November? - STS-119 - Discovery - Kennedy - Delayed to February 2009
1 December - SDO - Atlas V 401 - Canaveral - Delayed to 2009/2010
15 December - OCO - Taurus 3110 - Vandenberg - Delayed to January 2009
December - SBSS - Minotaur IV - Vandenberg? - Delayed to 2009
TBD - COSMO-3 - Delta II 7420-10 - Vandenberg - Launched 25 October

* - Demosat replaced by Trailblazer, PreSat & NanoSail-D


The list does not include the Falcon 1 launch on 28 September, with RatSat, as this was only added to the launch schedule 1 month before launch.

Colour codes:
Blue: Launched ahead of schedule (0)
Green: Launched on scheudle, or delayed less than 1 week (6)
Orange: Launched behind schedule (8)
Red: Not yet launched (19)


Note to admin: If this is too far off topic, feel free to delete.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/11/2008 05:16 pm
This ends US space launch activity for this year: 15 launches, 14 successful.

5 Delta II, 4 STS, 2 Atlas V, 2 Pegasus, 2 Falcon 1 (1 failure). No Delta IV, just 2 EELVs. 9 out of 15 by soon to be retired systems. Quite depressing.

From January: "United Launch Alliance plans 16 Atlas and Delta rocket launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station next year. Six Delta 2 rockets, four Delta 4 rockets and six Atlas 5 rockets are to be sent aloft."

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ft-080102-lauches-ahead.html

Analyst

This year's results are, unfortunately, par for the course for the past five years or so.  Since 2004, inclusive, the U.S. has averaged only 16 orbital launch attempts per year.  Each year was preceded by seriously flawed predictions of many more launches.  I find it interesting that this collapse from previous launch totals (in the 20-35 per year range) has coincided with the "EELV Era".  One wonders if this isn't turning out to be the "DELV Era".

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: yinzer on 12/11/2008 09:49 pm
This ends US space launch activity for this year: 15 launches, 14 successful.

5 Delta II, 4 STS, 2 Atlas V, 2 Pegasus, 2 Falcon 1 (1 failure). No Delta IV, just 2 EELVs. 9 out of 15 by soon to be retired systems. Quite depressing.

From January: "United Launch Alliance plans 16 Atlas and Delta rocket launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station next year. Six Delta 2 rockets, four Delta 4 rockets and six Atlas 5 rockets are to be sent aloft."

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ft-080102-lauches-ahead.html

Analyst

This year's results are, unfortunately, par for the course for the past five years or so.  Since 2004, inclusive, the U.S. has averaged only 16 orbital launch attempts per year.  Each year was preceded by seriously flawed predictions of many more launches.  I find it interesting that this collapse from previous launch totals (in the 20-35 per year range) has coincided with the "EELV Era".  One wonders if this isn't turning out to be the "DELV Era".

There's a conveniently preserved 2004-era EELV manifest here (http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/eelv.html), and a summary of EELV flights to date here (http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc/eelv.htm).

As of 2004, there were 25 EELV launches scheduled through the end of FY 2008.  Of these 25 payloads, 16 of them are still not ready for launch.  1 is currently delayed a few months due to LV issues, but was 3 years late before those issues arose.

When the USAF created the EELV program, they hoped to save money for government payloads by sharing fixed costs with commercial launches.  In a further attempt to save money, they included a clause saying that the USAF couldn't pay more than any commercial customer.  The anticipated flood of commercial launches never materialized, and the lowest-price guarantee made EELVs commercially uncompetitive.  This has put EELV into the typical procurement death spiral.  There was a chance for NASA to help break out of this spiral by buying 4-ish EELV launches a year to service ISS, but they went off to do Ares I and COTS instead.

So here we are.  Individual launch vehicles have very little to do with the current state of affairs, the main issues are programmatic and payload-related.

Edited to fix links.  Damn markup language.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/11/2008 11:31 pm
The anticipated flood of commercial launches never materialized, and the lowest-price guarantee made EELVs commercially uncompetitive.  This has put EELV into the typical procurement death spiral.

IIRC, isn't Delta IV only available for US Government customers?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: yinzer on 12/12/2008 01:03 am
The anticipated flood of commercial launches never materialized, and the lowest-price guarantee made EELVs commercially uncompetitive.  This has put EELV into the typical procurement death spiral.

IIRC, isn't Delta IV only available for US Government customers?

Yes, now.  If you went to ULA and said "I really want to buy a Delta IV" they'd sell you one.  They just realize that no non US Government customer would ever want to buy one, and so aren't going to keep around the marketing and business folks needed to try to sell them.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/12/2008 07:00 am

1) There's a conveniently preserved 2004-era EELV manifest here (http://"http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/eelv.html"), and a summary of EELV flights to date here (http://"http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc/eelv.htm").

2) As of 2004, there were 25 EELV launches scheduled through the end of FY 2008.  Of these 25 payloads, 16 of them are still not ready for launch.  1 is currently delayed a few months due to LV issues, but was 3 years late before those issues arose.

1) Both links don't work for me.
2) I don't know if these are payload or booster issues or both. But assume these are only payload issues: What does this say about the US military space program (USAF, NRO) and its contractors, who are pretty much the same contractors building and operating EELVs?

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: yinzer on 12/12/2008 08:26 am

1) There's a conveniently preserved 2004-era EELV manifest here (http://"http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/eelv.html"), and a summary of EELV flights to date here (http://"http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc/eelv.htm").

2) As of 2004, there were 25 EELV launches scheduled through the end of FY 2008.  Of these 25 payloads, 16 of them are still not ready for launch.  1 is currently delayed a few months due to LV issues, but was 3 years late before those issues arose.

1) Both links don't work for me.
2) I don't know if these are payload or booster issues or both. But assume these are only payload issues: What does this say about the US military space program (USAF, NRO) and its contractors, who are pretty much the same contractors building and operating EELVs?

1) Fixed the links.

2) Yes, milspace is a disaster these days.  Yes, it's hard to assign blame accurately between the DoD and the big contractors.  No, the EELV program has not turned out as hoped.  But the EELVs actually exist.  They cost more than desired, and they have launch vehicle delays here and there, but a government agency with a satellite that's ready to fly can generally get it to orbit at a cost that's not completely outrageous.   By the standards of milspace procurements over the last decade, this is a stunning success.

You can argue "EELV is a failure because it costs way more than the Atlas/Delta/Titan that it's replacing".  You can argue "EELV is a failure because it didn't get a big share of the commercial launch market".  You could argue "EELV is a failure because it's less reliable than Atlas/Delta/Titan".  But arguing "EELV is a failure because it only flies four times a year", when there haven't been a bunch of payloads sitting around waiting for rides doesn't make sense, and if you draw the conclusion "EELV only flies four times a year, so we need a new rocket that will fly 8 times a year", you'll have been lead astraay.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/12/2008 03:19 pm

You can argue "EELV is a failure because it costs way more than the Atlas/Delta/Titan that it's replacing".  You can argue "EELV is a failure because it didn't get a big share of the commercial launch market".  You could argue "EELV is a failure because it's less reliable than Atlas/Delta/Titan".  But arguing "EELV is a failure because it only flies four times a year", when there haven't been a bunch of payloads sitting around waiting for rides doesn't make sense, and if you draw the conclusion "EELV only flies four times a year, so we need a new rocket that will fly 8 times a year", you'll have been lead astraay.

EELV is a failure because it costs too much.  Since it costs too much, it cannot compete for commercial launch business.  Since it can't garner commercial launches, it rarely flies.  Since it rarely flies, it costs too much. 

(I would be happy to see four launches in a year.  EELV has actually only averaged about 3.5 launches per year since inception.  It cost more than $1.2 billion to perform two EELV launches this year.)

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/12/2008 08:04 pm
Most comsat operators think different and use Proton, or Zenit, or Ariane. All flew more this year than EELVs combined.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/12/2008 08:40 pm

It should be noted that much of the delay in the EELV flight rate is due to issues outside the control of the rocket programs.

Payload issues are playing a role here, but so are RD-180 issues, and pyroshock testing issues, etc., on the launch vehicles themselves.

As for the payloads, why did the U.S. seemingly decide to redevelop all of its defense satellites at the same time that it brought new launch vehicles on-line?  This does not appear to have been a good idea! 

Quote
The net result is that the flight rate slows down, but that goes hand-in-hand with a greater degree of confidence that the rocket will get the job done. I'd much rather wait out the delays and fly my comsat on an Atlas than put the bird on that crap-shoot of a booster, the Proton.

Proton only appears slightly more risky than an EELV, so far.  23 of the 26 Proton M/Briz M missions have succeeded to date, compared to 20 of 22 EELV missions.  A Briz M failed earlier this year, but Proton M/Briz M has already flown four consecutive successful missions since then - matching the current Atlas V success streak.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Antares on 12/13/2008 03:15 am
EELV is a failure because it costs too much.

That's not a metric.  Relative to what?  EELV is cheaper per kilo than any preceding American rocket.

What kind of car do you drive?  EELV's are expensive on the world market for the same reason the big three are: American labor rates.  Wanna trade your national security and standard of living for a cheaper rocket?  I don't.

What's more (!): unlike American cars, EELVs are much more reliable than foreign rockets.  I don't count Heavy Demo or AV-8 as material failures.  Heavy Demo failed, but no expensive payload was lost.  AV-8 came up short, but the satellite survived and didn't lose much of its life - unlike recent foreign failures which have lost more life or been completely catastrophic.

I shrug.  You continually impugn EELV without providing any alternative, which there isn't.  They're the best rockets in existence (Falcon 9 not yet existing).
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/13/2008 02:11 pm
I see and understand your points. And my "feeling" indicates Proton and Zenit are a little less reliable than EELVs.

But you have to admit the following: The timescale for testing / fixing problems with US rockets (EELVs and Delta II) is simply to long: Delta II Star 48 problem > no launch since March, similar for Atlas V. Or the famous Delta II RS batteries. And this for problems which did not lead to a launch failure. Then there is a failure "recovery" times will grow even more, two STS groundings being the extreme.

These extremes are not observed with Ariane (IV or V), which is the closest to US launchers not only because of similar labor costs in western Europe. So let us compare the market share of EELVs vs. Ariane V.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/13/2008 04:17 pm

 A rocket that's flown as long as Proton has should not have such an abysmal flight record. But, oh yeah, it's cheap (relatively) and I can fly my sat real soon.


I shared your perception of Proton reliability until I sat down and tallied up the actual results.  http://www.geocities.com/launchreport/reliability2008.txt

It turns out that Proton is pretty reliable for a GTO launcher.  Proton K/DM-2M, for example, ended up with a better record than any other existing commercial counterpart.  The second most-reliable big GTO launcher was Proton K/DM-2.  Ariane 5 ECA ranks third behind these two, but is actually first among actives now that Proton K has been retired.  Then come the EELVs, Zenit 3SL, China's CZ-3 series, and Russia's current Proton M/Briz M which is in the process of recovering (statistically) from two failures in two consecutive years.

As for Russian launch vehicle reliability, note that six of the 10 most reliable on this list are Russian/Ukrainian.  Only two are from the United States.  Russia has more failures (and more successes) because it flies two to three times more often than the U.S.. 

Which begs the question - if all of the money being spent on EELVs is supposed to buy extra reliability, where are the results?

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/13/2008 04:45 pm
padrat, wow, I didn't know it is this bad. Thanks for the insight. Sounds to me like overregulation of some aspects. This tends to always happen (in any area, not just RS or reliability), when things have gone really bad in the past. But they haven't: Last big trouble has been 1998/99. Well, maybe they haven't happened because of this regulation? I doubt it.

Again, thanks for your time explaining. I don't want to imply US launchers are worse than others, I only observe flight rate and commercial success and wonder why other launch companies / rocket builders / payload providers etc. do - right now - much better.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: pippin on 12/13/2008 07:55 pm
What kind of car do you drive?  EELV's are expensive on the world market for the same reason the big three are: American labor rates.  Wanna trade your national security and standard of living for a cheaper rocket?  I don't.

The cars the big three build are not expensive on the world market. They don't sell because they are cheap crap.
I hope you don't want to imply that US space should adopt the same kind of product strategy they did, which was: Sell a lot to be able to produce cheap and don't care if it's a good product.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Antares on 12/13/2008 08:58 pm
note that six of the 10 most reliable on this list are Russian/Ukrainian.  Only two are from the United States.

Dubious!!  You stack your list against American rockets.  Of your 47 on the list:
former Soviet are 24 (51%)
American are 9 (19%)
Oh look.  20% of the top ten are American, the same fraction as the overall list.  Plus, you skew the share of Eastern bloc rockets by separately counting 6 different flavors of Proton and 7 different flavors of Soyuz.

Which begs the question - if all of the money being spent on EELVs is supposed to buy extra reliability, where are the results?

Ed does make a good point on this one.  The EELV prime(s) can be blamed for bad supplier management.  USAF and NASA should make this a point of emphasis in future management meetings.

Pippin, yes, I agree.  I was not implying that we should relax reliability targets for launches, at least in this media environment.  If the business trade were there (cheaper missions even if 10-20% go in the water) and if public perception could be altered to accept such failures, then decreased reliability would be a rational strategy.

And to the community, as padrat and Analyst allude to, it is often the government oversight that delays flight resumption after finding bad hardware on the ground.  Usually the primes find the fault fairly quickly, solve it, but then have to justify the cause and corrective action to the government (including investigating some possible causes a proper weighing of risk would deem so non-credible that they should not be worthy of pursuit).  These delays are from both the mission assurance function of the customers and the public safety function of the Range.  In fairness, though, there are the occasional problems whose cause or corrective action vex both contractor and government engineers.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/14/2008 07:28 am
note that six of the 10 most reliable on this list are Russian/Ukrainian.  Only two are from the United States.

Dubious!!  You stack your list against American rockets.  Of your 47 on the list:
former Soviet are 24 (51%)
American are 9 (19%)
Oh look.  20% of the top ten are American, the same fraction as the overall list.  Plus, you skew the share of Eastern bloc rockets by separately counting 6 different flavors of Proton and 7 different flavors of Soyuz.

