SpaceX FH : USSF-52 (X-37B OTV-7) : KSC LC-39A : 28/29 December 2023 01:07 UTC

[shiro]

Since launches from LC-39A (as well as Falcon Heavy launches in general) are constrained by a number of different factors that can't be easily described by the simple statistics of pad (or booster) turnaround times, I don't insist the numbers for this launch are particularly useful. However, I've decided to do my calculations anyway, just in case.

To my great surprise, the two previous turnaround times for B1064 and B1065 are almost equal to each other!

76 days, 11 hours, 15 minutes - the time between Jupiter-3 and Psyche launches
76 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes - the time between Psyche and USSF-52 launches
 



Some reusability stats for this launch (USSF-52):

Side booster B1064.5 turnaround time: 76 days 10 hours 47 minutes
(its previous mission was Psyche on Oct 13, 2023 UTC).

Side booster B1065.5 turnaround time: 76 days 10 hours 47 minutes
(its previous mission was Psyche on Oct 13, 2023 UTC).

FYI: median turnaround time for Falcon 9 / Heavy boosters is currently 52.63 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches, excluding new first stages.

Launchpad LC-39A turnaround time: 48 days 23 hours 38 minutes
(the previous launch from this pad was SpaceX CRS-29 on Nov 10, 2023).

FYI: median turnaround time for LC-39A is currently 24.92 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches.

The same type of stats for previous SpaceX launches may be found on this spreadsheet online.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/wrightdobbs/status/1740897086667952520

More perspectives of last night's #FalconHeavy launch of the #X37B now that I got to edit them today. An incredible launch and a fun shoot! Planned with @flightclubio. Couldnt ask for better weather. Only the second launch I've been able to see in person this yr.

#USSF52 #SpaceX

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/jerrypikephoto/status/1741087490415755554

Falcon Heavy transits the 98.2% illuminated moon on its way to space with the X-37B mini-shuttle

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/mcrs987/status/1740982519313625552

(Original source https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXMasterrace/comments/18teyqe/less_than_3_hours_apart_didnt_move_my_camera/)

https://twitter.com/analoguepilot/status/1741132648200716786

[clongton]

They sent out a press release around 1am EST announcing a successful launch.

Do you have a link to this? I can't find it on USSF/USSF SSC/Boeing's pages.

It was emailed to their press mailing list.

It's a military mission. They will only confirm what everyone already knows; it was a successful launch. They didn't want SpaceX to even confirm a 2nd stage orbital insertion. They are not going to say anything else about the mission until the spacecraft returns in a year or 2.

[gongora]

It's a military mission. They will only confirm what everyone already knows; it was a successful launch. They didn't want SpaceX to even confirm a 2nd stage orbital insertion. They are not going to say anything else about the mission until the spacecraft returns in a year or 2.

We didn't actually know it was a successful launch until they confirmed it.

[catdlr]

A view of the launch from someone's backyard porch.  Great view of staging and boostback from the viewpoint of a private citizen.

The video is 5 min but the first 3 min 10 seconds are relevant and the last min is the staging and boost back.

"No Stagging was hurt in the making of this video"

[ChrisC]

I created this post last Saturday for my friends on social media and then forgot to mention it here.  Consider it one data point on distant visibility: Falcon Heavy (and Atlas V) launches are totally visible from Atlanta, as long as they're going to high-inclination orbits, like 50 deg or higher (ascending node, of course).  You all might recognize the voices in the first video ... Copy and paste:
------
Did you know that you can sometimes see Florida rocket launches from here in Atlanta?!  It takes the right kind of rocket, and the right kind of launch trajectory, and a nighttime launch, and clear skies, and a location with a good view of the southeast horizon.  But if aaaall those line up, there it is!

Last night, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, currently the largest operational rocket in the world, launched a US government satellite into orbit.  It needed to head northeast out of Florida (instead of the usual due east), and that rocket has a longer first stage burn, which together meant it might be visible from Atlanta.  This happens about once a year and this time we had clear skies and I saw it!  I had a camera on a tripod (first video) and a camera in hand (second video) and both captured grainy footage.  (I also had binoculars but in the flurry I forgot to try them.  Also not enough hands.)  The visibility only lasts a few seconds above our treetops before the first stage burns out and then the dimmer second stage takes over.

