Author Topic: Vandenberg Space Force Base - Missile Test notices  (Read 143335 times)

Offline catdlr

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #80 on: 05/27/2017 07:01 am »
Launch Alert
3:55 PM May 26, 2017


A Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) missile is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg AFB on the afternoon of May 30 during a 12:00-16:14 PDT launch window. The launch is part of a missile defense test that calls for the GBI to intercept a target launched from the central Pacific.

Off-base public viewing will be available on Corral Road approximately 1 mile north-northwest of the Vandenberg AFB main gate at Highway 1 and California Blvd.

Since this is a test of a critical weapon system, launch status and countdown information will probably only be available on-base and at the public viewing area on Corral Road.

For more information about the test, go to:

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/missile_defense_test_involving_vandenberg_afb_aims_at_intercept
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Offline edkyle99

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #81 on: 05/27/2017 10:29 pm »
"... it is worth noting the CE-II Block I kill vehicle is not the only untested system in FTG-15.  FTG-15 will also be the first flight test of the new C2 version of the Ground-Based Interceptor booster rocket, which has improved avionics and resolves some obsolescence issues relative to the current booster.  GAO has described the new booster as an “extensive upgrade.”"
https://mostlymissiledefense.com/2017/02/02/could-ftg-15-delays-prevent-the-deployment-of-44-gbis-by-the-end-of-2017-february-2-2017/
More info on the C2 booster here, along with discussion of plans for a C3 version.
http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/Shielded-from-Oversight-appendix-6.pdf

Does anyone know what the "ICBM class" target will be?

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 05/27/2017 10:33 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline Helodriver

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #82 on: 05/27/2017 11:03 pm »
I'll be there for this. :) Mid afternoon launch time means less chance of fog. I saw the last test of this in early 2016. Acceleration is impressive, and expected given their mission.

Offline catdlr

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #83 on: 05/30/2017 04:12 pm »

Launch Alert
5:42 AM May 30, 2017


A Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) missile is scheduled for launch today (May 30) from Vandenberg AFB during a 12:00-16:14 PDT launch window. The event is part of a missile defense test that calls for the GBI to intercept a target launched from Kwajalein in the central Pacific.

If the sky is clear, the midday-afternoon GBI launch could be visible to the unaided eye for more than 50 miles. However, the intercept will not be visible.

According to the Vandenberg AFB website, off-base public viewing will be available on Corral Road.

Because this is a test of a critical weapon system, launch status and countdown information will probably only be available on base and at the public viewing area on Corral Road. However, Fox News announced it plans to televise the event.

For more information about the test, go to:

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/missile_defense_test_involving_vandenberg_afb_aims_at_intercept
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Offline mvpel

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #84 on: 05/30/2017 07:32 pm »
I'll be there for this. :) Mid afternoon launch time means less chance of fog. I saw the last test of this in early 2016. Acceleration is impressive, and expected given their mission.

Unfortunately I asked too late for a seat in the auditorium to watch the feeds over here - it's standing room only, since it's the first one in a long time that's taking place during normal business hours, and they don't want to annoy the fire marshal.

[updated]
How was the launch? Good pics? Looking forward to the MDA release.
« Last Edit: 05/30/2017 07:51 pm by mvpel »
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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #85 on: 05/30/2017 09:05 pm »
As predicted, the high sun angle of a mid day launch time broke through the persistent coastal marine layer fog bank and yielded clear blue skies. The launch went off about 20 minutes into the window, time was dependent on the target vehicle launching from Kwajalein and getting into the test corridor before the GMD would launch.

Warm temperatures and breezy conditions prevailed and created a lot of low level heat shimmer that blurred images of the interceptor climbing away from the silo until about T+10 seconds.

From Vandenberg, it looked like a good launch, so far no news about  the success of the intercept test. Stills and video below.

Image 5 shows the 1st/2nd staging event and image 6 the last visible bit of Stage2 exoatmospheric flight.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #86 on: 05/30/2017 09:51 pm »
News agencies reporting a successful test.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-northkorea-missiletest-idUSKBN18Q2CU

MDA also reports a successful intercept.
https://www.mda.mil/news/17news0003.html

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 05/30/2017 09:54 pm by edkyle99 »

Online Chris Bergin

Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #87 on: 05/30/2017 10:57 pm »
ORBITAL ATK OBV Rocket and ICBM TarGET Successfully CoMPLETE Missile Defense Interceptor Test

Company’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Booster Completes 15th Consecutive Flight


Chandler, Arizona and Dulles, Virginia 30 May 2017 – Orbital ATK (NYSE:  OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, successfully launched and tested its Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) rocket for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) as part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) FTG-15 Flight Test. The company also supplied its Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) target rocket for this critical national security system test.