Compare active launch vehicles by family then. 

Launch Vehicle Reliability by Family
Active Family Orbital Launch History
as of 12/14/2008
=========================================
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred     
                             Rate  Rate* 
=========================================
STS             122   124    .98  .98   
R-7            1599  1684    .95  .95
R-36            256   269    .95  .95
R-14            434   460    .94  .94
Thor            540   594    .91  .91
DF-5 (CZ)       108   119    .91  .90
M55               7     7   1.00  .89
Ariane 5         37    41    .90  .88
Atlas 5          13    14    .93  .88
Proton          300   340    .88  .88
Pegasus          35    40    .88  .86
RS-18            10    11    .91  .85
H-2(A)           18    21    .86  .83
Zenit            55    67    .82  .81
Delta 4           7     8    .88  .80
MX               11    14    .79  .75
P/GSLV           14    19    .74  .71
=========================================
* First level Bayesian estimate

Three of the top five families are Russo/Ukrainian. 
Two are from the U.S.  The best GTO launchers
(Proton, Atlas 5, Ariane 5) are all essentially tied
in this list.

Taking an aggregate from the top 15 in this list
gives the following by-nation result.

Russia/CIS   2654/2831 = 0.94
USA            724/787 = 0.92
China          108/119 = 0.91
Europe           37/41 = 0.90
Japan            18/21 = 0.86

However you slice it, the history shows that
the former USSR orbital launchers are just as
reliable as any other nation's rockets, and
probably more so.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jirka Dlouhy on 12/14/2008 09:46 am
I think the problem of EELV launchers is a result from monopoly of ULA in U.S. government´s "market". The same situation is in the cost overruns in progammes for DoD, NASA and NOAA.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/14/2008 11:00 am
I think the problem of EELV launchers is a result from monopoly of ULA in U.S. government´s "market".

The problem still existed before ULA was formed.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jim on 12/14/2008 01:45 pm
I think the problem of EELV launchers is a result from monopoly of ULA in U.S. government´s "market". The same situation is in the cost overruns in progammes for DoD, NASA and NOAA.

Has nothing to do with ULA.  And it is unrelated to the other programs
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Will on 12/14/2008 03:32 pm
EELV reliability doesn't seem bad for the amount of flight experience they have had. If they continue to fly I expect their reliability will improve.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: ckiki lwai on 12/14/2008 07:01 pm

However you slice it, the history shows that
the former USSR orbital launchers are just as
reliable as any other nation's rockets, and
probably more so.

 - Ed Kyle

One difference is that Western rockets tend to get more reliable when they fly a lot, while the reliability of Russian rockets stays about the same, no matter how much they have flown. For example the Delta II and the Ariane 4 are/were very reliable.
My guess is that when the EELV's and the Ariane 5 fly enough (a 100 times or so) and aren't redesigned drastically every 10 or 15 flights they will have a success rate of 92-95%.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/14/2008 07:14 pm
One difference is that Western rockets tend to get more reliable when they fly a lot, while the reliability of Russian rockets stays about the same, no matter how much they have flown.

I disagree. To give one example, Proton has become much more reliable since the 1960s - It failed every few launches, and I believe it took 61 launches before the Proton-K was accepted into service. In the last 10 years, there have only been three core vehicle failures.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Nick L. on 12/14/2008 09:17 pm
One difference is that Western rockets tend to get more reliable when they fly a lot, while the reliability of Russian rockets stays about the same, no matter how much they have flown.

I disagree. To give one example, Proton has become much more reliable since the 1960s - It failed every few launches, and I believe it took 61 launches before the Proton-K was accepted into service. In the last 10 years, there have only been three core vehicle failures.

I should hope so! They've had 40 years and 340 launches to get it right! The fact that they still have had recent booster problems (remember JCSat and the bad 1-2 sep?) could indicate QC problems (which I understand they're working on).

Proton is a pretty good LV, sure, but they've had a long time to work on it. It should be.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: ckiki lwai on 12/14/2008 09:58 pm
One difference is that Western rockets tend to get more reliable when they fly a lot, while the reliability of Russian rockets stays about the same, no matter how much they have flown.

I disagree. To give one example, Proton has become much more reliable since the 1960s - It failed every few launches, and I believe it took 61 launches before the Proton-K was accepted into service. In the last 10 years, there have only been three core vehicle failures.

Let's compare Proton with Ariane 4, two launchers of the same class (Proton about 6 tons to GTO and Ariane 4 about 4 tons).
At Gunter's space page, there is nice list with the launch history of both rockets:
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/ariane.htm
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_fam/proton.htm
If we look at the last 74 flights of the Ariane 4, we see there wasn't a single failure anymore, while Proton had 2 total and 3 partial failures in its last 74 flights.
Ariane 4 was a real mature vehicle, while Proton now and then still encounters a problem.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 12/15/2008 01:42 am
One difference is that Western rockets tend to get more reliable when they fly a lot, while the reliability of Russian rockets stays about the same, no matter how much they have flown.

I disagree. To give one example, Proton has become much more reliable since the 1960s - It failed every few launches, and I believe it took 61 launches before the Proton-K was accepted into service. In the last 10 years, there have only been three core vehicle failures.

Let's compare Proton with Ariane 4, two launchers of the same class (Proton about 6 tons to GTO and Ariane 4 about 4 tons).
At Gunter's space page, there is nice list with the launch history of both rockets:
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/ariane.htm
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_fam/proton.htm
If we look at the last 74 flights of the Ariane 4, we see there wasn't a single failure anymore, while Proton had 2 total and 3 partial failures in its last 74 flights.
Ariane 4 was a real mature vehicle, while Proton now and then still encounters a problem.

Ariane 4 posted an excellent record, but keep in mind that Space Shuttle recorded 88 consecutive success before Columbia, the Soviet Union's R-7 series once posted 133 consecutive success before failing again, and so on.  Although the Proton series has suffered four failures so far this decade, it had suffered five at this point during the 1990s, seven during the 1980s, and so on.  The trend is improving, though I'm sure that Krunichev would like to see even better results.

Titan offers one counter-example of the idea that Western reliability improves with time.  The Titan series (all types) recorded better reliability during the 1980s than it did during the 1990s.  STS is another example, having done better during the 1990s than during this decade. 

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: johnxx9 on 12/15/2008 07:46 am
I think that people are failing to understand the proper idea of rockets in the east!
For example in NASA, a launch vehicle family tends to be retired after about 20-25 years max! And by that time they will be performing to their capability!
In the east, people tend to upgrade the existing launchers and keep the family for what, 40 years or something and keep upgrading them and retesting them! So the chances of failure will be higher. Take Proton for that matter, it flew first in 1965, same as the Saturn age. But Saturn was retired with the arrival of Titan family! While Proton was being upgraded with new technologies and being retested!
So we tend to forget that the present Proton Breeze M is almost completely different expect or some things. So, launched in 2007 the new Proton Breeze M is just like something new and can't be compared to a Proton of 1960s!
So it's just the fact that Russian mindset to keep upgrading old rocket designs  and constant retesting somewhat fails it! 
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: ugordan on 12/15/2008 08:27 am
So it's just the fact that Russian mindset to keep upgrading old rocket designs  and constant retesting somewhat fails it! 

But see, that's the beauty of statistics. You can choose to ignore certain facts if it suits the point you're trying to make. It's completely flexible!
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Skyrocket on 12/15/2008 08:32 am
I think that people are failing to understand the proper idea of rockets in the east!
For example in NASA, a launch vehicle family tends to be retired after about 20-25 years max! And by that time they will be performing to their capability!
In the east, people tend to upgrade the existing launchers and keep the family for what, 40 years or something and keep upgrading them and retesting them! So the chances of failure will be higher. Take Proton for that matter, it flew first in 1965, same as the Saturn age. But Saturn was retired with the arrival of Titan family! While Proton was being upgraded with new technologies and being retested!
So we tend to forget that the present Proton Breeze M is almost completely different expect or some things. So, launched in 2007 the new Proton Breeze M is just like something new and can't be compared to a Proton of 1960s!
So it's just the fact that Russian mindset to keep upgrading old rocket designs  and constant retesting somewhat fails it! 

These are several misconceptions:
* There are not that many NASA rocket families besides Saturn and Shuttle
* Why are the chances of failure higher, when you use a launch vehicle ober a longer period?
* The retirement of Saturn had exactly nothing to do with Titan
* The Proton-M of today is not so much away from the original Proton (e.g. the evolution of Thor to the Delta II of today (or even Delta III), which are really different)
* The russian practice is to use a rocket design unmodifed as long as it is possible and then only minor modifications are made. US practice is to upgrade old rocket designs over a long period  with rather extencive modifications (e.g. Thor -> Delta II, Titan I -> Titan IV, Atlas ICBM -> Atlas III)

Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 12/15/2008 08:33 am
I think that people are failing to understand the proper idea of rockets in the east!
For example in NASA, a launch vehicle family tends to be retired after about 20-25 years max! And by that time they will be performing to their capability!
In the east, people tend to upgrade the existing launchers and keep the family for what, 40 years or something and keep upgrading them and retesting them! So the chances of failure will be higher. Take Proton for that matter, it flew first in 1965, same as the Saturn age. But Saturn was retired with the arrival of Titan family! While Proton was being upgraded with new technologies and being retested!
So we tend to forget that the present Proton Breeze M is almost completely different expect or some things. So, launched in 2007 the new Proton Breeze M is just like something new and can't be compared to a Proton of 1960s!
So it's just the fact that Russian mindset to keep upgrading old rocket designs  and constant retesting somewhat fails it! 

I couldn't disagree more.
1) The more a system is used, the more chances there are to iron out major design flaws - if it isn't broken, don't fix it. A lot of recent Russian failures have been down to QC issues.
2) Up until EELV, the USA followed the same approach - Delta II is based on a design which first flew in 1957. Atlas II, which was only retired in 2004, was based on an equally old design. You state that Saturn was retired when Titan arrived, but Titan actually flew before Saturn.
3) The Atlas V upper stage is based on a design first flown in 1962. The same engine type is used by the Delta IV upper stage.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: ckiki lwai on 12/15/2008 10:17 am

Ariane 4 posted an excellent record, but keep in mind that Space Shuttle recorded 88 consecutive success before Columbia, the Soviet Union's R-7 series once posted 133 consecutive success before failing again, and so on.  Although the Proton series has suffered four failures so far this decade, it had suffered five at this point during the 1990s, seven during the 1980s, and so on.  The trend is improving, though I'm sure that Krunichev would like to see even better results.

Titan offers one counter-example of the idea that Western reliability improves with time.  The Titan series (all types) recorded better reliability during the 1980s than it did during the 1990s.  STS is another example, having done better during the 1990s than during this decade. 

 - Ed Kyle

But the Shuttle is a special case, because with the failure of Columbia, the "rocket part" of the space shuttle worked, but damaged the "re-entry" part.
R7 too, because it has flown more than 1200 times, if the Ariane 4 series had flown 1200 times, who knows how many successful consecutive launches it could have achieved.
Proton's amount of failures decreased in the last three decades because they flew less every decade too. +60 this decade, 90 last decade and 110 the decade before.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: johnxx9 on 12/15/2008 03:43 pm
See, a particular launch vehicle needs sometime from when it flies first, to reach its max ability! It may be 4-5 years or anything! But if you tinker with the rocket before it has its max capability, you'll end up having required to test the vehicle again ! Again, the vehicle will not be at it's best and you tinker with the design!

That's what has happened to Proton! Before a particular version reached its max capability, they started experimenting with the avionics, core engine, upper stage! When you do all these things together it'll be better, but every now and then if you keep making changes that are not so minor, it will result in decrease in the success rate ! 

The Proton Breeze-M is almost completely different from early versions expect for the air frame and design ! Many things have changed like avionics, fuel (early versions used kerosene), and also the stages themselves have gone through many major changes!

Heres the problem, instead of bringing all these changes at once into a new vehicle, they kept adding them on one-by-one onto Proton ! And every time the vehicle had to be tested and retested !!!!!
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Skyrocket on 12/15/2008 03:59 pm
Excuse me, but you have probably no knowledge of the development history of the Proton, which has pretty few versions compared to many other vehicles. The one-by-one development practice as you've critisized above was done on vehicle like Atlas, Delta, Thor, Titan. Often not two consecutivly launched vehicles were identical. But in general russian (or soviet) launch vehicle were rarely changed, as they are really as close to  "mass production" as a launch vehicle can get.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Chris Bergin on 12/15/2008 05:36 pm
Going off topic. Remember, this will be the live update pages for the launch when it happens, so let's keep this specific to the thread.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Analyst on 12/15/2008 08:25 pm
... this will be the live update pages for the launch when it happens, ...

Yes, but this "when" is always far in the future. Until this very date we can use this thread for any other purpose ... and not waste its very existence :) ;)

Sorry, I coundn't resist. Back to topic, whenever there is a launch.

Analyst
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Nick L. on 01/06/2009 12:18 pm
Still scheduled for Jan. 13. Fingers crossed... :D
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: psloss on 01/06/2009 11:37 pm
Anybody thinking about going to watch this?  I am, just not sure if I'll be able to yet... :)
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: mike robel on 01/06/2009 11:44 pm
I intend to, of course my vantage point is about 1 mile away from my house. 
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: psloss on 01/07/2009 12:10 am
I intend to, of course my vantage point is about 1 mile away from my house. 
That's cheating. ;D
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: gladiator1332 on 01/07/2009 02:45 am
Looking forward to this launch. I've always been amazed by the Delta IV Heavy
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Jos on 01/07/2009 12:23 pm
More info from Aviation Week: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/NRODSP12108.xml
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: DaveS on 01/07/2009 01:04 pm
More info from Aviation Week: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/NRODSP12108.xml
Nothing new as that article is dated December 10 2008! So you're just repeating old and known facts. Nothing new at all.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/07/2009 03:27 pm
More info from Aviation Week: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/NRODSP12108.xml

"The combined cost of the NROL-26 spacecraft and booster is upwards of $2 billion."

