NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => ULA - Delta, Atlas, Vulcan => Topic started by: jacqmans on 08/21/2013 06:42 pm
-
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 -- Two Boeing [NYSE: BA] Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) have completed testing milestones – one in space and the other on Earth – marking more progress in enhancing the tracking and communications network used by NASA and its customers. TDRS-L, shown here at the Boeing satellite facility, is scheduled for launch next year.
-
Atlas V for TDRS-L Mission Arrives at Spaceport
Friday, November 1, 2013 - 10:02
The Atlas V rocket for the TDRS-L mission has arrived at Port Canaveral and is being offloaded from the Delta Mariner barge. The rocket's first-stage booster and Centaur upper stage will be transported to the hangar at the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for checkout in preparation for the mission's January launch.
-
TDRS-L Arrives at Kennedy for Jan. 23 Launch -
NASA's TDRS-L Tracking and Data Relay Satellite arrived at Kennedy Space Center this morning aboard a U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft. Touchdown of the C-17 at the Shuttle Landing Facility came at 6:28 a.m. EST. The spacecraft is being offloaded and will be moved by truck to the Astrotech payload processing facilities in Titusville. Later today, TDRS-L will be removed from its shipping container. It is to be hoisted vertically into a work stand in preparation for five days of electrical testing starting this weekend. Launch aboard an Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Jan. 23.
Source: NASA
-
Atlas V to Launch NASA's TDRS-L Mission
Rocket/Payload: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V401 configuration vehicle will launch the Tracking Data Relay System (TDRS)-L payload for NASA.
Date/Site/Launch Time: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 40-minute launch window opens at 9:05 p.m. EST.
Mission Description: NASA established the TDRS project in 1973 to provide around-the-clock and around-the-Earth communications for the network that routes voice calls, telemetry streams and television signals from the International Space Station, as well as science information from the Hubble Space Telescope and other orbiting spacecraft.
Launch Notes: This launch will be ULA's first of 2014 and 78th overall. A ULA Atlas V also launched the TDRS-K mission for NASA on Jan. 30, 2013.
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Launch.shtml#/47/
-
NASA's TDRS-L Communications Satellite Arrives At KSC For January 2014 Launch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtC1j8uAhSY
-
Dec. 9, 2013
MEDIA ADVISORY M13-191
NASA Opens Media Accreditation For TDRS-L Launch
Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L. Liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is targeted for 9:05 p.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 23, at the opening of a 40-minute launch window.
International media without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, to cover the prelaunch and launch activities. For U.S. media, the deadline to apply is 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13.
All media accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Late credential submissions will result in limited access to launch activities. For questions about accreditation or additional information, contact Jennifer Horner at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 321-867-6598.
NASA's TDRS spacecraft fleet provides communication services such as tracking, telemetry, command and high bandwidth data return for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. TDRS-L is the second of three new satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the fleet, which consists of eight satellites in geostationary orbit. TDRS-L has a high-performance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power to meet the growing S-band communications requirements.
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, Calif., built TDRS-L. NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, a part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the TDRS network. Launch management of the Atlas V launch service for TDRS-L is the responsibility of the mission directorate's Launch Services Program at Kennedy.
For more information about the mission, visit:
http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov
-
TDRS-L Electrical Testing Complete
Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 10:34
Electrical testing of NASA's TDRS-L communications satellite has been successfully completed as scheduled at the Astrotech payload processing facility this week as launch processing continues toward its Jan. 23 launch. Engineers and technicians will test the TDRS-L's propulsion system today and tomorrow. The Atlas V launch vehicle that will send the TDRS-L into an orbit 22,300 miles above Earth is coming together at Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first stage of the Atlas V is to be raised into position Friday after high winds prevented the work from being done sooner. Once in space, the TDRS-L will join NASA's network of similar satellites to relay communications between the agency's Earth-orbiting spacecraft including the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope and a number of Earth-orbiting observatories.
-
Centaur Lifted; TDRS-L Prop Test Complete
Monday, December 16, 2013 - 13:49
On Saturday morning, Dec. 14 the Centaur upper stage to be used for the TDRS-L launch was transported to the Vertical Integration Facility at Complex 41 and hoisted atop the Atlas booster. Meanwhile, at the Astrotech payload processing testing of the TDRS-L propulsion system has been successfully completed. Fueling of the spacecraft is planned to begin later this week. Launch is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2014 at 9:05 p.m. EST.
-
TDRS-L Oxidizer Loading Today
Thursday, December 19, 2013 - 15:20
Technicians will begin loading oxidizer into NASA's TDRS-L spacecraft today in the Astrotech payload processing facility as prelaunch processing continues on schedule. The monomethylhydrazine fuel is scheduled for loading Friday, Dec. 20 and will conclude the week’s propellant loading activities.
-
Propellant Loading Concludes Ahead of Holidays
Friday, December 20, 2013 - 12:07
TDRS-L technicians are loading monomethylhydrazine fuel into the spacecraft today. This concludes the propellant loading operations that have been under way at Astrotech this week. The payload test team from Boeing and Goddard Space Flight Center will next be securing TDRS-L so that next week they can return home for the Christmas holidays. Work to prepare TDRS-L for encapsulation into the Atlas V payload fairing will begin when operations resume at Astrotech on January 2.
-
December 30, 2013
MEDIA ADVISORY M13-197
NASA Offers News Media Access to TDRS-L Spacecraft Jan. 3
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L will be the focus of a media opportunity at 10 a.m. EST Friday, Jan. 3, at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Fla.
Media will be able to view the TDRS-L spacecraft and interview project and launch program officials from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; the Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and United Launch Alliance (ULA).
TDRS-L is scheduled to lift off on a ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Jan. 23 at the opening of a 40-minute launch window that extends from 9:05 to 9:45 p.m.
