The U.S. Air Force has divided $739 million in launch contracts between United Launch Alliance and SpaceX for six national security missions slated for 2021-2022. The contracts, awarded under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, were announced Tuesday evening by Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.ULA will receive $441.76 million under a fixed-price contract to launch SBIRS GEO-5, SBIRS GEO-6 and Silent Barker, a classified space situational awareness mission.
Specific orbital requirements from the RFP (attachment 5).
The Air Force also selected ULA’s Atlas 5 for the launch of the classified Silent Barker space situational awareness payload, which is scheduled around March 2022, according to the Defense Department’s contract announcement. The military has released little information about Silent Barker, besides revealing that the program is a joint initiative between Air Force Space Command and the National Reconnaissance Office, which owns the U.S. government’s spy satellite fleet.The Air force has launched several small space situational awareness satellites in recent years to detect, track and inspect other spacecraft in geostationary orbit, where most large communications satellites are located. Gen. John Raymond, commander of Air Force Space Command, told lawmakers in 2017 the joint Silent Barker program is “designed to meet the DoD and intelligence community needs to enable space protection.”Silent Barker is expected to launch directly into an orbit roughly 26,000 miles (42,000 kilometers) over the equator, above the geostationary belt, according to data published in Air Force procurement documents. The most powerful Atlas 5 rocket variant — an Atlas 5-551 with five solid rocket boosters and a five-meter payload fairing — will launch the Silent Barker mission from Cape Canaveral, according to ULA.
United Launch Services, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded a $441,761,778 firm-fixed-price contract, for launch services to deliver the SILENTBARKER, SBIRS GEO-5, and SBIRS GEO-6 missions to their intended orbits. This launch service contract will include launch vehicle production, mission integration, mission launch operations/spaceflight worthiness, and mission unique activities for SILENTBARKER and SBIRS GEO-5, with an option for an additional SBIRS GEO-6 launch service. The locations of performance are Centennial, Colorado; and Cape Canaveral, Florida. SILENTBARKER is expected to be completed by March 2022, SBIRS GEO-5 is expected to be completed by March 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 space procurement funds in the amount of $308,550,970 will be obligated at the time of award. The Contracting Division, Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-19-C-0005). Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, California, has been awarded a $297,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract, for launch services to deliver the NROL-87, NROL-85, and AFSPC-44 missions to their intended orbits. This launch service contract will include launch vehicle production, mission integration, mission launch operations/spaceflight worthiness and mission unique activities for each mission. The locations of performance are Hawthorne, California; Cape Canaveral Air Force Space Station, Florida; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. NROL-85 and NROL-87 are expected to be completed by December 2021 and AFSPC-44 is expected to be completed by February 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 space procurement funds in the amount of $285,223,097 will be obligated at the time of award. The Contracting Division, Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-19-C-0004).
SpaceX:NROL-85 (LEO 63 Degree, by Dec 2021)NROL-87 (SSO, by Dec 2021)AFSPC-44 (Inclined GEO, by Feb 2021)So that's 2 Falcon 9's from Vandenberg and a Falcon Heavy from KSC?ULA:SILENTBARKER (NROL-107) (GEO, March 2022)SBIRS GEO-5 (GTO, March 2021)
http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=53706Air Force awards $739 million launch service contractsPress Release From: Los Angeles Air Force BasePosted: Tuesday, February 19, 2019The United States Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), awarded two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch service contracts today. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) has been awarded a $297 million firm-fixed-price contract, for launch services to deliver AFSPC-44, NROL-85, and NROL-87 to the intended orbit. United Launch Alliance (ULA) has been awarded a $441.76 million firm-fixed-price contract, for launch services to deliver SBIRS GEO-5, SBIRS GEO-6, and SILENTBARKER to the intended orbit. Both contracts provide the U.S. Government with a total launch solution for these missions, which includes launch vehicle production, mission integration, launch operations, and spaceflight certification. “The competitive award of these EELV launch service contracts directly supports SMC’s mission of delivering resilient and affordable space capabilities to our Nation while maintaining assured access to space” said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, SMC Commander, and Program Executive Officer for Space. “Phase 1A continues to enable the space enterprise to respond to the rapidly evolving operating environment.” This is the sixth competition under the current Phase 1A procurement strategy. These launch service contract awards strike a balance between meeting operational needs and lowering launch costs through reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions.§ NROL-85 will launch in FY2021 from the Eastern Range. § NROL-87 will launch in FY2021 from the Western Range § SILENTBARKER will launch in FY2022 from the Eastern Range§ SBIRS GEO-5 will launch in FY2021 from the Eastern Range § SBIRS GEO-6 is an option on the ULA contract with a possible launch in FY2022 from the Eastern Range§ AFSPC-44 will launch in FY2021 from the Eastern Range The Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is Air Force Space Command's center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the Global Positioning System, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems, and space situational awareness capabilities.