(gulp)

Makes me wonder where this ranks on the "most expensive space mission" scale.  Apollo missions must have cost substantially more than this.  Cassini cost more.  Hubble too, and surely several ISS missions if the cost of the station hardware was included.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: kfetter on 01/08/2009 12:11 am
They are saying so far, at the united launch alliance website, the launch date of Jan 13

http://www.ulalaunch.com/index.html
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 01/08/2009 02:09 am
Anybody thinking about going to watch this?  I am, just not sure if I'll be able to yet... :)


Depends on the time. It's the first day of classes for me but if the launch is early enough or late enough, I'll be there.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/09/2009 06:29 pm
From ULA PAO Mike:

Hi, you’ll see releases from the Air Force, but just in case, I wanted to give you some critical times for the upcoming Delta IV heavy launch.

 

1)       The unclassified launch period was announced today.  The launch will take place Jan. 13, between 7 p.m. – midnight.  The exact launch time will be announced Jan. 12, 4 p.m.

2)       Remote camera set up/MST rollback:  Please meet at the old Space Florida parking lot at the front of Cape Canaveral AFS Jan. 13, 0745 for escort.  We’ll arrive at the pad at 0815 and depart at 1015.  The MST will rollback during this time so you can see the rocket.

3)       Launch viewing:  The meet time for media who need to be escorted to the KSC press site for the launch is Jan. 13, 6:15 p.m.  We will meet at the new KSC Pass and ID badging station near the KSC visitor complex on SR 405. Those media who are already KSC badged can proceed directly to the press site. 

 

Other Notes:  The launch broadcast will begin 25 minutes prior to T-0 and end just after payload fairing separation, approximately 8-10 minutes into the flight. It will also be simulcast on the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com.  The satellite coordinates are below:

 

Carrier: INTELSAT

Satellite: GALAXY 28C

Transponder - GAL28C-15

Orbital Position: 89 DEGREES WEST

Band: C

Bandwidth: 36.00 MHZ

Uplink Frequency: 6225.0000 Horizontal

Downlink Frequency: 4000.0000 Vertical

 

NOTE: SPLIT AUDIO

Complete Broadcast Audio on 6.8 MHz subcarrier (Right Channel Audio)

Rocket Blast-off / PAD ONLY audio 6.2  MHz subcarrier (Left Channel Audio)

Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 01/09/2009 07:02 pm
From ULA PAO Mike:

Hi, you’ll see releases from the Air Force, but just in case, I wanted to give you some critical times for the upcoming Delta IV heavy launch.

 

1)       The unclassified launch period was announced today.  The launch will take place Jan. 13, between 7 p.m. – midnight.  The exact launch time will be announced Jan. 12, 4 p.m.

2)       Remote camera set up/MST rollback:  Please meet at the old Space Florida parking lot at the front of Cape Canaveral AFS Jan. 13, 0745 for escort.  We’ll arrive at the pad at 0815 and depart at 1015.  The MST will rollback during this time so you can see the rocket.

3)       Launch viewing:  The meet time for media who need to be escorted to the KSC press site for the launch is Jan. 13, 6:15 p.m.  We will meet at the new KSC Pass and ID badging station near the KSC visitor complex on SR 405. Those media who are already KSC badged can proceed directly to the press site. 

 

Other Notes:  The launch broadcast will begin 25 minutes prior to T-0 and end just after payload fairing separation, approximately 8-10 minutes into the flight. It will also be simulcast on the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com.  The satellite coordinates are below:

 

Carrier: INTELSAT

Satellite: GALAXY 28C

Transponder - GAL28C-15

Orbital Position: 89 DEGREES WEST

Band: C

Bandwidth: 36.00 MHZ

Uplink Frequency: 6225.0000 Horizontal

Downlink Frequency: 4000.0000 Vertical

 

NOTE: SPLIT AUDIO

Complete Broadcast Audio on 6.8 MHz subcarrier (Right Channel Audio)

Rocket Blast-off / PAD ONLY audio 6.2  MHz subcarrier (Left Channel Audio)



Are those times in EST?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Nick L. on 01/10/2009 06:05 pm
I think so. I assume the timing of the webcast end is due to the classified payload?
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Rocket Guy on 01/10/2009 06:29 pm
Yes EST.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: William Graham on 01/10/2009 06:57 pm
I think so. I assume the timing of the webcast end is due to the classified payload?

Yes, they did the same on the last two NRO launches.
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: HIPAR on 01/11/2009 10:24 pm
What can be deduced about the payload and its mission if the launch time is announced now, 24 hours prior to liftoff or not announced at all?

Do the Russians still send 'trawlers' out to monitor the launches?

---  CHAS
Title: Re: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/11/2009 10:36 pm
ULA PAO Mike update again:

Hi, just letting you know we are still processing towards a Jan. 13 launch.  The next update will come tomorrow at 4 p.m. EST when we announce the exact launch time.  As a reminder, here are the media op times for Tuesday. Thanks, Mike

 

1)       Remote camera set up/MST rollback:  Please meet at the old Space Florida parking lot at the front of Cape Canaveral AFS Jan. 13, 0745 for escort.  We’ll arrive at the pad at 0815 and depart at 1015.  The MST will rollback during this time so you can see the rocket.

2)       Launch viewing:  The meet time for media who need to be escorted to the KSC press site for the launch is Jan. 13, 6:15 p.m.  We will meet at the new KSC Pass and ID badging station near the KSC visitor complex on SR 405. Those media who are already KSC badged can proceed directly to the press site. 

 

Other Notes:  The launch broadcast will begin 25 minutes prior to T-0 and end just after payload fairing separation, approximately 8-10 minutes into the flight. It will also be simulcast on the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com.  The satellite coordinates are below:

 

Carrier: INTELSAT

Satellite: GALAXY 28C

Transponder - GAL28C-15

Orbital Position: 89 DEGREES WEST

Band: C

Bandwidth: 36.00 MHZ

Uplink Frequency: 6225.0000 Horizontal

Downlink Frequency: 4000.0000 Vertical

 

NOTE: SPLIT AUDIO

Complete Broadcast Audio on 6.8 MHz subcarrier (Right Channel Audio)

Rocket Blast-off / PAD ONLY audio 6.2  MHz subcarrier (Left Channel Audio)

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/12/2009 02:52 pm
Moved for live coverage
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/12/2009 08:05 pm
ULA PAO:

"Good afternoon, the launch T-0 for tomorrow’s launch is 7:49 p.m. EST with a four hour launch window. The launch broadcast and web simulcast will begin at 7:25 p.m. EST.  I attached the official launch forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday as well. A 60% chance of weather violation for Tuesday, but only 10% for Wednesday. Here is a reminder of tomorrow’s schedule of events.  Thanks, Mike."
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/13/2009 03:57 am
Maybe a little too early, but here is the link to the webcast:

http://vyvxlivewm.fplive.net/vyvxlive-live/vyvxula011309_300
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Analyst on 01/13/2009 09:07 am
Spaceflight Now is reporting this mission uses a 3-burn upperstage profile as did the two flights before. This strongly indicates a GEO mission. The long launch window indicates GEO too. So most likely a big SIGNIT/ELINT, like the two different types launched by Titan 4. Probably a (improved?) "leftover", as discussed before.

Analyst
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/13/2009 10:29 am
Spaceflight Now is reporting this mission uses a 3-burn upperstage profile as did the two flights before. This strongly indicates a GEO mission. The long launch window indicates GEO too. So most likely a big SIGNIT/ELINT, like the two different types launched by Titan 4. Probably a (improved?) "leftover", as discussed before.

Analyst

I still maintain that the leftover is more likely to be a Lacrosse on L-15. I think this is the first "Intruder" (IOSA) integrated ELINT/COMINT. There have been some news articles listing this as the "most expensive" NRO satellite programme ever (I don't know how reliable that is - isn't the budget classified), which would suggest it is something new.

Quite a lot of recent NRO high-orbit ELINT satellites seem to operate in threes (three Mentors, three Mercurys (including the failed one), three Trumpets (assuming 184 and 200 are Prowler), three Magnums, etc.)

Of course, it could be a replacement for the failed Mercury, but I still think it is more likely to be a new programme.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/13/2009 11:51 am

Quite a lot of recent NRO high-orbit ELINT satellites seem to operate in threes (three Mentors, three Mercurys (including the failed one), three Trumpets (assuming 184 and 200 are Prowler), three Magnums, etc.)


You are repeating programs.  The some of the names you listed describe the same program
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Jirka Dlouhy on 01/13/2009 12:05 pm
According of Spaceflight Now scrub for today. Next attempt tomorrow after 24 hours.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: Analyst on 01/13/2009 12:16 pm
We should drop the term "leftover", it generates confusion. And yes, I am guilty of using it.

I wouldn't be surprised if the GEO and Molniya orbit satellites are the same design and program, specifically the only ones which used the 86 Titan Centaur shroud (Trumpet and Mercury).

Analyst
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/13/2009 12:20 pm
Will T-0 be 7:49 p.m. on Wednesday, the 14th?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/13/2009 12:32 pm
Going to be a long day with rollout of Discovery at 4am ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/13/2009 01:50 pm
ULA PAO Mike:

"Good morning, an official statement from the NRO is in the work; however, we are delaying the NROL-26 Delta IV heavy launch 24 hours until Jan. 14.  We’ll issue the new launch time later today no later than 4 p.m. It will still occur between the unclassified launch period of 7 p.m. – midnight. All of the media ops for tomorrow remain at the same times.  More to come. Thanks, Mike."
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/13/2009 05:47 pm

Quite a lot of recent NRO high-orbit ELINT satellites seem to operate in threes (three Mentors, three Mercurys (including the failed one), three Trumpets (assuming 184 and 200 are Prowler), three Magnums, etc.)


You are repeating programs.  The some of the names you listed describe the same program

Which ones? I've got them all down as separate programmes?
Magnum: USA-8/48/67
Trumpet: USA-103/112/136
Mercury: USA-105/108/FTO
Mentor: USA-110/139/171
Prowler: USA-184/200/TBD
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/13/2009 05:58 pm
Good afternoon, here is the launch forecast for tomorrow along with the official launch delay release if you have not seen it. Thanks, Mike

 

Launch Day Forecast:

 

Probability of violating weather constraints: 10% --

 

Primary Concerns:  Ground level (54 ft) winds --

 

24-Hour Delay Forecast:

 

Probability of violating weather constraints: 30% --

 

Primary Concerns:  Ground level (54 ft) winds --

 

 

Synoptic Discussion:  The front that stalled to the south of Cape Canaveral yesterday returned back over the area as a warm front this

morning.  An upper level trough will enter the Southeast US this evening, pushing the surface front though Central Florida again as a

cold front.  The front will cause thick layered clouds, precipitation, and windy conditions early this evening.  This weather will clear

overnight, and high pressure will build in from the west, bringing favorable weather for launch Wednesday evening.   There is only a slight

concern for a violation of the ground wind (54 ft) Launch Commit Criteria.

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/13/2009 05:58 pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
DELAY OF DELTA IV-HEAVY LAUNCH
 

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – The launch of a National Reconnaissance Office payload aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy scheduled for 7:49 p.m. tonight from Space Launch Complex 37 has been delayed 24 hours.

During final walk down inspections, some minor damage to the spray-on foam insulation for the interstage doors was discovered.  This insulation will be repaired prior to flight, but the work will not be completed in time to support the roll of the mobile service tower as planned for today.

The new launch time is now set for Jan. 14, 7:45 p.m. EST.

Media representatives interested in covering the launch from the Kennedy Space Center News Center must report to the parking lot at the new KSC Badging Station next to the KSC Visitor’s Complex on State Road #405 on January 14, at 6:15 pm for badging and escort.  Media with a permanent KSC badge will not require an escort and should drive directly to the KSC News Center, which is the press site for this launch.

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 13, 09
Post by: jcm on 01/14/2009 01:12 pm

Quite a lot of recent NRO high-orbit ELINT satellites seem to operate in threes (three Mentors, three Mercurys (including the failed one), three Trumpets (assuming 184 and 200 are Prowler), three Magnums, etc.)


You are repeating programs.  The some of the names you listed describe the same program

Which ones? I've got them all down as separate programmes?
Magnum: USA-8/48/67
Trumpet: USA-103/112/136
Mercury: USA-105/108/FTO
Mentor: USA-110/139/171
Prowler: USA-184/200/TBD

Your 'Mentor'  sats are the ones I still call 'Advanced ORION' because I haven't seen convincing sources tie the MENTOR name to them. They are a continuation of the MAGNUM program under another name:
   RHYOLITE = AQUACADE  = MAGNUM = ORION = (?MENTOR)
 
Your 'Prowler' sats, I strongly doubt PROWLER is the right name for USA-184/200, but maybe you have a source that knows b etter. In any case, these sats are in the same series as TRUMPET (although a new generation of that series)
  JUMPSEAT = TRUMPET = (?Advanced TRUMPET)

And of course MERCURY is the series of GEO sigints whose earlier names were
    CANYON = CHALET = VORTEX = MERCURY

There are generation/block changes within these programs, but they don't necessarily coincide with the changes in BYEMAN-style codename, which happen e.g. whenever we outsiders figure one out.

 - Jonathan
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Analyst on 01/14/2009 03:06 pm
USA-67 is a GEO SDS.

Analyst
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Seattle Dave on 01/14/2009 05:10 pm
When does the webcast start?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/14/2009 05:20 pm
When does the webcast start?

25 minutes before launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: John B on 01/14/2009 05:35 pm
Looking good for this evening!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Martin FL on 01/14/2009 05:58 pm
I'm going to drive down and watch this launch. Will take photos :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 01/14/2009 06:10 pm
I'm going to drive down and watch this launch. Will take photos :)

Same here. Managed to get some tickets. ;) I'll be taking a video of this launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/14/2009 06:22 pm
We could set up a seperate thread for images and video if needs be!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/14/2009 06:26 pm
From ULA, here's an image of today's Delta IV Heavy, sporting Delta No. 337 on the Delta logo.  It has some different fairing details near the base of the fairing, compared to the last Heavy.