The TDRS-L spacecraft is the second of three next-generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the fleet, which now consists of eight satellites in geostationary orbit. The spacecraft provide tracking, telemetry, command and high bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. TDRS-L has a high-performance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power to meet the growing S-band communications requirements.
Full clean room attire must be worn during the media opportunity and will be furnished. Journalists should not wear perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants and closed-toe shoes must be worn. No shorts or skirts will be permitted. Some camera equipment may be identified by Boeing contamination control specialists as having to be cleaned before being taken into the high bay facility. Alcohol wipes will be provided. All camera equipment must be self-contained, and no portable lights are allowed. Flash photography will not be permitted, however, the facility has adequate metal halide lighting for pictures. Wireless microphones also are not permitted inside the high bay.
On Jan. 3, U.S. media may proceed directly to Astrotech, which is located in the Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515 Chaffee Drive, Titusville. Access will be available starting at 9:45 a.m., and the event will begin at 10 a.m.
Only media who are United States citizens may attend this event, per Astrotech rules. A government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license or permanently issued NASA media accreditation badge from Kennedy will be acceptable. In addition, proof of U.S. citizenship also is required, such as a passport or birth certificate.
Journalists should call Kennedy's media update phone line at 321-867-2525 on Thursday evening, Jan. 2, to confirm the event still is on schedule.
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems in El Segundo, Calif., built TDRS-L. NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the TDRS network. NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance provides the Atlas V rocket and launch service.
For more information about TDRS-L, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/tdrs
-
NASA Officials Discuss Upcoming Launch Of TDRS L During Media Event
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L was the focus of a media opportunity Januar 3, at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, FL. Media viewed the TDRS-L spacecraft and interviewed project and launch program officials from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; the Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and United Launch Alliance (ULA).
TDRS-L is scheduled to lift off on a ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Jan. 23 at the opening of a 40-minute launch window that extends from 9:05 to 9:45 p.m.
The TDRS-L spacecraft is the second of three next-generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the fleet, which now consists of eight satellites in geostationary orbit. The spacecraft provide tracking, telemetry, command and high bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. TDRS-L has a high-performance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power to meet the growing S-band communications requirements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsAWjBuxeM
-
Spacecraft Team Conducts Practice Countdown
Friday, January 10, 2014 - 09:04
NASA's TDRS-L spacecraft test team performed a successful launch countdown simulation Thursday. Today, TDRS-L will be placed on the payload transporter in preparation for going to the Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Monday. Launch remains on schedule for Jan. 23.
-
Some photos I took this morning of the move of the TDRS-L satellite from Astrotech to CCAFS this morning....
HR photos in L2 ;)
-
TDRS-L Hoisted Atop Atlas V
Monday, January 13, 2014 - 13:52
The TDRS-L Tracking and Data Relay Satellite was moved by payload transporter out of the processing high bay at Astrotech at 1:52 a.m. this morning. This began its trip to the Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41 to meet the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. It arrived there at 5:19 a.m. and was atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket by 9:55. Connections between the spacecraft and the rocket are now being established. The next activity will be the integrated systems test, an electrical test involving TDRS-L and the Atlas V working together as they will during the launch countdown and during flight.
-
The paint job on the fairing looks oddly a bit shoddy. Is it half done? Or is the white/tan difference just due to weird light conditions?
-
The paint job on the fairing looks oddly a bit shoddy. Is it half done? Or is the white/tan difference just due to weird light conditions?
I thought it might be the reflection of lights from safety vehicles.
But even if the paint job wasn't 'thick': thin = light, and light = good for spaceflight (as we all should know)
-
The paint job on the fairing looks oddly a bit shoddy. Is it half done? Or is the white/tan difference just due to weird light conditions?
Definitely a shadow or something like that. It's not visible in the first three pictures he posted.
Also, see below (from the KSC media gallery):
-
January 14, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY M04-14
NASA Sets TDRS-L/Atlas V Launch Events Coverage Schedule
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-L (TDRS-L) is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket Jan. 23 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. The 40-minute launch window extends from 9:05 to 9:45 p.m. EST.
Prelaunch media briefings and launch commentary coverage will be carried live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
The TDRS-L spacecraft is the second of three next generation satellites designed to ensure vital operational continuity for NASA by expanding the lifespan of the fleet, which now consists of eight satellites in geostationary orbit. The spacecraft provide tracking, telemetry, command, and high bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. TDRS-L has a high-performance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power to meet the growing S-band communications requirements.
Prelaunch News Conference
A prelaunch news conference on NASA TV will be held at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Briefing participants are:
-- Badri Younes, deputy associate administrator, Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)
NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Washington
-- Tim Dunn, NASA launch director
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
-- Vernon Thorp, program manager, NASA Missions
United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.
-- Jeffrey Gramling, NASA TDRS-L project manager
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
--Andy Kopito, Civil Space Programs director, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems
El Segundo, Calif.
-- Clay Flinn, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Accreditation and Media Access Badges for Kennedy Space Center
The deadline for accreditation has passed. Accredited media may obtain access badges at the Gate 2 press accreditation office (PIDS) on State Road 3. Two forms of government-issued identification, one with a photo, will be required in order to receive a badge to cover the prelaunch news conference, the Atlas V launch vehicle rollout to the pad and the launch. For further information about accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or 867-2468.
Hours for the press accreditation office (PIDS) for the news media on State Road 3 are Jan. 21 from 6 a.m. to noon, Jan. 22 from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Jan. 23 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and also from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Atlas V Launch Vehicle Rollout
Wednesday, Jan. 22: There will be a media opportunity to observe rollout of the Atlas V rocket from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad. Media should be at Kennedy’s Press Site at 8:45 a.m. for transportation to the viewing location near Space Launch Complex 41.
