Range question...

[yinzer]

Vaguely VSE related - I know that it takes time to set up the range for different vehicles; this is one of the problems with multi-launch scenarios.  Does anyone know if in the hypothetical case of one wanting to launch two identical vehicles from the same pad (suppose they built another Atlas V VIF and MLP), if there would be range reconfiguration requirements?  Or could you just tell the range "Hey, give us two weeks, we're gonna launch as many flights of the same rocket as we can in that time.  LC 41, 90 degrees launch azimuth, dropping 3 SRBs X km down range, first stage Y km downrange."

Or if it was the same vehicle, but from different pads (like the old-school 36A/B)?  In this case the trajectories would be slightly different, at least during the first minute or two.

[Jim]

yinzer - 18/5/2006  5:56 PM

Vaguely VSE related - I know that it takes time to set up the range for different vehicles; this is one of the problems with multi-launch scenarios.  Does anyone know if in the hypothetical case of one wanting to launch two identical vehicles from the same pad (suppose they built another Atlas V VIF and MLP), if there would be range reconfiguration requirements?  Or could you just tell the range "Hey, give us two weeks, we're gonna launch as many flights of the same rocket as we can in that time.  LC 41, 90 degrees launch azimuth, dropping 3 SRBs X km down range, first stage Y km downrange."

Or if it was the same vehicle, but from different pads (like the old-school 36A/B)?  In this case the trajectories would be slightly different, at least during the first minute or two.

48 hrs is the standard turn around.  

Pointing and boresighting would be different for each pad.  Different FTS codes.  Maybe a day for the same vehicle, trajectory.

there are other assets from other suppliers involved

[edkyle99]

Jim - 18/5/2006  7:06 PM

yinzer - 18/5/2006  5:56 PM

Vaguely VSE related - I know that it takes time to set up the range for different vehicles; this is one of the problems with multi-launch scenarios.  Does anyone know if in the hypothetical case of one wanting to launch two identical vehicles from the same pad (suppose they built another Atlas V VIF and MLP), if there would be range reconfiguration requirements?  Or could you just tell the range "Hey, give us two weeks, we're gonna launch as many flights of the same rocket as we can in that time.  LC 41, 90 degrees launch azimuth, dropping 3 SRBs X km down range, first stage Y km downrange."

Or if it was the same vehicle, but from different pads (like the old-school 36A/B)?  In this case the trajectories would be slightly different, at least during the first minute or two.

48 hrs is the standard turn around.  

Pointing and boresighting would be different for each pad.  Different FTS codes.  Maybe a day for the same vehicle, trajectory.

there are other assets from other suppliers involved

Like propellants?  How long does it take to fill up the propellant tanks at a launch pad (say SLC 41).  How many vehicle tankings can the pad tanks support?

 - Ed Kyle

[Jim]

"there are other assets from other suppliers involved"
 
I left out some words.  The Eastern Range supports launches but there are many more tracking sites and assets stationed around the world.  For example, the "Big Crow" and P-3 aircraft, Det 12 mobile sites, TDRSS, AFSCN, GN, DSN, commercial tracking sites, foreign gov't site and the specific tracking system of the payload.