Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/18/2022 03:04 pmThe SLC-2W launch site for the Firefly Alpha is far north of the SLC-6 launch site, and the Firefly Alpha is designed to carry out flight trajectories to the west, unlike the Delta IV Heavy being used to launch payloads into polar orbit. Therefore, the Firefly Alpha can't overfly SLC-6.No, Firefly Alpha is designed for sun synchronous orbits, which are polar and hence SLC-6 is affected by the flight path, just as it was for Delta II launches from SLC-2.
The SLC-2W launch site for the Firefly Alpha is far north of the SLC-6 launch site, and the Firefly Alpha is designed to carry out flight trajectories to the west, unlike the Delta IV Heavy being used to launch payloads into polar orbit. Therefore, the Firefly Alpha can't overfly SLC-6.
Quote from: Jim on 07/18/2022 03:24 pmQuote from: Vahe231991 on 07/18/2022 03:04 pmThe SLC-2W launch site for the Firefly Alpha is far north of the SLC-6 launch site, and the Firefly Alpha is designed to carry out flight trajectories to the west, unlike the Delta IV Heavy being used to launch payloads into polar orbit. Therefore, the Firefly Alpha can't overfly SLC-6.No, Firefly Alpha is designed for sun synchronous orbits, which are polar and hence SLC-6 is affected by the flight path, just as it was for Delta II launches from SLC-2.The Firefly Alpha isn't exclusively intended for sun-synchronous polar orbits, it's also designed to carry satellites into near-equatorial orbits on a westward path. The next Firefly Alpha launch won't be intended to reach polar orbit, but the third Alpha launch (now planned for November) will.
Quote from: Vahe231991 on 07/18/2022 03:32 pmQuote from: Jim on 07/18/2022 03:24 pmQuote from: Vahe231991 on 07/18/2022 03:04 pmThe SLC-2W launch site for the Firefly Alpha is far north of the SLC-6 launch site, and the Firefly Alpha is designed to carry out flight trajectories to the west, unlike the Delta IV Heavy being used to launch payloads into polar orbit. Therefore, the Firefly Alpha can't overfly SLC-6.No, Firefly Alpha is designed for sun synchronous orbits, which are polar and hence SLC-6 is affected by the flight path, just as it was for Delta II launches from SLC-2.The Firefly Alpha isn't exclusively intended for sun-synchronous polar orbits, it's also designed to carry satellites into near-equatorial orbits on a westward path. The next Firefly Alpha launch won't be intended to reach polar orbit, but the third Alpha launch (now planned for November) will.Erm come again? Westward equatorial orbits? Where did you see that? The performance hit for that would be astronomical.
For its next launch Firefly is going to 137 degrees and shouldn't go anywhere near SLC-6. I expect that trajectory won't be commonly used after the initial test launch, but the conversation in this thread was about whether the upcoming Firefly and DIVH launches would conflict.
Quote from: gongora on 07/19/2022 01:13 amFor its next launch Firefly is going to 137 degrees and shouldn't go anywhere near SLC-6. I expect that trajectory won't be commonly used after the initial test launch, but the conversation in this thread was about whether the upcoming Firefly and DIVH launches would conflict.Maybe in a few days, photos will be released by ULA showing the components for the Delta IV Heavy earmarked for the NROL-91 launch being stacked up ahead of the launch next month.
The NextSpaceFlight page has listed this launch as NET September for some time.Does anyone know why and can say?
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 07/31/2022 03:31 pmThe NextSpaceFlight page has listed this launch as NET September for some time.Does anyone know why and can say?I've checked and it's in the DB as such since almost a year ago. I think it's meant to be "NET Q3 2022".
Attention now moves to the west coast and the Delta IV Heavy rocket, which ULA is readying for a September launch with the NROL-91 mission. This mission for the National Reconnaissance Office will likely see the deployment of a heavy optical imaging satellite.
ULA photos
NROL-91s Delta IV Heavy has been delivered and made vertical at Vandenberg! Integration of the fairing and encapsulated payload will follow. Launch scheduled September 24 The final launch of DIVH from Vandenberghttps://twitter.com/ULaunchA360/status/1562726710373523464
September 24th