Remote Camera Placement at Space Launch Complex 41
Wednesday, Jan. 22: Photographers who wish to set up remote sound-activated cameras at the Atlas V launch pad will be transported to Space Launch Complex 41. Media should meet in the Kennedy Press Site parking lot at 2:15 p.m. Only photographers establishing remote cameras may go to the pad for this opportunity.
Launch Day Press Site Access
Thursday, Jan. 23: Media will cover the TDRS-L launch from Kennedy’s Press Site. Photographers only also may cover the launch from Static Test Road, a location on the Banana River; however, there is no power or other facilities there. Photographers should sign up for this location at the Press Site media desk. News media access to Kennedy Space Center for launch will be through Gate 3 on State Road 405, east of Kennedy’s visitor complex and through Gate 2 on State Road 3.
Kennedy News Center Hours
Tuesday, Jan. 21: 6 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 22: 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23: 8 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
NASA Television Coverage
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, NASA Television will carry the TDRS-L prelaunch news conference and mission science briefing live beginning at 1 p.m. EST. Question-and-answer capability will be available from other NASA field centers. Call-in questions also will be taken by dialing 321-867-2468 no later than 15 minutes before the start of each briefing to establish a position in the queue.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, NASA Television coverage of the launch will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude after the TDRS-L spacecraft has separated from the Atlas V, which occurs one hour, forty-six minutes after launch. Live launch coverage will be carried on all NASA Television channels.
A post-launch news conference will not be held. A post-launch news release will be issued as soon as the state-of-health of the TDRS-L spacecraft is known. Spokespersons also will be available at the press site to answer questions.
For NASA Television downlink information, schedule information and streaming video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Audio only of the press conference and the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220 or -1240 or -1260. On launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor’s countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at 5:30 p.m. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz heard within Brevard County.
NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage
Extensive prelaunch and launch day coverage of the liftoff of the TDRS-L spacecraft aboard an Atlas V rocket will be available on NASA's home page on the Internet at:
http://www.nasa.gov
A prelaunch webcast for the TDRS-L mission will be streamed on NASA’s website at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Live countdown coverage through NASA's Launch Blog begins at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23. Coverage features live updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact Nancy Bray at 321-867-9112. For NASA’s Launch Blog, visit:
http://blogs.nasa.gov/tdrs-l
To view the webcast or to learn more about the TDRS-L mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/tdrs
Social Media
Join the conversation and follow the TDRS-L mission online by using the #TDRS on Twitter and Facebook at:
http://www.twitter.com/NASA_TDRS
https://www.facebook.com/NASA.TDRS
Throughout the launch countdown, the NASAKennedy Twitter and Facebook accounts will be continuously updated throughout the launch countdown at:
http://www.twitter.com/NASAKennedy
https://www.facebook.com/NASAKennedy
Recorded Status
Recorded status reports and updates to the media advisory on the TDRS-L launch will be provided through the Kennedy media phone line starting Tuesday, Jan. 21. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.
Wireless Capability
Wireless capability for news media is available at Kennedy’s Press Site.
NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program, part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the TDRS network. The TDRS spacecraft project is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center is responsible for launch management. United Launch Alliance is the provider of the Atlas V launch service.
-end-
-
Integrated Systems Test For Atlas V/TDRS-L
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 14:49
The Integrated Systems Test is being performed today at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as the Atlas V/TDRS-L teams work toward a Jan. 23 launch. This is an electrical test of Atlas V and TDRS-L systems operating together in a launch configuration. This leads to the Mission Dress Rehearsal on Thursday, a countdown exercise for the Atlas V and TDRS-L launch team.
-
Flight Readiness Review Gives 'Go' For TDRS-L Launch
Friday, January 17, 2014 - 14:42
NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) managers completed a standard Flight Readiness Review today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, assessing whether the ULA Atlas V rocket and the agency's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite L are ready to launch at 9:05 p.m. on Thursday. There are no constraints to proceeding toward the Launch Readiness Review on Tuesday. That review will give a "go" to roll the Atlas from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41. The preliminary weather outlook is favorable for launch. The temperature is predicted to be about 40 degrees when the Atlas rocket rolls to the pad Wednesday morning.
-
ULA:
Everything is progressing toward NASA’s TDRS-L launch. The mission is set to liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Thursday, Jan. 23 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 40-minute launch window opens at 9:05 p.m. EST. Today’s L-3 forecast shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.
-
Mission Booklet:
-
NASA's Media Kit:
http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/files/PressKits/TDRS-LMediaGuide-FINAL.pdf (http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/files/PressKits/TDRS-LMediaGuide-FINAL.pdf)
(copy also attached)
-
LRR passed.
-
Go for Rollout, Launch Review Complete
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 - 11:20
Launch and mission managers gave a "go" to roll out the TDRS-L/Atlas V stack tomorrow at 10 a.m. following the successful completion of today's Launch Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The teams also confirmed the launch time of 9:05 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 23 at the opening of a 40-minute launch window. There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather with just a minimal chance of a thick cloud layer. The temperature at launch time will be near 54 degrees with NNW winds 12 to 18 knots. The countdown for launch on Thursday will begin at 2:05 p.m.
-
TDRS-L and Atlas V Readied for Liftoff
Published on Jan 21, 2014
Find out how NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite L and its ride into orbit, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, were prepared for liftoff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXpwVgCBaKA
-
Pre-launch press conference at the top of the hour on NASA TV
-
starting
-
Planning to initially put the spacecraft into storage at 49 degrees West pending assessment of the active fleet on orbit.
-
Answered a question about DOD usage a little more than I expected. Support provided as needed by priority but with no details on percentage of use as requested by Irene Klotz. Also mentioned that NASA gets support from DOD ground stations when required.
