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LIVE: Delta IV Heavy: L-32 - Nov 21, 2010
by
Jim
on 04 Aug, 2010 15:04
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#1
by
Chris Bergin
on 04 Aug, 2010 17:34
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Cool logo.
Still tracking October 19?
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#2
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 04 Aug, 2010 18:27
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Cool logo.
Speak for yourself, Chris. I find it disturbing in a Dali-esque way.
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#3
by
Pheogh
on 04 Aug, 2010 18:56
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Cool logo.
Still tracking October 19?
That is awesome, have no idea what it is but know I should be afraid of it, GREAT!! Where can i sign up for graphic designer at the DOD
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#4
by
ugordan
on 04 Aug, 2010 19:04
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Is this likely to be another night launch of the Heavy?
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#5
by
William Graham
on 04 Aug, 2010 19:21
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Two things of interest about that patch. Firstly the general layout of the patch and the appearance of the numbers are very similar to L-21. Secondly, the eye. I'm not an expert at biology, but I'd say it looks vaguely owl-like. Owl eyes have been a symbol used on several Lacrosse and Onyx launches.
There has not been a launch of a US RADINT satellite (with the possible exception of the failed L-21 spacecraft) in the last five years, and the oldest of the four operational satellites has been in orbit for over 19 years. The second newest satellite is less than two weeks away from the tenth anniversary of its launch, and its design life is believed to be less than that. It has been noted that ULA were given additional funding to ensure this launches on time, perhaps this is to ensure that it reaches orbit before the existing spacecraft start failing.
I suspect that this will be the first in a new series of RADINT satellites, which will use technology which was supposed to have been demonstrated by L-21 had it not failed immediately after launch. Obviously since it is launching on a DIVH, it will be a larger spacecraft than L-21. In the absence of an official designation for such missions, I will refer to them as "Improved Onyx". Another possibility is that it is one final Onyx satellite, as I had been expecting next-generation RADINT satellites to be smaller and lighter.
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#6
by
Jim
on 04 Aug, 2010 22:01
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Your opinion differs from most of the experts
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#7
by
Nick L.
on 05 Aug, 2010 07:30
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That looks kinda like an eagle eye to me...
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#8
by
Hauerg
on 05 Aug, 2010 08:33
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Here is the logo.
The vehicle went vertical today.
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
Will it stay at the pad for almost a quarter of a year (!!!) or is this only some kind of thest and it will roll back after it?
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#9
by
Antares
on 05 Aug, 2010 13:15
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They stay at the pad.
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#10
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 06 Aug, 2010 01:37
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Cool logo.
Still tracking October 19?
Reminds me of the pyramid/eye on the one dollar bill that conspiracy "theorists" like to go nuts over
Here is the logo.
The vehicle went vertical today.
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
Will it stay at the pad for almost a quarter of a year (!!!) or is this only some kind of thest and it will roll back after it?
Delta IV is stacked on the pad within a mobile service structure that is then moved away (think of it like a smaller VAB on rails)
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#11
by
Antares
on 06 Aug, 2010 04:52
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Well, splitting hairs maybe, the only thing stacked/integrated at the pad is the payload. The common booster cores and the second stage are joined in the integration building, still horizontal. The whole thing is tilted up at the pad.
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#12
by
William Graham
on 06 Aug, 2010 09:01
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Reminds me of the pyramid/eye on the one dollar bill that conspiracy "theorists" like to go nuts over
Interestingly, that pyramid has appeared on an NRO patch before. If I recall correctly, that was a RADINT satellite.
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#13
by
Robotbeat
on 06 Aug, 2010 18:15
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I bet it's an optical spy sat of some kind. Total guess is that it's used for constant, real-time surveillance of an entire region.
Just a guess, really. I have absolutely zero insider knowledge and very, very little insight.
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#14
by
Jim
on 06 Aug, 2010 19:59
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I bet it's an optical spy sat of some kind. Total guess is that it's used for constant, real-time surveillance of an entire region.
Not for an east coast launch
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#15
by
kevin-rf
on 06 Aug, 2010 21:07
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Unless they are looking for frequent overflights of a low inclination region... But that is an unlikely stretch. Jim's more likely correct and it is something else.
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#16
by
Robotbeat
on 06 Aug, 2010 21:18
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I bet it's an optical spy sat of some kind. Total guess is that it's used for constant, real-time surveillance of an entire region.
Not for an east coast launch
I was thinking it would be in GSO, allowing constant, medium-resolution (5-10m resolution) coverage of a whole area. I guess mil-sat would be closer to what I was thinking, not spy sat. It's still just a guess, and admittedly a wild one.
More likely: ELINT or a radar imaging satellite. Could be a communications satellite, but that probably wouldn't need the throw-weight of a DIVH.
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#17
by
stockman
on 12 Aug, 2010 13:48
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Assuming this is a sneak peak at the Delta here on the KSC webcams.. ??
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#18
by
Antares
on 12 Aug, 2010 13:57
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The camera indicates it's from the Delta Operations Center (DOC).
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#19
by
DaveS
on 12 Aug, 2010 15:10
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When is the standard pre-launch tanking test planned for? Sometime this month or the next?
