Author Topic: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - Sep 24, 2017 05:50 UTC (Sep 23 2250 PDT)  (Read 54877 times)

Offline Targeteer

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6106
  • near hangar 18
  • Liked: 3315
  • Likes Given: 1125
If the reports of the host are correct, the auxiliary payload was shipped

http://www.losangeles.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123451106

SBIRS HEO-4 Shipped

Story at a Glance
• HEO-4 was shipped on May 13
• The satellite completed Thermal Vacuum Chamber testing in early January
•  Testing demonstrated that the sensor's performance met or exceeded that of HEO-3
• HEO-4 will complete the replenishment of polar missile warning satellites

6/16/2015 - LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif -- The fourth Space Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit payload was shipped on May 13 from Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Azusa, Calif., by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, the SBIRS prime contractor.  The HEO payload is a space-based sensor capable of detecting missile launches from the northern latitudes.  The payload will be integrated with a host spacecraft and prepared for launch.

Prior to shipment, HEO-4 passed many significant production milestones.  Most significant, on Jan. 5, the sensor completed Thermal Vacuum Chamber testing, verifying performance in simulated space environmental extremes.  This testing fully demonstrated that the sensor's performance met or exceeded that of its predecessor, HEO-3.  HEO-4 is the final sensor delivery from the SBIRS Follow-on Production contract, which produced a total of four infrared sensors.

"I am extremely proud of the hard work of the joint Air Force and contractor team, that worked hard to deliver HEO-4," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, the Air Force's program executive officer for Space and the Space and Missile Systems Center commander. "HEO-4 will complete the replenishment of our polar missile warning capability, ensuring continuity of this critical operational capability."

The SBIRS program is managed by the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.  Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif. is the SBIRS prime contractor, and Northrup Grumman Electronic Systems, Azusa, Calif., is the payload integrator.  The 460th Space Wing at Buckley AFB in Aurora, Colo., operates the SBIRS system.  The SBIRS program delivers timely, reliable and accurate missile warning and infrared surveillance information to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, Combatant Commanders, the intelligence community and other key decision makers.  The system enhances global missile launch detection capability, supports the nation's ballistic missile defense system, expands the country's technical intelligence gathering capacity and bolsters situational awareness for warfighters on the battlefield.
« Last Edit: 09/24/2017 10:08 am by input~2 »
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline vapour_nudge

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 485
  • Australia
  • Liked: 266
  • Likes Given: 338
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #1 on: 03/02/2017 11:00 pm »
In the SFN article for this launch it appears work has probably already started at the launch site

“We are already pressing on with L-42,” said Lt. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, 4th Space Launch Squadron commander and the Air Force launch director at Vandenberg. “We have received the booster and some other flight hardware. So we will launch L-79 and roll right into L-42. In fact, we are going to start working L-47, a Delta out here, shortly after that. So no rest for the weary here at Vandenberg for a little while.”


Another Atlas V 541 variant. Might be AV-072
Quite a few launches from Vandy this year, not just Atlas & Delta
« Last Edit: 03/02/2017 11:01 pm by vapour_nudge »

Offline vapour_nudge

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 485
  • Australia
  • Liked: 266
  • Likes Given: 338
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #2 on: 03/03/2017 01:42 pm »
Interesting. Is the SBIRS HEO4 sensor part of the NROL-42 payload for this launch? I had no idea. Oops

Offline Newton_V

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
  • United States
  • Liked: 822
  • Likes Given: 129
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #3 on: 03/03/2017 03:53 pm »
Another Atlas V 541 variant. Might be AV-072
Quite a few launches from Vandy this year, not just Atlas & Delta

L-42 is AV-072.

Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39048
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32346
  • Likes Given: 8025
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #4 on: 03/04/2017 04:00 am »
Interesting. Is the SBIRS HEO4 sensor part of the NROL-42 payload for this launch? I had no idea. Oops

I don't know, but it has been speculated that the payload is TRUMPET F/O-2 2 with SBIRS-HEO 4. I don't remember where I got that speculation from.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Targeteer

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6106
  • near hangar 18
  • Liked: 3315
  • Likes Given: 1125
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #5 on: 03/05/2017 10:43 pm »
Interesting. Is the SBIRS HEO4 sensor part of the NROL-42 payload for this launch? I had no idea. Oops

I don't know, but it has been speculated that the payload is TRUMPET F/O-2 2 with SBIRS-HEO 4. I don't remember where I got that speculation from.

Maybe from the launch schedule on this site :)

June 13 - NROL-42: Trumpet Follow On 2 (TBD) - Atlas V 541 (AV-072) - Vandenberg SLC-3E
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline vapour_nudge

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 485
  • Australia
  • Liked: 266
  • Likes Given: 338
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - August 14, 2017
« Reply #6 on: 05/10/2017 10:44 pm »
According to SFN this launch is now scheduled for the 14th of August

Offline William Graham

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4183
  • Liked: 236
  • Likes Given: 109
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #7 on: 06/27/2017 12:05 am »
Patches for this one have turned up on eBay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NROL-42-Mission-Atlas-V-Satellite-Launch-VAFB-NRO-USAF-DOD-Space-Patch/253013504479
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atlas-AV-072-Launch-Vehicle-NROL-42-Satellite-VAFB-USAF-NRO-Space-Patch-/401354622054

I'm assuming the one with the bear will be the fairing patch, and the other is the launch patch. They've gone with a Douglas Adams theme for that one - referencing 42 being the ultimate answer to life the universe and everything.