-
Bill Harwood asked a question about percentage of TDRS coverage availability for ISS--which has always intrigued me due to frequent and sometimes lengthy LOS'. The answer was 100% with small gaps due to handovers. Load of ISS on the network was described as 1/6th of capacity. To me, this question goes directly back to the DOD support question/answer :)
-
Interesting note on the fairing. Beginning with the Atlas 2 launches for TDRSS, the standard 4M fairing had to be stretched 3 feet to accommodate the size, due the antennas, of the TDRSS satellites
-
Answered a question about DOD usage a little more than I expected.
Don't understand. You mean they provided more info in the answer than expected or the amount that the DOD uses is more than expected?
As far as the latter, search on "air force communications support facility" or Aerospace Data Facility-SW and you will see that is a complex at White Sands. Must be a lot for the USAF to have a facility on site.
-
TDRS-L Pre-Launch News Conference
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8681
-
Answered a question about DOD usage a little more than I expected.
Don't understand. You mean they provided more info in the answer than expected or the amount that the DOD uses is more than expected?
As far as the latter, search on "air force communications support facility" or Aerospace Data Facility-SW and you will see that is a complex at White Sands. Must be a lot for the USAF to have a facility on site.
I meant that he talked more about DOD support than I expected. Although mentioned in various places/sources, DOD use of TDRSS is generally not highlighted. I interpreted DOD support of NASA to be support of vehicle commanding via AFSCN http://www.schriever.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3916 . The added support to the Dragon that had thruster issues after launch comes to mind. Elon Musk specifically mentioned extra ground support during the recovery efforts.
My questions about TDRSS users other than NASA causing large Shuttle/ISS outages goes way back and I'm holding on to it like a dog with a bone. :) The graphic here (slide 18), although dated, shows more than half the network not available to NASA http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22801.0 and the obvious other user is the DOD. I have not seen a network allocation slide published since the end of the shuttle program.
-
My questions about TDRSS users other than NASA causing large Shuttle/ISS outages goes way back and I'm holding on to it like a dog with a bone. :) The graphic here (slide 18), although dated, shows more than half the network not available to NASA http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22801.0 and the obvious other user is the DOD. I have not seen a network allocation slide published since the end of the shuttle program.
There is no way TDRS-Z and the GRGT could not be justified just by NASA wanting to get getting rid of the ZOE*, which was only 15% of an orbit.
*And for CGRO data
-
[Atlas V] Processing Video of NASA's TDRS-L Spacecraft
Published on Jan 21, 2014
See how NASA's next Tracking & Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-L, was processed at Cape Canaveral ahead of launch on an Atlas V rocket. Video includes encapsulation in the payload fairing and travel to Space Launch Complex 41.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV3GO-xhMHQ
-
NASA | TDRS: The Network That Enables Exploration
Published on Jan 21, 2014
NASA is preparing to launch the second in a series of three, third generation advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, known as TDRS. This latest addition to the fleet of eight, TDRS-L will augment a space communications network that provides the critical path for high data-rate communication to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, human occupied spacecraft and a host other spacecraft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSf31neMTvA
-
[Atlas V] Atlas V Rocket Assembled at SLC-41 for NASA's TDRS-L Mission
Published on Jan 21, 2014
See how the Atlas V rocket was brought together and assembled at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral. The rocket will launch NASA's TDRS-L spacecraft into orbit on Friday January 24th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqJ22yCN7b8
-
TDRS-L Prepares to Take Its Place in NASA Constellation
Published on Jan 21, 2014
NASA is poised to launch the TDRS-L spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit where it will play a vital role in communicating with Earth-orbiting spacecraft including the International Space Station and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other scientific observatories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbo_-Ljwvlk
-
!CARF 01/077 (KZNY A0079/14) ZNY AIRSPACE DCC ER OP A9720 ATLAS-V STATIONARY ALTITUDE RESERVATION WITHIN AREA DEFINED AS 2225N5913W 2138N5707W 2131N5709W 2219N5915W SFC-UNL 1401240205-1401240309
-
Atlas V Rocket rolled to Launch Pad
-
What's with that first "instagrammy" one? It looks retro, like a launch from the 1960s...
-
Atlas V With TDRS-L Moves to Launch Pad
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 - 11:31
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's TDRS-L satellite on board was moved to the launch pad at Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Jan. 22, 2014. First motion was at 10:22 a.m. The rocket arrived at the pad less than a half hour later at 10:50 a.m. The two-stage rocket was assembled inside the Vertical Integration Facility at LC-41 before the TDRS-L, packed inside a payload fairing, was placed atop the rocket. The stack was pushed into launch position using a customized rail system. With the rocket in place, engineers and technicians made numerous connections of propellant, coolant and data lines that will allow ground controllers to monitor the rocket and satellite conditions throughout the countdown. Liftoff of the TDRS-L mission is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. EST at the opening of a 40-minute window. Once operational in orbit 22,300 miles above Earth, TDRS-L will work with NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System constellation to provide vital communications between ground stations and spacecraft including the International Space Station, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the agency's fleet of scientific observatories orbiting Earth.
-
!CARF 01/075 ZMA AIRSPACE DCC ER OP A9720 ATLAS-V STATIONARY ALTITUDE RESERVATION WITHIN AREA DEFINED AS 2836N8035W 2836N8024W 2832N8009W 2831N8009W 2830N8011W 2834N8032W 2834N8035W SFC-UNL 1401240205-1401240309
-
-
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
Jan 22, 2014
This memorial message was added to the Atlas V rocket for NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft being prepared for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 41. Arthur J. "Skip" Mackey Jr. was the “Voice of NASA” during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s for flight commentary after liftoff for expendable vehicles launched from Cape Canaveral. Mackey served as branch chief for Telemetry and Communications at Hangar AE in the agency’s Expendable Launch Vehicle Program and then the Launch Services Program for 39 years. He died in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2013.
