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LIVE: Atlas V 401 - NROL-33 - May 22, 2014
by
vapour_nudge
on 26 Feb, 2014 14:15
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#1
by
vapour_nudge
on 10 Apr, 2014 09:44
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#2
by
Star One
on 10 Apr, 2014 12:33
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The ULA mission patch
It's Phoenix from the X Men.
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#3
by
Lurker Steve
on 10 Apr, 2014 12:53
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The ULA mission patch
It's Phoenix from the X Men.
I don't think Phoenix carried a sword.
but it does appear she is right above North America providing some sort of protection.
Someone with better knowledge of mythology than me will need to tell us which war goddess this is.
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#4
by
vapour_nudge
on 10 Apr, 2014 23:28
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The NROL-33 launch date is no longer May 7th as the ULA press release from NROL-67 launch states the next ULA launch is a Delta IV on May 15th
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#5
by
William Graham
on 11 Apr, 2014 22:34
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Found this patch on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATLAS-V-AV-046-SPACE-MISSION-PATCH-USAF-CAPE-SLC-41/121316761015http://www.webcitation.org/6OlSeSzVII'm not 100% sure that AV-046 is NROL-33, but this is the sort of launch patch I'd expect for an NRO mission. "Defendi nostrae opes" translates as "to defend our resources". Note the eight stars on the sides of the patch - these have appeared in the same pattern on several past NRO patches all of which were associated with Quasar communications satellites.
It is interesting to see Europe prominently featured on the patch. It could suggest a geostationary satellite positioned over this part of the world, however if this were a Quasar I would expect it to go to a Molniya orbit since both of the GEO satellites were recently replaced. Unless they are increasing the number of geostationary satellites in the constellation.
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#6
by
Star One
on 11 Apr, 2014 22:44
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Found this patch on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATLAS-V-AV-046-SPACE-MISSION-PATCH-USAF-CAPE-SLC-41/121316761015
http://www.webcitation.org/6OlSeSzVI
I'm not 100% sure that AV-046 is NROL-33, but this is the sort of launch patch I'd expect for an NRO mission. "Defendi nostrae opes" translates as "to defend our resources". Note the eight stars on the sides of the patch - these have appeared in the same pattern on several past NRO patches all of which were associated with Quasar communications satellites.
It is interesting to see Europe prominently featured on the patch. It could suggest a geostationary satellite positioned over this part of the world, however if this were a Quasar I would expect it to go to a Molniya orbit since both of the GEO satellites were recently replaced. Unless they are increasing the number of geostationary satellites in the constellation.
It wouldn't surprise me if they weren't increasing the number, the communication requirements must be huge considering the amount of data that is probably generated by these systems. The bottleneck in data networks is usually communications capacity & I don't see why this should be any different.
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#7
by
Jim
on 11 Apr, 2014 23:02
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#8
by
averagespacejoe
on 20 Apr, 2014 04:59
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Any word yet on when this launch might happen I would imagine scheduling on the Cape between Orbcomm and NROL-33 will be settled soon if both are shooting for May launch.
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#9
by
averagespacejoe
on 21 Apr, 2014 15:08
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You know spaceflightnow reports a date of May 22 so I will go with that for now sure Orbcomm will be within a week after that
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#10
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 09 May, 2014 13:22
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Clearer versions of the patches above that I could find on the web. Interesting.....
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#11
by
kevin-rf
on 09 May, 2014 13:52
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Is that a flying squirrel?
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#12
by
Targeteer
on 09 May, 2014 14:21
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Clearer versions of the patches above that I could find on the web. Interesting.....
Love the red-headed warrior
Symbolism with the mirror image wolves is intriguing with two facing right/east and 1 facing left/west. The shape on the chest/shoulder of the wolves seems significant but I can't make it out. The five beams seem to be from above--maybe HEO..
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#13
by
Star One
on 09 May, 2014 17:07
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Is that a flying squirrel?
Yes it is.
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#14
by
kevin-rf
on 09 May, 2014 19:00
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Anyone spot Bullwinkle or Boris then?
