Author Topic: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013  (Read 77659 times)

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #160 on: 03/19/2013 09:05 pm »
Spacecraft separation!
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #161 on: 03/19/2013 09:05 pm »
Congratulations ULA on one of the years most important launches!!!
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Offline Star One

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #162 on: 03/19/2013 09:05 pm »
Everyone is off to get a well deserved coffee now.
« Last Edit: 03/19/2013 09:06 pm by Star One »

Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #163 on: 03/19/2013 09:06 pm »
Congrats to ULA.  Next up--first launch of the Delta IV/Centaur combo since the hiccup last year.
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Paul Howard

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #164 on: 03/19/2013 09:09 pm »
ULA really are amateurs with their webcasting and social media. Every single webcast they have problems. And their twitter feed seems to be run by a six year old.

Webcast was ok, but agree about the terrible official ULA twitter feed.

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #165 on: 03/19/2013 09:09 pm »
Congrats to ULA.  Next up--first launch of the Delta IV/Centaur combo since the hiccup last year.

That's iCPS/DIVHUS, not Centaur.  ;D
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Offline kevin-rf

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #166 on: 03/19/2013 09:09 pm »
Congrats to ULA.  Next up--first launch of the Delta IV/Centaur combo since the hiccup last year.

DeltaIV/Centaur??? Do you know something we don't?
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It's your med's!

Offline Chris Bergin

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Offline Rocket Science

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #168 on: 03/19/2013 09:11 pm »
Congrats to all the teams involved!  :) Excellent result as we have come to expect from ULA.  ;)
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #169 on: 03/19/2013 09:12 pm »
Congrats to ULA.  Next up--first launch of the Delta IV/Centaur combo since the hiccup last year.

That's iCPS/DIVHUS, not Centaur.  ;D

Sorry, if it's using an RL-10 it's USUALLY a Centaur. :-\
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #170 on: 03/19/2013 09:12 pm »
Moving this back here now that we have had s/c sep:


Offline Lar

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #171 on: 03/19/2013 09:13 pm »
Congrats to all the teams involved!  :) Excellent result as we have come to expect from ULA.  ;)
They do make it look routine... which, I guess, is what the USAF wants :)
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #172 on: 03/19/2013 09:15 pm »
Congrats to all the teams involved!  :) Excellent result as we have come to expect from ULA.  ;)

They do make it look routine... which, I guess, is what the USAF wants :)

The costumers sure pay enough to expect it
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Offline Rocket Science

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #173 on: 03/19/2013 09:15 pm »
William's article updated:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/ula-atlas-v-launch-sbirsgeo/
Nicely done William especially in light of the new threat in the headlines today....
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Offline baldusi

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #174 on: 03/19/2013 09:16 pm »
Congrats to all the teams involved!  :) Excellent result as we have come to expect from ULA.  ;)
They do make it look routine... which, I guess, is what the USAF wants :)
Wants, expects and pays dearly for. You have to understand how difficult is to make it look like routine when you say ULA is "expensive". They might cost a lot of money. But they deliver on their income a world class service.

Offline Prober

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #175 on: 03/19/2013 09:18 pm »
anyone know what imx_test  is/was?
« Last Edit: 03/19/2013 09:20 pm by Prober »
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Offline ugordan

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #176 on: 03/19/2013 09:20 pm »
Moving this back here now that we have had s/c sep:

Thanks. Beautiful launch once you remove the audio glitches.
« Last Edit: 03/19/2013 09:21 pm by ugordan »

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #177 on: 03/19/2013 09:24 pm »
Cape Canaveral Air Force U Station, Fla. (March 19, 2013) – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasts off from Space Launch Complex-41 carrying the second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-2 satellite for the.S. Air Force at 5:21 p.m. EDT. This was the 3rd ULA launch of the year, the 37th Atlas V mission, and the 69th ULA launch since the company was formed in December 2006. SBIRS is a consolidated system intended to meet United States infrared space surveillance needs for decades to come. The SBIRS program addresses critical warfighter needs in the areas of missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace characterization.