 

The OBV was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on May 30, 2017. Orbital ATK provides the OBV to MDA as part of an industry team led by The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA).

 
“This flight test was a major undertaking for Orbital ATK as we supplied both the boost vehicle for the interceptor and the target,” said Rich Straka, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles Division. “Today’s successful test confirms the United States’ missile defense program stands ready to protect against long-range missile attacks, and we are proud to be a part of that team.”

 

FTG-15 was the first flight of the “C2” configuration of the OBV, which includes upgraded avionics and safety systems to address new requirements and obsolescence issues with the legacy vehicles. It was also the first flight of the ICBM range target. MDA’s goal is to expand the Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) fleet to 44 missiles by the end of 2017.

 

“Orbital ATK is honored to be a part of MDA’s charge to strengthen the national defenses from 30 to 44 GBI Interceptors in 2017,” said Straka. “We understand the importance of this goal and, we are focused on mission success.”

 

 

Following a preliminary post-flight analysis of the data collected from the mission, MDA and the GMD team confirmed all primary OBV objectives for the interceptor test were achieved. These included pre-launch built-in test functionality, silo launch and fly out of the OBV and accurate booster delivery of the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) to enable intercept of the target.

 

The MDA/Orbital ATK ICBM Team also confirmed nominal operation of the target, meeting all primary mission objectives. The ICBM is largest target in a broader family of targets that Orbital ATK supplies to the MDA for Ballistic Missile Defense System testing.

 

Orbital ATK’s missile defense interceptors and related target vehicles are primarily produced at the company’s engineering and manufacturing facility in Chandler, Arizona, with solid rocket motor propulsion manufactured in Magna, Utah, and its vehicle assembly and integration facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and Huntsville, Alabama.

 

Today’s OBV mission was executed under the GMD Development and Sustainment Contract, which continues through at least 2018. Orbital ATK developed the OBV under a multi-year contract with Boeing that began in 2002. Together the OBV and the EKV comprise the GBI, which is assembled by Boeing.

 

The ICBM target was provided under the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile contract, which continues at least thru 2019 with options for additional target vehicles and launches.

 

About Orbital ATK

 

Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,500 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
« Last Edit: 05/31/2017 12:41 am by Chris Bergin »
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Offline catdlr

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #88 on: 05/31/2017 03:50 am »
Launch Alert
7:14 PM May 30, 2017


A Ground-based Interceptor (GBI) was launched from Vandenberg AFB this afternoon. The following are news releases from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Raytheon, Aeroject Rocketdyne, and Boeing and a news feature from the Defense Department about the event. Any questions or comments regarding an item should be directed to the originating organization.

Brian Webb

-----

HOMELAND MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM SUCCESSFULLY INTERCEPTS ICBM TARGET

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense and U.S. Northern Command, today successfully intercepted an intercontinental ballistic missile target during a test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element of the nation's ballistic missile defense system.

This was the first live-fire test event against an ICBM-class target for GMD and the U.S. ballistic missile defense system.

During the test, an ICBM-class target was launched from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Multiple sensors provided target acquisition and tracking data to the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communication (C2BMC) system. The Sea-Based X-band radar, positioned in the Pacific Ocean, also acquired and tracked the target. The GMD system received the target tracking data and developed a fire control solution to intercept the target.

A ground-based interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and its exo-atmospheric kill vehicle intercepted and destroyed the target in a direct collision.

"The intercept of a complex, threat-representative ICBM target is an incredible accomplishment for the GMD system and a critical milestone for this program," said MDA Director Vice Adm. Jim Syring. "This system is vitally important to the defense of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we have a capable, credible deterrent against a very real threat. I am incredibly proud of the warfighters who executed this test and who operate  this system every day."

Initial indications are that the test met its primary objective, but program officials will continue to evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

The test, designated Flight Test Ground-Based Interceptor (FTG)-15, will provide the data necessary to assess the performance of the GMD system and provide enhanced homeland defense capabilities.

The GMD element of the ballistic missile defense system provides combatant commanders the capability to engage and destroy intermediate and long-range ballistic missile threats to protect the U.S. The mission of the Missile Defense Agency is to develop and deploy a layered ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies and friends from limited ballistic missile attacks of all ranges in all phases of flight.

Additional information about all elements of the ballistic missile defense system can be found at www.mda.mil.

