Author Topic: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - 22 June 2023 (09:18 UTC)  (Read 59858 times)

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Cross-post; my bold:
RocketShip: Latest run from factory supports three launches

February 25, 2022

A Delta IV Heavy booster, an Atlas first stage and a Centaur upper stage were among the items delivered by RocketShip. Photo by United Launch Alliance

Hardware for three important missions to the nation arrived at Cape Canaveral this week from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket factory aboard the R/S RocketShip for upcoming Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy launches.

The ship departed the dock in Decatur, Alabama, on Feb. 14 for the week-long transit to the launch site. Arrival at the Port Canaveral wharf occurred on Feb. 23 and offloading was completed by Feb. 24.

This voyage of RocketShip delivered the Atlas V first stage and Centaur upper stage designated to launch the sixth Space Base Infrared Systems (SBIRS) GEO missile warning satellite for the U.S. Space Force, the Launch Vehicle Adapter (LVA) for the Atlas V launch of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station, and the starboard common booster core (CBC-S) and Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) for a Delta IV Heavy launch in service to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

All of the flight hardware was transported within the payload bay of the uniquely configured roll-on/roll-off cargo ship. The elements were safely moved to ULA facilities on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for pre-flight processing.
<snip>
The Delta IV Heavy stages are part of a future launch for U.S. national security. The rocket will feature three CBCs and the upper stage to deploy a payload designed, built, and operated by the NRO.

The R/S RocketShip has been ferrying Delta IV stages to the Florida and California launch sites for more than 20 years. It also began transporting Atlas V rockets in 2011. The vessel carried its first Vulcan Centaur flight hardware, the Pathfinder Tanking Test (PTT) booster, last year.

https://blog.ulalaunch.com/blog/rocketship-latest-run-from-factory-supports-three-launches
« Last Edit: 06/22/2023 05:38 am by FutureSpaceTourist »
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Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - early 2023
« Reply #1 on: 09/25/2022 03:28 pm »
Found the latest on the NROL-68 mission:
Quote from: nasaspaceflight.com
With Delta 387’s mission complete, only two more Delta IV missions remain to be launched. These are both slated to fly from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with the NROL-68 mission slated for liftoff early next year and NROL-70 to follow in the first months of 2024. The first flight of Vulcan, ULA’s replacement for both its Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, is also currently scheduled for the first half of next year.

So it looks like that NROL-68 will launch very early next year.
« Last Edit: 03/08/2023 10:11 am by zubenelgenubi »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #2 on: 10/30/2022 05:18 pm »
Cross-post:
SFN Launch Schedule, updated October 26
Quote
<snip>
March • Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-68
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
<snip>
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Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #3 on: 01/04/2023 07:43 pm »
Is there any visible activity of the launch campaign--towards a March launch?  The Delta IV-Heavy launch campaign is apparently lengthy.  And, it's been a while since the last launch from SLC-37B--December 2020.
« Last Edit: 01/04/2023 07:47 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #4 on: 01/04/2023 08:25 pm »
Is there any visible activity of the launch campaign--towards a March launch?  The Delta IV-Heavy launch campaign is apparently lengthy.  And, it's been a while since the last launch from SLC-37B--December 2020.
;) Maybe a query to Tory Bruno on twitter about preparations at pad SLC-37B for the NROJL-68 launch.

Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #5 on: 01/05/2023 01:21 am »
Is there any visible activity of the launch campaign--towards a March launch?  The Delta IV-Heavy launch campaign is apparently lengthy.  And, it's been a while since the last launch from SLC-37B--December 2020.
Given that a number of components for the Delta IV Heavy to be used for the NROL-68 were delivered to Cape Canaveral last February, I'm sure that preparations could be underway to mate the NROL-68 to the Delta IV Heavy rocket earmarked for this mission.

Offline Newton_V

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #6 on: 01/05/2023 02:39 am »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #7 on: 01/05/2023 12:24 pm »
<dragon hatchling>🐉
Dragon patch-ology?
Or
Twilight Sparkle ✨️ passing her entry exam for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns? 🦄  And earning her cutie mark by magically hatching Spike from his egg?

Edit re: my 2nd suggestion: It's a joke!  ;D

But, one never knows...there could be enough GS-15 or SES "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" bronies/fans in the alphabet soup of agencies involved to make it happen.  Ditto for the contractors.
« Last Edit: 01/05/2023 06:53 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline Jim

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #8 on: 01/05/2023 05:10 pm »
Given that a number of components for the Delta IV Heavy to be used for the NROL-68 were delivered to Cape Canaveral last February, I'm sure that preparations could be underway to mate the NROL-68 to the Delta IV Heavy rocket earmarked for this mission.

