Author Topic: LIVE: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012  (Read 88586 times)

Offline Antares

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #60 on: 06/17/2012 09:39 pm »
We live in a republic. Talk to the members of the Intelligence Committees.
If I like something on NSF, it's probably because I know it to be accurate.  Every once in a while, it's just something I agree with.  Facts generally receive the former.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #61 on: 06/17/2012 09:52 pm »

There's an interesting set of messages concerning this launch and the disposal of the upper stage on SeeSat-L starting at http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Jun-2012/0115.html

Concerning the white paint of the Centaur: AV-023 was originally slated to launch a GPS satellite - a mission which would have required white paint. But for the NROL-38 mission it might simply be left over from the earlier assignment.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #62 on: 06/17/2012 11:49 pm »
no different than the last 60 years.
What is different now is that the U.S. civilian space program has largely disappeared, leaving mostly only the once-ignored black side.  We used to have the civilian program to observe, and it used to be laid out in fine detail for observation.  Now it is largely gone, and the bits that remain are themselves partially masked due to ITAR and proprietary considerations.  That leaves us with NRO launches that disappear after first stage shutdown. 

I understand why, but unless one is on the program itself, it is painfully frustrating and even boring!

I know more about Russian launches than U.S. launches, thanks to their coverage.  As for excitement, China seems to be where the real money is being spent on new things of interest.  Big new rocket engines are rumbling on test stands there.  Shiny new rockets will soon follow.

 - Ed Kyle

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #63 on: 06/17/2012 11:56 pm »
back in the VIF

Offline spectre9

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #64 on: 06/18/2012 01:16 am »
no different than the last 60 years.
What is different now is that the U.S. civilian space program has largely disappeared, leaving mostly only the once-ignored black side.  We used to have the civilian program to observe, and it used to be laid out in fine detail for observation.  Now it is largely gone, and the bits that remain are themselves partially masked due to ITAR and proprietary considerations.  That leaves us with NRO launches that disappear after first stage shutdown. 

I understand why, but unless one is on the program itself, it is painfully frustrating and even boring!

I know more about Russian launches than U.S. launches, thanks to their coverage.  As for excitement, China seems to be where the real money is being spent on new things of interest.  Big new rocket engines are rumbling on test stands there.  Shiny new rockets will soon follow.

 - Ed Kyle

You're just a launch junkie I reckon but you do have a point.

No shuttle, JPL probe launches slowing to a crawl... nothing to see except these spy sat launches.

The US space program is going to be very boring over the next few years outside of SpaceX launches.

Some hope for Antares but I reckon they're years away no matter what sort of optimistic predictions come through media outlets.

Commercials have already run away to Proton. Good reasons for that too.

Soyuz and Long March might have to do for a while  :(

Offline Prober

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #65 on: 06/18/2012 01:52 am »
back in the VIF

Ohhhh I missed the show
2017 - Everything Old is New Again.
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Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #66 on: 06/18/2012 02:06 am »
None of this banter has anything to do with processing updates, please get back on topic or lose your post

Offline input~2

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #67 on: 06/18/2012 08:30 am »
Quote
06/074 (A2548/12) - AIRSPACE DCC ER OPA6563 ATLAS REENTRY STATIONARY 
RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 1900N/17930E 1530N/16900W
0930N/17100W 1300N/17730E SFC-UNL. 20 JUN 21:16 2012 UNTIL 20 JUN 22:21 2012.
CREATED: 17 JUN 19:46 2012
« Last Edit: 06/18/2012 08:34 am by input~2 »

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #68 on: 06/18/2012 10:50 am »
Another rollout of another rocket with a payload that we can't see, or know anything about.  This is what a substantial percentage of U.S. launches look like now. 

It could be something monumental inside that fairing, something spectacular and impressive and really, really expensive, or it could be mundane, or it could be another Glomar Explorer waste of money, but we'll never know. 

We should know, at least something, in my opinion.  It's our money after all (speaking for U.S. citizens).  And this is pretty much our space program now.