Please note that imagery is still being processed. Once available -- likely late this evening -- it will be available at www.mda.mil.

-----

Raytheon kill vehicle succeeds in first intercept of intercontinental ballistic missile

Test keeps program on track for 44th delivery in 2017

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., May 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) upgraded Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, or EKV, a kinetic-force weapon that slams into its targets, destroyed an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time during a Missile Defense Agency test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system.

It was the tenth intercept for the GMD program, which is designed to protect the U.S. against long-range ballistic missile attacks by destroying incoming threats while they are still in space, safely outside the Earth's atmosphere.

"This test keeps the United States on track to increase its ground-based interceptor inventory to 44 in 2017," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems. "The system is among our industry's most complex, and its advancement ensures the protection of the U.S. and its allies."

The ICBM range target was launched from the Reagan Test site on Kwajalein Atoll, and the interceptor was fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. After receiving tracking and targeting data from sea and space-based sensors, the EKV identified the threat, discriminated between the target and countermeasures, maneuvered into the target's path and destroyed it using "hit-to-kill" technology.

The testing was supported by Raytheon's sea-based X-band radar (SBX) and AN/TPY-2 radar. Both play critical roles in supporting the GMD system.

A world leader in kill vehicle design and production, Raytheon is simultaneously managing four kill vehicle programs – the EKV, Standard Missile-3 kinetic vehicle, Redesigned Kill Vehicle and Multi-Object Kill Vehicle. The Raytheon kill vehicle family has a combined record of more than 40 successful space intercepts.

About the EKV

Backed by decades of kill vehicle technology expertise, the Raytheon-made EKV is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missile threats by directly colliding with them, a concept often described as "hit-to-kill."

* The EKV has an advanced, multi-color sensor used to detect and discriminate incoming warheads from other objects.
* The EKV has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination algorithms, guidance and control system and computers to support target selection and intercept.
* The EKV is deployed and operational today.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

www.raytheon.com

-----

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s EKV DACS Performs Critical Role in 10th Successful Intercept Test for GMD

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 30, 2017 – Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc., a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AJRD), announced today that its liquid Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) on the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) successfully performed its mission-critical role in the latest intercept flight test of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program.

Today’s test, designated FTG-15, was the inaugural flight for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Alternate Propellant Tank (APT). During the test, a Boeing-developed interceptor, carrying the Raytheon-built EKV, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, following the launch of an ICBM from Kwajalein Atoll. The Aerojet Rocketdyne Alternate Divert Thruster (ADT) and DACS successfully maneuvered the EKV to the position required for destruction of the incoming target. This was the second flight of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s ADT but the first intercept test.

“Aerojet Rocketdyne has been a key member of the GMD program team since the beginning and we are proud that our DACS, ADT and APT performed as expected,” said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake. “At Aerojet Rocketdyne, we are committed to delivering reliable products and services that play a critical role in defending our country and our allies around the globe. We look forward to continuing our support of the next generation of this program, the Redesigned Kill Vehicle.”

Charlie Meraz, senior director for Aerojet Rocketdyne’s Missile Defense programs added, “The inaugural flight of the APT represents several years of dedicated work by Aerojet Rocketdyne’s engineering team. The APT design is a true reflection of the company’s ability to leverage the best engineering tools to improve reliability and meet customer needs.”

Aerojet Rocketdyne is an innovative company delivering solutions that create value for its customers in the aerospace and defense markets. The company is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, tactical systems and armaments areas, in support of domestic and international markets. Additional information about Aerojet Rocketdyne can be obtained by visiting our websites at www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com  .

-----

Boeing Helps U.S. Successfully Intercept Missile Defense Target

First successful test against representative intercontinental ballistic missile target

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 30, 2017 – The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system built by Boeing [NYSE: BA] successfully intercepted a threat representative of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), demonstrating the system’s ability to detect, engage and destroy targets and validating its technological advances.

The target was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean and the interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Boeing has been the prime contractor for GMD since 2001 and works with an industry team to incorporate improvements.

“This successful test keeps the United States on track for a significant increase in interceptor inventory of 44 in 2017,” said Norm Tew, vice president and GMD program director. “In addition, the GMD program remains on track to evolve and modernize this crucial national defense asset in the face of an evolving threat environment, with system upgrades and future technology including the Boeing-led Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV).”

GMD is an integral element of the United States' layered ballistic missile defense architecture, with interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base and Fort Greely, Alaska. The program comprises command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber-optic communications network that interfaces with ballistic missile defense radars and other sensors.

