Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 : GPS III SV01 : SLC-40 : Dec. 23, 2018 - DISCUSSION  (Read 198815 times)

Offline baldusi

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Astrotech or Spacex facilities
So they are going full commercial or is it just that the use of commercial GEO bus enables standard processing?

Offline Jim

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Astrotech or Spacex facilities
So they are going full commercial or is it just that the use of commercial GEO bus enables standard processing?

Processing location is unaffected by the spacecraft design with the exception of the type of propellants used.

Offline beidou

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##/74            Rb#    III-1    Scheduled launch: 2017
from: http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/sathtml/satinfo.html

Offline chapi

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Astrotech or Spacex facilities
By the way, I was wondering if processing by SpaceX was part of their standard pricing, or this was coming on top of their "public" prices.

I read somewhere that Astrotech prestation was somewhat 5 to 10M$, and that the end customer (Nasa or USAF, in that case) was contracting directly to Astrotech, and I was wondering how SpaceX compare to that. The same for Arianespace, that I understand include the payload processing as part of their standard activity.

If someone has a clue...

Offline beidou

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As first reported Jan. 19, Lockheed Martin engineers have proved their design for the GPS III satellite, demonstrating that it can operate in and withstand the harsh conditions it will experience on orbit.

On Dec. 23, Lockheed Martin’s first GPS III satellite for the U.S. Air Force completed system-level Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing, validating the design of the entire assembled satellite. TVAC is a rigorous test designed to prove a satellite’s integrity and operational capabilities by subjecting it to prolonged cycles of simulated space temperature extremes in a special depressurized chamber.

“TVAC is the most comprehensive and perceptive test performed at the spacecraft level. If there is an issue with your design or production processes, you are going to find it here,” said Mark Stewart, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Navigation Systems mission area. “Successful completion of this significant test validates the thermal design of the spacecraft and verifies that all spacecraft components and interfaces operate at the temperature extremes of the space environment. We credit this performance to the Back to Basics work we performed earlier and the program’s unique GPS III Non-flight Satellite Testbed.”

In spring 2015, the GPS III satellite’s major functional components were successfully integrated to form the first complete satellite. In the fall, the new satellite also successfully completed acoustic testing, where it was pounded with sound waves to simulate the vibrations it will endure during its launch.

With eight satellites under contract, the production line is now on a steady tempo at Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility outside of Denver, Lockheed Martin said. The first four GPS III satellites are in various stages of assembly and test with most major components — including their structure and propulsion systems, solar arrays, and antennas — already delivered.

This spring, with Harris Corporation’s delivery of its second navigation payload, the second GPS III satellite is expected to be integrated and begin environmental testing.

Components for the next four GPS III satellites are already being assembled, tested and delivered on schedule by more than 250 aerospace industry companies from 29 states.

“We have a world-class industry team supporting the development and production of GPS III for the Air Force and our nation,” continued Stewart. “I thank them for their excellent work and commitment to this program.”

GPS III will deliver three times better accuracy, provide up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities and extend spacecraft life to 15 years, 25 percent longer than the satellites launching today. GPS III’s new L1C civil signal also will make it the first GPS satellite to be interoperable with other international global navigation satellite systems.

http://gpsworld.com/gps-iii-satellite-passes-thermal-vacuum-test/
« Last Edit: 02/05/2016 08:47 pm by beidou »

Offline vapour_nudge

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Launch is currently targeted for May 2017

Offline Targeteer

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Interesting development...

United Launch Services, LLC, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded a $41,894,000 modification (P00014) to previously awarded contract FA8811-13-C-0002 for Global Positioning System (GPS) III-02/ Wideband Global Satellite Communications (WGS)-10 Mission Swap. Contractor will provide a Delta IV (5,4) launch vehicle with the required hardware modifications, replacements, etc. for the WGS-10 Mission in place of the GPS III-02 Mission. Work will be performed at Centennial, Colorado; Decatur, Alabama; Cape Canaveral, Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2018. Fiscal 2015 missile procurement funds in the amount of $39,170,407 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California, is the contracting activity.


The US launch schedule currently shows WGS-10 to be TBD in 2019...
« Last Edit: 03/09/2016 09:58 pm by Targeteer »
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline gongora

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« Last Edit: 09/06/2017 03:50 am by gongora »

Offline Mike Jones

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20 M$ of subvention from the USAF compared to F9 commercial prices. Nice for SpaceX. ULA, ILS and Arianespace are in big trouble...

Offline mhlas7

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Will the Falcon 9 upper stage inject the satellites into their final orbit? Last I remember, the upper stage didn't have the capability to coast for that long (if I am remembering this correctly the constraint was batteries on the upper stage). Has SpaceX improved the upper stage so that it can perform a direct injection or will a transfer orbit be used relying on the spacecraft to make the final burn?