At a first glance these doesn't seem to be giving too much away. The four stars on the right of the "ultimate answer" patch loosely resemble a pattern we've seen on the fairing patches for the last three "Improved Trumpet" satellites. The same symbol may also appear on the bear patch - if you ignore the largest of the five stars on the right, the remaining stars follow the same pattern.

Patch aside, another NROL-35-class payload (i.e. a "further improved Trumpet") is likely from the vehicle configuration and the timing from SBIRS HEO-4 shipping. We should be able to confirm this from drop zones, orbit, and confirmation a few months after launch that the SBIRS payload is in orbit.

Offline zubenelgenubi

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11077
  • Arc to Arcturus, then Spike to Spica
  • Sometimes it feels like Trantor in the time of Hari Seldon
  • Liked: 7344
  • Likes Given: 71418
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 11, 2017
« Reply #8 on: 07/27/2017 06:39 pm »
Or will the NROL-42 launch be delayed?

L-42 is in September now.
***

Delayed to September 11, as per the July 26 update on
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Offline Newton_V

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
  • United States
  • Liked: 822
  • Likes Given: 129
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 11, 2017
« Reply #9 on: 07/28/2017 02:20 pm »
png version:

Offline Newton_V

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
  • United States
  • Liked: 822
  • Likes Given: 129
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - June 13, 2017
« Reply #10 on: 07/29/2017 01:59 am »
At a first glance these doesn't seem to be giving too much away. The four stars on the right of the "ultimate answer" patch loosely resemble a pattern we've seen on the fairing patches for the last three "Improved Trumpet" satellites.

On the "ultimate answer" patch, the 5 stars represent the 5-meter PLF and the 4 stars are the 4 SRBs.
Yeah, I know it sounds lame, but that was the description that came with the patch.

Offline Newton_V

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
  • United States
  • Liked: 822
  • Likes Given: 129
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 11, 2017
« Reply #11 on: 08/20/2017 02:42 pm »
Delayed to September 11, as per the July 26 update on
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Now the 14th...

Offline vapour_nudge

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 485
  • Australia
  • Liked: 266
  • Likes Given: 338
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 14, 2017
« Reply #12 on: 08/21/2017 02:59 am »
 8)
« Last Edit: 08/21/2017 04:44 am by vapour_nudge »

Offline Chris Bergin

ULA:

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Aug. 24, 2017) The ULA Atlas V carrying the NROL-42 mission for the National Reconnaissance office is scheduled for Sept. 14. The Atlas V will lift off from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Sept. 8, 2017) - The ULA Atlas V carrying the NROL-42 mission scheduled for Sept. 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been postponed. The launch vehicle and spacecraft are healthy and secure at Space Launch Complex-3.

 

The decision to delay launch is based on the current forecasting for Hurricane Irma. Some critical members of the ULA launch team that support launch on both coasts are returning to Florida due to the threat from Hurricane Irma which is currently forecast to impact the Cape Canaveral area early Monday morning.  The safety of our employees and their families are at the forefront of this decision. Hurricane preparations and hardware securing are underway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A new launch date for the NROL-42 mission will be determined once the impacts of the storm are understood.

 
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline Chris Bergin

(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Sept. 15, 2017) - The ULA Atlas V carrying the NROL-42 mission in support of national security is scheduled for Sept. 21 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The ULA team is on track with launch processing to support this date.
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Offline zubenelgenubi

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11077
  • Arc to Arcturus, then Spike to Spica
  • Sometimes it feels like Trantor in the time of Hari Seldon
  • Liked: 7344
  • Likes Given: 71418
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 21, 2017
« Reply #16 on: 09/15/2017 09:51 pm »
(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Sept. 15, 2017) - The ULA Atlas V carrying the NROL-42 mission in support of national security is scheduled for Sept. 21 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The ULA team is on track with launch processing to support this date.

Any idea of the launch window, given the information from the previously scheduled, then delayed launch dates?
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Offline russianhalo117

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8749
  • Liked: 4660
  • Likes Given: 768
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 21, 2017
« Reply #17 on: 09/15/2017 10:01 pm »
(Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Sept. 15, 2017) - The ULA Atlas V carrying the NROL-42 mission in support of national security is scheduled for Sept. 21 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The ULA team is on track with launch processing to support this date.

Any idea of the launch window, given the information from the previously scheduled, then delayed launch dates?
There won't be public info until days before the launch.

Offline Newton_V

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 842
  • United States
  • Liked: 822
  • Likes Given: 129
Re: Atlas V 541 - NROL-42 - VAFB SLC-3E - September 21, 2017
« Reply #18 on: 09/15/2017 10:49 pm »

[/quote]
Any idea of the launch window, given the information from the previously scheduled, then delayed launch dates?
[/quote]

Well, let's just say you won't be needing any eclipse glasses.

Quote
Liftoff of Atlas 5 rocket performing the #NROL42 deployment mission is targeted for 10:38 p.m. local time Sept. 21 at Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/908817365021978624
Linear Hairospike on TMRO

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1