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#15
by
Jim
on 09 May, 2014 19:03
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Anyone spot Bullwinkle or Boris then?
Left and right engine nozzle?
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#16
by
jacqmans
on 18 May, 2014 04:13
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Atlas V to Launch NROL-33
Rocket/Payload: An Atlas V 401 will launch the NROL-33 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Date/Site/Launch Time: Thursday, May 22, from Space Launch Complex (SLC) 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Notes: NROL-33 will be the 46th Atlas V mission since the vehicle’s inaugural launch in 2002. It will be the sixth of 15 planned missions ULA is slated to launch in 2014, and ULA’s 83rd since the company formed in 2006.
Mission Description: The mission will be launched for the National Reconnaissance Office in support of national defense.
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#17
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 18 May, 2014 12:57
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Mission Description: The mission will be launched for the National Reconnaissance Office in support of national defense.
I don't think it can get any clearer than this. This is when we find out whether there was anything but hot air in the Russian government's statements over the past week.
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#18
by
Star One
on 18 May, 2014 15:58
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Mission Description: The mission will be launched for the National Reconnaissance Office in support of national defense.
I don't think it can get any clearer than this. This is when we find out whether there was anything but hot air in the Russian government's statements over the past week.
How would this effect a payload like WorldView 3, launching on an Atlas, yes it's a commercial payload but it has both military & commercial customers?
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#19
by
Jim
on 18 May, 2014 20:23
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How would this effect a payload like WorldView 3, launching on an Atlas, yes it's a commercial payload but it has both military & commercial customers?
No effect because the ban does not include NRO or USAF payloads. "Military applications" mean weapons
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#20
by
sdsds
on 18 May, 2014 20:52
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I think at issue here is Russia's ability to confirm the precise nature of every payload under the fairing. I'm not suggesting a relatively benign NRO payload would be used as a cover for something darker, but similar things have happened in the past.
To use just one example as an attempt to explore the issues, what if an Atlas V payload included a powerful transmitter capable of "jamming" the communications signals of opponents? What if the transmitter were strong enough to permanently damage the comm equipment of the opponent? Would that payload -- which might sit hidden for years on an otherwise strictly reconnaissance platform -- be a weapon?
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#21
by
watermod
on 18 May, 2014 23:49
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This think-tank that specializes in Russia and ex-USSR is being hammered up and down by hackers but has an article about what the Russians are saying, doing and claiming about this whole space mess that covers more space issues than we have seen addressed in NSF:
US Restrictions Hurt Russian Space Defense and Commercial ProjectsPublication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 11 Issue: 91, May 15, 2014 By: Pavel Felgenhauerhttp://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42363&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=aa4e9fe87ccb03e5d58e0cb517edb4cb#.U3lC83Wx3UZBefore the Ukrainian crisis, during the heyday of President’s Barack Obama’s “reset” charm offensive, Washington was apparently turning a blind eye to aggressive Russian procurement of high-tech, double-use equipment and technologies. Today a US move to deny high-tech export licenses threatens to set back the entire Russian military modernization project, which is based primarily on using space-connected technologies to develop new precision weapons, intelligence-gathering, communications, and command and control capabilities. In response Rogozin went ballistic, threatening to terminate US-Russian space cooperation programs: to stop selling RD-180 and NK-33 rocket engines “if they are used to launch US military satellites,” to close down GPS correction (Global Navigation Satellite System—GNSS) stations on Russian soil, and sink prematurely in the ocean the International Space Station (ISS) by 2020 (http://www.rg.ru/2014/05/13/bumerang-site.htm).
