Author Topic: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008  (Read 37208 times)

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #20 on: 04/16/2008 05:57 pm »

Quote
GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  6:45 PM C/NOFS is finally in orbit, 5 years behind schedule, but better late than never.

Could you summarize the history behind C/NOFS? I'm curious now you mention the 5-year delay. 

-DaviD-

Offline William Graham

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #21 on: 04/16/2008 06:37 pm »
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eeergo - 16/4/2008  5:57 PM

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GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  6:45 PM C/NOFS is finally in orbit, 5 years behind schedule, but better late than never.

Could you summarize the history behind C/NOFS? I'm curious now you mention the 5-year delay. 


I don't know the details, I just know that the contract was signed for a 2003 launch.

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RE: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #22 on: 04/17/2008 04:40 am »
ORBITAL PRESS RELEASE

Orbital Successfully Launches Pegasus Rocket Carrying U.S. Air Force's C/NOFS Satellite
-- Latest Mission Is 25th Consecutive Successful Launch for Pegasus --

(Dulles, VA 16 April 2008) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that its Pegasus® space launch vehicle successfully launched the U.S. Air Force’s Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite into its intended low-Earth orbit. The mission was the 25th consecutive successful mission for the Pegasus program since 1997 and the 39th overall flight of the company’s air-launched system since its introduction in 1990.

“Pegasus continues to prove that it is the most reliable and versatile small launcher in the world today, with another successful mission supporting an important Air Force program,” said Mr. Ron Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. “Orbital-developed launch vehicles continue to demonstrate their value to our customers in the military, civil government and commercial markets with highly reliable and available launch services at reasonable prices.”

The Pegasus/C/NOFS mission took place earlier today, originating from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands in the mid-Pacific Ocean. Following a one-hour long preplanned positioning flight, the Pegasus rocket was released from Orbital’s L-1011 carrier aircraft at approximately 1:00 p.m. (EDT). The C/NOFS satellite, which weighed approximately 870 lbs. (395 kg.) at launch, was accurately deployed into its targeted elliptical orbit of 205 x 385 nautical miles (400 x 850 km.) after an 8-minute powered flight sequence. Due to its launch from the near-equatorial Reagan Test Site, the satellite’s orbit is at a low inclination of 13 degrees to the equator.

The C/NOFS satellite is a joint project of the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Center’s Space Development and Test Wing and the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, both of which are based at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. General Dynamics designed and built the satellite and Orbital provided the launch services.

About Pegasus

Pegasus is the world’s leading launch system for the deployment of small satellites into low-Earth orbit. Its patented air-launch system, in which the rocket is launched from beneath Orbital’s “Stargazer” L-1011 carrier aircraft over the ocean, increases performance, reduces cost and provides customers with unparalleled flexibility to operate from virtually anywhere on Earth with minimal ground support requirements.

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company’s primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low Earth-orbit, geosynchronous Earth-orbit and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds software-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators.

More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #23 on: 04/17/2008 04:19 pm »
Quote
GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  7:37 PM  
Quote
eeergo - 16/4/2008  5:57 PM  

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GW_Simulations - 16/4/2008  6:45 PM C/NOFS is finally in orbit, 5 years behind schedule, but better late than never.

Could you summarize the history behind C/NOFS? I'm curious now you mention the 5-year delay.

 I don't know the details, I just know that the contract was signed for a 2003 launch.

Now we know!

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/pegasus/cnofs/

It was because of solar panel redesign issues and the technology required to make it very radiofrequency silent, given its instruments are very sensitive to those. 

-DaviD-

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #24 on: 04/17/2008 10:27 pm »
Launch Photos?

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #25 on: 04/18/2008 12:30 pm »
An interesting trivia bit on the orbital site about the launch, with out going to wikki/google/astonautix, who can name the six ranges Pegasus has launched from .... (No Google)
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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #26 on: 04/18/2008 12:37 pm »
Quote
kevin-rf - 18/4/2008  7:30 AM

An interesting trivia bit on the orbital site about the launch, with out going to wikki/google/astonautix, who can name the six ranges Pegasus has launched from .... (No Google)

Kennedy Space Center (I think in fact the runway used - RW15/33 on February 9th 1993 -belongs to the KSC)
Vandenberg AFB
Wallops Island
Edwards AFB
Gando, Canary Islands
USAKA US Army Kwajalein Atoll

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #27 on: 04/18/2008 01:50 pm »
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jancarlobascu - 17/4/2008  5:27 PM

Launch Photos?

Nothing so far.  Not from Orbital, not from the main Air Force page, not from Kirtland or Vandenberg, not from the Marshall Islands.  No photos at all is a rarity these days.  China and Russia and India (and Iran!) provide photos of nearly every launch!

While searching for images, I found this interesting news report.  There is some dispute between the U.S. and Marshall Islanders that could, in the worst case, force the U.S. to shut down Kwajalein altogether.  Won't happen, but not impossible.  SpaceX take note!

 http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/04/18/marshalls-in-showdown-with-us-over-kwajalein

 - Ed Kyle

Offline Jirka Dlouhy

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #28 on: 04/18/2008 07:47 pm »
I think the launch is so secret because of the instruments are very unique and informations about navigation signals are very important.

In passive form: to be poised to different kinds of anomalies. It means to be ready to elimination of their effects.

In active form: to be able to use this anomalies by actions against possible enemy. In the better case to be able to create this anomalies in war situation.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #29 on: 04/19/2008 01:38 am »
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Jirka Dlouhy - 18/4/2008  2:47 PM

I think the launch is so secret because of the instruments are very unique and informations about navigation signals are very important.

In passive form: to be poised to different kinds of anomalies. It means to be ready to elimination of their effects.