For more on "Skip" Mackey go to: http://www.nasa.gov/content/skip-mackey-remembered-by-colleagues-as-voice-of-nasa/ (http://www.nasa.gov/content/skip-mackey-remembered-by-colleagues-as-voice-of-nasa/)
Image credit: United Launch Alliance
-
TDRS-L Rolls to the Launch Pad
Published on Jan 22, 2014
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft, mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, rolls out from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Vertical Integration Facility to the pad at Space Launch Complex 41.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mm2BFBw1cY
-
Sorry to hear about Mr. Mackey's passing. Here's a nice video of "Skip" Mackey at work. He was the best, simply terrific at his job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4KfE5eg4aY
- Ed Kyle
-
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/426180549623832576
-
Nice underbelly views of Atlas 5 during rollout.
- Ed Kyle
-
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/chan9large.jpg
-
Moved for live coverage tonight!
Another epic William Graham article in work as we speak.
-
-
Are they your photos, Jacques? I'm thinking lead image for William's article!
-
No ULA:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/PhotoGallery/Photo_gallery.shtml
-
No ULA:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/PhotoGallery/Photo_gallery.shtml
Ah ok. Your photos are so good, I had to check! :)
Ok, William's article next.....
-
And a quick T-0 note for all on different timezones....
21:05 local time (02:05 UTC Friday) at the beginning of a 40-minute window.
-
This is another great read from William Graham. Large amount of Shuttle history for TDRS:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/01/ula-atlas-v-launch-tdrs-l/
-
This is another great read from William Graham. Large amount of Shuttle history for TDRS:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/01/ula-atlas-v-launch-tdrs-l/
Excellent read as always.
-
This is another great read from William Graham. Large amount of Shuttle history for TDRS:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/01/ula-atlas-v-launch-tdrs-l/
Fantastic article.
-
Nice underbelly views of Atlas 5 during rollout.
- Ed Kyle
Very cool! I had never seen that angle before...
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
-
Does TDRS-L have a gas cap to allow for future in-flight servicing? If MDA or another company actually brings to market a satellite servicing spacecraft, it would be nice if TDRS satellites provided access to re-fuel.
-
Does TDRS-L have a gas cap to allow for future in-flight servicing? If MDA or another company actually brings to market a satellite servicing spacecraft, it would be nice if TDRS satellites provided access to re-fuel.
No spacecraft at this time have gas caps.
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
Isn't it a single chamber, two nozzle engine?
-
TDRS-L Social
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8688
-
Two combustion chambers and two nozzles that share hardware upstream, making it one Engine.
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
I'm happy ULA kept the heritage of the tankage around those nozzles. You can look at it and know its an "Atlas"
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
I'm happy ULA kept the heritage of the tankage around those nozzles. You can look at it and know its an "Atlas"
What tanks are you speaking of?
-
The Common Core Booster is powered by a single RD-180 engine, derived from the RD-170 developed by the Soviet Union to power its Zenit rocket.
So is the RD-180 a two chamber and exhaust engine?
Because there are two nozzles on the first stage picture which surprised me when I read the quote in the article. If there is only one above engine there that would make sense.
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
I'm happy ULA kept the heritage of the tankage around those nozzles. You can look at it and know its an "Atlas"
What tanks are you speaking of?
Tankage and key word "Heritage", word "look" should have been added.
-
Yes RD-180 is a two chamber engine.
What's so surprising about it?
Nothing - It would have been surprising if it wasn't a two chamber engine with the two nozzles.
-
Nice underbelly views of Atlas 5 during rollout.
Can you see a guy on the platform holding and squeezing a nozzle while hearing dings from the meter on the pump as RP-1 is loaded into the vehicle.?
-
Go for cryo-tanking...
-
getting from Ula site.
-
TDRS-L Countdown Underway
Published on Jan 23, 2014
At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready to boost NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L, spacecraft to Earth orbit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09oB0mRKTFk
-
Can you see a guy on the platform holding and squeezing a nozzle while hearing dings from the meter on the pump as RP-1 is loaded into the vehicle.?
Humor from the usually stern Night Gator...I like it.
-
Nice to see an airborne shot of an ARIA aircraft during the history of TDRS development clip. I listened to numerous launches out of Vandenberg on HF long before launches were streamed live. Data was usually relayed via LES satellites. There's an ARIA nearby at the Museum of the US Air Force.
-
Just some snaps off the stream
-
T -16
-
Atmospheric flight data loaded, working no issues
T-14
-
What a nice surprise - a message from ISS crew
-
T-10 minutes. Built In Hold at T-4 mins.
-
Looking real good
-
T-4 mins and holding for 10 mins.
-
Polled pretty early there. Polling was go for launch.
-
Poll
-
Now polling to come out the count.
All go.
-
-
HOLD HOLD HOLD
-
"Do not pick up the count."
Problem.
-
LD stopped the count, "SV was not go". Complete clock recycle due to not enough time to extend the hold.
-
Not enough time to recycle the clock, per the loop. Not enough window.
Discussing.
-
Resetting to T-4 minutes with a 10 minute hold.
-
Resetting to T-4 mins. With a 10 minute hold, for now. That would be inside the window...which is 40 mins in length.
Going to discuss on anomaly net.
-
So we're back to T-4 minutes. Holding for 10 mins while they discuss. Not sure if the 10 minutes has started ticking down.
-
Still holding
-
About 20 minutes to go in the window to pick up the count at the L-14 minute (10 min hold and through to T-0).
-
we'll get going here in a couple minutes. Working out a data reception problem. Not a biggy.
-
Did they just say they'd pick up at L-7 instead of L-14?
-
we'll get going here in a couple minutes. Working out a data reception problem. Not a biggy.
Very good sir! :)
-
The actual time of the hold will be determined by when the agreed to T-0 is set. It can be little as L-7
-
omar explains
-
Selecting a new T-0.
-
New T-0 about to be announced.
-
Multipath was the cause, apparently. Staying on hardline until liftoff.
-
So they will use a hardline telemetry source (in the AE Hanger I believe I heard) until lift off and then RF after lift off.
