CAPE CANAVERAL — Just two weeks before it flies to space, the core stage of the next Atlas 5 rocket was erected aboard the mobile launcher platform this morning by United Launch Alliance technicians to kick off a streamlined vehicle assembly that will break a record.Never before has an Atlas 5 stacking process started this close to flight, but it is part of the company’s “span reductions” initiative to increase available slots in the manifest while cutting costs.Previous marks — as measured from commencing stacking to rollout — have shrunk from 43 days to 25 days to 21 days to 17 days for the 401-configured Atlas 5 over the past few years. If all goes according to plan, this mission will total just 13 days.The initiative has targeted more efficient subsystem testing, improvements in screening to catch component issues sooner and development of time- and labor-saving changes to standard operations.Atlas 5 saw 90-day processing times when the vehicle first began flying 15 years ago. But the maturing of systems and hardware allowed, for example, the elimination of time-consuming Wet Dress Rehearsals for most missions.This morning, the 106.6-foot-long, 12.5-foot-diameter bronze-colored booster stage was erected upright and then maneuvered into the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41. It is a milestone known as Launch Vehicle On Stand, or LVOS.
QuoteCAPE CANAVERAL — Just two weeks before it flies to space, the core stage of the next Atlas 5 rocket was erected aboard the mobile launcher platform this morning by United Launch Alliance technicians to kick off a streamlined vehicle assembly that will break a record.Never before has an Atlas 5 stacking process started this close to flight, but it is part of the company’s “span reductions” initiative to increase available slots in the manifest while cutting costs.Previous marks — as measured from commencing stacking to rollout — have shrunk from 43 days to 25 days to 21 days to 17 days for the 401-configured Atlas 5 over the past few years. If all goes according to plan, this mission will total just 13 days.The initiative has targeted more efficient subsystem testing, improvements in screening to catch component issues sooner and development of time- and labor-saving changes to standard operations.Atlas 5 saw 90-day processing times when the vehicle first began flying 15 years ago. But the maturing of systems and hardware allowed, for example, the elimination of time-consuming Wet Dress Rehearsals for most missions.This morning, the 106.6-foot-long, 12.5-foot-diameter bronze-colored booster stage was erected upright and then maneuvered into the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41. It is a milestone known as Launch Vehicle On Stand, or LVOS.http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/01/05/stacking-of-atlas-5-underway-for-next-national-security-satellite-launch/
Thats's to rollout, not launch. It would be 15 days from initial stacking.
Quote from: baldusi on 01/06/2017 01:17 amThats's to rollout, not launch. It would be 15 days from initial stacking.that would knock it down to 24.33 launches possible per year, excluding what I excluded in my above post, so that would be 2 launches a month from a single MLP, pad and VIF if only from CCAFS and slightly more if VAFB is included.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 01/06/2017 01:28 amQuote from: baldusi on 01/06/2017 01:17 amThats's to rollout, not launch. It would be 15 days from initial stacking.that would knock it down to 24.33 launches possible per year, excluding what I excluded in my above post, so that would be 2 launches a month from a single MLP, pad and VIF if only from CCAFS and slightly more if VAFB is included.But, can the Delta Mariner support that rate. Especially if it also has Vandenberg delivers...
When they switch to Vulcan, they will be limited to transport with the Delta Mariner. It will be too large to air drop.Glad to see this launch will complete SBIRS coverage. Go Atlas!
Quote from: kevin-rf on 01/06/2017 03:35 pmWhen they switch to Vulcan, they will be limited to transport with the Delta Mariner. It will be too large to air drop.Glad to see this launch will complete SBIRS coverage. Go Atlas!Please remember that, if necessary, the Delta Mariner can carry 3 cores in a single trip. Of course if they have ACES, it would also have to go by ship. The real issue is the single point of failure. But if they even have to do 20 launches/yr, then the space market will be so hot that they will surely be able to invest in extra resources. They would have a 2B/yr revenue at that rate.
Co[n]ducted a very clean President's Mission Success Review today. Looking forward to taking SBIRS to space