SpaceX Falcon 9 : GPS III SV04 : SLC-40 : November 5, 2020

[Zed_Noir]

So this flight will likely be launched from pad LC-39A. Unless SX can turn around pad LC-40 in 3 days after the SAOCOM-1B polar orbit launch experiment on the 27th.

Never mind apparent brainfart

[Thorny]

So this flight will likely be launched from pad LC-39A. Unless SX can turn around pad LC-40 in 3 days after the SAOCOM-1B polar orbit launch experiment on the 27th.

You got your months mixed up. SAOCOM is Aug 27. GPS III-4 is Sep 30.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and MARS (Wallops) upcoming launches before and after this launch:

Scheduled:
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)

2020
Late September - Starlink flight 14 (x60) [v1.0 L13] - Falcon 9-095 (B1051.6 S) - Kennedy LC-39A
September 30 - Cygnus NG-14 (CRS-14) - Antares-230+ - MARS LP-0A - 02:26
NET September - STP-27RM: Monolith - Electron/Kick Stage - MARS LA-0A (LC-2)
October 1 - GPS III SV04 - Falcon 9 (B1062.1 S) - Canaveral SLC-40 - 00:00-04:00
NET October - Starlink flight 15 (x60) [v1.0 L14] - Falcon 9 (S) - Canaveral SLC-40 / Kennedy LC-39A
October 23 - USCV-1: Dragon v2 Crew-1 - Falcon 9 (B1061.1 S) - Kennedy LC-39A - 09:47
October - NROL-101 - Atlas V 531 (AV-090) - Canaveral SLC-41

Changes on September 1st
Changes on September 4th
Changes on September 7th
Changes on September 9th

(Wallops uses at least some of the Eastern Range equipment and facilities that CC/KSC does?)

(Deducing that Starlink v1.0 L13 will use LC-39A as the GPS launch campaign will want full access to SLC-40 as early as possible.
Deducing that Starlink v1.0 L14 will use SLC-40 as the Dragon Crew-1 launch campaign will want full access to LC-39A as soon as possible.)

[Elthiryel]

This is most probably the GPS III SV04 satellite under the fairings.

[jjyach]

This is most probably the GPS III SV04 satellite under the fairings.
...

These are very likely empty on the way to the processing facility  (Presumably Astrotech).  It's how they transport them when they do encapsulation out of their own facility.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post re: GPS III processing at Astrotech in Titusville:

The #GPS III SV03 #satellite is encapsulated within a SpaceX payload fairing on June 21 in preparation for its upcoming launch. GPS III SV03 is set to launch from Cape Canaveral aboard a #Falcon9 rocket, June 30 at 3:55 p.m. EDT. (Photo @SpaceX)

I couldn't find a previous notice; spacecraft processing was performed at Astrotech/Titusville.

(GPS III-01 processed at Astrotech/Titusville.
GPS III-02 processed at Astrotech/Titusville.)

[Lar]

This is most probably the GPS III SV04 satellite under the fairings.
...

These are very likely empty on the way to the processing facility  (Presumably Astrotech).  It's how they transport them when they do encapsulation out of their own facility.

Is that a self propelled vehicle or a trailer? I am guessing maybe self propelled if the things at right under the hood are power units. Or maybe a trailer if the things at right under the hood are air conditioning/pressurization provisions.

Trailer. Should have watched the vid first... LOL.

[envy887]

This is most probably the GPS III SV04 satellite under the fairings.
...

These are very likely empty on the way to the processing facility  (Presumably Astrotech).  It's how they transport them when they do encapsulation out of their own facility.

Do they not have the equipment to lift the fairings upright at other processing facilities?

[gongora]

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Sept. 30/Oct. 1Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04
Launch time: 0155 GMT on 1st (9:55 p.m. EDT on 30th/1st)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

[Mangala]

From Ben Cooper:http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html, it seems that this launch has been advanced by one day:
 "A Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the fourth Block III GPS satellite on September 29 at 9:55pm EDT. The
launch windows stretches to 10:10pm EDT."

[Elthiryel]

From Ben Cooper:http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html, it seems that this launch has been advanced by one day:
 "A Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the fourth Block III GPS satellite on September 29 at 9:55pm EDT. The
launch windows stretches to 10:10pm EDT."

Confirmation from Lockheed Martin:
https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/1308511387669458949

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1309433704415100928

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1309432596003160064

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1309443268233445376

Static fire test complete – targeting Tuesday, September 29 for Falcon 9's launch of the GPS III Space Vehicle 04 mission

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1309448581321981952

Just Read the Instructions droneship is now getting underway from Port Canaveral for the GPS III SV04 mission.

Departing as soon as a good static fire was confirmed! 🚀

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1309454198157828097

Departure! Just Read the Instructions droneship is underway towards the GPS III SV04 booster landing zone!

Tug Hawk is towing the droneship ~635 km downrange.

Photo via WKMG-TV, http://clickorlando.com

[Elthiryel]

L-4 weather forecast is 80% GO for the primary day and 60% GO for the backup day.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Sorry, we jumped the gun on JRTI departure:

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1309504254902763520

Yeah... so about that departure. I do believe we've been tricked!

Just Read the Instructions droneship and tug Hawk are actually conducting a sea trial just offshore. Watching and waiting to see what happens next.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1309618240830701575

The Lockheed Martin-built GPS III SV-04 satellite was encapsulated in the SpaceX Falcon 9 nosecone earlier this week in preparation for launch on Tuesday, the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center says:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1309855546019807234

Just Read the Instructions droneship has departed for the GPS III SV04 mission... for real this time!

Tug Hawk is towing JRTI ~635km downrange.

spacexfleet.com/next-2/

twitter.com/therealjonvh/status/1309831030967328768

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-3 weather forecast is 70% GO

Doesn’t appear to have slipped despite DIV-H slipping to 28th. Suspect this is taking priority over Starlink launch? (unless range can do 2 SpaceX launches in a day?! I didn’t think that was possible without a bigger time difference?)