Author Topic: Atlas V 551 - AEHF-4 - October 17, 2018 (Read 43592 times)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #20 on:** 10/05/2018 07:00 pm »

https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1048244457789972480

jacqmans · « **Reply #21 on:** 10/06/2018 10:13 am »

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #22 on:** 10/06/2018 10:41 pm »

Was AEHF-4 processed at Astrotech? (The previous 3 AEHF s/c were.)
http://www.astrotechspaceoperations.com/mission-history

vaporcobra · « **Reply #23 on:** 10/09/2018 12:19 am »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 10/06/2018 10:41 pm

Was AEHF-4 processed at Astrotech? (The previous 3 AEHF s/c were.)
http://www.astrotechspaceoperations.com/mission-history

It was! Posted today on LM's Flickr.

jacqmans · « **Reply #24 on:** 10/10/2018 08:18 am »

News Release Issued: Oct 8, 2018 (11:34am EDT)

Lockheed Martin-Built Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Packed and Prepared to Join the Constellation

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., Oct. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) built Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected communications satellite is one step closer to space. The AEHF-4 satellite was encapsulated into its payload fairing on September 26 in anticipation of its October 17 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

"This fourth satellite will complete a worldwide ring of AEHF satellites to deliver global extended data rate (XDR) coverage for the U.S. Air Force and for the partner nations – Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom – that also connect to the AEHF network," said Mike Cacheiro, Lockheed Martin vice president of protected communications. "The Silicon Valley-based team that built this satellite can't wait to see it lift off. And in the meantime, we're making great progress on producing the fifth and sixth satellites in the constellation."

AEHF communications are jam-proof and offer low probability of detection or interception, and the four AEHF satellite constellation will be able to deliver that capability worldwide. The satellite enables military communications with real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data, boosted by a five-fold increase in individual user data rates.

The AEHF system provides vastly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected communications for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms. A single AEHF satellite provides greater total capacity than the entire legacy five-satellite Milstar constellation.

Lockheed Martin manufactured the AEHF-4 satellite at its Sunnyvale, California facility. The satellite was delivered to Florida on July 27, 2018.

The AEHF team is led by the MILSATCOM Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor, Northrop Grumman is the payload manufacturer. Air Force Space Command operates the AEHF system.

For additional AEHF information, photos and video visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/aehf

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #25 on:** 10/12/2018 12:45 pm »

Launch weather forecast is 80% GO:

https://twitter.com/NASA_Nerd/status/1050727619208105984

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #26 on:** 10/12/2018 02:40 pm »

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1050755101323857925

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #27 on:** 10/12/2018 04:24 pm »

Per the LRR being earlier than usual:

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1050764345687326721

catdlr · « **Reply #28 on:** 10/13/2018 03:10 am »

Atlas V AEHF-4 Mission Profile

United Launch Alliance
Published on Oct 12, 2018

United Launch Alliance will use an Atlas V 551 rocket to launch the fourth communications satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) series for the U.S. Air Force.

AEHF satellites provide highly-secure, jam-proof connectivity between U.S. national leadership and deployed military forces. Atlas V rockets successfully launched the first three AEHF satellites in 2010, 2012 and 2013 as the new constellation was formed in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above Earth.

This will be the 131st mission for United Launch Alliance and our 50th launch for the Air Force. It is the 79th for an Atlas V rocket and the 9th in the 551 configuration.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #29 on:** 10/13/2018 12:20 pm »

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1051083479537119238

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #30 on:** 10/13/2018 12:53 pm »

L-3 issued launch weather forecast, still 80% GO:

Quote

Launch day overall probability of violating weather constraints: 20%
Primary concern(s): Cumulus Clouds

24-hour delay overall probability of violating weather constraints 40%
Primary concern(s): Cumulus Clouds, Anvil Cloud Rule

DatUser14 · « **Reply #31 on:** 10/13/2018 07:52 pm »

I have a question about this launch. AEHF- 1 through 3 rode a 531 into a ~GTO-1500 orbit. AEHF-4 is riding a 551 into ~GTO-1000. Why? the perigee of the centaur will be such that it won't decay for millennia, surely this is a concern.