 

Photo by Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance

 

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Satellite to Orbit for the U.S. Air Force

 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (March 19, 2013) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-2 satellite for the U.S. Air Force at 5:21 p.m. EDT today from Space Launch Complex-41. ULA launched the first satellite in the constellation, GEO-1, aboard and Atlas V on May 7, 2011.

This was the 3rd ULA launch of the year, the 37th Atlas V mission, and the 69th ULA launch since the company was formed in December 2006.

            "The ULA team is honored to serve a pivotal role in placing this critical capability in orbit for our women and men serving around the world and protecting our freedom,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Mission Operations. “From nearly two years ago when we began production of the launch vehicle, through today’s successful mission delivery, this very strong and well-integrated government and industry team has ensured that mission success remains the highest priority at every step in the process.”

This mission was launched aboard an Atlas V 401 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), which includes a 4-meter diameter payload fairing. The booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine and the Centaur upper stage was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10A engine.

SBIRS is a consolidated system intended to meet United States infrared space surveillance needs for decades to come. The SBIRS program addresses critical warfighter needs in the areas of missile warning, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace characterization.

The EELV program was established by the United States Air Force to provide assured access to space for Department of Defense and other government payloads. The commercially developed EELV Program supports the full range of government mission requirements, while delivering on schedule and providing significant cost savings over the heritage launch systems. 

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

Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #178 on: 03/19/2013 10:22 pm »
Lockheed Martin-built Infrared Surveillance Satellite Launched Successfully

 

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., March 19, 2013 --- The U.S. Air Force’s second Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-2) spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], was successfully launched today at 5:21 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

 

The SBIRS program delivers timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, combatant commanders, the intelligence community and other key decision makers. The system enhances global missile launch detection capability, supports the nation's ballistic missile defense system, expands the country’s technical intelligence gathering capacity and bolsters situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield.

 

"We are proud to partner with the U.S. Air Force on the SBIRS program to deliver highly reliable infrared surveillance capabilities for strategic and tactical users across the defense and intelligence community,” said Jeff Smith, Lockheed Martin's vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) mission area. “Thanks to the unmatched expertise of the entire government and industry SBIRS team, we are confident this satellite will meet or exceed expectations and play a pivotal role in our national security for years to come.”

 

The SBIRS architecture includes a resilient mix of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, hosted payloads in highly elliptical earth (HEO) orbit, and ground hardware and software. The first two GEO satellites and HEO payloads have now launched.

 

SBIRS GEO-2 includes highly sophisticated scanning and staring sensors that will deliver improved infrared sensitivity and a reduction in area revisit times over the current constellation. The scanning sensor will provide a wide area surveillance of missile launches and natural phenomena across the earth, while the staring sensor will be used to observe smaller areas of interest with superior sensitivity.

 

"Today's successful launch of the GEO-2 satellite marks another milestone in the evolution of infrared surveillance from space," said Dr. Stephen Toner, Northrop Grumman's vice president of the Military and Civil Space business area. "The team played a significant role ensuring that the sensors on GEO-1 are performing beyond specification, and we are confident that the GEO-2 sensors will exhibit similar performance."

 

The SBIRS team is led by the Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime contractor, Northrop Grumman is the payload integrator. Air Force Space Command operates the SBIRS system.

 

Lockheed Martin’s SBIRS contracts include four HEO payloads, four GEO satellites, and ground assets to receive, process, and disseminate the infrared mission data.  The team has also begun initial work on the fifth and sixth GEO satellites. 

 

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.  The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

 

###

Note to Editors:

 

Video and Images of SBIRS can be found at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/sbirs

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Offline WHAP

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Re: LIVE: Atlas-V - SBIRS/GEO-2 - March 19, 2013
« Reply #179 on: 03/19/2013 10:41 pm »
Everyone is off to get a well deserved coffee now.

I bet there are a lot of folks who are going to be drinking something other than coffee until tomorrow morning  ;D.
« Last Edit: 03/19/2013 10:42 pm by WHAP »
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