Russia has previously tentatively agreed to continue to jointly run the ISS until 2024, but now Rogozin insists this is senseless and the space station must be terminated by 2020. He suggested that the money saved be diverted to more ambitious programs, like creating a permanent Russian base on the Moon to mine and claim it as Russian territory by 2030, before other nations form a substantial presence there (http://izvestia.ru/news/570482)
This week in Sochi, President Vladimir Putin announced: “We must ensure that everything our defense industry needs and uses is produced on our territory and we do not depend on anyone” (http://www.kremlin.ru/news/21021). Russian experts consider Putin’s call for complete scientific and technological self-sufficiency to be an impossible task (http://top.rbc.ru/politics/14/05/2014/923813.shtml). Russia’s Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov told journalists that he was surprised by calls to undermine the work of GPS-connected equipment in Russia. He did not see any sense in such obstruction and wondered if “Rogozin was just promoting his personal opinion” (http://www.interfax.ru/print.asp?sec=1448&id=376041). Manturov was immediately rebuked: A government spokesperson confirmed all announced anti-American moves were officially approved, while Rogozin demanded Manturov “end being part of the fifth column” (http://www.interfax.ru/russia/376039). Rogozin’s anti-American sanctions may hinder Russia more than the US, but they follow Putin’s general line to isolate Russia from the West as much as possible.
Lots more meat in the article including discussion of the RD-180s and the
Geo-IK-2 issue that upset Rogozin and set this whole escalation off.
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#22
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 19 May, 2014 08:33
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How would this effect a payload like WorldView 3, launching on an Atlas, yes it's a commercial payload but it has both military & commercial customers?
No effect because the ban does not include NRO or USAF payloads. "Military applications" mean weapons
Is that the gist of any agreement between the US and Russia or is that your own opinion?
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#23
by
Liss
on 19 May, 2014 10:16
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Interesting enough, launch restricted zones for the launch has not been announced yet but the Centaur deorbit zone is here:
!CARF 05/146 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC ER OP#8733 ATLAS-V RE-ENTRY STATIONARY ALTITUDE RESERVATION WITHIN AREA DEFINED AS 1830N17636W TO 1348N16136W TO 0712N16342W TO 1148N17836W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 1405222206-1405222310
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#24
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 19 May, 2014 10:21
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Interesting enough, launch restricted zones for the launch has not been announced yet but the Centaur deorbit zone is here:
!CARF 05/146 ZAK AIRSPACE DCC ER OP#8733 ATLAS-V RE-ENTRY STATIONARY ALTITUDE RESERVATION WITHIN AREA DEFINED AS 1830N17636W TO 1348N16136W TO 0712N16342W TO 1148N17836W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 1405222206-1405222310
This NOTAM for the de-orbiting of the Centaur is at about
10 hours (!) after the opening of the launch window - near Kwajalein in the middle of the Pacific of all places; and the shape of the area seems to hint at this being a low-inclination launch. Hmm.......
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#25
by
kevin-rf
on 19 May, 2014 12:07
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Does that imply the Centuar will be doing an apogee de-orbit burn for an HEO GTO type orbit.
So a restart 5 hours into the launch? Impressive.
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#26
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 19 May, 2014 14:07
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Does that imply the Centuar will be doing an apogee de-orbit burn for an HEO GTO type orbit.
So a restart 5 hours into the launch? Impressive.
Yes,
apparently during the launch of NROL-38 a similar procedure was done in the same area of the Pacific Ocean (except that the de-orbit area stretches northwest-southeast that time, while this time it is from southwest-northeast).
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#27
by
input~2
on 19 May, 2014 16:06
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Below is the related navigational warning:
Launch window: around 1305 - 1437 UTC on May 22 (alternate 1303-1435 UTC on May 23)
Looks like it's aiming at GEO
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
ROCKETS.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 221305Z TO 221437Z MAY,
ALTERNATE 231303Z TO 231435Z MAY
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-36N 080-35W, 28-36N 080-26W,
28-33N 079-57W, 28-30N 079-57W,
28-33N 080-33W, 28-34N 080-35W.