 - Ed Kyle

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: ksc_houston on 01/14/2009 06:44 pm
According to Spaceflight Now, the technicians are working on a gaseous nitrogen valve issue. Estimating 30 minutes to work the issue, and then 1 hour to clear the pad before fueling can begin.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 01/14/2009 08:02 pm
Does anyone know what scanner frequency might work tonight to listen to the final minutes of the launch countdown?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/14/2009 08:46 pm
We still haven't started fueling yet?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/14/2009 09:09 pm
Another shot of the vehicle:

Courtesy of Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: gladiator1332 on 01/14/2009 09:14 pm
Latest updates saying they are still trying to fix gaseous nitrogen relief valve. Still hope to launch tonight.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Orbiter on 01/14/2009 09:16 pm
They're still trying to fix the Gaseous nitrogen Relief valve, but SpaceFlightNow indicates that they are going to start fueling.
Link, http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d337/status.html
Official's are going to look in to a new launch time later tonight.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Orbiter on 01/14/2009 09:26 pm
Launch team has now completed radio frequency link Checks.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: WHAP on 01/14/2009 09:35 pm
They're still trying to fix the Gaseous nitrogen Relief valve, but SpaceFlightNow indicates that they are going to start fueling.
Link, http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d337/status.html
Official's are going to look in to a new launch time later tonight.

I don't read the article the same way - sounds like they're going to wait to fix the valve, not start fueling while it's still broken.  The launch time will be within the previously specified window.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Rocket Nut on 01/14/2009 09:48 pm
once they start fueling, how long does that take?  I'm planning to drive down to watch it...15 minute drive.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/14/2009 09:51 pm
My guess is they've used at least 2.5 hrs of the window.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/14/2009 09:52 pm
once they start fueling, how long does that take?  I'm planning to drive down to watch it...15 minute drive.
Between 3 and 4 hours is my guess.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/14/2009 09:59 pm
Scrub.  ECS issue.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/14/2009 10:00 pm
once they start fueling, how long does that take?  I'm planning to drive down to watch it...15 minute drive.
Between 3 and 4 hours is my guess.

Fuelling started about 5 hours before the scheduled T-0 on the last launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/14/2009 10:11 pm
Scrub.  ECS issue.
source?

nothing on spaceflight now yet

NSF is where the pros are.  I don't know about that other place. ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/14/2009 10:11 pm
Yep, it's been scrubbed. GN2 valve problem took too much time apparently.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: gladiator1332 on 01/14/2009 10:12 pm
Wow, shows that NSF is the place to be! We had that one at least 10 mins ahead of everyone else.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Rocket Nut on 01/14/2009 10:14 pm
I hate these late night launches with a wide launch window, but I'm always there to watch them.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/14/2009 10:30 pm
Launch of Delta IV Heavy NROL-26 Scrubbed

 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, Jan. 14, 2009 - The scheduled launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with a National Reconnaissance payload was scrubbed for tonight.  Technicians are working to resolve a gaseous nitrogen valve issue in the ground support equipment.  The very dry gaseous nitrogen is used to evacuate the air from various compartments in the launch vehicle whenever cryogenic propellants are loaded, because the extremely cold temperatures of the propellants would cause water in the air to condense.  Without this piece of equipment working properly fueling of the vehicle could not take place and the issue could not be resolved in time to make tonight’s launch window.  The launch is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7:41 pm.

 

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/14/2009 11:50 pm
Good thing I decided to go home...didn't miss the launch. Thanks for the update everyone.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/15/2009 01:43 am
Was that photo taken from Port Canaveral?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/15/2009 07:06 am
From ULA, here's an image of today's Delta IV Heavy, sporting Delta No. 337 on the Delta logo.  It has some different fairing details near the base of the fairing, compared to the last Heavy.

 - Ed Kyle



The fairing looks like the Titan-derived aluminium one, rather than the composite one. That could add some weight to the arguments that the payload was transferred from a Titan IV.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/15/2009 11:35 am

The fairing looks like the Titan-derived aluminium one, rather than the composite one. That could add some weight to the arguments that the payload was transferred from a Titan IV.

Both, DSP and this one, are T-IV fairings.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/15/2009 02:43 pm

The fairing looks like the Titan-derived aluminium one, rather than the composite one. That could add some weight to the arguments that the payload was transferred from a Titan IV.

Both, DSP and this one, are T-IV fairings.

So what fairing did the maiden flight use?  The Ariane/Atlas V version?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 14, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/15/2009 03:15 pm

The fairing looks like the Titan-derived aluminium one, rather than the composite one. That could add some weight to the arguments that the payload was transferred from a Titan IV.

Both, DSP and this one, are T-IV fairings.

So what fairing did the maiden flight use?  The Ariane/Atlas V version?

No, a new Boeing version
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 15, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/15/2009 04:39 pm
Launch called off. MST is being rolled back around the vehicle.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 15, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/15/2009 04:39 pm
Spaceflightnow.com is reporting tonights launch attempt has been scrubbed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/15/2009 04:45 pm
Scrubbed again.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Analyst on 01/15/2009 04:51 pm
I love Delta IV. :(

Analyst
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/15/2009 05:03 pm
Whop-te-doo. Now I can actually stay up (Europe) and see the launch if it finally happens during weekend.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: gladiator1332 on 01/15/2009 05:07 pm
Darn. Oh well, I remember enduring months of scrubs for the first D4H launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/15/2009 05:24 pm
This doesn't sound too hopeful for a 24 hour turnaround:

"Hi, official release is coming.  Managers will meet later tonight to pick a new launch date.  Along with valve issue still being worked, bad weather has entered the equation.  More to come. Mike.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/15/2009 06:13 pm
Good afternoon, here is the official statement for today’s delay.  The plan is to put out another statement later this evening after mission managers meet.

FOR REMOTE CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHERS:  We will adjust cameras on launch day, whatever day that turns out to be.  Meet at the CCAFS front gate at 0900 on launch day for escort. Thanks, Mike

 

Launch of Delta IV Heavy Postponed, New Launch Date to be Determined

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, (Jan. 15, 2009) – Mission managers have decided to postpone today’s launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with a National Reconnaissance Office payload for two reasons.  First, work continues to resolve a gaseous nitrogen valve issue within the launch pad ground support equipment.   The very dry gaseous nitrogen is used to evacuate the air from various compartments in the launch vehicle whenever cryogenic propellants are loaded, because the extremely cold temperatures of the propellants would cause water in the air to condense.   Second, there is a probability that increasing winds due to an approaching cold front would violate vehicle exposure criteria tonight.  The Mobile Service Tower is being rolled back into position around the Delta IV Heavy this afternoon. Mission managers will convene this evening to determine the date for the next launch attempt. More information on a launch date and time will be released when available.

 

Michael J. Rein

ULA Communications

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: marsavian on 01/15/2009 07:54 pm
This is the biggest operational minus against using D-IVH as a time-critical CLV, it is such a hanger queen !
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/15/2009 08:30 pm
Next attempt will be on Saturday (Friday EST), according to MSDB.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/15/2009 08:32 pm
This is nothing. I remember the first few launches where there would be hold after hold as things went wrong with the vehicles - battery voltages, pressures, temps, actuators. The later ones seem to be quite a bit cleaner in that regard - there was only one non-weather hold in the past 4 flights.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/15/2009 08:48 pm
there was only one non-weather hold in the past 4 flights.

I make it three. GOES-N scrubbed twice due to technical issues, and there was a short hold in the DSP-23 countdown, but this was resolved within the window.

Of course, that's not counting delays before the start of the countdown. This launch is already over three years behind schedule, and there hasn't been a Delta IV flight since 2007. Only one Delta IV has launched within a year of its scheduled launch date.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: gladiator1332 on 01/15/2009 09:02 pm
I'd rather see them scrub than launch with a known issue and fail.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: DfwRevolution on 01/15/2009 09:07 pm
Can some of these technical issues be attributed to the Delta IV's low flight rate?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: kch on 01/15/2009 09:27 pm
I'd rather see them scrub than launch with a known issue and fail.

Much rather -- fix it, *then* fly it!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: yinzer on 01/15/2009 09:40 pm
Can some of these technical issues be attributed to the Delta IV's low flight rate?

Either the low flight rate, or the currently low total number of flights.

This is the 3rd Delta-IV Heavy launch, and the 7th launch from SLC-37.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/15/2009 10:38 pm
ULA PAO:

Delta IV Heavy Launch Rescheduled for Jan. 17

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, (Jan. 15, 2009) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with a National Reconnaissance Office payload has been rescheduled for Jan. 17, 7:33 p.m. EST.  The primary reason for rescheduling the launch on Saturday is the current weather forecast. The forecast for Friday predicts a 70 percent chance of high winds exceeding both Mobile Service Tower roll and launch criteria.  The forecast Saturday significantly improves to only a 20 percent chance of weather violating launch criteria. Concerning the gaseous nitrogen valve issue associated with the launch pad ground support equipment, mission managers state the valve will be fully repaired and mission capable to support this launch attempt.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: kevin-rf on 01/16/2009 12:33 am

Since it has now been moved to saturday anyone willing to hazard a guess based upon prior GSO flights how long after launch the third and final circularization burn will be if this is a GSO mission and if the third burn will be visible for us in north america?

Pile on enough warm layers and it would be great to sit up early sunday morning and see if one can catch it.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 16, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/16/2009 12:44 am
there was only one non-weather hold in the past 4 flights.

I make it three. GOES-N scrubbed twice due to technical issues, and there was a short hold in the DSP-23 countdown, but this was resolved within the window.

Of course, that's not counting delays before the start of the countdown. This launch is already over three years behind schedule, and there hasn't been a Delta IV flight since 2007. Only one Delta IV has launched within a year of its scheduled launch date.

I'm pretty sure GOES-N launched without any unplanned holds in the 2006 attempt. I don't count the 2005 scrubs. The DSP was the hold I was talking about, and I'm not even sure it was a vehicle issue (they said it was "data monitoring for composite ramp temps" which has to do with the PAF)

As for your other point, I already made a big long post about how if one launch is delayed, they all will be even if the next vehicles in the pipeline are clean in the DSP thread. I count the "scheduled" launch date as that announced around or after the last flight went off. It is unreasonable to (for example) expect them to launch one scheduled for June 7 when the previous one hasn't even gotten off the pad yet as of June 9!

Look at the NROL-22 launch. It took them a long time to prep that one for flight and that delayed the next flight (DMSP) for a while even though that vehicle was relatively clean and was only delayed about a month from the date announced after the NRO flight. There was NO way they could make DMSP fly any earlier when NROL hadn't flown. The flight order can't change and if one launch is delayed it will affect the rest even if there are no problems with the rest of them.

Therefore I count the original launch date (and thus the lateness of this flight) as whatever date was announced near or after DSP-23.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: parham55 on 01/16/2009 03:23 am
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: kraisee on 01/16/2009 04:54 am
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.

If you have a car, you can get a really good view of the Pad from the *second* SR-528 causeway just as you enter Port Canaveral (check Google maps) roughly an hour down the road from where you are.   There will be hundreds of other spectators so you won't miss the crowd :)

You could spend the day at the Space Center and see all the sites there.

And the beach area is a nice place to visit anyway -- at least on warmer days than today!!! :)

Ross.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: parham55 on 01/16/2009 11:26 am
I'd love to be able to head East to the Space Center but I'm in a trade show all weekend.  I'm just very pleased I have NSF.com to keep me up to date on when I need to step outside and search the sky.  Thanks everyone!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/16/2009 01:20 pm
NEW Satellite coordinates for Saturday ULA Delta IV NRO launch

 

Test signals 6:45 PM ET – 7:07 PM ET

Broadcast start 7:07 PM ET

 

Carrier: INTELSAT

Satellite: GALAXY 3C

Transponder - GALAXY 3C-04

Orbital Position: 95 DEGREES WEST

Band: C

Bandwidth: 36.00 MHZ

Downlink Frequency: 3780 MHz (Vertical)

 

NOTE: SPLIT AUDIO

Complete Broadcast Audio on 6.8 MHz subcarrier (Right Channel Audio)

Rocket Blast-off / PAD ONLY audio 6.2  MHz subcarrier (Left Channel Audio)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/16/2009 01:24 pm
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.

If you have a car, you can get a really good view of the Pad from the *second* SR-528 causeway just as you enter Port Canaveral (check Google maps) roughly an hour down the road from where you are.   There will be hundreds of other spectators so you won't miss the crowd :)

You could spend the day at the Space Center and see all the sites there.

And the beach area is a nice place to visit anyway -- at least on warmer days than today!!! :)

Ross.

With shuttle launches one can see all up and down the east coast, would that be possible for Delta IV?  I am in Virginia Beach right now, so was wondering if I could briefly glance her going by if the weather is right....
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: joncz on 01/16/2009 01:36 pm
With shuttle launches one can see all up and down the east coast, would that be possible for Delta IV?  I am in Virginia Beach right now, so was wondering if I could briefly glance her going by if the weather is right....

I would say it's highly unlikely.  You can see the shuttle launches because their on a 51degree inclination which takes them up the east coast.  Delta IV is going to a geostationary orbit which means they'll be launch due east.

Edit: typo on the ISS inclination
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DaveS on 01/16/2009 01:39 pm
I would say it's highly unlikely.  You can see the shuttle launches because their on a 57degree inclination
The SSP hasn't flown a 57° inclination mission since STS-99 in Feb. 2000! ISS resides in a 51.6° inclination orbit.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: rsnellenberger on 01/16/2009 04:59 pm
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.
I remember seeing a Delta launch while standing in the carport at the Orlando Airport La Quinta sometime around 1990.  I didn't know exactly what it was at the time (other than a launch), but got some details in news reports later that evening.  There wasn't much to see -- just a contrail against a clear blue sky, but I was impressed by fact that I could see it at all.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Damon Hill on 01/16/2009 05:23 pm
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.
I remember seeing a Delta launch while standing in the carport at the Orlando Airport La Quinta sometime around 1990.  I didn't know exactly what it was at the time (other than a launch), but got some details in news reports later that evening.  There wasn't much to see -- just a contrail against a clear blue sky, but I was impressed by fact that I could see it at all.

