SpaceX F9 : NROL-108 : KSC LC-39A : 19 December 2020 (14:00 UTC)

[intelati]

As exception 4th flight during inflight abort test.

Which, IMO was more alike a internal SpaceX launch to verify their internal models.

[launchwatcher]

As exception 4th flight during inflight abort test.

Which, IMO was more alike a internal SpaceX launch to verify their internal models.

It's also a mission which could have "succeeded" even if the booster failed.   (akin to the Apollo A-003 abort test).

[niwax]

1064 is part of a Falcon Heavy.  Presumably 1065 and 1066 are too.  Maybe they can pull a Falcon 9 core forward a little before finishing the Heavy but I don't know if that would be in time for a November launch?

Okey, 1067? NASA would agree to launch on reused random booster?

Why not? CRS missions launched lots of times with reused boosters.

NASA used boosters from their own previous launches, and only 1 reuse, not more.
As exception 4th flight during inflight abort test.

NASA has no limit on whose boosters they use that I know of. Early on most of their booster were from previous NASA missions because they requested the most lightly used ones and the majority of RTLS happen to be CRS missions.

[zubenelgenubi]

Re: NROL-108 launch location:
SFN Launch Schedule, updated October 6:
Canaveral SLC-40

[Jansen]

NROL-108 launch now TBD pending results of investigation into GPS III-SV04.

[Jansen]

Launch now reported as NET October, but the launch has to be from SLC-40 and Starlink V1 L14 is set for 21 October from that site.

So either L14 gets postponed or they do a 10-day turnaround for 31 October. Quickest turnaround so far on SLC-40 is 9 days but those were both  Starlink launches.

Still dependent on results from GPS III SV04.

[russianhalo117]

Launch now reported as NET October, but the launch has to be from SLC-40 and Starlink V1 L14 is set for 21 October from that site.

So either L14 gets postponed or they do a 10-day turnaround for 31 October. Quickest turnaround so far on SLC-40 is 9 days but those were both  Starlink launches.

Still dependent on results from GPS III SV04.

Per FLEETCAM JRTI just departed to sea so gearing up for testing or a doubleheader.

[gongora]

Launch now reported as NET October, but the launch has to be from SLC-40 and Starlink V1 L14 is set for 21 October from that site.

So either L14 gets postponed or they do a 10-day turnaround for 31 October. Quickest turnaround so far on SLC-40 is 9 days but those were both  Starlink launches.

Still dependent on results from GPS III SV04.

Per FLEETCAM JRTI just departed to sea so gearing up for testing or a doubleheader.

JRTI is departing for the next Starlink launch

[zubenelgenubi]

SN: Space Force official: Launch scrubs are no reason to despair, dated October 22

Col. Douglas Pentecost is the deputy director of the Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Enterprise.  He spoke on October 22 at a virtual space industry conference organized by AFCEA, the National Defense Industrial Association and the Air Force Association.

He also said:

...the Space Force is planning to send three satellites to orbit in November, suggesting both NROL-44 and GPS 3 could be ready to launch next month. The third national security launch would be NROL-101, an NRO mission scheduled to fly on ULA’s Atlas 5.

Noting we have NROL-108 in the mix, too.  That's four national security payloads.

That could imply that this launch is still planned for late October?  It will use a previously-flown first stage, unlike GPS III-4 and Dragon Crew-1.  We on the outside don't yet know which available stage.

EDIT/add: If SpaceX and the customer decide that there is no need for a Static Fire, then we may not see this LV, with payload and fairing attached, until a day or so before launch.

EDIT November 13: First stage RTLS: only the fairing catchers will sail for this launch campaign.

[Jansen]

That could imply that this launch is still planned for late October?  It will use a previously-flown first stage, unlike GPS III-4 and Dragon Crew-1.  We on the outside don't yet know which available stage.

There are currently 5 regular F9 boosters available for reuse:

B1049 - Integration for Starlink v1.0 L15 launch
B1051 - Offloading from ASDS recovery
B1058 - Reprocessing
B1059 - Awaiting assignment
B1060 - Starlink v1.0 L14 launch prep

B1059.5 seems the most likely option, unless a FH side booster was converted.

[Ken the Bin]

I received this notice from the NGA.  I'm not certain that it is for this launch, but it seems the most likely.

Note that there is an error in the text.  "311355Z TO 31652Z OCT" should be "311355Z TO 311652Z OCT".