B. 24-41N 058-50W, 24-16N 057-10W,
24-10N 057-11W, 24-36N 058-52W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 231535Z MAY 14.//
Authority: EASTERN RANGE OP A8733 LAUNCH 131746Z MAY 14
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#28
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 19 May, 2014 16:15
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With this satellite looking more like heading to geosynchronous, I wonder if the Molniya orbit SDS satellites are going to be replaced by a newer generation of satellites? Come to think about it, NROL-35 is launching this December from Vandenberg on a heavier rocket (Atlas V 531) - maybe that will replace one of the older Molniya orbit satellites? It's not like that the Molniya orbit satellites are THAT old (USA-179 was launched in August 2004 on the last Atlas II and USA-198 was launched on Atlas V in December 2007).....
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#29
by
input~2
on 19 May, 2014 18:55
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Are you ready for another launch from the Eastern Range? The #AtlasV is scheduled to launch May 22. The launch window is 8:45-10:15 a.m. Hope to see you right here on Thursday. We will provide live updates hours before the launch.
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#30
by
kevin-rf
on 19 May, 2014 18:59
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With this satellite looking more like heading to geosynchronous, I wonder if the Molniya orbit SDS satellites are going to be replaced by a newer generation of satellites? Come to think about it, NROL-35 is launching this December from Vandenberg on a heavier rocket (Atlas V 531) - maybe that will replace one of the older Molniya orbit satellites? It's not like that the Molniya orbit satellites are THAT old (USA-179 was launched in August 2004 on the last Atlas II and USA-198 was launched on Atlas V in December 2007).....
Maybe after the Reset button was pressed, the Molniya SDS's where no longer needed
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#31
by
Chris Bergin
on 19 May, 2014 22:55
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ULA:
Everything is moving forward for the National Reconnaissance Office (NROL-33) launch this Thursday. The mission is set to lift off on a ULA Atlas V rocket on Thursday, May 22 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:05 a.m. EDT. Today’s forecast shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.
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#32
by
Chris Bergin
on 20 May, 2014 14:10
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Atlas V spotted rolling to the pad.
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#33
by
chewi
on 20 May, 2014 14:15
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#34
by
Liss
on 20 May, 2014 15:19
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Back-up Centaur deorbit zone for May 23:
!CARF 05/164 (KZAK A1823/14) ZAK AIRSPACE DCC ER OP#8733 ATLAS-V STATIONARY ALTITUDE RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS 1830N17636W TO 1348N16136W TO 0712N16342W TO 1148N17836W TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-UNL 1405232204-1405232308
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#35
by
chewi
on 20 May, 2014 17:55
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#36
by
Targeteer
on 21 May, 2014 12:59
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Launch hazard area--looks like its headed to GEO
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#37
by
Chris Bergin
on 21 May, 2014 13:05
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ULA:
The Atlas V rocket rolled out to the launch pad this morning in advance of the National Reconnaissance Office (NROL-33) launch this Thursday. The mission is set to lift off on a ULA Atlas V rocket on Thursday, May 22 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:05 a.m. EDT. Today’s forecast continues to show an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. I have attached the mission artwork.
(That's awesome!)
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#38
by
chewi
on 21 May, 2014 13:10
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#39
by
Blackstar
on 21 May, 2014 17:43
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With this satellite looking more like heading to geosynchronous, I wonder if the Molniya orbit SDS satellites are going to be replaced by a newer generation of satellites? Come to think about it, NROL-35 is launching this December from Vandenberg on a heavier rocket (Atlas V 531) - maybe that will replace one of the older Molniya orbit satellites? It's not like that the Molniya orbit satellites are THAT old (USA-179 was launched in August 2004 on the last Atlas II and USA-198 was launched on Atlas V in December 2007).....
Maybe after the Reset button was pressed, the Molniya SDS's where no longer needed
It seems like going all-GEO is a natural evolution of relay.
The original Molniya SDS constellation was intended to relay photo reconnaissance data directly from a reconsat to a ground station in the U.S. in only one bounce--up to the SDS, down to the ground. However, there were discussions (I think they were mid-late 1970s) of going to a system that used multiple satellites in GEO. Then you can get to the ground in probably two bounces, or maybe three at most. A bit more complicated in terms of the overall constellation, but it probably solves a lot of other issues. For instance, the Molniya satellites fly through the Van Allen Belts. Not cool. Also, it's probably a bit of a pain figuring out where to point your antennas all the time. With a GEO constellation that should be simpler because the GEO satellites are not always moving their location, they're fixed.