I was somewhere in L.A. late one afternoon when I saw the classic contrail of a launch from Vandenberg, probably an ICBM test flight.  That' a good distance away too.  The trail got wildly warped by winds and dissipated slowly, just like a Shuttle launch.

Back in the 60's I was living north of Atlanta and could see barium clouds from sounding rockets launched somewhere (Eglin?) on the Gulf Coast.

It gives you an impression of great height and speed, especially if you're close enough to see the exhaust flame even as a tiny bright dot.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/16/2009 07:18 pm
This one should be pretty visible from Orlando since it rises vertically longer than other rockets before pitching over.  These Delta IV heavies are slow risers, max Q is under 400 psf IIRC.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Lars_J on 01/16/2009 08:37 pm
When I lived in Orlando, I got to see a few STS launches from there during clear days. Pretty neat. You can follow it with your eyes until SRB separation, then it becomes a very tiny bright dot without any trail.

Unfortunately I never got to see one closer :( , since the Columbia accident occured, and I moved away before flights resumed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 01:39 pm
There appears to be a foam patch in the fairing?  ???
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 02:06 pm
The fairing is covered in insulation (not SOFI), which is painted white.  This could just be a repair spot
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ben the Space Brit on 01/17/2009 02:16 pm
There appears to be a foam patch in the fairing?  ???

The orange/brown rectangular area just above the apparent repair area seems to have two regular appertures in it.  Maybe an umbilical socket for testing the payload's systems whilst it is in the fairing?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/17/2009 02:37 pm
There appears to be a foam patch in the fairing?  ???

The previous Delta IVH fairing had this same "spot" on it.  I'm guessing this isn't a repair but a design feature.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 02:39 pm
There appears to be a foam patch in the fairing?  ???

The orange/brown rectangular area just above the apparent repair area seems to have two regular appertures in it.  Maybe an umbilical socket for testing the payload's systems whilst it is in the fairing?
Payload umbilicals are in the aft
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 02:42 pm
There appears to be a foam patch in the fairing?  ???

The previous Delta IVH fairing had this same "spot" on it.  I'm guessing this isn't a repair but a design feature.


There is a separation nut in that part of the fairing where the cylinder meets the nose cap
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/17/2009 04:43 pm
Webcast link back to the top of the thread, to aid people who might be searching for it:
http://vyvxlivewm.fplive.net/vyvxlive-live/vyvxula011309_300
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DaveS on 01/17/2009 05:54 pm
Pat Corkery photos on Spaceflightnow.com: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d337/gallery/
Very nice!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 07:20 pm
LH2 chilldown complete. CBC LH2 filling started. LO2 filling in progress.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 08:53 pm
Second stage fueling in progress.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: hektor on 01/17/2009 09:02 pm
Please provide a heads up when the webcast starts. Thank you.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 09:07 pm
The webcast will start in a little under two hours.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 09:17 pm
CBCs now in topping mode.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: zerm on 01/17/2009 09:27 pm
I've never seen a launch of any kind and I happen to be in Orlando.  Will I be able to see much of anything?  Thanks.

I saw the last Delta IV nightlaunch from all the way up in Jacksonville. If it's clear between Orlando and the down range, you should be able to see it. I watched the updates here on NSF and once I saw it had launched, I just walked outside and looked toward the cape. You could see it very well. I estimated the heading toward the pad and used google earth to figure the direction and then set that against local landmarks. When my Father in law came out and asked where it would be I pointed in that direction and the darned thing appeared right at the end of my finger!

I'm glued to NSF this evening.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: otisbow on 01/17/2009 09:49 pm
Us OLD GUYs with a BIG DISH in the back yard can watch the launch on satellite  G-3.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 09:55 pm
Telemetry RF link tests underway.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 10:05 pm
Now less than 90 minutes away from launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:12 pm
FTS receivers being tested.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Rocket Nut on 01/17/2009 10:14 pm
I am heading out now...hope there is somewhere to park...should be spectacular, weather is great.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: HIPAR on 01/17/2009 10:27 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 10:30 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS

The two boosters on the sides will separate before the centre one burns out.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/17/2009 10:30 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS

No.  On Delta IV Heavy flights, all three CBCs ignite on the pad. The core CBC engine throttles down to 60% about one minute after liftoff. The twin strap-on booster CBC units burn at full thrust until the 3.85 minute mark. At that point, the strap-on units throttle down to 60% and the core throttles up to 100%. The strap-on units burn out and separate after 4.3 minutes. The core CBC shuts down about one minute later.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DaveS on 01/17/2009 10:30 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS
No. The two side CBCs will be jettisoned first after which the center CBC burns for a while longer after which it too is shut down and jettisoned after which the upperstage ignites.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:30 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS

No. The outer two are run at full power for their entire burn duration and so run out of fuel earlier. The center one throttles back to 58% a few seconds after liftoff. When the outer two run out, the center CBC (which still has fuel left) goes to full power and the outer two separate. The center CBC runs for a little bit longer until 1-2 sep.

If you go back and watch the video of the last D-IVH launch, you can actually see the center engine throttle down if you look closely. The flame gets a little smaller compared to the outers.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/17/2009 10:31 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

They (the strap-ons) are jettisoned earlier. The core CBC runs on lower throttle for much of the flight so saves more propellant for a longer burntime instead of expending part of its kick on boosting the other two boosters along.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:34 pm
Steering tests are beginning soon.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: HIPAR on 01/17/2009 10:35 pm
Thanks to everyone for helping me understand how it works.

---  CHAS
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:38 pm
Second stage slews complete. First stage is next.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Matthew From Florida on 01/17/2009 10:42 pm
Hi, don't have time to read all the posts now... is everything still go for tonight, and what time is launch?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:43 pm
7:33 PM ET. Everything is still go at this point. *knock on wood*
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:44 pm
CBC slew tests complete.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Matthew From Florida on 01/17/2009 10:46 pm
Thanks, I'll be watching from the Oviedo area.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 10:46 pm
7:33 PM ET. Everything is still go at this point. *knock on wood*

And for those interested, the webcast will start at 7:07pm EST.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:51 pm
Less than 45 minutes to go.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/17/2009 10:53 pm
7:33 PM ET. Everything is still go at this point. *knock on wood*

And for those interested, the webcast will start at 7:07pm EST.

Thank-you  :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ringshot on 01/17/2009 10:53 pm
Do those three core boosters remain strapped together until staging?

---  CHAS

No. The outer two are run at full power for their entire burn duration and so run out of fuel earlier. The center one throttles back to 58% a few seconds after liftoff. When the outer two run out, the center CBC (which still has fuel left) goes to full power and the outer two separate. The center CBC runs for a little bit longer until 1-2 sep.

If you go back and watch the video of the last D-IVH launch, you can actually see the center engine throttle down if you look closely. The flame gets a little smaller compared to the outers.

Actually, the core doesn't throttle up until after the strap-ons are jettisoned.

G'Day...Ron
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/17/2009 10:55 pm
Launch preview by Williams (GW's first article):

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009/01/delta-iv-heavy-launch-nro-l26/
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 10:57 pm
Nice article GW.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Hunt101 on 01/17/2009 10:59 pm
Good work William. There will be a webcast starting shortly, I assume you are aware.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: NUAETIUS on 01/17/2009 11:02 pm
I have only watched Spacex and Shuttle launches, will this one include the cameras on the 2nd stage like Spacex?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:03 pm
I have only watched Spacex and Shuttle launches, will this one include the cameras on the 2nd stage like Spacex?

I would not believe so.  This is a classified mission.  The Titan rockets and Delta II's (IIRC) do not have them on the second stage either.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Svetoslav on 01/17/2009 11:05 pm
I have a question - is this video/webcast copyright protected? Are we allowed to post photos/videos on websites/forums?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/17/2009 11:05 pm
Good work William. There will be a webcast starting shortly, I assume you are aware.

Yes sir. And a link reminder:
http://vyvxlivewm.fplive.net/vyvxlive-live/vyvxula011309_300
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: cb6785 on 01/17/2009 11:07 pm
Webcast at ULA-homepage now scheduled to start at 7:25
Launch at 7:41
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/17/2009 11:08 pm
I have only watched Spacex and Shuttle launches, will this one include the cameras on the 2nd stage like Spacex?

I would not believe so.  This is a classified mission.  The Titan rockets and Delta II's (IIRC) do not have them on the second stage either.

The last Delta IV Heavy had a 2nd stage camera. Both launches up until now had at least the 1st stage cameras.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:08 pm
Webcast started
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Bubbinski on 01/17/2009 11:09 pm
Thanks Chris.  I'll be watching. 

Is there a way that things like webcast links could be pinned at the top of every page in live coverage threads, separately from the discussions?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/17/2009 11:09 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:09 pm
It wouldn't do much good. You'd be able to see the 1-2 sep, second stage nozzle deploy, and second stage start. The fairing sep (and thus the end of the webcast) happens only a few seconds later.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:10 pm
Webcast now scheduled to start at 7:25 according to the ULA-homepage

Launch at 7:41

ULA: Launch still targeting 00:33.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: RafaelCE on 01/17/2009 11:10 pm
Coverage just started in the link provided above
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/17/2009 11:11 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: wannamoonbase on 01/17/2009 11:12 pm
I'm having lots of delay and trouble with the various webcasts.  Must be in high demand.

I guess they need to fly the HLV more often so people get more use to it.

GO DELTA!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: cb6785 on 01/17/2009 11:12 pm
Webcast now scheduled to start at 7:25 according to the ULA-homepage

Launch at 7:41

ULA: Launch still targeting 00:33.

Don't know why they changed the times on the HP...it's definetly confusing...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: otisbow on 01/17/2009 11:13 pm
That rocket is HUGE!!!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:13 pm
T-5 minutes and holding. L-20
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:13 pm
T-5 minutes and holding for 15 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/17/2009 11:13 pm
upper stage
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:14 pm
Less than 20 minutes to launch. Impressive beast.

Launch enabled.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:14 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:14 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:14 pm
Webcast now scheduled to start at 7:25 according to the ULA-homepage

Launch at 7:41

ULA: Launch still targeting 00:33.

Don't know why they changed the times on the HP...it's definetly confusing...

IIRC, those were the times for one of the scrubbed launch attempts.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:14 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:15 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/17/2009 11:16 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:16 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:16 pm
From MLS looking at Delta IV:
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/17/2009 11:16 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:17 pm
Someone's in the "anomaly channel"?

Heard 'troubleshooting'...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/17/2009 11:17 pm
Impressive beast, indeed. Too bad this is a night launch again. The maiden flight was spectacular daylight footage.

EDIT: Is it me, or is the narrator in the flight profile clip now showing the Atlas "This is... Atlas mission control at T-10" guy?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/17/2009 11:17 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DaveS on 01/17/2009 11:18 pm
Someone's in the "anomaly channel"?

Heard 'troubleshooting'...
MEQ-A, seems like a mechanical problem being talked about on the anomaly channel.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:19 pm
Impressive beast, indeed. Too bad this is a night launch again. The maiden flight was spectacular daylight footage.

This'll be pretty too!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Launch Fan on 01/17/2009 11:19 pm
Always looks rediculously danagerous with the flame riding up the stack at launch. Would that even be safe for a manned launch?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:19 pm
Impressive beast, indeed. Too bad this is a night launch again. The maiden flight was spectacular daylight footage.

Good, I'm not the only one that prefers day launches then! :)

Quote
This'll be pretty too!

They always are. Delta IV always puts on a great show.

Launch dedicated to the memory of Ken Liptak (ULA) and Dennis Fitzgerald (NRO).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:20 pm
Hold may be extended.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/17/2009 11:21 pm
Always looks rediculously danagerous with the flame riding up the stack at launch. Would that even be safe for a manned launch?

It's safe for a billion dollar (or whatever it cost) military satellite, one would assume it would be safe for Orion.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:21 pm
Launch dedicated to Ken Liptak and Dennis Fitzgerald
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/17/2009 11:21 pm
Flight dedicated to Ken Liptak and Dennis Fitzgerald
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:21 pm
As per normal, I will provide a short video in the free video section of tonight's launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:21 pm
In the animation, the fairing seemed to have three pieces... I seem to recall Titans had these types of fairings, and since this launch is using one it may make sense. Is that so?

Great news, thanks Ford :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/17/2009 11:22 pm
Impressive beast, indeed. Too bad this is a night launch again. The maiden flight was spectacular daylight footage.

Good, I'm not the only one that prefers day launches then! :)

Well, of course daylight's better. You can't see where the rocket's going otherwise ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:22 pm
This NRO launch is dedicated to  Ken Liptak and Dennis Fitzgerald.  Suiting tribute:
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:22 pm
In the animation, the fairing seemed to have three pieces... I seem to recall Titans had these types of fairings, and since this launch is using one it may make sense. Is that so?

Great news, thanks Ford :)

Yep, this uses the old Titan three-part aluminum fairing.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:23 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Matthew From Florida on 01/17/2009 11:23 pm
What is the live coverage link? Thanks.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:23 pm
Polling about to begin.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:24 pm
What is the live coverage link? Thanks.


http://vyvxlivewm.fplive.net/vyvxlive-live/vyvxula011309_300
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/17/2009 11:25 pm
Where is the LCC for Delta?   Is the LC37 blockhouse used anymore?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Lars_J on 01/17/2009 11:25 pm
Yes, where is a webcast? EDIT: never mind
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:25 pm
Can anyone hear any polling?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:26 pm
2 minutes until planned end of hold. Nothing official about an extension.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Svetoslav on 01/17/2009 11:26 pm
Nope. I didn't hear polling/
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Bubbinski on 01/17/2009 11:26 pm
The announcer just said that everything appeared to be "going as planned" - did that issue, whatever it was, get resolved?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:27 pm
FMA workstation problem of some description.

Controller using the backup workstation to upload one file and then going back to his own.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:27 pm
Where is the LCC for Delta?   Is the LC37 blockhouse used anymore?