By chance, a gaggle of teenage boys was walking by my viewing location (at the NW corner of a nearby school's athletic field) just minutes before launch, and they got to see it.  In the first video, the audio is from the Youtube stream I was listening to, so that I'd know if it had even lifted off. The teenagers were nearby, and you'll hear me bark out when I spotted it and then a mention of the rocket plume. You'll also hear them screaming 🙂

[astropl]

OTV-7 found?

Information from SeeSat-L:

perigeum: 301.78927 +/- 4.4
apogeum: 42699.8770 +/- 5563
inclination: 30.77476 +/- 0.31 deg.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

OTV-7 found?

Information from SeeSat-L:

perigeum: 301.78927 +/- 4.4
apogeum: 42699.8770 +/- 5563
inclination: 30.77476 +/- 0.31 deg.

I thought this is for an object that probably revolves around the Sun, and thus all these parameters are with respect to it.

[gtae07]

Did you know that you can sometimes see Florida rocket launches from here in Atlanta?!  It takes the right kind of rocket, and the right kind of launch trajectory, and a nighttime launch, and clear skies, and a location with a good view of the southeast horizon.  But if aaaall those line up, there it is!

I grew up just southwest of Atlanta and never thought to even try...  well done!


I caught the launch from Edisto beach, where we were staying at a rental with the in-laws.  Incredible visibility, even saw the entry burns...

[jcm]

OTV-7 found?

Information from SeeSat-L:

perigeum: 301.78927 +/- 4.4
apogeum: 42699.8770 +/- 5563
inclination: 30.77476 +/- 0.31 deg.

I thought this is for an object that probably revolves around the Sun, and thus all these parameters are with respect to it.

Nope, Bill did a geocentric solution. But the referenced link implies a perigee of 5875 x 66768 km not 301 x 42670 km    ("a" is semi major axis and  "Peri." is argument of perigee, not perigee height)

[jcm]

OTV-7 found?

Information from SeeSat-L:

perigeum: 301.78927 +/- 4.4
apogeum: 42699.8770 +/- 5563
inclination: 30.77476 +/- 0.31 deg.

I thought this is for an object that probably revolves around the Sun, and thus all these parameters are with respect to it.

Nope, Bill did a geocentric solution. But the referenced link implies a perigee of 5875 x 66768 km not 301 x 42670 km    ("a" is semi major axis and  "Peri." is argument of perigee, not perigee height)

I'll note that the object would have had perigees around 100W 25S at 1920 UTC Dec 30 and 1850 UTC Dec 29. Apogees are Dec 29 0700 UTC and Dec 30 0700 UTC.  If it's OTV7, it couldn't have reached the Dec 29 apogee (too little time since launch) so you'd have to come up with a scheme getting it to the Dec 30 apogee.

Also, we know F Heavy headed up to a 51 deg parking orbit, it makes no sense to me to do that if your final target is 31 deg - you're just wasting capability.

[zubenelgenubi]

Curious to learn what the mystery object is, if it isn't OTV-7.

[njb]

The orbit reminds me of a super-synchronous launch from Xichang.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/jconcilus/status/1742547000770363615

The @SpaceX launch support vessel Doug is entering Port Canaveral with a full load of fairings from the USSF-52 Falcon Heavy launch on December 28th. That was a northerly trajectory, so the fairings were “up there a-ways”. Welcome back!  👍🏻🚀⛴️

[realnouns]

Doug returned to PC on Jan 3 @ 8:56am ET

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1742600342452269284

SpaceX support ship Doug finally returned to Port Canaveral with both fairing halves from the Falcon Heavy USSF-52 mission - recovered a mighty 1500km downrange!

nsf.live/spacecoast

[GewoonLukas_]

Cross-post from Ovzon-3 launch:

Landing zone.

Both side boosters are still at the Landing Zones. One of them is still vertical at LZ-2, while the other one is horizontal on the transporter.

[SpaceCadet1983]

Not much in the news these days, but this WSJ clip popped up today.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/inside-boeing-s-x-37b-space-plane-conducting-secret-missions-for-the-u-s/vi-AA1mQEhc?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=869b165d5b4e49818491b5b7f7cbc0ec&ei=14