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#40
by
bobthemonkey
on 21 May, 2014 18:25
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There's also the background to whats gone on in the GEO sat market since the first SDS birds launched given a wider commercial base to leverage.
The original TDRS fleet were, AIUI pretty much custom TRW vehicles; the current block 3 Boeing TDRS units are built on the common 601/701 bus, with a unique payload, much like any other Comsat.
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#41
by
kevin-rf
on 21 May, 2014 19:15
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There's also the background to whats gone on in the GEO sat market since the first SDS birds launched given a wider commercial base to leverage.
The original TDRS fleet were, AIUI pretty much custom TRW vehicles; the current block 3 Boeing TDRS units are built on the common 601/701 bus, with a unique payload, much like any other Comsat.
Not to nit, but the original SDS satellites in Molniya orbits are believed to be based on commercial GEO platforms. Specifically the Hughes HS-350 bus. Siruis adapted Space Systems Loral LS-1300 bus for Tundra orbits (similar to Molniya).
GEO platforms can and have been leveraged for Molniya orbit satellites. So that must not be it.
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#42
by
bobthemonkey
on 21 May, 2014 19:28
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Nit away - missed the link to the Hughes bus.
The other point I think I was trying to make is that there is more synergies with the commercial side which would drive confidence and cost savings.
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#43
by
Blackstar
on 21 May, 2014 19:32
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There's also the background to whats gone on in the GEO sat market since the first SDS birds launched given a wider commercial base to leverage.
The original TDRS fleet were, AIUI pretty much custom TRW vehicles; the current block 3 Boeing TDRS units are built on the common 601/701 bus, with a unique payload, much like any other Comsat.
Not to nit, but the original SDS satellites in Molniya orbits are believed to be based on commercial GEO platforms. Specifically the Hughes HS-350 bus. Siruis adapted Space Systems Loral LS-1300 bus for Tundra orbits (similar to Molniya).
Yeah, I concluded that Intelsat IV, SDS, and Jumpseat were all probably closely related. They were derivatives (or at least descendents) of Tacsat.
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#44
by
jacqmans
on 22 May, 2014 04:21
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#45
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 07:19
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William Graham's article coming up. Wow, where's that photo from Jacques, it's amazing.
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#46
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 22 May, 2014 08:02
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William Graham's article coming up. Wow, where's that photo from Jacques, it's amazing.
From none other than
ULA themselves.
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#47
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 08:13
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Epic. There's our lead image sorted!
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#48
by
Garrett
on 22 May, 2014 09:25
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Epic. There's our lead image sorted!
Which one? They're all epic!
My fav is the 4th (2nd last). Wonderful lighting, both artificial and natural.
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#49
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 09:44
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#50
by
jacqmans
on 22 May, 2014 10:08
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L-3 Hours: The Launch Area is now being evacuated in preparation for propellant loading. #NROL33
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#51
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 11:02
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ULA:
The countdown is underway for the launch of the National Reconnaissance Office (NROL-33) mission set to lift off on a ULA Atlas V rocket this morning from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:05 a.m. EDT. The forecast continues to show a 90 percent of favorable weather conditions.
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#52
by
Hunts Villain
on 22 May, 2014 11:14
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New t-0 9:09E for COLA.
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#53
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 11:15
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New t-0 9:09E for COLA.
Oh, thank you sir!
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#54
by
Garrett
on 22 May, 2014 11:30
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#55
by
Prober
on 22 May, 2014 11:40
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wow someone has an artsy side
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#56
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:30
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#57
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 12:38
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ULA @ulalaunch
Weather for NROL 33 launch on an Atlas V is green for launch!
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#58
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:45
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#59
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 12:45
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ULA webcast has started
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#60
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 12:45
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#61
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:45
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#62
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:46
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#63
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:46
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#64
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 12:47
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#65
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:47
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#66
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:47
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Weather won't be an issue.