It is in the DOC (Delta Operations Center) which is located some ways away from the pad. I don't know exactly where it is in relation to the pad but you should be able to trace it back on Google Maps or something.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:27 pm
There appears to be a swapout of weather station (I suppose from where the range officer controls the weather?) going on right now.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:27 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:27 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:28 pm
I suppose from where the range officer controls the weather?

It would be great if they did - would eliminate quite a few scrubs...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:28 pm
Sounds like one of the workstations crashed? They must be running Vista... :D
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:28 pm
Hold extended.

Holding at T-5. Apparently a minor issue (but they said that about the GN2 issue that caused the last two scrubs...)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:29 pm
Still in the hold.  Working a "what we think is a minor issue".
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:30 pm
Still in the hold.  Working a "what we think is a minor issue".

Good news is they've got a rather lengthy launch window to work with.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Bubbinski on 01/17/2009 11:30 pm
"They must be running Vista"....or maybe Windows Millennium??? 
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:30 pm
Comms re-established in the workstation...

Quote
It would be great if they did - would eliminate quite a few scrubs...

:D
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:31 pm
Shot of Delta IV-Heavy's midsection:
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:32 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:34 pm
File loading complete, FMA is going to remain on the backup station.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:35 pm
"Still working a technical problem.  We are working, obviously, to a new T-0 time."
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:35 pm
File loading complete, FMA is going to remain on the backup station.

Sounds like they performed the highly technical Ctrl+Alt+Delete contingency procedure.  :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:35 pm
Is the "technical issue" the workstation problems that they have been discussing or a separate vehicle problem?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/17/2009 11:36 pm
Is the "technical issue" the workstation problems that they have been discussing or a separate vehicle problem?

I believe it's a separate vehicle-related problem.  Sounds to me like they successfully switched over to a backup workstation.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:37 pm
Is the "technical issue" the workstation problems that they have been discussing or a separate vehicle problem?

I think the workstation issue has been resolved, so I'd assume the hold is for the mechanical issue that was mentioned earlier.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:38 pm
Is the "technical issue" the workstation problems that they have been discussing or a separate vehicle problem?

I believe it's a separate vehicle-related problem.  Sounds to me like they successfully switched over to a backup workstation.

It wouldn't allow wind relief program to be loaded on the vehicle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:38 pm
Is the "technical issue" the workstation problems that they have been discussing or a separate vehicle problem?

I think the workstation issue has been resolved, so I'd assume the hold is for the mechanical issue that was mentioned earlier.

OK, thanks. Well at least they've got a long window to play with...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:38 pm
Missing data from one of the weather balloons. (L7A)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Svetoslav on 01/17/2009 11:39 pm
How long is the launch window?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:39 pm
Sounds to me we're only allowed to hear the range loop?

Missing weather balloon data, by the way...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:39 pm
L8 balloons released.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:39 pm
Where is the LCC for Delta?   Is the LC37 blockhouse used anymore?

It is in the DOC (Delta Operations Center) which is located some ways away from the pad. I don't know exactly where it is in relation to the pad but you should be able to trace it back on Google Maps or something.

It is the old Centaur Processing Facility that was never activated.  It is on the east side of Phillps Parkway south of LC-37

The blockhouse is just a staging and break area
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:40 pm
How long is the launch window?

It was four hours (00:33-04:33).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:40 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:41 pm
Wish they would tell us what that technical problem is... (and I wish they'd let us listen to the flight net...)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:42 pm
"The 15 minute hold has still not been released.  We're holding with 5 minutes left in this Built In Hold.  We're trying to work through this technical issue.  The launch will work to a new T-0, as we're well passed our original launch time." - ULA PAO
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/17/2009 11:43 pm
Thank you Jim.

That is a very large vehicle.  On the 8th, a group of aerospace students and I got to visit the cape and see that thing on the pad.   I always wondered what kind of reuse of the Saturn facilities there were at 37.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: wannamoonbase on 01/17/2009 11:44 pm
"They must be running Vista"....or maybe Windows Millennium??? 

Windows Me?  Bite your tongue.  I still shutter when I hear those words.

Is it just me or does anyone else get suspicious with 'delays' on classified payloads.  My inner conspiracy theorist thinks they are masking the true liftoff window.  I know it doesn't matter as liftoff time lets people track it.  But I figure those NRO spooks like to mess with people.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/17/2009 11:47 pm
Perhaps the technical error is referring to the missing weather balloon error
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:47 pm

Is it just me or does anyone else get suspicious with 'delays' on classified payloads.  My inner conspiracy theorist thinks they are masking the true liftoff window.  I know it doesn't matter as liftoff time lets people track it.  But I figure those NRO spooks like to mess with people.

They wouldn't have announced the launch window if they wanted to keep it a secret. 
Those people who are working the "problem" would have to be reading scripts for a cover story.  Why have them talk at all if you are going intentionally delay the launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:47 pm
Just a reminder.. this is a live launch topic, let's stick to live updates, not about computer OS's.  ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:49 pm
01:13:00 GMT T-0?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:49 pm
New T-0: 01:13:00
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: sts1canada on 01/17/2009 11:50 pm
I think the first problem they had was the Met (weather) console couldn't communicate and upload the wind ascent data to the Heavy, after reconfiguring and using a backup console, they are ready to support, however the newest problem is that the winds ascent data from the latest weather balloon, number 7 is missing some information from 25000 feet or so. They are relaunching another balloon, number 8 to get the required data, send that data to the Delta office in Denver where they will code this information into a computer file, send that file to the Cape to be uploaded by the Met console to the Heavy. If I am wrong, someone correct me.

Richard


Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/17/2009 11:50 pm
New T-0: 01:13:00 Zulu. 8:13pm Eastern.

Under 25 minutes to launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:51 pm
What was that about the swing arms?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:51 pm
Sounds like the mechanical problems were with the swing arm locking pins, which gave an alarm when they were pulled.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/17/2009 11:51 pm
They've closed some kind of condition with an alarm in the swingback arm, if I heard correctly.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:51 pm
The new T:0 is 01:13:00, as documented above.  22 minutes from liftoff.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/17/2009 11:53 pm
L-20 minutes and counting, T-5 minutes and holding.

15 minute hold.


They must have reset the countdown time when they changed the T-0.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:53 pm
T-5 minutes and holding for 15.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:53 pm
I think the first problem they had was the the Met (weather) console couldn't communicate and upload the wind ascent data to the Heavy, after reconfiguring and using a backup console, they are ready to support, however the newest problem is that the winds ascent data from the latest weather balloon, number 7 is missing some information from 25000 feet or so. They are relaunching another balloon, number 8 to get the required data, send that data to the Delta office in Denver where they will code this information into a computer file, send that file to the Cape to be uploaded by the Met console to the Heavy. If I am wrong, someone correct me.


Bingo :) 
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:54 pm
Limits being set.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/17/2009 11:56 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:56 pm
Can't go out, the wife is working the launch.  Didn't want to go see the launch since it has a 4 hour window
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: brihath on 01/17/2009 11:56 pm
Launch time is reset to 8:13 PM.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:56 pm
Can't go out, the wife is working the launch
That's pretty cool! What does she do? (if you can tell us)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/17/2009 11:57 pm
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: RafaelCE on 01/17/2009 11:58 pm
I have channel 12 NASA webcam, among others, in my desktop at the office showing pad C17A, and all the way I thought this was the one we were following up throughout the week. Obviously I was not familiar with the Delta IV, now I know the difference. Any idea what is the thing on NASA webcams on channel 12 then?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/17/2009 11:58 pm
Just for reference, this is the inside of the Delta Operations Center (which was asked about earlier).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/17/2009 11:58 pm
A friend of mine asked me why someone includes planned holds into a countdown.  I explained it as times when you don't want to be rushed during certain vehicle checkouts, etc.  But I'd like to give him a better explenation from people who are a bit closer to this part of the industry.  So I pose his question to you....

"Why are there 'planned' holds in the countdown as opposed to just longer countdowns?"
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/17/2009 11:59 pm
I have channel 12 NASA webcam, among others, in my desktop at the office showing pad C17A, and all the way I thought this was the one we were following up throughout the week. Obviously I was not familiar with the Delta IV, now I know the difference. Any idea what is the thing on NASA webcams on channel 12 then?

Delta II
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: RafaelCE on 01/18/2009 12:00 am
Great, thanks to all
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:01 am
7 minutes left in this Built In Hold.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:02 am
A friend of mine asked me why someone includes planned holds into a countdown.  I explained it as times when you don't want to be rushed during certain vehicle checkouts, etc.  But I'd like to give him a better explenation from people who are a bit closer to this part of the industry.  So I pose his question to you....

"Why are there 'planned' holds in the countdown as opposed to just longer countdowns?"

In case, work does take longer, it is makeup time.

Most LV have a hold before the start of terminal hold as a point to gather the launch team wits and a scrub recycle point

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:02 am
Mission Director just gave a memorial note to all the guys on-console about Dennis Fitzgerald.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:02 am
Dennis Fitzgerald, patriot and rock star. :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ringshot on 01/18/2009 12:03 am
I think the first problem they had was the the Met (weather) console couldn't communicate and upload the wind ascent data to the Heavy, after reconfiguring and using a backup console, they are ready to support, however the newest problem is that the winds ascent data from the latest weather balloon, number 7 is missing some information from 25000 feet or so. They are relaunching another balloon, number 8 to get the required data, send that data to the Delta office in Denver where they will code this information into a computer file, send that file to the Cape to be uploaded by the Met console to the Heavy. If I am wrong, someone correct me.


Bingo :) 

Well, close...

The L7 balloon data was recovered.  Also, there will be no more uplinks unless required (i.e., balloon data shows the winds changed too much).

G'Day...Ron
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:03 am
Polling is underway.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:03 am
L-10 minutes.  Polling underway.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:03 am
Polling underway
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:04 am
All controllers "ready" for launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:04 am
All systems ready to support launch.  Go Delta IV-Heavy.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:04 am
Polling is GO! Swing arm pins being pulled (this was what caused the hold earlier).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:05 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:06 am
LD has been given permission to launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: quickshot89 on 01/18/2009 12:06 am
this is the 1st time ive managed to watch a launch via this site, cant wait to see this beast fly
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/18/2009 12:07 am
Looks like we'll finally be getting this bird off the ground.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:07 am
L-6 mins, 1 min remaining in hold
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 12:07 am
Just for reference, this is the inside of the Delta Operations Center (which was asked about earlier).

A lot of standing going on in the control room there.  Anxious folks on this one.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:07 am
L-6 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:07 am
Swing arms ready.

Ready to come out of the hold.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:08 am
T-5 minutes and COUNTING.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:08 am
Hold released

T-5 mins and counting
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:08 am
Coming out of the BIH.

Go Delta IV-H.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:08 am
T-5 minutes and counting!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:08 am
Vehicle transferring to internal power.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ericr on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Why the flame in the longshots?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
L-4
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Transfer to internal power complete
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Vehicle on internal power.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
On internal power. Ordinance arming.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Vehicle ordinance armed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Why the flame in the longshots?

burning off excess hydrogen gas
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:09 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:10 am
Tanks being secured.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:10 am
L-3 mins, LOX secure. Pressurising
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:10 am
CBC LOX Secured. Into pre-pressurization.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:10 am
LH2 secure
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:11 am
T-120 seconds.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:11 am
CBC LH2 and LOX at flight pressure.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:11 am
T-120 seconds.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:11 am
Hydraulic pressure at 4000. TPA script running.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:11 am
T-90 seconds
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
T-60 seconds. Go Delta IV! Let's do this!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
T-60 seconds

Range go
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
HOLD HOLD HOLD
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
Hold

Countdown holding at T-55 secs. Recycle to T-5 mins.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
HOLD!! Arming chain?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
HOLD!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:12 am
Script aborted...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:13 am
Did anyone catch who called the hold?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:13 am
Swing arm pins back in.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:14 am
LOX and LH2 recycling, igniters reset.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:14 am
Did anyone catch who called the hold?

I believe I heard something close to "TM1".
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:14 am
They're resetting, preparing for restarting the count at T-5 minutes.

Looks like they'll try again soon?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:15 am
Ordinance safing. ATC-3 not paying attention... :D
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/18/2009 12:15 am
LOX and LH2 recycling, igniters reset.

Could anyone explain to me what this means exactly?

How do you reset igniters?  (I don't know what kind the engine uses)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:16 am
I think they said the centre CBC "stayed safe", but I'm not sure.

Presumably that means it failed to arm, resulting in the hold.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Life_Support_32 on 01/18/2009 12:16 am
I saw a huge ball of flame come out of the flare stack right after the hold was called, is there a chance this may have been related to what cause the hold, or an after-effect?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:16 am
The igniters weren't quite "reset" but they were armed and then disarmed after the hold.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:16 am
Vehicle back on external power.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:16 am
Assessing another try tonight.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 12:17 am
Something about "solid motor safe and arm to safe". 

Solid motor?

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Avron on 01/18/2009 12:17 am
Assessing another try tonight.

Did hear a go for recycle..
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:17 am
Something about "solid motor safe and arm to safe". 

Solid motor?

 - Ed Kyle

Sep motors for the strap-ons I think.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:18 am
I saw a huge ball of flame come out of the flare stack right after the hold was called, is there a chance this may have been related to what cause the hold, or an after-effect?

Neither, it was from shutting down LH2 replenishment.  The LH2 in the umbilicals and cross country lines has to go somewhere
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ringshot on 01/18/2009 12:19 am
I saw a huge ball of flame come out of the flare stack right after the hold was called, is there a chance this may have been related to what cause the hold, or an after-effect?

That happens when they reopen the boiloff/relief valves (which are secured for launch).  You get a burst of GH2.

G'Day...Ron
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:19 am
Assessing another try tonight.

Did hear a go for recycle..