ZachS09 · « **Reply #32 on:** 10/13/2018 08:03 pm »

Quote from: DatUser14 on 10/13/2018 07:52 pm

I have a question about this launch. AEHF- 1 through 3 rode a 531 into a ~GTO-1500 orbit. AEHF-4 is riding a 551 into ~GTO-1000. Why? the perigee of the centaur will be such that it won't decay for millennia, surely this is a concern.

The reason why AEHF 4 will be going into a GTO-1000 orbit is so that it doesn't have to use up a lot of its fuel to get to geostationary orbit.

AEHF 1, 2, and 3 used a considerable amount of fuel since the perigee at deployment was around 200-300 kilometers.

ncb1397 · « **Reply #33 on:** 10/14/2018 03:31 pm »

Quote from: DatUser14 on 10/13/2018 07:52 pm

I have a question about this launch. AEHF- 1 through 3 rode a 531 into a ~GTO-1500 orbit. AEHF-4 is riding a 551 into ~GTO-1000. Why? the perigee of the centaur will be such that it won't decay for millennia, surely this is a concern.

It may be an effort to save fuel to give the satellites more contingency fuel to make the platform more survivable.

Quote

For those who have a hard time understanding why the U.S. military is worried about a war in space, Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond offered a vivid analogy: He compared the constellations that the military has on orbit today to “slow kids in gym class that can’t run very fast.”

Slowness could be a big problem if Chinese or Russian anti-satellite weapons were targeted U.S. spacecraft. U.S. constellations “are not all that defendable,” Raymond said on Wednesday at the Air Force Association’s annual symposium.

https://spacenews.com/air-force-space-commander-our-constellations-are-like-slow-kids-in-gym-class-that-cant-run-very-fast/

cygnusx112 · « **Reply #34 on:** 10/14/2018 04:24 pm »

The weather briefing is showing that MLP roll out is Monday. Does anyone know what time?

input~2 · « **Reply #35 on:** 10/14/2018 07:50 pm »