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#67
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:50
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#68
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:51
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Into the 10 minute BIH at T-4 mins.
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#69
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:54
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Lots of people now heading down the beach! Rocket launches from the beach? Not the worst place in the world to live!
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#70
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:55
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#71
by
kevin-rf
on 22 May, 2014 12:56
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That beach looks north of the Pad, is that Playlinda?
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#72
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:58
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Well done to the ULA tech people for fixing full screen on the webcast page.
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#73
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 12:59
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L-10 mins.
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#74
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:02
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Polling to come out of the hold.
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#75
by
Mighty-T
on 22 May, 2014 13:03
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That beach looks north of the Pad, is that Playlinda?
Yes, it is! I'd like to be there right now...
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#76
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:03
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All are go for the terminal count.
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#77
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:03
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#78
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:05
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Out of the hold. T-4 mins and counting!
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#79
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:05
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T-minus 4 minutes and counting.
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#80
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:06
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Tanks to flight pressure. FTS Internal.
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#81
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:07
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Vehicle on internal power. Launch sequencer start.
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#82
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:07
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FTS Armed.
T-90 seconds.
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#83
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:08
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T-60 seconds.
Range Green after a pause!!
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#84
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:08
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T-30 seconds.
Go Atlas. Go Centaur. Go NROL-33.
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#85
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:09
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Go Atlas! Go Centaur! Go NROL-33!
LAUNCH!!
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#86
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:09
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#87
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:10
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Nominal first stage. Pitch complete.
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#88
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:10
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#89
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:11
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Mach One.
She always seems very assured during first stage. Very smooth.
MaxQ
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#90
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:11
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#91
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:11
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#92
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:11
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#93
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:12
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#94
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:12
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#95
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 13:14
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#96
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:14
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Staging!
1-2 Sep.
Centaur ignition.
Payload Fairing Jettison.
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#97
by
Lee Jay
on 22 May, 2014 13:14
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I think Marty slipped a digit on the early speed call, saying it was nineteen thousand and something miles per hour.
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#98
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:15
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Well that was rather good! Very slick, ULA, very slick.
Anyone hear the groan she made at T-0? Engine hitting the sound suppression water?
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#99
by
input~2
on 22 May, 2014 13:15
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#100
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:16
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Thanks for these Artyom. You always get the best shots!
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#101
by
Mapperuo
on 22 May, 2014 13:19
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#102
by
Chris Bergin
on 22 May, 2014 13:25
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#103
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 14:46
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ULA @ulalaunch
NROL33 mission success! ULA Successfully Launches Four Missions in Just Seven Weeks!
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#104
by
Artyom.
on 22 May, 2014 14:54
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United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Four Missions in Just Seven Weeks
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on May 22 at 9:09 a.m. EDT. Designated NROL-33, the mission is in support of national defense.
“Congratulations to all of our mission partners on today’s successful launch of the NROL-33 mission! The ULA team is honored to deliver another critical national security asset to orbit together with the NRO Office of Space Launch and the Air Force,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Atlas and Delta Programs. “Today’s launch occurred six days after last week’s GPS IIF-6 launch – the second time this year that this team has launched back-to-back missions within a week. Successfully launching at this tempo is a testament to the team’s focus on mission success, one-launch-at-a-time, and continuous improvement of our launch processes.”
This mission was launched aboard an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) 401 configuration vehicle, which includes a 4-meter-diameter payload fairing. The Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine, and the Centaur upper stage was powered by a single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10A engine.
ULA's next launch is the Delta II OCO-2 mission for NASA, scheduled for July 1 from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The EELV program was established by the United States Air Force to provide assured access to space for Department of Defense and other government payloads. The commercially developed EELV program supports the full range of government mission requirements, while delivering on schedule and providing significant cost savings over the heritage launch systems.
With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 80 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system. Reliable launch, real-world benefits.
http://www.ulalaunch.com/ula-successfully-launches-NROL33.aspx
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#105
by
kevin-rf
on 22 May, 2014 15:02
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Congrads ULA, way to Go!