260250Z OCT 20
NAVAREA IV 1033/20(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   311355Z TO 31652Z OCT, ALTERNATE
   011355Z TO 011652Z NOV
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-43N 080-38-12W, 29-02-00N 080-15-00W,
      28-57-00N 080-08-00W, 28-40-00N 080-11-00W,
      28-27-00N 080-24-00W, 28-26-52N 080-32-07W.
   B. 30-12-00N 079-06-00W, 30-28-00N 078-56-00W,
      30-54-00N 078-52-00W, 31-14-00N 078-13-00W,
      31-06-00N 077-36-00W, 30-47-00N 077-22-00W,
      30-27-00N 077-26-00W, 30-08-00N 078-20-00W,
      30-03-00N 078-58-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 011752Z NOV 20.

[gongora]

I went looking for this after Emre Kelly tweeted the same info and couldn't find it.  Does their web search interface lag behind their email notifications?  Or can I just not figure out how to use it?

[Ken the Bin]

I went looking for this after Emre Kelly tweeted the same info and couldn't find it.  Does their web search interface lag behind their email notifications?  Or can I just not figure out how to use it?

Yes, https://msi.nga.mil/NavWarnings lags behind the email notifications.

[Jansen]

I received this notice from the NGA.  I'm not certain that it is for this launch, but it seems the most likely.

Note that there is an error in the text.  "311355Z TO 31652Z OCT" should be "311355Z TO 311652Z OCT".

260250Z OCT 20
NAVAREA IV 1033/20(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   311355Z TO 31652Z OCT, ALTERNATE
   011355Z TO 011652Z NOV
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-43N 080-38-12W, 29-02-00N 080-15-00W,
      28-57-00N 080-08-00W, 28-40-00N 080-11-00W,
      28-27-00N 080-24-00W, 28-26-52N 080-32-07W.
   B. 30-12-00N 079-06-00W, 30-28-00N 078-56-00W,
      30-54-00N 078-52-00W, 31-14-00N 078-13-00W,
      31-06-00N 077-36-00W, 30-47-00N 077-22-00W,
      30-27-00N 077-26-00W, 30-08-00N 078-20-00W,
      30-03-00N 078-58-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 011752Z NOV 20.

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

[Ken the Bin]

I received this notice from the NGA.  I'm not certain that it is for this launch, but it seems the most likely.

Note that there is an error in the text.  "311355Z TO 31652Z OCT" should be "311355Z TO 311652Z OCT".

260250Z OCT 20
NAVAREA IV 1033/20(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   311355Z TO 31652Z OCT, ALTERNATE
   011355Z TO 011652Z NOV
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-43N 080-38-12W, 29-02-00N 080-15-00W,
      28-57-00N 080-08-00W, 28-40-00N 080-11-00W,
      28-27-00N 080-24-00W, 28-26-52N 080-32-07W.
   B. 30-12-00N 079-06-00W, 30-28-00N 078-56-00W,
      30-54-00N 078-52-00W, 31-14-00N 078-13-00W,
      31-06-00N 077-36-00W, 30-47-00N 077-22-00W,
      30-27-00N 077-26-00W, 30-08-00N 078-20-00W,
      30-03-00N 078-58-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 011752Z NOV 20.

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

The launch window parameters are not consistent with a Starlink launch.

Specifically:
1. The launch window is much longer than for a Starlink launch.
2. The launch window times are the same for both days.  Starlink is 21-22 minutes earlier each day.

[vaporcobra]

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

AFAIK, there's no reason NROL-108 can't launch from Pad 39A.

[Alexphysics]

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

AFAIK, there's no reason NROL-108 can't launch from Pad 39A.

Except the top insert at 39A's strongback is currently the one used for Dragon 2 (it was changed this past week) so unless NROL-108 is secretly a Dragon 2 (which would be cool btw), I really doubt that one is going off pad 39A.

[Jansen]

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

The launch window parameters are not consistent with a Starlink launch.

Specifically:
1. The launch window is much longer than for a Starlink launch.
2. The launch window times are the same for both days.  Starlink is 21-22 minutes earlier each day.

Those are great points, Ken.

I wasn’t disagreeing with you, just pointing out a possible alternative.

[Jansen]

That would mark the fastest pad turnaround on SLC-40 by 5 days, since Starlink v1.0 L14 launched from there on Saturday.

It’s possible that this is Starlink v1.0 L15 instead.

AFAIK, there's no reason NROL-108 can't launch from Pad 39A.

Except the top insert at 39A's strongback is currently the one used for Dragon 2 (it was changed this past week) so unless NROL-108 is secretly a Dragon 2 (which would be cool btw), I really doubt that one is going off pad 39A.

I’m not familiar with this top insert. Is it used exclusively for Dragon2?

[AndrewRG10]

NextSpaceflight says the booster will be B1059.5. Meaning B1059 is the first time a booster does three RTLS (also all RTLS's this year were B1059) and first time a external customer uses a fifth flight booster
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/5112