LIVE: Atlas V 401 - GPS IIF-8 - October 29, 2014

[Satori]

I didn't catch the exact launch time in the format 1721:00.XXXUTC. Did the commentator mentioned it?

[Lars-J]

Good launch! 

I noticed something sticking out from the fairing - see picture below - Is this normal? If so I must have missed it before.

[Skyrocket]

Good launch! 

I noticed something sticking out from the fairing - see picture below - Is this normal? If so I must have missed it before.

It is standard: the Hydrogen vent fin to keep the evaporating Hydrogen away from the vehicle during ascent.

[John Santos]

I didn't catch the exact launch time in the format 1721:00.XXXUTC. Did the commentator mentioned it?

Shortly before the end of the T-4 hold, the commentator said the countdown would resume at 1717:00 and that the launch would occur at 1721:00, but I don't remember if they announced a fractional seconds part.  If they did, it was "000".  Hope this helps.

[Mapperuo]

[Chris Bergin]

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches 50th Atlas V Rocket

 

Fourth Global Positioning System Satellite Launched for the Air Force in 2014

 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (Oct. 29, 2014) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the eighth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF-8 satellite for the U.S. Air Force at 1:21 p.m. EDT today from Space Launch Complex-41. This is ULA’s 12th launch in 2014, and the 89th successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006.

“ULA is honored to work with this world-class U.S. government and contractor mission team, and we are very proud to have delivered  the GPS IIF-8 satellite to orbit today on the 50th Atlas V mission,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Atlas and Delta Programs. “Achieving 50 Atlas missions with 100 percent mission success is a tribute to this team’s sustained focus on one mission at a time and dedication to reliably meeting our customer’s launch needs.”

This mission was launched aboard an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) 401 configuration vehicle, which includes a 4-meter-diameter payload fairing. The Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine, and the Centaur upper stage was powered by a single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10A engine.

ULA's next launch is the Delta IV Heavy Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) mission of NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Lockheed Martin scheduled for Dec. 4 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

GPS IIF-8 is the eighth in a series of next generation GPS satellites and will join a worldwide timing and navigation system utilizing 24 satellites in six different planes, with a minimum of four satellites per plane positioned in orbit approximately 11,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. The GPS IIF series provides improved accuracy and enhanced performance for GPS users.

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. 

With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 85 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system.

[Chris Bergin]

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2014) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the eighth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF-8 satellite for the U.S. Air Force at 1:21 p.m. EDT today from Space Launch Complex-41. This is the 50th successful Atlas V mission and the fourth GPS mission for the U.S. Air Force this year.

Photo: United Launch Alliance

[BrightLight]

Well done ULA - 98% on payload 100% on 1st stage, the RD-180 has a impressive track record.

[catdlr]

Atlas V GPS IIF-8 Launch Highlights

by: UnitedLaunchAlliance

[jacqmans]

Newest Boeing GPS IIF Launched, Signals Indicate Satellite Working Properly

GPS constellation achieving greater accuracy as modernization continues


CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., Oct. 29, 2014 – The 8th Boeing [NYSE: BA] Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF has signaled controllers it is functioning properly after launching today, marking another step in the modernization of the satellite constellation that’s relied on by millions of people worldwide. 

This was the fourth, and final, GPS IIF launch scheduled for the U.S. Air Force this year. Liftoff from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, occurred at 1:21 p.m. Eastern time, with signal acquisition about three and a half hours later. The satellite is to enter full operational service during December.

“The schedule this year has put the GPS team through its paces, with launches occurring approximately every three months to continue GPS modernization,” said Dan Hart, vice president of Government Space Systems at Boeing Network & Space Systems. “We typically were processing two satellites concurrently at the Cape, requiring strong execution, an unrelenting focus on mission assurance and solid team work with the Air Force and United Launch Alliance.”

The next GPS IIF launch is expected during the first quarter of 2015. The Air Force ordered 12 in total, and four remaining satellites are stored and maintained at the Boeing Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif. The GPS IIFs are continuing modernization with improved accuracy and anti-jamming as well as bringing into service the new civil L5 signal.

[Colodie]

I don't know if this is the right place to mention it, but there's a minor error on the launch story on the main page.

"IIR-4, which is also known as USA-150, will then be re-phased into a reserve slot in the A plane of the constellation." 

IIR-4 (SVN 51) is in the E plane.  It is not possible to move satellites between planes.  SVN-51 will be moved to a reserve slot in the E plane.

[JohnFornaro]

Just want to express my appreciation of the reliability argument from ULA.

[catdlr]

Atlas V GPS IIF-8 Launch Cam

Published on Nov 11, 2014
Here's another look at the Atlas V launch of the GPS IIF-8 satellite for the U.S. Air Force.

[Colodie]

SVN 69/PRN 3 was set healthy today

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?Do=gpsShowNanu&num=2014090

[jacqmans]

GPS Modernization Advances as 8th Boeing GPS IIF Becomes Active

GPS IIF team delivered four satellites in 2014, completing busy year
 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 18, 2014 – The eighth Boeing [NYSE: BA] Global Positioning System IIF satellite has completed on-orbit checkout and joined the active 31-satellite constellation, helping the U.S. Air Force continue modernizing the network that millions of people worldwide use.

The Air Force and Boeing have now put four GPS-IIF satellites into service this year, adding to the modernization effort with advanced atomic clocks, stronger anti-jamming, and a new third civil signal and longer design life.

“We made great progress this year in the quest to modernize GPS services,” said Dan Hart, vice president of Government Space Systems for Boeing Network & Space Systems. “With two-thirds of the 12 Boeing GPS IIFs now on orbit, the constellation is setting new records for accuracy and the Boeing GPS IIF’s are consistently among the best performing.”

Since becoming fully operational in 1995, GPS has evolved into a global digital resource. The Air Force modernization is a long-term initiative to further improve GPS signal accuracy, strength and quality while also adding new military and civil signals to benefit the ever-expanding user community.

Boeing has contributed to GPS since its inception, providing four generations of satellites over a four-decade period. The latest satellite, known as GPS Space Vehicle-69, was launched Oct. 29 and completed on-orbit checkout and validation Dec. 12.

“We believe that our track record on GPS speaks for itself, with more than 525 years of on-orbit operation,” Hart said. “We continue to support today’s GPS mission, and are looking forward to delivering the remaining four GPS IIF satellites into service. At the same time, Boeing continues to explore innovative new solutions that will further enhance and improve the next generation of GPS satellites.”

[anik]

SVN69 with PRN3 was launched into E1 slot. But in NAVCEN table, SVN69 is in B6 slot (if I remember correctly, this slot is for SVN49). I have asked NAVCEN about this recently, but their answer was not clear for me. In all, they said that it relates to feature of operation of satellites in constellation by USAF. Can someone explain to me why they show SVN69 with PRN3 in plane B, instead of plane E?

[Colodie]

The satellites are recorded by slot in a plane, and there are only six slots per plane.  This is from a identification/recording perspective though, as there is no physical reason why you can't put a seventh satellite in a plane.

That's the case with E plane.  There are seven satellites, but in the Ops Advisory, there are only options for E1 - E6.  So, since there's no room in the Ops Advisory for the E plane, it gets stuck where there is room.  Namely the B plane.

It's just a record keeping thing really. 

[anik]

Thank you for answer!