^{A1520/18 - EROP A4393 ATTENTION AIRLINE DISPATCHERS, SOME OPS APPEAR TO BE USING THE NOTAM BEGINNING TIME TO START FILING ROUTES AROUND THE LAUNCH OP. LAUNCH HAZARD AREA TIMES IN THE NOTAM ARE ALT SPECIFIC AND DO NOT AFFECT ALL OPS. THIS NOTAM CONTAINS A BREAKDOWN OF THE TIMES FOR PRE-LAUNCH AND LAUNCH CLOSURES. THE FOLLOWING AIRSPACE IS IN USE FOR A MISSILE LAUNCH/SPLASH DOWN. DURING THESE TIMES KZMA ARTCC/OAC, ZJX ARTCC AND KZNY ARTCC/OAC WILL NOT APPROVE IFR FLT WI 45NM OF THE AFFECTED OCEANIC STNR AIRSPACE RESERVATIONS WEST OF 6000W, 50NM BTN 6000W AND 5500W, AND 60NM EAST OF 5500W OR WI AFFECTED WARNING AREA AIRSPACE. 1810170215-1810170642: W497A WEST OF 80 WEST. SFC-5000FT MSL. 1810170215-1810170642: CAPE ATC ASSIGNED AIRSPACE. SFC-FL180. 1810170345-1810170642: R2933. 5000FT MSL-UNL. 1810170345-1810170642: R2934. SFC-UNL. 1810170415-1810170642: LAUNCH HAZARD AREA A WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 2839N08038W TO 2842N08032W TO 2838N07943W TO 2829N07943W TO 2830N08034W TO POINT OF ORIGIN, SFC-UNL. LAUNCH HAZARD AREA B WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 2838N07943W TO 2834N07842W TO 2828N07842W TO 2829N07943W TO POINT OF ORIGIN, SFC-UNL. LAUNCH HAZARD AREA C WI AN AREA DEFINED 2755N07011W TO 2734N06730W TO 2721N06733W TO 2741N07014W TO POINT OF ORIGIN, SFC-UNL. LAUNCH HAZARD AREA D WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 2402N4947W TO 2327N04745W TO 2307N04753W TO 2343N04953W TO POINT OF ORIGIN, SFC-UNL. THESE AREAS ENCOMPASSE PORTIONS OF R2932, R2933, AND W497A. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, ALL NONPARTICIPATING PILOTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID THE ABV AREAS, EXC AS NOTED BLW FOR FLT PLAN FILING PURPOSES. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IN EFFECT WI KZMA AND KZNY FIRS. ALL TRAFFIC REGARDLESS OF ALT MUST BE ESTIMATED TO CLEAR OCEANIC ALTRV AT OR BEFORE 1810170410. KZNY REQUEST ACFT CERTIFIED FOR RNP 4/10 FILE ROUTES TO AVOID HAZARD AREA C BY 25NM, AND NON CRTFY RNP 4/10 ACFT AVOID AREA C BY 45NM AND ALL ACFT AVOID HAZARD AREA D BY 60NM DURING THE HAZARD PERIOD 1810170415-1810170642. THE FOLLOWING ROUTES WILL BE IMPACTED: AR6, AR15, AR17, AR18, AR19, AR21, AR22, BR65V, L453, L454, L455, L456, M330, M331, M593, M595, AND Y585. HIBAC TRANS SHIFTY STAR CLSD. FOR FLTS FILED OVER OMN ON THE FOLLOWING STARS: FISEL/GISSH/FRWAY/CAYSL EXPECT A REROUTE VIA OMN J79 TRV AND TRV TRANSITION. REROUTES FOR "AR" ROUTES WILL BE CONTAINED IN FAA ATC COMMAND CENTER ADVISORY. BECAUSE OF THE INDEFINITE OPENING TIME, SOME AIRLINE OPS ARE REROUTING FLTS UNNECESSARILY. EXCEPTING THE KZNY REQUEST ABV ALL FLTS WITH ROUTES THAT WOULD NORMALLY TRANSIT THROUGH OCEANIC OP AREAS DURING OP WINDOW 1810170415-1810170642 SHOULD FILE THEIR NORMAL ROUTE BUT PLAN ON RECEIVING REROUTE FM ATC. KZMA WILL REROUTE ONLY THOSE FLTS NECESSARY TO CLEAR THE AFFECTED AREAS WHILE IN USE. EXPECT THE FOLLOWING INTL REROUTES: L375-435: NON-RNP 4/10 ONLY: DUNIG DCT 2816N06624W DCT BRKZZ. L453: CERDA DCT LNHOM L452 KASAR DCT ALOBI AND REVERSE. L454: ELMUC DCT CERDA DCT LNHOM L452 KASAR DCT GRAMN L453 AND REVERSE. L455: KEEKA L459 SHEIL DCT TASNI L455. L456: KEEKA L459 SHEIL DCT EMAKO L456. M330: GRATX M329 BDA. M331: GRATX M329 BOREX DCT GECAL M331. M593: GRATX M329 BOREX DCT AMENO. M595: CANEE DCT AYTTE. Y585: OMN J79 TRV CVIKK AND REVERSE. SFC - UNL 17 OCT 02:15 2018 UNTIL 17 OCT 06:42 2018. CREATED: 12 OCT 20:35 2018}

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #36 on:** 10/14/2018 08:39 pm »

ULA:

Everything is progressing toward the ULA Atlas V launch carrying the AEHF-4 mission for the U.S. Air Force. The mission is set to lift off on Wednesday, Oct. 17 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Today’s forecast shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The two hour launch window begins at 12:15 a.m. ET.

Please see the Atlas V AEHF-4 mission profile video here:

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #37 on:** 10/15/2018 01:10 pm »

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1051820606658736128

cygnusx112 · « **Reply #38 on:** 10/15/2018 02:11 pm »

The doors are open at 10am for today’s roll out.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #39 on:** 10/15/2018 02:46 pm »

https://twitter.com/DaneDrefke/status/1051840972798251013