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#106
by
robertross
on 22 May, 2014 15:38
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Congrats ULA!
Thanks for the coverage folks.
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#107
by
PahTo
on 22 May, 2014 15:41
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Congrats ULA--two successful launches in one week!
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#108
by
baldusi
on 22 May, 2014 16:40
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Congratulations! They do have the best launcher team in the world. Nobody else can touch their mix of launch rate, reliability and performance.
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#109
by
TJL
on 22 May, 2014 23:21
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Well that was rather good! Very slick, ULA, very slick.
Anyone hear the groan she made at T-0? Engine hitting the sound suppression water?
Chris, the sound was similar to that made by Titan 2 when launching the Gemini spacecraft.
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#110
by
Artyom.
on 23 May, 2014 12:18
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GoPro Hero 2 At The Pad Captures Atlas V Rocket Launch WIth NROL-33
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#111
by
Lar
on 23 May, 2014 13:12
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#112
by
William Graham
on 23 May, 2014 13:25
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William Graham's superb article, updated:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/05/ula-atlas-v-nrol-33-launch/
Very nice article. Wish it had the launch patch though, since it was referred to in the article. Not sure what the "drake" patch is... doesn't look like a flying squirrel to me!
It's the patch from the last Quasar launch, NROL-38
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#113
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 23 May, 2014 15:12
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Mission highlights finally uploaded:
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#114
by
Targeteer
on 24 May, 2014 00:38
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Interesting nugget from AL STERN Satellite Beach FL, an amateur radio enthusiast who monitors Florida air comms. Any ideas out there what sensors the aircraft was carrying?
"WB-57F "NASA 927" (63-13295;ex 53-3918) just landed at Patrick AFB after participating in the launch of the Atlas V rocket this morning. During the launch I heard comms from NASA 927 with CCAFS Tower on 118.625, discussing F-Stop adjustments to its cameras."
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#115
by
Lewis007
on 24 May, 2014 07:44
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What is the NROL-33 mission nickname (like Gryphon, Drake, etc)?
Perhaps this has been posted somewhere, but I couldn't find it.
Thanks
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#116
by
Targeteer
on 24 May, 2014 15:10
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A leading amateur observer found what he believes is USA-252 still in it's transfer orbit
1) Early on in the run an unknown [99418/14644A] was seen and tracked until I saw the second unknown. The object is in a geostationary transfer orbit, and the measurements provide a good constraint on all parameters, with a mean motion of 2.24 revs/day:
1 99418U 14644A 14144.03015972 .00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 04
2 99418 20.6956 263.7634 7074111 178.0121 96.0401 2.24037956 01
# 20140524.02-20140524.04, 79 measurements, 0.003 deg rms
The orbit has the perigee at the descending node, and the plane passes over Florida at the time of the NROL-33 launch from last Thursday. I am confident that this object is NROL-33/USA 252 [39751/14027A], presently still in its transfer orbit.
http://www.satobs.org/seesat/May-2014/0150.html
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#117
by
ugordan
on 24 May, 2014 15:25
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Mission highlights finally uploaded:
I only just noticed this: why is the upper SRB attachment area now white? Looks like a relatively recent change.
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#118
by
edkyle99
on 24 May, 2014 17:24
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I only just noticed this: why is the upper SRB attachment area now white? Looks like a relatively recent change.
The change seems to have appeared at the pads during 2012, around the same time that the "AV-XXX" numbers disappeared. This may roughly coincide with the production move to Decatur.
As for why, I can only guess. It might provide a bit of a thermal barrier. It might be for visibility for tracking cameras, to help confirm clean separations. It might improve visibility during assembly, when the solids are attached on the pad. It might be a different corrosion coating.
- Ed Kyle
Symbolism with the mirror image wolves is intriguing with two facing right/east and 1 facing left/west. The shape on the chest/shoulder of the wolves seems significant but I can't make it out. The five beams seem to be from above--maybe HEO..