Yes, but I think they have to fully safe and reconfigure the vehicule, and assess the failure.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:20 am
A hold was triggered by a computer.  Trying to recycle back to T-5 minutes.  They will then assess the problem, once this is done, they will see if re-initiation is possible.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:20 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR? or is that only in the last 8.5 seconds?)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Avron on 01/18/2009 12:22 am
Jim are we in a hold now or in a recycle step to a hold?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:23 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/18/2009 12:23 am
This seems to be a fairly large launch window.  What were the limiting factors for this window?   Is it likely Range related?  It certainly doesn't seem to be orbit limited, as over the course of that window, many orbit windows are possible.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:23 am
Propellants ready to support launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Avron on 01/18/2009 12:26 am
What is Item 20.. and who has to be "sent in "
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: charlieb on 01/18/2009 12:26 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:26 am
This seems to be a fairly large launch window.  What were the limiting factors for this window?   Is it likely Range related?  It certainly doesn't seem to be orbit limited, as over the course of that window, many orbit windows are possible.

launch crew
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:27 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?

TCSR comes in at about 8.5 seconds. Jim is that right?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: charlieb on 01/18/2009 12:28 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?

TCSR comes in at about 8.5 seconds.

Ahh - the terminal sequencer.... Tks.....
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:28 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?

TCSR comes in at about 8.5 seconds.

Ahh - the terminal sequencer.... Tks.....
Terminal countdown sequencer rack
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 12:29 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?

TCSR comes in at about 8.5 seconds.

Ahh - the terminal sequencer.... Tks.....

I left my countdown book at work
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/18/2009 12:29 am
launch crew

Haha, thanks Jim.   As a college student, I've forgotten simple things such as sleep.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:31 am
Sounds like they're either ready to resume when the problem is resolved, or they've resolved the problem and they're waiting to get to a point where they are ready to resume.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/18/2009 12:31 am
seems more like a SpaceX launch at this point....
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:32 am
Recycle complete
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:32 am
Recycling complete.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: brihath on 01/18/2009 12:33 am
PAO said they resolved the problem and are recycling th count to T minus 5.  He didn't say when the count would be picked up, though.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:33 am
New T-0 configured, but they aren't sharing/confirming/using it yet.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:33 am
seems more like a SpaceX launch at this point....

I wonder how a charred Delta IV would handle a T-0 abort ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Avron on 01/18/2009 12:33 am
Recycle is complete so we are holding at T-5 mins, how long can that hold be maintained?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: charlieb on 01/18/2009 12:34 am
Problem detected by the launch computer (TCSR?)

too early for TCSR

Seems to me a script starts running at T-5 (like ones I built for Ariane launches some years ago), and this hold was detected within the script (what ever it's name is); & my ? then is when does the TCSR come in and 'take over'?

TCSR comes in at about 8.5 seconds.

Ahh - the terminal sequencer.... Tks.....

I left my countdown book at work

You'd probably get a hernia carrying that sort of thing around Jim ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:34 am
Quote
I wonder how a charred Delta IV would handle a T-0 abort
They did a flight readiness firing on the first Delta IV (293), there's a big fireball and a lot of black smoke when the engine shuts down.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: charlieb on 01/18/2009 12:35 am
seems more like a SpaceX launch at this point....

I wonder how a charred Delta IV would handle a T-0 abort ;)

That is indeed an interesting question on how they would handle something like that.  My bet - re-application of foam........
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:36 am

They did a flight readiness firing on the first Delta IV (293), there's a big fireball and a lot of black smoke when the engine shuts down.
That's news for me, thank you!
Is there a video somewhere? Now you've tickled my curiosity.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:38 am

They did a flight readiness firing on the first Delta IV (293), there's a big fireball and a lot of black smoke when the engine shuts down.
That's news for me, thank you!
Is there a video somewhere? Now you've tickled my curiosity.

There used to be a video on the Boeing site, can't find it now though. :( Maybe you can go through web.archive.org and find it?

A lot of the charring on that first flight was because of the FRF. At shutdown the flame clung to the vehicle.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:39 am
"Matter of minutes until another T-0 to work towards" PAO.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:40 am
"Alternate[ive] window" loaded
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: charlieb on 01/18/2009 12:42 am
Loaded a new set of flight 'constants'...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/18/2009 12:43 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:43 am

They did a flight readiness firing on the first Delta IV (293), there's a big fireball and a lot of black smoke when the engine shuts down.
That's news for me, thank you!
Is there a video somewhere? Now you've tickled my curiosity.

Here, try this link:
http://video.boeing.com:8080/ram/events/DeltaIV.ram
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:48 am
Thank you, great link! That shutdown sure looks ugly, even though it must be designed for those conditions.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:48 am
Weather looks promising, winds are go until at least 02:29.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:48 am
Weather remains good.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:49 am
Launch team "understands the issue".
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/18/2009 12:51 am
Lost the webcast
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Matthew From Florida on 01/18/2009 12:52 am
I just refreshed the webcast, buffering sets it behind.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:52 am
Tension so thick you could cut it with a knife...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Yegor on 01/18/2009 12:53 am
Lost the webcast

Mine is fine.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:55 am
Issues resolved.

New T-0 immanent
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:55 am
Team working to a new T-0.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 12:56 am
New T-0 = 02:13:00 GMT
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 12:56 am
New T-0: 02:13:00 Zulu
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:56 am
02:13:00Z new launch time.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/18/2009 12:56 am
Thanks for all the images & posting guys. My "webcast" is just intermittent voice with lots of buffering and no video. Better than nothing I guess. High speed, this year.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 12:57 am
PEA (nice name :) ) taking a nap.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:57 am
PEA not paying attention.  :D
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 12:59 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 12:59 am
L-13 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:03 am
L-10 mins

5 minutes left in the hold
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:03 am
Polling ongoing.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:03 am
L-10 minutes.  Polling underway.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: RafaelCE on 01/18/2009 01:04 am
there is a 100k connection in ULALAUNCH.com, that one was best for me
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:04 am
"Ready" for launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:04 am
All systems ready to support launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:04 am
Polling is go. Swing arm pins being pulled.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:05 am
Configured for launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:05 am
T-5 script running
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:06 am
L-7
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:06 am
LD has permission to launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: sdsds on 01/18/2009 01:06 am
Can anyone confirm the link below is an image of the Delta Operations Center?

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.5078105&lon=-80.5744171&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:06 am
MD gives LD permission to launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:06 am
Remember, let's keep this on the vehicle. Those struggling with the webcast, note we will have a high quality replay on the free video section shortly after launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:07 am
L-6
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:07 am
L-5 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:08 am
Hold released.

T-5 minutes and counting.

Go Delta, Go NRO L-26...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:08 am
Ok, let's try again shall we.
 
Coming out of the BIH.

T-5 minutes and counting.

(Keep the images going to capture as much of the launch please guys, thanks!)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:08 am
T-5 minutes and counting!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Swatch on 01/18/2009 01:08 am
That is the Centaur Processing Facility, which according to Jim, is the LCC

Can anyone confirm the link below is an image of the Delta Operations Center?

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=28.5078105&lon=-80.5744171&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:08 am
Vehicle transferring to internal power.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:09 am
L-4, vehicle on internal
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:09 am
HOLD! Script again.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:09 am
HOLD again! Script abort.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:09 am
Hold hold hold.......
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:10 am
Who was it who said they'd only had one issue in the last four Delta IV counts?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:10 am
Recycling again. Ordinance safing.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:10 am
Who was it who said they'd only had one issue in the last four Delta IV counts?

Haha, I regret saying that now...!  :D I must have jinxed them or something.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:11 am
Same issue (or symptom -- script abort) as the first one?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 01:14 am
Prop ready to go again.

And they say the R7 was slow getting off the pad for rapid response (I know, apples and oranges ;) )
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:15 am
Recycle complete
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Tim S on 01/18/2009 01:15 am
Be thankful this is a four hour launch window. All these problems and failure to resolve what seems to be the previous problem would cause havoc if working to short windows.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:15 am
Recycle complete. Ready for new T-0.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:16 am
All holds removed
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:18 am
Still no info on the problem (or the last one, for that matter)?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:19 am
Interesting contrast with SpaceX's try-and-try-again launches.  Much more methodical.

Reminds me a bit of the New Horizons launch -- that had a few holds (weather, I think) and finally shot through a hole in the clouds after a few tries, right?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: kevin-rf on 01/18/2009 01:20 am
Prop ready to go again.

And they say the R7 was slow getting off the pad for rapid response (I know, apples and oranges ;) )

Could be worse, at least it is not a navaho launch, didn't one of those attempts once take 24hrs.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:20 am
I wonder if there's a recycle limit for within the window?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:21 am
Interesting contrast with SpaceX's try-and-try-again launches.  Much more methodical.

Reminds me a bit of the New Horizons launch -- that had a few holds (weather, I think) and finally shot through a hole in the clouds after a few tries, right?

Yep, shows that no matter who you are or how much experience you've got, equipment problems can still give you headaches...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: John Macco on 01/18/2009 01:21 am
How many attempts can be made before scrubbing? I know the launch window is 4 hours.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:22 am
Could be worse, at least it is not a navaho launch, didn't one of those attempts once take 24hrs.

That's starting to sound like a cricket match!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 01:23 am
How many attempts can be made before scrubbing? I know the launch window is 4 hours.

We're halfway into the window and there's been 2 aborts... so say other 3 more attempts if they're quick.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:24 am
How many attempts can be made before scrubbing? I know the launch window is 4 hours.

We're halfway into the window and there's been 2 aborts... so say other 3 more attempts if they're quick.

I could see LH2 reserve (for boiloff replenishment) being some sort of a constraint.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:26 am
I wish they'd at least tell us what is wrong. This emotional roller-coaster can't be good for anyone... :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:27 am
Prop ready to go again.

And they say the R7 was slow getting off the pad for rapid response (I know, apples and oranges ;) )

Could be worse, at least it is not a navaho launch, didn't one of those attempts once take 24hrs.

Not sure about 24 hours. I found a 15 hour one. Two others lasted 14 hours, one of which failed at T+26s, and the other exploded on the pad.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:30 am
Communication problem
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 01:30 am
Be thankful this is a four hour launch window. All these problems and failure to resolve what seems to be the previous problem would cause havoc if working to short windows.

Getting familiar with an potential Ares I  replacement?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: markopoloflight on 01/18/2009 01:31 am
This is a very important project. I hope we go up very soon, and not have to wait again..   
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:31 am
Launch team has "a good understanding of the issue"
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:32 am
Two hours remaining in this launch window.  Hope to have a new T-0 shortly.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:32 am
New T-0: 02:47:00
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:32 am
Launch team "understands the issue". New T-0 shortly. If we hold again I am going to pass out...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:32 am
New T-0: 02:47:00 Zulu (9:47pm Eastern).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Andrewwski on 01/18/2009 01:32 am
Launch team has "a good understanding of the issue"

That's what they said last time.  ::)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:34 am
"The launch team appear to have a good understanding of the issue... again"

I'm not entirely sure about that.

The question -- and I think they are being unusually cagy about details on this launch -- is do they have a better understanding of the first issue or a good understanding of a second one?

I can see something like this "script abort" resulting from several different underlying problems.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:34 am
Sequencer is running.  L-13 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:34 am
Be thankful this is a four hour launch window. All these problems and failure to resolve what seems to be the previous problem would cause havoc if working to short windows.

Getting familiar with an potential Ares I  replacement?

Given the Delta IV's track record, the EDS won't so much need a 2 week "loiter window" as a 2 year window...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 01:34 am
Frost on the topmost tanks (LO2?) has reduced its extent.

EDIT: Now that I think of it, shouldn't more ice be produced in the LH2 tanks, given it's colder?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Oberon_Command on 01/18/2009 01:36 am
-- and I think they are being unusually cagy about details on this launch --

Could the problem possibly be with the payload itself then? Or would they tell us if that were the case?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Lars_J on 01/18/2009 01:36 am
Are all these small issues coming up due to the infrequency of Delta IV launches? They have only launched ~1 per year since the Delta IV became available. Not a very impressive flight rate.

Not enough attempts to work out all the bugs?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: NUAETIUS on 01/18/2009 01:36 am
Be thankful this is a four hour launch window. All these problems and failure to resolve what seems to be the previous problem would cause havoc if working to short windows.

Getting familiar with an potential Ares I  replacement?

Given the Delta IV's track record, the EDS won't so much need a 2 week "loiter window" as a 2 year window...

Would a human rating of this rocket increase or decrease the likelyhood of holds of this nature?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:36 am
L-10 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:37 am
Are all these small issues coming up due to the infrequency of Delta IV launches? They have only launched ~1 per year since the Delta IV became available. Not a very impressive flight rate.


They launched 3 in 2006, that's their best so far. Those were all Mediums which seem to go easier than the Heavys.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:37 am
Polling underway.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 01:37 am
-- and I think they are being unusually cagy about details on this launch --

Could the problem possibly be with the payload itself then? Or would they tell us if that were the case?

I don't think a payload issue would be so 'recyclable', or would crop up during the terminal count script.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:38 am
"Ready" for launch again.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:38 am
All systems ready to support another launch attempt.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:38 am
Polling is go again.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:39 am
T-5 master script running
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:39 am
Spacecraft configured
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: just-nick on 01/18/2009 01:39 am
The female voice that keeps announcing the times sounds like it belongs to someone who (a) just woke up from a deep sleep or (b) is slightly drunk and trying to sound sober or (c) is a robot.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:40 am
L-7, LD has permission to launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:40 am
LD has permission to launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:41 am
L-6
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:41 am
Swing arms ready
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 01/18/2009 01:41 am
Third time charm?

Ready to start terminal count.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:41 am
L-5 minutes.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:42 am
Coming out of the BIH, T-5 minutes and counting. No bloody holds this time please.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:42 am
Here we go again...third time lucky?

Hold released, T-5 minutes and counting...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 01:42 am
-- and I think they are being unusually cagy about details on this launch --

Could the problem possibly be with the payload itself then? Or would they tell us if that were the case?

I don't think a payload issue would be so 'recyclable', or would crop up during the terminal count script.

Wouldn't say that
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:42 am
Vehicle power on Internal.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:42 am
T-5 and counting! Third time's the charm, let's hope!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:43 am
Vehicle going internal.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:43 am
T-4 mins, vehicle on internal.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:43 am
Vehicle on internal power.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:43 am
FTS armed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:43 am
Vehicle ordinance is armed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:44 am
Tanks being secured.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:44 am
T-3 mins
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:44 am
CBC in pre-press.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:44 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/18/2009 01:44 am
Be thankful this is a four hour launch window. All these problems and failure to resolve what seems to be the previous problem would cause havoc if working to short windows.