In active form: to be able to use this anomalies by actions against possible enemy. In the better case to be able to create this anomalies in war situation.

True, but I have a hard time understanding how a photo of the Pegasus could compromise whatever mission its payload is to perform.  Unless, that is, the Pegasus had to be fitted with a mission-unique payload fairing.

Here's a page on ionopheric scintillation.  It clearly affects GPS signals, since a ground network of GPS receivers is used to measure its effect.

http://iono.jpl.nasa.gov/scint.html

I'm left wondering why this particular satellite was placed in a 13 deg inclination.  That orbit covers very little landmass of interest, except for Kwajalein.  It doesn't even reach Hawaii.  

 - Ed Kyle

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #30 on: 04/19/2008 02:18 am »
Easy answer to no launch photos.  Didn't want to spend the money.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #31 on: 04/19/2008 03:35 pm »
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Jim - 18/4/2008  9:18 PM

Easy answer to no launch photos.  Didn't want to spend the money.

No chase plane, maybe (has Pegasus ever launched without a chase?), but someone photographed this thing on the tarmac, taking off, etc.  Kwajalein surely had optical tracking.  

 - Ed Kyle

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #32 on: 04/19/2008 04:13 pm »
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edkyle99 - 19/4/2008  11:35 AM

Kwajalein surely had optical tracking.  

 - Ed Kyle

Just like for a KSC launch that is about 40 miles off shore, I doubt there  is much coverage

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #33 on: 04/30/2008 01:41 am »

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Jim - 18/4/2008 9:18 PM Easy answer to no launch photos. Didn't want to spend the money.

You are absolutely right; this was a commercial sale to (then Spectrum Astro) GD who had to pay a significant sum for the delay - the longest in Pegasus history, I'm afraid (no criticism of GD intended - we build satellites, too, and know that sometimes stuff happens).  Not very incentivized to spend even a dime on pictures! 

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edkyle99 - 19/4/2008 11:35 AM  No chase plane, maybe (has Pegasus ever launched without a chase?)

Many, many times... (e.g. when launching the ORBCOMM satellites... again, for $$$ reasons...) 

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but someone photographed this thing on the tarmac, taking off, etc. Kwajalein surely had optical tracking. - Ed Kyle

Yes, we have photos; a landing one with smoke coming out of the tires and the rocket underneath is especially spectacular, but we can't distribute them without the customer's permission.  maybe in a few weeks in the Orbital website?

By the way, the rocket had painted, in the middle of stage 1, right under the wing fairing, the following:

"In loving memory of G. David Low"

 

ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

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RE: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #34 on: 05/14/2008 07:34 pm »

I was wrong about the wording of the David Low inscription on Pegasus.  Here's a bunch of photos from the C/NOFS launch.  There are two L-1011 landings: first at Kona (with the overcast skies), on the Big Island, the second (with a puff of smoke) at Kwaj.  Other than barging in a tube trailer worth of Nitrogen from Hawaii about a month before, and some early comm checks, the bulk of the operation started about two weeks before the launch.  Aircraft and most of the team arrived at L-8 days.  All the spacecraft support equipment was carried on three containers in the belly of the L-1011.  The ground air conditioning unit came via a USAF cargo plane.  Two days after the launch, everything but the a/c (which will stay there until the IBEX launch September 13) was gone.

Compare these pictures with the pictures of Elon's operations at Omlek.

ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

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RE: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #35 on: 05/15/2008 12:37 pm »
Quote
antonioe - 14/5/2008  3:34 PM

I was wrong about the wording of the David Low inscription on Pegasus.  Here's a bunch of photos from the C/NOFS launch.  There are two L-1011 landings: first at Kona (with the overcast skies), on the Big Island, the second (with a puff of smoke) at Kwaj.  Other than barging in a tube trailer worth of Nitrogen from Hawaii about a month before, and some early comm checks, the bulk of the operation started about two weeks before the launch.  Aircraft and most of the team arrived at L-8 days.  All the spacecraft support equipment was carried on three containers in the belly of the L-1011.  The ground air conditioning unit came via a USAF cargo plane.  Two days after the launch, everything but the a/c (which will stay there until the IBEX launch September 13) was gone.

Compare these pictures with the pictures of Elon's operations at Omlek.


Pictures? Where? ...These things happen ;)
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RE: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #36 on: 05/15/2008 02:58 pm »
Aaaargh... when I tried to upload a picture, I get a "cannot display this page" message.  It may have something to do with the firewall on my office computer.  I thought the message had NOT been posted when the upload failed.  I will try again from home this evening.  Sorry, folks!
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline elmarko

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #37 on: 05/15/2008 03:48 pm »
Firewalls shouldn't stop you uploading something via the forums. It's just over HTTP all the same.

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Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #38 on: 05/15/2008 06:32 pm »

Hmmmm.... maybe the pictures are too big... is there a size limit?

Well, I reduced the David Low inscription picture to 120KB and it still gave me the "page does not exists" error after I push the "Submit" button after browsing to the file...

Any ideas, anyone?

ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Online eeergo

Re: Pegasus-XL - C/NOFS: 15 April 2008
« Reply #39 on: 05/15/2008 06:42 pm »
Quote
antonioe - 15/5/2008  7:32 PM  

Hmmmm.... maybe the pictures are too big... is there a size limit?

Well, I reduced the David Low inscription picture to 120KB and it still gave me the "page does not exists" error after I push the "Submit" button after browsing to the file...

Any ideas, anyone?

I think the default maximum size is 100 KB, but I'm sure Chris can raise that limit locally as an exception... however, I think downsizing it just a bit more may do the trick for now.

On the other hand, I've just realised when I exeed the 100 KB limit I don't get that error message, just a notice on the attachment page saying the image must be smaller... :O 

-DaviD-

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