ULA has confirmed that all three will launch on Atlas.https://www.ulalaunch.com/about/news/2019/02/20/united-launch-alliance-wins-competitive-contract-award-to-launch-three-national-security-space-missions-for-the-department-of-defenseQuoteUnited Launch Alliance Wins Competitive Contract Award to Launch Three National Security Space Missions for the Department of DefenseCentennial, Colo., Feb. 19, 2019 – The United States Air Force announced today that United Launch Alliance (ULA) was awarded a firm, fixed-price contract to launch three missions on the company’s Atlas V rocket. This contract resulted from a competitive award under the Air Force’s Phase 1A procurement strategy.“ULA is honored to be selected to launch three missions in this procurement block buy,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “ULA’s commercially developed Atlas V rocket has been a workhorse for national security, science and commercial missions since 2002, launching 79 missions with 100 percent mission success and builds on the heritage of more than 600 Atlas program launches.” The three missions include SILENTBARKER, Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO)-5 and SBIRS GEO-6. All will launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SBIRS GEO-5 is expected to be the first mission to launch in March 2021.“The Atlas V has delivered sensitive and essential missions including classified defense systems, planetary exploration spacecraft and key commercial assets with precise orbital accuracy,” said Bruno. “We draw on that experience as we transition to our next-generation Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, designed to meet or exceed the needs of our Air Force customer so we can continue to provide reliable, on-time, assured access to space well into the future.”With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the world's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered 132 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system and support life-saving technology.
United Launch Alliance Wins Competitive Contract Award to Launch Three National Security Space Missions for the Department of DefenseCentennial, Colo., Feb. 19, 2019 – The United States Air Force announced today that United Launch Alliance (ULA) was awarded a firm, fixed-price contract to launch three missions on the company’s Atlas V rocket. This contract resulted from a competitive award under the Air Force’s Phase 1A procurement strategy.“ULA is honored to be selected to launch three missions in this procurement block buy,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “ULA’s commercially developed Atlas V rocket has been a workhorse for national security, science and commercial missions since 2002, launching 79 missions with 100 percent mission success and builds on the heritage of more than 600 Atlas program launches.” The three missions include SILENTBARKER, Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO)-5 and SBIRS GEO-6. All will launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SBIRS GEO-5 is expected to be the first mission to launch in March 2021.“The Atlas V has delivered sensitive and essential missions including classified defense systems, planetary exploration spacecraft and key commercial assets with precise orbital accuracy,” said Bruno. “We draw on that experience as we transition to our next-generation Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, designed to meet or exceed the needs of our Air Force customer so we can continue to provide reliable, on-time, assured access to space well into the future.”With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the world's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered 132 missions to orbit that provide Earth observation capabilities, enable global communications, unlock the mysteries of our solar system and support life-saving technology.
Sunday’s mission was the second of four launches currently planned this year for the National Reconnaissance Office. The agency’s next two launches are planned for July and August: an Atlas V from Cape Canaveral with the NROL-107 SILENTBARKER mission and a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg with NROL-91.
Given that the Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to loft the NROL-91 in early August, the question is whether there is sufficient time before the launch of the JPSS-2 satellite for the NROL-107 satellite to be launched in October, since the NROL-107 is the last launch of an NRO satellite atop the Atlas V.