Getting familiar with an potential Ares I  replacement?


This is not an Atlas V....
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
CBC LOx at flight pressure.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
T-120 seconds
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
HTPA spin up.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
LD is go for launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
Hydraulic press at 4000.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:45 am
T-90
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
Range go for launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
T-60, coming up on the point where the first attempt held.

Go for launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
Range is go.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
T-60 seconds. Go Delta IV! Make everyone proud! Let's do this!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
T-30.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
Launch enabled.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:46 am
Green board. Go Delta IV-H!!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
Green board. Flight lock-in.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
Launch!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
LAUNCH!!!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
LIFTOFF!!! GO DELTA GO!!!! GO BABY GO!!!! LET'S DO THIS!!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
LAUNCH!  GO DELTA IV!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:47 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Good chamber pressures and steering at T+40 seconds.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
CBC partial thrust.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Good chamber pressures. Core throttling down.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Port and Starboard at full power past T+60 seconds.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Finally...  :)

Go baby go!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:48 am
Vehicle MaxQ going supersonic.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:49 am
Max-Q.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:49 am
Max-Q. Now supersonic.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:49 am
3.7miles altitude.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:49 am
T+120 seconds.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:49 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:50 am
T+2:30 seconds. Flight nominal.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:50 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:50 am
Delta IV now weighs only half what it did at launch.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:50 am
3,700 feet per second velocity at T+3 mins.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:50 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:51 am
Strapon CBCs throttled down.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:51 am
MECO on Post and Starboard Boosters - And Sep (he's not confirmed sep?)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:51 am
Strapon sep!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:52 am
Core now throttled up.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:52 am
Booster separation:
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:52 am
MECO
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:53 am
Core Booster MECO:
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:53 am
MECO!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:53 am
MECO. 1-2 Sep.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: wannamoonbase on 01/18/2009 01:53 am
Looked good from Jacksonville. 

Good to see it fly.

When's the next launch?  I love these things.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:53 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:54 am
Good chamber pressure on the second stage.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:54 am
T+7. Fairing sep!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Lars_J on 01/18/2009 01:55 am
Congrats!!!

But it sure took *forever* for that D-IV heavy to clear the tower, yikes... It seemed much slower than the previous ones. But it probably was the same.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 01:55 am
Looked good from Jacksonville. 

Good to see it fly.

When's the next launch?  I love these things.

Next launch from Canaveral is a Delta II with Kepler on 6 February. Next orbital launch worldwide is an H-IIA with GOSAT on 21 January.

See the various "launch schedule" threads around the forum.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: wb2uzr on 01/18/2009 01:55 am
Nice view of the launch from the backyard here in Melbourne, Florida. Very cool!!

Scott

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:56 am
Webcast now ending.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 01:56 am
Live coverage ending per customer request.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 01:56 am
End of coverage due to classified payload.

Congrats to ULA.

Thanks to all that helped with the coverage! Launch video available shortly.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DigitalMan on 01/18/2009 01:56 am
Looked good from Jacksonville. 

Good to see it fly.

When's the next launch?  I love these things.

Looked good from Orlando too.  There was a pretty decent sized orange glow coming from the ground for quite a few seconds before the rocket was visible.  Definite pins and needles.

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: generic_handle_42 on 01/18/2009 01:57 am
Thanks to everyone's coverage tonight! Well done as always.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ronsmytheiii on 01/18/2009 01:57 am
Well VLC crashed so I could not save the launch, did get the live stream on the site though.....
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:57 am
Congrats to ULA for (finally) pulling it off! Took a long time but was definitely worth the wait.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/18/2009 01:59 am
One final replay before the webcast ended... Nice launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 01:59 am
This shot pretty much sums up why I like the Delta IV so much...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: stockman on 01/18/2009 01:59 am
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 01:59 am
Congrats to ULA for (finally) pulling it off! Took a long time but was definitely worth the wait.

Congrats so far....  Hours to go on this flight yet.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 02:03 am
Next Delta IV will be GOES-O from CCAFS on April 28 (hopefully) on a M+(4,2). Since it's a Medium hopefully the launch won't be delayed as much and have so many cliffhanger holds. (fingers crossed, knock on every single piece of wood within arm's reach...)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 02:07 am
Looked good from Jacksonville. 

Good to see it fly.

When's the next launch?  I love these things.

Next launch from Canaveral is a Delta II with Kepler on 6 February. Next orbital launch worldwide is an H-IIA with GOSAT on 21 January.

See the various "launch schedule" threads around the forum.

Kepler is in March, not Feb. NOAA-N' is in early Feb.

Yes, my mistake.

Next launch from the Cape (KSC) is STS-119 (Discovery) on 12 February.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: general on 01/18/2009 02:09 am
Wouldn't it be cool to see an Orion launch on a Delta IV Heavy!!!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang on 01/18/2009 02:09 am
Free launch video is now in the free section: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15586

Ensure you are logged into the forum to access the free video section.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jose on 01/18/2009 02:11 am
Love the fireball. Love it.  Some kind of modern phoenix.

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Peter NASA on 01/18/2009 02:14 am
Free launch video is now in the free section: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15586

Ensure you are logged into the forum to access the free video section.

Thanks, I missed it live.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Yegor on 01/18/2009 02:15 am
(http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12553.0;attach=112431;image)

Oh, man! Looking at this image I just remembered words of Soviet rocket engines designer Glushko: “ With a good engine even a fence will fly”. This Delta 4H sure looked liked a fence – three connected sticks - when it was rising in the beginning in the bright flame. :)
It looks great though.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 02:25 am
This one lifted off only two hours 14 minutes late.  That's better than a lot of my airline passenger flights! 

I remember trying to watch Atlas Centaur launches during the 1980s.  Hold - recycle - hold - recycle.  Over and over again until the window closed, then back at it the next day.  They always flew finally.  Somehow, Atlas eventually turned into an on-time launcher.

As for this Delta IV launch that seems to have frustrated several on-line observers here tonight, this really wasn't too bad for a big hissing bottle of liquid hydrogen!

And thanks Chris for the coverage.  I noticed that some of the "other sites" couldn't keep with the visitor traffic load, but this one did.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/18/2009 02:26 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 02:27 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...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 02:28 am
SECO 2 confirmed (source).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/18/2009 02:28 am
I remember trying to watch Atlas Centaur launches during the 1980s.  Hold - recycle - hold - recycle.  Over and over again until the window closed, then back at it the next day.  They always flew finally.  Somehow, Atlas eventually turned into an on-time launcher.

The government stopped designing the rocket and running the launches.  But Daschle-care is OK.  (Inserted for the Google bots).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 02:29 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...

Payload caused a big chunk of the wait.  It would be the same as an airline holding a plane for a passenger all that time.  An expensive ticket that would be..

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/18/2009 02:29 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...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: general 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DirtyDeeds 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Lars_J 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...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin 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).

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham 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).
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: TJL 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: DirtyDeeds 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!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. 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. :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim 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
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Rocket Nut 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ascendent 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...
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 05:10 am
Damn! :o

By Pat Corkery, ULA.

Click it to enlarge, sit back, and nod in approval.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Khadgars 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!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Ford Mustang 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.  ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: arachnitect 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ShuttleDiscovery 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!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: EE Scott 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?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: psloss 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.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Yegor on 01/18/2009 02:17 pm
Great shot! Thank you, Chris.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/18/2009 02:31 pm
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

Did you take any photos of the launch last night?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/18/2009 02:31 pm
Damn! :o

By Pat Corkery, ULA.

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

BIG NOD  :)

THANK YOU PAT CORKERY!

Wow. Love those mach diamonds.
Question: Would that be an injector issue with the right engine? Running a little lean or rich perhaps? Just slightly brighter in the exhaust plume than the other two engines.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: William Graham on 01/18/2009 02:33 pm
Any news on whether spacecraft separation has occurred?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/18/2009 02:47 pm
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

Absolutely, Jim...the one Saturn 5 launch I was lucky enough to witness (Apollo 15) was from south of the complex by CCAFS Gate 1.
I remember very clearly how long it took to actually clear the exhaust plume that obstructed the vehicle upon ignition.

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Rocket Nut on 01/18/2009 03:05 pm
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

Did you take any photos of the launch last night?

No, my little point-and-shoot wouldn't focus on the rocket.  next time, I hope to get some good pics with my new camera, especially if I can figure out how to connect it to my 100mm, 60x, spotting scope.  I'm going to work on that at this week's birding festival at Titusville BCC campus (when I'm not working with the panthers, alligators, snakes, etc.).

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 01/18/2009 04:59 pm

Question: Would that be an injector issue with the right engine? Running a little lean or rich perhaps? Just slightly brighter in the exhaust plume than the other two engines.

Just a little streaking by the ablative nozzle
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/18/2009 05:10 pm

Question: Would that be an injector issue with the right engine? Running a little lean or rich perhaps? Just slightly brighter in the exhaust plume than the other two engines.

Just a little streaking by the ablative nozzle

Thanks Jim, oh wise one.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: chrisfehn on 01/18/2009 05:11 pm
great launch exept the holds and the epic fal launch team eating chips and dip, but its all good times..... ;)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: mceddiemac on 01/18/2009 05:19 pm
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

Did you take any photos of the launch last night?

Not sure if you've seen these but Ben got some really good shots of the launch:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26.html
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: TJL on 01/18/2009 05:25 pm
It sure was cold waiting out there at the cruise terminals waiting for them to light the fuze.  Beautiful launch, though.

Did you take any photos of the launch last night?

Not sure if you've seen these but Ben got some really good shots of the launch:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26.html

Thanks...I did see those...awesome photos!
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 01/18/2009 05:31 pm
Saw this launch with psloss and SEDS-UCF and a whole bunch of other people from Kars Park about 7-miles from the pad. It was every bit worth the three delays and cold temperatures. The sound was INCREDIBLE. Almost indescribable. I'm working on getting some pics available from the video I took, which ended up being a little better that I thought it would be given the auto-focus of my camera.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/18/2009 05:32 pm
I like this one:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26_10.JPG

I remember when I first saw that timelapse (dunno if that's the correct term, or is it over exposure? - anyway) type of photo with a shuttle launch in the 80s and it was the first time I realized (as a kid) that they didn't "go straight up" ;D

Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: robertross on 01/18/2009 05:44 pm
I like this one:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26_10.JPG

I remember when I first saw that timelapse (dunno if that's the correct term, or is it over exposure? - anyway) type of photo with a shuttle launch in the 80s and it was the first time I realized (as a kid) that they didn't "go straight up" ;D



long exposure or time lapse; definitely not overexposure.

It's a beauty of a shot. :) Nice arc.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: jan_carlo_bascu on 01/18/2009 05:47 pm
Nice pictures of Delta IV Heavy rocket launch
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: edkyle99 on 01/18/2009 07:02 pm
Any news on whether spacecraft separation has occurred?

None, and I'm wondering if there will be any official statements to that effect. 

There is this today - a press release from PWR. 

http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20090118/NESU00218012009-1.html

It says that "The upper-stage RL10B-2 helped place the satellite into orbit."  I suspect that PWR wouldn't have issued this if something had gone wrong with the RS-68 or RL10B-2 engines on this flight.

The release also states that "This was the 716th launch of a Delta vehicle under Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's power."  Not strictly correct, of course, (there have only been 328 Thor-based Delta and 9 Delta IV launches) but it was the 716th flight of a Thor IRBM, Thor SLV, Thor-derived Delta, Thor-derived NASDA "N" or "H-1", or Delta IV. 

ULA is saying that it will not provide any further updates beyond the "successful liftoff" notice.

 - Ed Kyle 
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/18/2009 07:05 pm
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26_10.JPG

Is the jiggle (about even with that blue star trail) wind shear, strap-on jettison or ground jiggle?
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Antares on 01/18/2009 07:08 pm
as long as the culture doesn't become Titan-ic between now and then.
"Titanic culture"?  What's that saying about "Glass Houses?"  ;)[/quote]

Touché.  I'm doing what I can, and Tuesday will be a new day at 3rd and E SW.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: ugordan on 01/18/2009 07:20 pm
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4-Heavy_NRO_L-26_10.JPG

Is the jiggle (about even with that blue star trail) wind shear, strap-on jettison or ground jiggle?

I'm guessing tripod vibrating due to wind or rocket rumble.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Paul Howard on 01/19/2009 04:56 am
Would they release information if there had been a problem? The lack of any negative updates would suggest all went to plan. Understand why the Americans don't release details, glad we got the coverage we were allowed.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Chris Bergin on 01/19/2009 04:49 pm
Would they release information if there had been a problem? The lack of any negative updates would suggest all went to plan. Understand why the Americans don't release details, glad we got the coverage we were allowed.

They'll release what their customer allows. Got to respect that, and I know you do.
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Analyst on 01/19/2009 05:48 pm
You won't see anything official. Check out this site, they observe sats, even in GEO:

http://satobs.org/

Analyst
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Nick L. on 01/19/2009 07:08 pm
ULA have now put up a "highlights video" of the launch on their homepage:
www.ulalaunch.com

Not bad!  :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: Jim on 05/21/2009 08:22 pm
Here is another wow.

http://www.i-ota.net/DeltaIVa071110/ 
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: psloss on 05/21/2009 08:31 pm
Here is another wow.

http://www.i-ota.net/DeltaIVa071110/ 
Thanks, Jim.  Doesn't look cold at all.  :)
Title: Re: LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: NRO L-26 - Jan 17, 09
Post by: eeergo on 05/21/2009 09:22 pm
Here is another wow.

http://www.i-ota.net/DeltaIVa071110/ (http://www.i-ota.net/DeltaIVa071110/) 

Amazing panoramas, very high-res! I particularly enjoyed the LRO composite, I'd never seen a fairing so close to "real life", with perspective and people around to give idea of its size. It almost appears as if you were in the clean room!

Thanks for the links. Is that NASATech site a new outreach official site, or just amateur?