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#60 by LouScheffer on 16 May, 2014 13:08
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Overall, this has been a very, very bad two weeks for space-flight fans.
Let me play Devil's advocate on this.
The worst piece of news is the Proton failure. But it didn't kill anyone, destroy the pad, poison the environment, nor lose a one-of-a-kind scientific mission.
Delta got delayed by weather. But it's a GPS satellite with no rush. They'll try again today.
Falcon blew a gasket, or whatever. But they found it on the pad, not in flight, they're only grounded a few weeks, and getting set to try again.
Two companies are fighting over who get what launches, in the courts, in Congress, and in public opinion. But this is a very good sign for the industry - there *are* two companies, and the market is big enough to fight over. You don't catch Apple and Samsung fighting over rotary telephones.
The USA and the Russians are squabbling over sole-source technology (stage combustion engines, access to space station, etc.) But this situation is what drives additional sources (commercial crew, a US engine, etc.) Then we can progress to the much better phase of lawsuits over market share. -
#61 by jacqmans on 16 May, 2014 13:12
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Everything looks good for Delta-IV later today.
Here two photos I took yesterday.
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#62 by robertross on 16 May, 2014 14:10
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Everything looks good for Delta-IV later today.
Here two photos I took yesterday.
Great photos Jacques! Thanks. Really like the first one (great perspective & foreground inclusion) -
#63 by jacqmans on 16 May, 2014 15:25
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Everything looks good for Delta-IV later today.
Here two photos I took yesterday.
Great photos Jacques! Thanks. Really like the first one (great perspective & foreground inclusion)
Thanks Robert, I now see I made a typo.. 2004 instead of 2014.... hope to have launch photos later....
Jacques
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#64 by macpacheco on 16 May, 2014 18:49
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Excuse me. I am puzzled by the slot that the GPS satellites are launched into. For example, for the IIF-5 satellite, people said it is going to replace the satellite in slot A3. However, it is launched into slot A6 according to the list on wikipedia. Is the new satellite going to finish test in slot A6 and then move to slot A3 after the retirement of the old one, or it is going to remain in A6, or A6 is going to be renamed A3?
Edit to redo my confusing explanation... I hope this will make sense.
The same situation seems to be here for IIF-6 satellite, it is said to replace the satellite in D4 slot while no notice is given in the GPS status notice. The only vacant slot in plane D is D6. Will the satellite enter D6 after launch just like IIF-5 entered A6 in Feb?
Thanks for the help~
The constellation performance standards require just 27 healthy satellites in 27 individual orbits.
But the GPS constellation has managed to keep 30 or 31 healthy satellites at pretty much all times for the last decade or so. Until OCX is operational, there is a 31 satellite limit on the GPS almanac (and a 32 PRN code limit as well).
This enabled the GPS operators to use a pair of IIAs or a IIA+IIR in lieu of a newer satellite for some of the orbital spots.
Right now there is one spot with a three GPS birds (PRN3+PRN19+PRN27) doing the job of two birds, and a spot with 4 GPS birds (PRN7+PRN8+PRN9-about to be shutdown+PRN30-in testing) doing the job of two birds
When a new satellite is launched, it undergoes a testing period, for which it's not operational, but requires a spot in the almanac, so instead of shutting down the older satellite that will be replaced, they keep the old running and the new in testing, then keep both running when testing is complete and only shutdown the old one when they need to free up PRNs for another launch.
I invite you to take a look at a visualization of the GPS constellation status from the WAAS status site:
http://www.nstb.tc.faa.gov/incoming/waas_sats.png - updates every 2 minutes or so
Or the last full 24 hour animation (I think 6AM to 6AM EST):
http://www.nstb.tc.faa.gov/incoming/SV_WaasStatus.avi
The scarce resource when managing the current GPS constellation is almanac can only broadcast 31 satellites. Right now there are 30 healthy sats on the almanac + PRN30 (IIF-5) unhealthy, with PRN9 about to be shutdown to allow PRN6 to take its place in the GPS almanac.
So by the time the next GPS satellite launches, I expect SVN33/PRN3 to be shutdown to free up almanac space, and PRN9 to be assigned for IIF-7. -
#65 by jacqmans on 16 May, 2014 19:52
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L-4:16: Common Booster Core Liquid Hydrogen Loading has started, The CBC is loaded with a total of 200,000kg of propellants.
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#66 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 20:49
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Thread realigned for tonight's attempt.
William Graham's article - which is absolutely worth reading:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/05/ula-sixth-block-iif-gps-delta-iv/ -
#67 by jacqmans on 16 May, 2014 20:53
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LOX & LH2 now flowing inside the Upper Stage. The DCSS is being loaded with a total of 21,320kg of Propellant for launch.
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#68 by input~2 on 16 May, 2014 21:06
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Updated launch hazard area
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#69 by LouScheffer on 16 May, 2014 21:10
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What do they do with the second stage? I'd guess put it into a slightly higher disposal orbit, but that's just a guess.....
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#70 by input~2 on 16 May, 2014 21:14
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Navigational warning
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
ROCKETS.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 170003Z TO 170100Z MAY,
ALTERNATE 172359Z TO 180056Z MAY
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-34N 080-34W, 28-42N 080-24W,
28-46N 080-17W, 28-45N 080-16W,
28-40N 080-17W, 28-37N 080-19W,
28-33N 080-25W, 28-30N 080-33W,
28-33N 080-34W.
B. 29-19N 079-45W, 29-13N 079-38W,
29-03N 079-49W, 29-10N 079-55W.
C. 43-53N 055-39W, 44-53N 052-59W,
44-42N 052-52W, 43-40N 055-33W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 342/14.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 180156Z MAY 14.//
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#71 by Rocket Science on 16 May, 2014 21:36
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Tanking complete...
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#72 by Targeteer on 16 May, 2014 22:14
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Radar image is looking much better-perfect in fact--tonight
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#73 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 23:23
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Everything is Hunky Dory with ULA:
Everything is proceeding for the launch tonight of the Air Force’s GPS IIF-6 satellite at 8:03 p.m. eastern. The team is not currently working any technical issues. -
#74 by rcoppola on 16 May, 2014 23:30
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#75 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 23:34
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#76 by Rocket Science on 16 May, 2014 23:43
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Spacecraft on internal power...
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#77 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 23:43
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Here we go boys and girls!
Whoa, did someone stretch her or if that aspect ratio hilarious?
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#78 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 23:44
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Anyone got a VLC link that will bypass this nonsense ratio?
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#79 by Chris Bergin on 16 May, 2014 23:45
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