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/02/2022 05:13 pmGiven that the Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to loft the NROL-91 in early August, the question is whether there is sufficient time before the launch of the JPSS-2 satellite for the NROL-107 satellite to be launched in October, since the NROL-107 is the last launch of an NRO satellite atop the Atlas V.why? NROL-91 and NROL-107 are independent of each other.
Quote from: Jim on 07/02/2022 06:01 pmQuote from: Vahe231991 on 07/02/2022 05:13 pmGiven that the Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to loft the NROL-91 in early August, the question is whether there is sufficient time before the launch of the JPSS-2 satellite for the NROL-107 satellite to be launched in October, since the NROL-107 is the last launch of an NRO satellite atop the Atlas V.why? NROL-91 and NROL-107 are independent of each other. The ULA announced a launch window for the SES-20 and SES-21 from September 7 to October 7, so I wanted to clarify that when a launch date will be set for the NROL-107 during the remainder of 2022 isn't related to the upcoming launch of the NROL-91, since the two remaining launches of the Delta IV Heavy will carry NRO satellites after the NROL-91 is launched.
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/03/2022 11:10 pmQuote from: Jim on 07/02/2022 06:01 pmQuote from: Vahe231991 on 07/02/2022 05:13 pmGiven that the Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to loft the NROL-91 in early August, the question is whether there is sufficient time before the launch of the JPSS-2 satellite for the NROL-107 satellite to be launched in October, since the NROL-107 is the last launch of an NRO satellite atop the Atlas V.why? NROL-91 and NROL-107 are independent of each other. The ULA announced a launch window for the SES-20 and SES-21 from September 7 to October 7, so I wanted to clarify that when a launch date will be set for the NROL-107 during the remainder of 2022 isn't related to the upcoming launch of the NROL-91, since the two remaining launches of the Delta IV Heavy will carry NRO satellites after the NROL-91 is launched.? How does future east coast Delta IVs matter in this. How does JPSS affect NROL-107 since they are on different coasts?Same goes for NROL-91 and 107.
If the NROL-91 launches next month, then the upcoming JPSS launch won't directly affect efforts to finalize a date for launch of the NROL-107 because the JPSS and NROL-107 launches are to be conducted from Vandenberg SFB and SLC-41 on the west and east coasts respectively. If the NRO faces a tight budget for FY 2023, then it might launch the NROL-107 in fourth quarter of this year.
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/24/2022 04:11 pmIf the NROL-91 launches next month, then the upcoming JPSS launch won't directly affect efforts to finalize a date for launch of the NROL-107 because the JPSS and NROL-107 launches are to be conducted from Vandenberg SFB and SLC-41 on the west and east coasts respectively. If the NRO faces a tight budget for FY 2023, then it might launch the NROL-107 in fourth quarter of this year.Wrong.NROL-91 has no real bearing on JPSS or NROL-107 launch dates. JPSS and NROL-107 have some effect on each other due to shared ULA personnel.Budget has no effect on near term launch dates.
Quote from: vaporcobra on 02/24/2019 10:44 amSpecific orbital requirements from the RFP (attachment 5).Hopefully the dreadful -0.1 deg inclination can be avoided!
Quote from: Jim on 07/24/2022 05:54 pmQuote from: Vahe231991 on 07/24/2022 04:11 pmIf the NROL-91 launches next month, then the upcoming JPSS launch won't directly affect efforts to finalize a date for launch of the NROL-107 because the JPSS and NROL-107 launches are to be conducted from Vandenberg SFB and SLC-41 on the west and east coasts respectively. If the NRO faces a tight budget for FY 2023, then it might launch the NROL-107 in fourth quarter of this year.Wrong.NROL-91 has no real bearing on JPSS or NROL-107 launch dates. JPSS and NROL-107 have some effect on each other due to shared ULA personnel.Budget has no effect on near term launch dates. I wanted to emphasize that neither the ULA nor the NRO have set an exact date for the launch of NROL-107 in the final quarter of 2022.