-
Yep - multipath from TEL4 to AE.
-
New launch time 9:33 PM local.
-
New T-0: 02:33 ZULU.
-
Polling to come out of the hold.
-
Interesting. There was a discussion a while ago (deleted as off topic) on whether you could speed up launches by powering up the spacecraft earlier (while or before erecting the rocket). One argument against is that spacecraft monitoring required a hard-line connection, which is hard to get while transporting. But here the normal procedure is using the RF link, so it's clearly possible and acceptable to at least some spacecraft handlers. (though there are clearly issues with this, as this launch shows).
-
Polling is go.
-
Three minutes to go in the hold.
Firing room polling.....
-
Polling is go.
-
T-4 minutes and counting.
-
T-4 mins and counting.
-
Pressurizing Atlas tanks.
FTS internal.
-
Atlas tanks to flight pressure.
-
Vehicle to internal power.
-
Ordnance armed.
-
Go Atlas, Go Centaur!
-
FTS armed.
-
Range Green.
-
T-30 seconds.
-
LAUNCH!
-
-
Beautiful
-
Going supersonic.
-
Through MaxQ.
-
All systems nominal.
-
Oh that's nice....
-
32 miles altitude. 5,300 mph.
-
.
-
-
5G throttling.
-
Staging.
1-2 Sep.
Centaur ignition.
-
Payload Fairing jettison.
-
Launch.....
-
"Right down the middle of the range"
-
more
-
I do like its RCS firings.
-
All systems functioning normally. Regular RCS firings as expected.
Velocity 12,838 mph.
-
1,000 miles from the launch site already! ;D
-
All data coming through Antigua (lost Cape)
-
Centaur PU now controlling, engine response is good.
Speed 14,039 mph.
-
All looking good with Centaur & Bus voltages
Good engine response
RCS line temp lined to bottle temps
-
My view from Orlando :-)
-
T+700 sec
-
Just now getting to thrust=mass and therefore 1G of acceleration.
-
5 min to go in this first burn
-
Centaur now orbital.
-
-
1 min to MECO
-
MECO-1
-
FTS secured
-
MECO-1.
One hour, twenty one minutes and 54.7 seconds coast phase.
-
Centaur beginning turn
-
1.8 deg roll
-
All stable and looking good.
Settling motors working
-
82 min coast period
-
20 min 15 sec into flight
replays starting.
That's it for me.
-
orbit was about 13414 X 99 nm at 26.5 degrees
-
Epic:
-
Lots of decent launch videos
-
Finally....clear skies and I could see it from Tampa!
-
Good morning :) !
Replay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GpM_sGTfyA
-
Chris is getting close to 90K posts :)
-
https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/426551772845309953
-
Sounds like NASA coverage may continue till the second burn and s/c sep :)
-
I'd like to note that with this 43rd launch, Atlas V pulls ahead of Pegasus as the most prolific active US launch vehicle. May it have many more successful flights, perhaps even carrying a few astronauts into orbit on Dream Chaser or CST-100!
-
Centaur's been on a good coast away from the planet...
-
Six minutes to the burn, which will last 63.1 seconds.
-
Moving to MES-2 attitude.
-
This view gives a rather cool spaceship feel!
-
Second burn under way.
-
MECO-2.
-
Moving to S/C Sep attitude.
-
Ready for S/C Sep.
-
orbit 19320 X 2612 nm can't read inclination because its over tan colored China :)
-
Now into a spin....
-
orbit 19320 X 2612 nm can't read inclination because its over tan colored China :)
25.456 degrees, S/C sep
-
centaur to collision avoidance
-
S/C Sep (they always cut away and never show it! They always prefer the money shot of people clapping and hugging.......)
Congrats to all involved of course.
-
No deorbit burn? Isn't this a very, very long duration orbit?
-
Chris with post 90K :) I'm only 88.5 K behind--with 0 likes :(.
S/C acq through Dangarah
-
In Air Force parlance the beer light is on
-
In Air Force parlance the beer light is on
that makes one
-
William Graham's article updated:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/01/ula-atlas-v-launch-tdrs-l/
Make sure you share these articles via your social media. Far too many people sit on their hands here (yeah, you "guest" reading this ;))
-
Nice nod at the end in memory of Skip Mackey
-
January 23, 2014
RELEASE 14-027
NASA Launches Third Generation Communications Satellite
NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite L (TDRS-L), the 12th spacecraft in the agency's TDRS Project, is safely in orbit after launching at 9:33 p.m. EST Thursday aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Ground controllers report the satellite -- part of a network providing high-data-rate communications to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, launch vehicles and a host of other spacecraft -- is in good health at the start of a three-month checkout by its manufacturer, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, Calif. NASA will conduct additional tests before putting TDRS-L into service.
"TDRS-L and the entire TDRS fleet provide a vital service to America’s space program by supporting missions that range from Earth-observation to deep space discoveries," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "TDRS also will support the first test of NASA’s new deep space spacecraft, the Orion crew module, in September. This test will see Orion travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years."
The mission of the TDRS Project, established in 1973, is to provide follow-on and replacement spacecraft to support NASA's space communications network. This network provides high data-rate communications. The TDRS-L spacecraft is identical to the TDRS-K spacecraft launched in 2013.
"This launch ensures continuity of services for the many missions that rely on the system every day," said Jeffrey Gramling, TDRS project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The TDRS fleet began operating during the space shuttle era with the launch of TDRS-1 in 1983. Of the 11 TDRS spacecraft placed in service to date, eight still are operational. Four of the eight have exceeded their design life.
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems completed the TDRS-L integration and testing at its satellite factory in El Segundo in November and launch processing began after the spacecraft arrived in Florida Dec. 6.
TDRS-M, the next spacecraft in this series, is on track to be ready for launch in late 2015.
NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) at the agency's Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the space network. The TDRS Project Office at Goddard manages the TDRS development program. Launch management of the launch service for TDRS-L is the responsibility of HEOMD’s Launch Services Program based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. United Launch Alliance provided the Atlas V rocket launch service.
To join the online conversation about TDRS on Twitter, use the hashtag #TDRS.
For more information about TDRS, visit:
http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov
To learn more about the many ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect
-
ULA photo
-
Objects 39504 and 39505, 2014-004A and B, cataloged in 5357 x 36522 km x 25.5 deg, 3603 x 33651 km x 23.6 deg
orbits. Presumably TDRS and Centaur respectively.
-
TDRS-L Launch
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8690
TDRS-L Launch Replays
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8691
TDRS-L Launch T-25 min (video 140 minutes)
http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8693
-
My congratulations ;) !!!
ULA photo
More :)
-
This is a video clip captured by a GoPro Hero 2 camera that was placed up close at the launch pad for the blastoff of NASA's TDRS-L spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, FL on January 23, 2014.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nAaUsNzOkY
-
Atlas V ROCKS! ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlU_geQJ_g
-
No deorbit burn? Isn't this a very, very long duration orbit?
Yes. The rule is you need to leave your booster in a low orbit (perigee < 500 km or so) so it decays "quickly" (<25 years), or in a very high inclined orbit (perigee > 4000 km or so, different national rules) so it does not intersect LEO or geosync.
-
Great launch ULA!
Quick question, since I seemed to have missed it, what was the initial parking orbit?
-
Congrats, well done to all the teams! :) A little excitement during the initial count for added measure! ;D
-
Congratulations! I'm amazed at how ULA makes it look routine.
-
Great launch ULA!
Quick question, since I seemed to have missed it, what was the initial parking orbit?
Seems to have been aimed at a 185 x 24,919 km x 26.5 deg parking orbit.
- Ed Kyle
-
Great launch. 43/43
-
Great launch. 43/43
Please, let's not get into this discussion again!
-
I'm not interested in any further discussion, it is what it is - another successful mission.
-
Great launch ULA!
Quick question, since I seemed to have missed it, what was the initial parking orbit?
Seems to have been aimed at a 185 x 24,919 km x 26.5 deg parking orbit.
- Ed Kyle
Thanks, definitely not the standard route to GSO. To keep the thread clean, I'll go ask my question in the Orbit's QA. ( http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23943.msg1152653#msg1152653 )
-
Congratulations to ULA and everyone involved! Night launches are awesome!
-
Interesting. There was a discussion a while ago (deleted as off topic) on whether you could speed up launches by powering up the spacecraft earlier (while or before erecting the rocket). One argument against is that spacecraft monitoring required a hard-line connection, which is hard to get while transporting. But here the normal procedure is using the RF link, so it's clearly possible and acceptable to at least some spacecraft handlers. (though there are clearly issues with this, as this launch shows).
Wrong take and wrong conclusion. The RF is coming from the launch vehicle and not the spacecraft. A portion of the spacecraft data is interleaved with the LV data. There is no RF telemetry when the LV is not powered. Also, TEL-4 is pickup the data and can't see a spacecraft near the ground.
It is clearly not feasible.
-
I'd like to note that with this 43rd launch, Atlas V pulls ahead of Pegasus as the most prolific active US launch vehicle. May it have many more successful flights, perhaps even carrying a few astronauts into orbit on Dream Chaser or CST-100!
True in terms of programs that have been active during the past couple of years, but Delta II is set to come back to life this summer. The old rocket's 151 launches to date will obviously again make it the dean of U.S. launch vehicles, at least for a little while.
- Ed Kyle
-
Interesting. There was a discussion a while ago (deleted as off topic) on whether you could speed up launches by powering up the spacecraft earlier (while or before erecting the rocket). One argument against is that spacecraft monitoring required a hard-line connection, which is hard to get while transporting. But here the normal procedure is using the RF link, so it's clearly possible and acceptable to at least some spacecraft handlers. (though there are clearly issues with this, as this launch shows).
Wrong take and wrong conclusion. The RF is coming from the launch vehicle and not the spacecraft. A portion of the spacecraft data is interleaved with the LV data. There is no RF telemetry when the LV is not powered. Also, TEL-4 is pickup the data and can't see a spacecraft near the ground.
It is clearly not feasible.
The main takeaway from this is that the people responsible for the health and safety of the spacecraft do NOT demand a hardware connection - they are willing to rely on an RF link. As far as passing data through the launch vehicle, if you are powering the satellite early you may want to power the launch vehicle early as well. This would have the beneficial side effect of catching mis-wired angular sensors (like the recent Proton crash) if you watch the telemetry as you erect the rocket. And while the current pick-up station is likely not in a suitable spot, putting a tranceiver in a spot where it can see the whole rollout does not seem like a hard technical problem.
-
Objects 39504 and 39505, 2014-004A and B, cataloged in 5357 x 36522 km x 25.5 deg, 3603 x 33651 km x 23.6 deg
orbits. Presumably TDRS and Centaur respectively.
Subsequent observation of Object A shows an orbit much closer to the intended orbit for the S/C:
4,838.1 x 35,788.0 km x 25.46° Argument of perigee: ω=180.2°
(Intended orbit was 4,839 x 35,788 km x 25.5° with ω=180.0°)
-
Boeing TDRS-L Relay Satellite Sends 1st Signals from Space
Provides critical communications capabilities for NASA’s space network
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan. 23, 2014 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received the first on-orbit signals from the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)-L after a successful launch today, bolstering the tracking and communications network used by NASA and its customers.
TDRS-L is the fifth Boeing-built satellite to join the network that NASA uses in support of vital missions, including the International Space Station, studying Earth's changing climate and looking into deep space with the Hubble Telescope. TDRS satellites relay signals to and from Earth and the International Space Station and other space assets.