Offline Jim

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Will the Falcon 9 upper stage inject the satellites into their final orbit? Last I remember, the upper stage didn't have the capability to coast for that long (if I am remembering this correctly the constraint was batteries on the upper stage). Has SpaceX improved the upper stage so that it can perform a direct injection or will a transfer orbit be used relying on the spacecraft to make the final burn?

The spacecraft will be doing the perigee raising.

Offline enzo

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"This GPS III Launch Services contract award achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space and SMC commander.
Hm, I wonder which of these USAF is sacrificing for the other three?
None of SpaceX's other customers feel it necessary to insult them for perceived failure risk. Especially rude given that certification was completed.

Offline Kabloona

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"This GPS III Launch Services contract award achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space and SMC commander.
Hm, I wonder which of these USAF is sacrificing for the other three?
None of SpaceX's other customers feel it necessary to insult them for perceived failure risk. Especially rude given that certification was completed.

It's not an insult, it's an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that Atlas V has more flown successfully more than twice as many times as Falcon 9 to date.

And I doubt Elon or Gwynne are feeling insulted. They just won their first National Security mission. The champagne is flowing somewhere...though there wasn't any doubt about the win since ULA no-bid.
« Last Edit: 04/27/2016 11:28 pm by Kabloona »

Offline mhlas7

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Will the Falcon 9 upper stage inject the satellites into their final orbit? Last I remember, the upper stage didn't have the capability to coast for that long (if I am remembering this correctly the constraint was batteries on the upper stage). Has SpaceX improved the upper stage so that it can perform a direct injection or will a transfer orbit be used relying on the spacecraft to make the final burn?

The spacecraft will be doing the perigee raising.

Thanks! Any particular reason why? Doesn't the Centaur inject GPS sats into their final orbit for Atlas V missions? What about Delta IV?

Offline AncientU

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Will this payload be horizontally integrated?
If vertical, this starts a two-year clock on vertical integration hardware/processes.
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
-- SpaceX friend of mlindner

Offline Space Ghost 1962

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"This GPS III Launch Services contract award achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space and SMC commander.
Hm, I wonder which of these USAF is sacrificing for the other three?
None of SpaceX's other customers feel it necessary to insult them for perceived failure risk. Especially rude given that certification was completed.

It's not an insult, it's an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that Atlas V has more flown successfully more than twice as many times as Falcon 9 to date.

ULA has reliably flown more complicated, challenging missions, multiple times with well documented flight history showing how effective they are to achieving the mission success.

It is a compromise to use a new provider, who has none of that. That said, they can do the mission. And we have at least two different providers able to do such missions.

Offline Jim

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Thanks! Any particular reason why? Doesn't the Centaur inject GPS sats into their final orbit for Atlas V missions? What about Delta IV?

It was changed for GPS-III

Offline Jim

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"This GPS III Launch Services contract award achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space and SMC commander.
Hm, I wonder which of these USAF is sacrificing for the other three?
None of SpaceX's other customers feel it necessary to insult them for perceived failure risk. Especially rude given that certification was completed.

It's not an insult, it's an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that Atlas V has more flown successfully more than twice as many times as Falcon 9 to date.

And I doubt Elon or Gwynne are feeling insulted. They just won their first National Security mission. The champagne is flowing somewhere...though there wasn't any doubt about the win since ULA no-bid.

It is just GPS

Quote
"This GPS III Launch Services contract award achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space and SMC commander.
Hm, I wonder which of these USAF is sacrificing for the other three?
None of SpaceX's other customers feel it necessary to insult them for perceived failure risk. Especially rude given that certification was completed.

It's not an insult, it's an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that Atlas V has more flown successfully more than twice as many times as Falcon 9 to date.

And I doubt Elon or Gwynne are feeling insulted. They just won their first National Security mission. The champagne is flowing somewhere...though there wasn't any doubt about the win since ULA no-bid.

It is just GPS

Just a GPS is an upgrade from just Tang and T-Shirts.

Offline Brovane

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With a bid of $82.7M this seems kind of low.  I would have thought they would bid between $90M-100M for this launch contract.  I hope that SpaceX isn't in for a rude shock with all the special requirements(and extra costs) for a DOD payload. 

With a bid of $82.7 Million I wonder if any harsh language is being exchanged at ULA right now? 
« Last Edit: 04/28/2016 02:59 am by Brovane »
"Look at that! If anybody ever said, "you'll be sitting in a spacecraft naked with a 134-pound backpack on your knees charging it", I'd have said "Aw, get serious". - John Young - Apollo-16

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