SpaceX F9 : RRT-1 (GPS III SV07) :CCSFS SLC-40: 16/17 December 2024 (00:52 UTC)

[Ken the Bin]

From Ben Cooper:

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the next GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force from pad 40 on December 13 at 8:04 p.m. EST.

Hmm he’s refering to it as “RRT-1” now…so what the heck is this…

He probably switched because the 45th Weather Squadron forecast refers to it as RRT-1.

[realnouns]

Signet Warhorse I + ASOG departed PC on Dec 6 @ 7:09am ET

Signet Warhorse I + ASOG + B1086 returned to PC on Dec 10 @ 8:10am ET

Signet Warhorse I + ASOG departed PC on Dec 11 @ 12:34pm ET

[realnouns]

Doug departed PC on Dec 6 @ 7:40am ET

Doug returned to PC on Dec 9 @ 12:21pm ET

Doug departed PC on Dec 11 @ 8:26pm ET

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Belated post for what might be the payload transferring to the pad on December 10. There's no logo on the payload fairing.

Only on the space coast can you get stuck behind rocket traffic in the afternoon, and then stuck for payload move at night.
@NASASpaceflight

https://twitter.com/dwisecinema/status/1866684669401391208

[GewoonLukas_]

From Ben Cooper:

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the next GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force from pad 40 on December 13 at 8:04 p.m. EST.

Hmm he’s refering to it as “RRT-1” now…so what the heck is this…

He now lists the launch window:

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the RRT-1 mission for the U.S. Space Force from pad 40 on December 13 at 6:30-10:00 p.m. EST.

[Ken the Bin]

L-1 weather forecast. 80% 'Go' for December 13/14. 60% 'Go' for December 14/15. Booster Recovery Weather risk is Moderate for December 13/14 and High for December 14/15. All other Additional Risk Criteria are Low.

[zubenelgenubi]

Which first stage will be used for this launch? (semi-rhetorical question)

Falcon 9 first stages are now cleared for use up to forty times for non-crewed launches, although that number is apparently more restricted for Cargo Dragon or Cygnus than these other payloads.

Available first stages, with UTC date of most recent recovery:
(1072.2   Jun 25
1086.2    Jun 25   Starlink 12-5 one of these two for Starlink 12-5)
1085.4    Nov 7     (speculation: held for Dec GPS?)
1077.17  Nov 17
1073.20  Nov 18
1069.21  Nov 21
1080.14  Nov 25
1078.16  Nov 27
1083.7    Nov 30

Edit December 13 UTC: It's B1085.4.  Perhaps it was reserved for this payload? 🤔

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1867375536391254181

Targeting Friday, December 13 for a Falcon 9 launch of the RRT-1 mission from Florida → http://spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=rrt-1

SpaceX is targeting Friday, December 13 for a Falcon 9 launch of the RRT-1 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 8:04 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, December 14 starting at 7:59 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about ten minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

This is the fourth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-9 and two Starlink missions. (=B1085-4) Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

So the mystery deepens...and there's one more new evidence of this really being a GPS III launch. Look at the launch timeline for "RRT-1" (1st picture) compared with the one for GPS III SV06 (2nd picture) - you can see they almost completely matches. Given this and the 1st stage recovery/2nd stage re-entry zones being completely the same, it still looks like one and the same for me.

But somehow this is not officially confirmed. Why?

(also can someone calculate if the 01:04 UTC T-0 matches with a launch towards any of the 6 GPS satellites orbital planes?)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[catdlr]

Here is a consolidated post of available video links for this launch:

SpaceX direct live broadcast on Twitter:  https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1lPJqOevRqYKb

Space Affairs YouTube (SpaceX Re-broadcast):  https://youtube.com/watch?v=wvwfwtWB_18

Replay supplied by The Space Devs (15 min after the broadcast end):  https://youtube.com/@thespacedevs/videos

Summary Video provided by SciNews (15 min after the broadcast ends):  https://youtube.com/@SciNewsRo/videos

NSF Live Coverage: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qbDifEAAK4U

[Steven Pietrobon]

PDF of online press kit.