"This advanced satellite is an important part of NASA’s critical communications relay network and will improve capacity and enhance bandwidth at the lowest cost," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems.
The satellite launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V vehicle today at 9:33 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Controllers at the Boeing Mission Control Center confirmed initial contact with it one hour and 54 minutes later. After reaching final orbit, TDRS-L will undergo approximately three months of tests and calibration before its handover to NASA.
TDRS-L joins four other Boeing TDRS satellites in NASA’s network. It is the second of three advanced versions of the satellites, with the third – TDRS-M – ready for launch in 2015.
Boeing has been providing vital space communication services to NASA for more than four decades.
-
The main takeaway from this is that the people responsible for the health and safety of the spacecraft do NOT demand a hardware connection - they are willing to rely on an RF link. As far as passing data through the launch vehicle, if you are powering the satellite early you may want to power the launch vehicle early as well. This would have the beneficial side effect of catching mis-wired angular sensors (like the recent Proton crash) if you watch the telemetry as you erect the rocket. And while the current pick-up station is likely not in a suitable spot, putting a tranceiver in a spot where it can see the whole rollout does not seem like a hard technical problem.
Wrong takeaway AGAIN. The spacecraft DID have a hardware connection and it will ALWAYS demanded requirement because of safety and bandwidth. Once again, you have jumped to a incorrect conclusion. The spacecraft was on hardline and was since the day it was attached to the launch vehicle and it was going to be that way until close to T-0. The issue was the testing of the transition from hardwire to RF for after T-0. And actually it is an unneeded feature. Most spacecraft go silent at T-0 and don't provide telemetry until after separation when their transmitters turn on.
They are not going to power the launch vehicle during movement to the pad as well since it is unnecessary and there is a test that already exists to test the guidance sensors.
Here is the basic issue in this post and others of yours: When something"does not seem like a hard technical problem" is because you don't know enough about the process.
-
When moving Centaur from Horz to Vert, then lifting.......what is the pressure status?
Pressurized, and waiting until installed to the 1st stage before additional pressure added.
or
Pressurized and additional added continuous during this operation.
-
When moving Centaur from Horz to Vert, then lifting.......what is the pressure status?
Pressurized, and waiting until installed to the 1st stage before additional pressure added.
or
Pressurized and additional added continuous during this operation.
It is always pressurized for the rotate and lift. It is pressurized when it leaves the factory and seldom put into stretch without pressure.
-
Here's a recent general article write-up of the telemetry issue:
Telemetry fix preserves TDRS-L launch
By Anna Heiney, Spaceport News February 24, 2014
Liftoff of NASA’s latest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket was delayed unexpectedly with only minutes remaining before the launch window opened on Jan. 23.
Engineers with the agency’s Launch Services Program (LSP) and QinetiQ North America kept the liftoff on track with quick troubleshooting when a problem with periodic dropouts in telemetry from the vehicle threatened to stop the launch.
“Telemetry is basically another word for telemetrics. It’s measuring things at a distance,” explained QinetiQ lead telemetry engineer Tim Clinger. “Much in the same way a doctor would measure the vitals of a patient, we measure the vitals of a rocket during the launch countdown.”
While a rocket is on the launch pad, the vehicle itself and its spacecraft payload send information to the Telemetry Lab, located inside historic Hangar AE on Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Engineers monitor the data coming in and ensure it is sent immediately to the vehicle and spacecraft teams so they can monitor their systems’ health.
“The telemetry data comes in from the launch vehicle either through a hard line, which is called an umbilical, or RF radio signal,” said Alex Biamonte, a telemetry engineer with NASA’s Launch Services Program.
“A few minutes before launch, we want to switch to RF, or the radio signal telemetry, because that’s what’s going to be used when it lifts off the pad,” Biamonte explained, “but with RF, we do encounter data drops, or interference on the radio signal.”
This posed a problem during the TDRS-L countdown because telemetry from the spacecraft was embedded in the rocket’s telemetry stream. As the information flowed from Launch Complex 41 into Hangar AE, data from the satellite was extracted from it and sent to the spacecraft community. Periodic drops in the rocket telemetry meant the spacecraft data would stop briefly, too.
The countdown had gone smoothly throughout the evening, and clocks were holding at the T-4 minute mark. The rocket was fueled and ready to fly at 9:05 p.m. EST, the opening of a 40-minute launch window. With seconds remaining until the countdown was set to resume, the hold was extended so the team could work on the telemetry issue.
“A first order response, when we heard of the dropouts, was we wanted to correlate the spacecraft dropouts to the dropouts we saw on the launch vehicle, to prove that they were real and that we were talking about the same exact anomaly,” Clinger said.
Clinger proposed a solution: Go back to the hard line through the remainder of the countdown, and then manually switch to RF at T-0. The LSP team, relying on experience gathered through years of successful launches, had the flexibility to make this real-time call. James Wood, NASA chief engineer for LSP, agreed to the plan, preserving the launch opportunity.
Tuan Doan, a NASA communications engineer for Launch Services, was serving as the mission operations director in Hangar AE’s Mission Directors Center during the TDRS-L countdown and joined the discussion on one of the launch team’s communications channels.
“There was a call to hold at T-4 minutes, and all the team -- launch team members from United Launch Alliance, spacecraft personnel, as well as NASA -- got on the Anomaly Net to come up with a resolution to avoid a delay or even a scrub of the launch,” Doan said.
NASA and ULA managers quickly agreed to the plan, and the spacecraft community polled its members to ensure they were willing to go forward with the proposed solution. The new launch time was 9:33 p.m., 12 minutes before the launch window would close.
When countdown clocks began its climb into space, Clinger performed the switch to RF telemetry with the click of a mouse. “We made the switch, it was flawless, on time, and no data was lost to either party,” he said.
Spaceport News, page 6
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/feb24-2014v2.pdf (http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/feb24-2014v2.pdf)