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

[bulkmail]

Interesting note at the end. The webcast says "That completes our primary mission" (emphasis mine). Doesn't that imply there is a secondary mission for this launch? Is there a hidden secondary payload?

Timestamp:

...
The forum software here is really bad and keeps screwing up the URL so I can't link it properly. Go to timestamp 6519 seconds.

Secondary objective is the return of booster to port? What did they say on previous webcasts?
Of course, it could well be that stage 2 has some secondary objective - test to do (coasting, maneuvers, etc.) or another payload...

[jacqmans]

SMC and its Partners Successfully Launch Fourth GPS III Satellite

Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs / Published November 05, 2020

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The U.S. Space Force, Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and its mission partners successfully launched the fourth Global Positioning Systems (GPS) III satellite at 6:24 p.m. EST, Nov. 5 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellite was carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

“The launch of GPS III SV04 is a testament to SMC’s ability to rapidly and safely deliver new capabilities on orbit,” said Cordell DeLaPena, Air Force program executive officer for SMC’s Space Production Corps. “At SMC, we are proud to deliver our fourth GPS III satellite and will continue to operate at an accelerated pace to enhance the capabilities of the billions of users worldwide.”

“I’m proud of my team’s 83rd successful National Security Space Launch and look forward to our future missions with SpaceX,” said Col. Robert Bongiovi, SMC’s Launch Enterprise director. “Ultimately, our ability to embrace innovation with our launch providers advances warfighter’s capabilities while lowering costs to the U.S. Government and its taxpayers.”

GPS III SV04 separated from its upper stage approximately 90 minutes after launch. Engineers and operators at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Facility will now begin on-orbit checkout and tests, which are estimated to complete in approximately one month. Operational use is expected to begin in a few months.

“The GPS III program continues to make strides in modernizing the GPS constellation for the U. S. Space Force while maintaining the gold standard for position, navigation and timing,” said Col. Edward Byrne, Medium Earth Orbit Space Systems Division chief.

GPS III SV04 will join the current GPS constellation comprised of 31-operational spacecraft. GPS III, the newest generation of GPS satellites, brings new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities.

https://www.losangeles.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2407355/smc-and-its-partners-successfully-launch-fourth-gps-iii-satellite/

[jacqmans]

https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing/status/1324542908196921344?s=20

[jacqmans]

Fourth Lockheed Martin-Built GPS III Satellite's On Board Engine Now Propelling It To Orbit
GPS III SV04 will be the 23rd M-Code enabled satellite in the GPS Constellation

DENVER, Nov. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-built Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite is now headed to orbit under its own propulsion. Following a successful launch earlier this evening, GPS III Space Vehicle 04 (GPS III SV04) separated from its rocket and is now using onboard power to climb to its operational orbit, approximately 12,550 miles above the Earth.

About 89 minutes after a 6:24 p.m. EST liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, U.S. Space Force and Lockheed Martin engineers at the company's Denver Launch & Checkout Operations Center declared GPS III SV04 "separated" from its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and "flying" under their control. 

In the coming days, GPS III SV04's onboard liquid apogee engine will continue to propel the satellite towards its operational orbit. Once it arrives, the engineers will send the satellite commands to deploy its solar arrays and antennas, and prepare GPS III SV04 for handover to Space Operations Command.

GPS III SV04 is the latest next-generation GPS III satellite Lockheed Martin designed and built to help the U.S. Space Force modernize today's GPS satellite constellation with new technology and capabilities. GPS III satellites will provide significant capability improvements over previous GPS satellites, including:

Three times better accuracy;

Up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities; and

A new L1C civil signal, which is compatible with international global navigation satellite systems, like Europe's Galileo, to improve civilian user connectivity.

GPS III SV04 will also be the 23rd Military Code (M-Code) signal-enabled GPS space vehicle on orbit, continuing the Space Force's plan to fully field the more-secure, harder-to-jam and spoof GPS signal for military forces.

"With GPS III we are focused on rapidly fielding the best capabilities to the Space Force's Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Mission," said Tonya Ladwig, Lockheed Martin's Acting Vice President for Navigation Systems. "We are proud of our industry-government team on the launch of GPS III SV04. GPS III SV05 is already 'available for launch' and just waiting to be called up."

In early July, the Space Force also declared that the GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) program had fulfilled Milestone C, allowing the program to enter its production phase. GPS IIIF satellites will add even more capabilities, including:

A Regional Military Protection Capability, which will increase anti-jam support in theater to ensure U.S. and allied forces cannot be denied access to GPS in hostile environments;

an accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array;

A fully digital navigation payload; and

A new search and rescue payload.

"So many people rely on GPS every day. Continuing to invest in GPS by adding new capabilities like those coming with GPS III/IIIF will ensure GPS remains the world's 'gold standard' for PNT and just makes sense," Ladwig added.

GPS is part of the U.S.'s critical national infrastructure, driving an estimated $300 billion in annual economic benefits and responsible for $1.4 trillion since its inception. Globally, more than four billion military, civil and commercial users depend on GPS' positioning, navigation and timing signals.

Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of the GPS III team led by the Space Production Corps Medium Earth Orbit Division, at the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base. The GPS Operational Control Segment sustainment is managed by the Enterprise Corps, GPS Sustainment Division at Peterson Air Force Base. The 2nd Space Operations Squadron, at Schriever Air Force Base, manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2020-11-05-Fourth-Lockheed-Martin-Built-GPS-III-Satellites-On-Board-Engine-Now-Propelling-It-To-Orbit

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1324531460540407811

Falcon 9 blasts off from Cape Canaveral this evening with a GPS-III satellite

Captured by @erikkuna for Supercluster

https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1324501783222358023

A 'nebula' captured during tonight's #SpaceX Falcon 9 GPS-III launch over Florida's Space Coast.

By @erikkuna for Supercluster

[Star One]

Archived mission coverage from Space X:

[LouScheffer]

Interesting note at the end. The webcast says "That completes our primary mission" (emphasis mine). Doesn't that imply there is a secondary mission for this launch? Is there a hidden secondary payload?

Maybe it's to re-enter the second stage.   GPS is fairly light (3880 kg).   F9 can easily put something of this mass into GTO (+2400 m/s) but the GPS orbit needed only +2013 m/s.    Even with a few hundred m/s or so penalty for a high inclination orbit,  F9 should easily have enough delta-V left to drop the perigee and hence remove (or at least more quickly remove) the second stage from its orbit.  So I'm guessing the secondary objective is to de-orbit the second stage. It should not be absolutely critical; the original perigee of 402 km will cause it to re-enter within a few years anyway.

[ZachS09]

Per Raul's General SpaceX map, Stage 2 is supposed to deorbit and burn up south of South Africa around 7 hours after launch. This means that the reentry should have occurred at around 06:24 UTC (1:24 AM EST).

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1324739309539364864

Falcon 9 launches GPS III SV04 from Cape Canaveral at 6:24pm EST yesterday evening.

📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1324739314056597505

The aftermath:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1324525044219994112

SpaceX launched its 4th GPS III (SVO4) global positioning satellite from #NASA tonight. The satellite, designed & manufactured by @LockheedMartin for the US Space Force will provide improved GPS navigation capabilities. Booster 1062.1 landed back on OCISLY mins later. #SpaceX

https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1324679814389837824

A couple more pics from last night's #SpaceX GPS III launch at #NASA in Cape Canaveral. Remote camera pics later this morning. #Space

https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1324760491361783810

Last few shots from my remote cameras from last night's SpaceX GPS III (SVO4) global positioning satellite from #NASA. The awesome power of the 9 Merlin 1D engines at liftoff is breathtaking. #SpaceX @elonmusk #Space

[jee_c2]

Sorry, if I missed it. Is there any news on the fairing catches? I saw in the thread, that Ms Chief was on the spot, to be able to catch it, or to retrieve it from the sea.

It was a night (early dawn?) launch, but perhaps there was an example for a fairing to be caught at night, right?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1324792188811780102

First photo attached. 2nd photo is already posted up thread.

[Jansen]

Sorry, if I missed it. Is there any news on the fairing catches? I saw in the thread, that Ms Chief was on the spot, to be able to catch it, or to retrieve it from the sea.

It was a night (early dawn?) launch, but perhaps there was an example for a fairing to be caught at night, right?

Source: https://spacexfleet.com/next

Fairing Recovery - Ms. Chief deployed. Double scoop from water attempt.

[jee_c2]

Thank you, Jansen!

[tacoLover7916]

Sorry, if I missed it. Is there any news on the fairing catches? I saw in the thread, that Ms Chief was on the spot, to be able to catch it, or to retrieve it from the sea.

It was a night (early dawn?) launch, but perhaps there was an example for a fairing to be caught at night, right?

Catch was not attempted due to upgrades/repairs being done to Ms. Chief. See SpaceX broadcast video approximately 9:30 time stamp or T-9:10.

Quote:
“The fairing halves we are using today are new, but due to upgrades being made to our recovery boats, we will be attempting to pick up these halves out of the water using our recovery vessel Ms Chief today.”

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1324496794336825345

[refsmmat]

Here's the first observation I've seen of the effects of the CCAM from last night's launch.

https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=169425

[JimO]

Is this the stage2 fuel dump?

[JimO]

The members-only website Cloudy Nights has extensive discussion from several observers in North America who noticed the spiral about two and a half  hours after launch. With respect to the owner's copyright, here's one image and his note:

This link may work on a different browser....

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/738438-what-did-i-just-see/?fbclid=IwAR3G4yzhOynB27kHRI5daaDkzLWCb92h1QSrl8VzeA3Kkq_EQajl4C5nBrA#entry10636033 

Eddgie [observer]:  "My video was done at 7:41 PM CST. so if launch was 6:24 PM EST, that would have made liftoff at 5:24 PM CST and the recording would be 2 hours and 35 minutes after launch."
 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1324912884741181440

After the stresses of the week it was time to let loose from the pad and get gone from Earth. My take of nine Merlin engines delivering #GPSIII into orbit after bouncing back from delays.

Wrap-up article: nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/spacex…

https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1324914206056062978

One last impression of Falcon 9 rising over the towers of Launch Complex 40.
#GPSIII #SpaceX