Seriously, Ed, apart from a handful of experts, who could learn anything useful from photos of the payload? The problem is that at least some of those experts will be working for hostile or allegedly-friendly intelligence agencies and advertising one's orbital recon capabilities to them is not condusive to national security.

I admit that I don't think that saying: "This is a COMINT platform" or "This is a synthetic-appature radar mapping satelite" would be too harmful (indeed things like this can be reasonably inferred from the launch site and the observed final orbit).  However, too much detail, even decent-resolution photographs, could possibly compromise the mission.

FWIW, I notice that the DoD's comsats are covered in detail and we get photos of the payload during processing, etc.  I understand why we don't really see much for NRO launches.
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Offline Speedracer

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #69 on: 06/18/2012 02:13 pm »
Looks like NROL is rolling out.

« Last Edit: 06/18/2012 02:14 pm by Speedracer »
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Offline Speedracer

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #70 on: 06/18/2012 02:17 pm »
“Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgi

Offline Speedracer

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #71 on: 06/18/2012 02:18 pm »
“Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgi

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #72 on: 06/18/2012 02:22 pm »
« Last Edit: 06/18/2012 02:22 pm by Ronsmytheiii »

Offline Speedracer

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #73 on: 06/18/2012 02:22 pm »
“Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgi

Offline Speedracer

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #74 on: 06/18/2012 02:23 pm »
“Discovery is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”
-Albert Szent-Gyorgi

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #75 on: 06/18/2012 02:24 pm »

Offline Mapperuo

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #76 on: 06/18/2012 03:46 pm »
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/ Showing live views today.
- Aaron

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 20, 2012
« Reply #77 on: 06/18/2012 08:43 pm »
ULA:

The vehicle was rolled back to the launch pad this morning following the replacement of an environmental control system duct. Everything is moving forward for the Atlas V NROL-38 launch set for Wednesday, June 20 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The L-2 weather forecast shows a 70 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.

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Offline TrueGrit

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #78 on: 06/18/2012 10:34 pm »
What is different now is that the U.S. civilian space program has largely disappeared, leaving mostly only the once-ignored black side.  We used to have the civilian program to observe, and it used to be laid out in fine detail for observation.  Now it is largely gone, and the bits that remain are themselves partially masked due to ITAR and proprietary considerations.  That leaves us with NRO launches that disappear after first stage shutdown. 

I understand why, but unless one is on the program itself, it is painfully frustrating and even boring!

First off let me point out that outside of Saturn the so called military side has always exceeded the number and size than the civilian side.   And they have a different job, and one that in many ways is incompatible with the the public outreach objectives of the civilian side.  You wouldn't be asking to be fully aware of when, what, and where a Seal Team is doing would you?  Just because the civilian side flopped on its face doesn't change the military's job.

Offline jkumpire

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Re: Atlas V 401 - NROL-38 - June 18, 2012
« Reply #79 on: 06/19/2012 02:36 am »
What is different now is that the U.S. civilian space program has largely disappeared, leaving mostly only the once-ignored black side.  We used to have the civilian program to observe, and it used to be laid out in fine detail for observation.  Now it is largely gone, and the bits that remain are themselves partially masked due to ITAR and proprietary considerations.  That leaves us with NRO launches that disappear after first stage shutdown. 

I understand why, but unless one is on the program itself, it is painfully frustrating and even boring!

First off let me point out that outside of Saturn the so called military side has always exceeded the number and size than the civilian side.   And they have a different job, and one that in many ways is incompatible with the the public outreach objectives of the civilian side.  You wouldn't be asking to be fully aware of when, what, and where a Seal Team is doing would you?  Just because the civilian side flopped on its face doesn't change the military's job.

Sir,

Respectfully, the civilian program has been starved to death since the days of Saturn, and if it got the same funding as the military side things would be much better than they are. BTW, last time I checked the Atlas V and Delta IV had a lot of civilian uses and development that assisted them to become the excellent platforms they are now. They did not magically become these great machines purely from MX-774 and Thor. NASA did have more than a little to do with their evolution.

That's not to claim NASA is perfect, but you take your point way too far IMO.

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