For more information on Defense, Space & Security, visit www.boeing.com. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

-----

Defense Department Makes Successful Missile-Intercept in Test

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2017 — The Defense Department today successfully intercepted an intercontinental ballistic missile target during a test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense element of the nation's ballistic missile defense system, according to a Missile Defense Agency news release.

The successful test was conducted by the Missile Defense Agency, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force 30th Space Wing, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense and U.S. Northern Command.

‘An Incredible Accomplishment’

"The intercept of a complex, threat-representative ICBM target is an incredible accomplishment for the GMD system and a critical milestone for this program," said MDA Director Navy Vice Adm. Jim Syring. "This system is vitally important to the defense of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we have a capable, credible deterrent against a very real threat. I am incredibly proud of the warfighters who executed this test and who operate this system every day."

This was the first live-fire test event against an ICBM-class target for GMD and the U.S. ballistic missile defense system.

During the test, an ICBM-class target was launched from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Multiple sensors provided target acquisition and tracking data to the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communication system.

The Sea-Based X-band radar, positioned in the Pacific Ocean, also acquired and tracked the target. The GMD system received the target tracking data and developed a fire control solution to intercept the target.

A ground-based interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and its exo-atmospheric kill vehicle intercepted and destroyed the target in a direct collision.

Flight Data Slated for Evaluation

Initial indications are that the test met its primary objective, but program officials will continue to evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

The test, designated Flight Test Ground-Based Interceptor-15, will provide the data necessary to assess the performance of the GMD system and provide enhanced homeland defense capabilities.

The GMD element of the ballistic missile defense system provides combatant commanders the capability to engage and destroy intermediate and long-range ballistic missile threats to protect the U.S. The mission of the Missile Defense Agency is to develop and deploy a layered ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies and friends from limited ballistic missile attacks of all ranges in all phases of flight.
« Last Edit: 05/31/2017 03:51 am by catdlr »
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Offline catdlr

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #89 on: 05/31/2017 04:47 am »
Picture of the ICBM target launched from Kwajalein Atoll

Photo Credit: Missile Defense Agency
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Offline njb

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #90 on: 05/31/2017 06:15 am »
Does anybody know the basis of the ICBM target vehicle?

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #91 on: 05/31/2017 06:25 am »
The first stage looks like a GEM-40 with a skirt welded to its base.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #92 on: 05/31/2017 06:38 am »
The first stage looks like a GEM-40 with a skirt welded to its base.

No - it is apparently a new stage one, smaller than a Castor-120 or a M-55, topped by the Pegasus derived stack already used for the IRBM-T1 target (Orion-50SXLG, Orion-50XLT and perhaps Orion-38).

A sketch has been shown up some years ago on the Orbital website (see attachment, last row, 7th from right).

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #93 on: 05/31/2017 07:18 am »
Here's a screen grab.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #94 on: 05/31/2017 07:36 am »
Here's a screen grab from the Orbital-ATK catalogue. The IRBM is basically the same as GBI, with some modifications (like lengthened nozzle on the first stage). The ICBM has a new first stage with the IRBM on top.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #95 on: 05/31/2017 07:42 am »
Specs on the motors.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #96 on: 05/31/2017 01:43 pm »
Here's a screen grab from the Orbital-ATK catalogue. The IRBM is basically the same as GBI, with some modifications (like lengthened nozzle on the first stage). The ICBM has a new first stage with the IRBM on top.

In a discussion with Jonathan McDowell on this vehicle, he had the idea, that the stage one motor might be a Trident C-4 stage one. Which fits the dimensions pretty well and the Meck Island launch pad at Kwajalein had already supported the Trident C-4 based LV-2 target missile.

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #97 on: 05/31/2017 05:56 pm »
MDA video:
If you're happy and you know it,
It's your med's!

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #98 on: 06/01/2017 05:23 am »
Anybody knows what "Road to 44" means?
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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Re: VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE - Missile Test notices
« Reply #99 on: 06/01/2017 09:15 am »
Here's a screen grab from the Orbital-ATK catalogue. The IRBM is basically the same as GBI, with some modifications (like lengthened nozzle on the first stage). The ICBM has a new first stage with the IRBM on top.

If I'm not mistaken, Orion 32 is a completely new solid stage. Wasn't the demonstrator stage called RAVEN?

Edit: The first stage of ICBM isn't a orion 32. Possibly the first stage is related to GEM63.
Road 44" could refer to the increase in number of ready GBI missiles. From 30 to 44.
« Last Edit: 06/01/2017 01:04 pm by Rik ISS-fan »

 

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