[zubenelgenubi]

Is that Falcon 9 raised at SLC-40? (upper left quadrant, somewhat rain-obscured)

[Martin_G]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

SPACEX RR-1, CAPE CANAVERAL SFS, FL
PIRMARY:   12/13/24   2330Z-0330Z
BACKUP:      12/14/24   2330Z-0330Z

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN Live coverage: SpaceX to launch RRT-1 on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, December 13, Will Robinson-Smith

However, the Falcon 9 second stage on this mission has a grey band around it, which is used to help regulate the temperature of the propellant on the upper stage. Typically, that’s used for missions with significantly long coast phases, like those launching on a direct to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) or a highly-elliptical Earth orbit (HEO).

Could there be a secondary payload (not the possible RRT hosted payload)?  Or some extra "handling" that requires a third burn of the second stage in MEO?


Circa 1 hour to launch.

Webcast begins.

Discussion of (probably) NASA hosted payload RRT-1 via the clues discussed in this thread.

On-shore windy + occasional rain. 🌧 Moderate risk in booster recovery zone.

[zubenelgenubi]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1867726806629200242

Less than one hour until Falcon 9 launches RRT-1 to orbit from Florida. Teams are keeping an eye on weather, which is 50% favorable for liftoff → http://spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=rrt-1

Launch site forecast has degraded.

One minute delay to 01:05 UTC = 8:05 pm EST

NextSpaceflight; updated December 14:
Launch 01:05 UTC

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=rrt-1

SpaceX is targeting Friday, December 13 for a Falcon 9 launch of the RRT-1 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 8:05 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, December 14 starting at 7:59 p.m. ET.

Launch on the :00 second?

[zubenelgenubi]

Frost is visible on the vehicle.

Now, T-20:20 vent?  I don't see it.  Neither do our webcasters.  Scrub?

There is window until 03:00 UTC, but I think that loading the sub-cooled LOX precludes use of it.

[zubenelgenubi]

SCRUB

The SpaceX launch webcast has been delayed to tomorrow.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=rrt-1

If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, December 14 starting at 7:59 p.m. ET.

= 15 December 00:59 UTC

However, I note that the booster recovery weather risk is "High".  And, the launch site forecast is worse.  Maybe it will be a circa ~48 hours delay?

NSF webcasters sign off.

+ Screencap from SFN.

No news/social media post yet from SpaceX.

[zubenelgenubi]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1867745013775708192

Due to high winds, we are standing down from today's launch of the RRT-1 mission. Teams will continue to keep a close eye on the weather as we work toward the next best launch opportunity. A new target launch date will be shared once available.

[Ken the Bin]

SCRUB

The SpaceX launch webcast has been delayed to tomorrow.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=rrt-1

If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, December 14 starting at 7:59 p.m. ET.

= 15 December 00:59 UTC

However, I note that the booster recovery weather risk is "High".  And, the launch site forecast is worse.  Maybe it will be a circa ~48 hours delay?

Despite the bad weather potential, this cancel-and-replace NGA Rocket Launching notice is for tomorrow.

140158Z DEC 24
NAVAREA IV 1567/24(11,12,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING 
   142330Z TO 150330Z DEC, ALTERNATE
   2330Z TO 0330Z DAILY 15 THRU 20 DEC
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-38.47N 080-37.31W, 28-49.00N 080-22.00W,
      28-50.00N 080-20.00W, 28-46.00N 080-15.00W,
      28-37.00N 080-22.00W, 28-34.00N 080-27.00W,
      28-31.55N 080-33.54W.
   B. 31-58.00N 077-18.00W, 32-53.00N 076-36.00W,
      34-10.00N 074-59.00W, 33-44.00N 074-21.00W,
      32-21.00N 075-37.00W, 31-44.00N 077-04.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 1537/24.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 200430Z DEC 24.