No, one can not make that statement.
« Last Edit: 01/05/2023 05:10 pm by Jim »

Offline Jim

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« Last Edit: 01/05/2023 05:15 pm by Jim »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #10 on: 01/05/2023 06:54 pm »
About dragons on patches
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1033/1
That's the article! 👏 👌 🙌 👍
Quote
This appears to be a clear indication that the dragon is a symbol for a class of high altitude signals intelligence satellites originally developed under the name Rhyolite.

Orion is a successor to Rhyolite.

And, the payload is deduced to be an Orion satellite, as will be the payload of NROL-70 next year.
« Last Edit: 01/05/2023 07:59 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline AS_501

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #11 on: 01/05/2023 07:09 pm »
I hope 37B has a future with another launch provider some day.  But the necessary modifications may prove too costly.
Launches attended:  Apollo 11, ASTP (@KSC, not Baikonur!), STS-41G, STS-125, EFT-1, Starlink G4-24, Artemis 1
Notable Spacecraft Observed:  Echo 1, Skylab/S-II, Salyuts 6&7, Mir Core/Complete, HST, ISS Zarya/Present, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Dragon Demo-2, Starlink G4-14 (8 hrs. post-launch), Tiangong

Offline Conexion Espacial

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Offline lrk

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #13 on: 02/04/2023 05:08 pm »
I hope 37B has a future with another launch provider some day.  But the necessary modifications may prove too costly.

Free launch pads have become a bit more of a scarce resource at the Cape, lately - so I would fully expect it to used by someone, eventually. 

It would be nice if the existing pad structures and infrastructure could be modified and used by another rocket, rather than being totally leveled and rebuilt.  Same for SLC-6 at VSFB. 

Edit: The Wikipedia page for SLC-37 states that SpaceX is looking into using the pad for Starship.  I flagged this as citation needed.  Any idea if there is some truth to this? 
« Last Edit: 02/04/2023 05:13 pm by lrk »

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #14 on: 02/04/2023 05:52 pm »

Edit: The Wikipedia page for SLC-37 states that SpaceX is looking into using the pad for Starship.  I flagged this as citation needed.  Any idea if there is some truth to this? 

If they were, it would be for the acreage and not the facilities.

Offline Conexion Espacial

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #15 on: 02/09/2023 01:01 pm »
View of DIVH prior to its launch next month
https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1623680503013408769
« Last Edit: 02/09/2023 01:02 pm by Conexion Espacial »
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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #16 on: 02/09/2023 04:16 pm »
twitter.com/gewoonlukas_/status/1623696951282737157

Quote
As visible in the picture, the fairing is currently missing. ULA will likely perform a Wet Dress Rehearsal before mounting the NROL-68 payload on top of the rocket.

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1623729168545468422

Quote
Yes, Path Finder Tanking Tests, WDR, WDR + FRF

Offline lrk

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #17 on: 02/09/2023 04:19 pm »
twitter.com/gewoonlukas_/status/1623696951282737157

Quote
As visible in the picture, the fairing is currently missing. ULA will likely perform a Wet Dress Rehearsal before mounting the NROL-68 payload on top of the rocket.

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1623729168545468422

Quote
Yes, Path Finder Tanking Tests, WDR, WDR + FRF

I'm assuming Tory was confused and referring to Vulcan - a Flight Readiness Firing for Delta IV would be unexpected.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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« Last Edit: 02/09/2023 04:50 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline GewoonLukas_

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Re: Delta IV Heavy - NROL-68 - CCSFS SLC-37B - March 2023
« Reply #19 on: 02/10/2023 08:40 am »
twitter.com/gewoonlukas_/status/1623696951282737157

Quote
As visible in the picture, the fairing is currently missing. ULA will likely perform a Wet Dress Rehearsal before mounting the NROL-68 payload on top of the rocket.

https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1623729168545468422

Quote
Yes, Path Finder Tanking Tests, WDR, WDR + FRF

I'm assuming Tory was confused and referring to Vulcan - a Flight Readiness Firing for Delta IV would be unexpected.

Yup, and it confused me  ::) :P
Lukas C. H. • Hobbyist Mission Patch Artist 🎨 • May the force be with you my friend, Ad Astra Per Aspera ✨️

 

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