Author Topic: Firefly Alpha Flight 3: VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3) : VSFB SLC-2W : 15 Sep 23 02:28 UTC (Read 46143 times)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #20 on:** 05/17/2023 01:01 pm »

twitter.com/firefly_space/status/1658559459751280643

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Alpha FLTA003 Update: Built in under 4 months, our new payload processing facility in Vandenberg is lookin’ good.

https://twitter.com/firefly_space/status/1658559463094210571

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Equipped w/ a cleanroom & the ability to fuel hypergolic spacecraft, this facility will be used to process, integrate and encapsulate the Millennium Space Systems payload in a matter of HOURS for the upcoming @SpaceForceDoD #VICTUSNOX launch - that’s how we do responsive launch!

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #21 on:** 05/17/2023 11:57 pm »

Interesting Engineering, US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours

trimeta · « **Reply #22 on:** 05/18/2023 12:15 am »

Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm

US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours

The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #23 on:** 05/18/2023 01:38 am »

Quote from: trimeta on 05/18/2023 12:15 am

Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm
US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours
The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)

Original programme was TacRL a d follow on programme is TacRS. Per contacts they are classed financially as separate projects with TacRL office winding down as TacRS office started up. The original programme started out of the ORS programme. It has had many names over the years. TacRS is the first iteration fully under the USSF rather than gambling handed over.

trimeta · « **Reply #24 on:** 05/18/2023 01:52 am »

Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/18/2023 01:38 am

Quote from: trimeta on 05/18/2023 12:15 am
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm
US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours
The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)
Original programme was TacRL a d follow on programme is TacRS. Per contacts they are classed financially as separate projects with TacRL office winding down as TacRS office started up. The original programme started out of the ORS programme. It has had many names over the years. TacRS is the first iteration fully under the USSF rather than gambling handed over.

I did notice how the original TacRS-3 announcement commented on the shift from TacRL to TacRS. I guess a history of name changes may also explain why I had difficulty finding the original TacRL contract (hence why I couldn't say "both TacRL and TacRL-2 used Pegasus XL;" I couldn't even find proof that "TacRL" without a number existed at all).

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #25 on:** 05/25/2023 02:49 pm »

Cross-post:

Quote from: Salo on 05/25/2023 06:52 am

NextSpaceflight, updated May 24:
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VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3)
Launch Time
NET June 2023

IanO · « **Reply #26 on:** 05/25/2023 09:30 pm »

Quote from: trimeta on 05/18/2023 12:15 am

Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm
US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours
The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)

Considering that the most common launch delays are due to weather, do we know if Firefly has any means to mitigate that factor? Pegasus had the advantage of being able to both launch from multiple sites and fly above any inclement weather.

Asteroza · « **Reply #27 on:** 05/26/2023 01:12 am »

Quote from: IanO on 05/25/2023 09:30 pm

Quote from: trimeta on 05/18/2023 12:15 am
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm
US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours
The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)
Considering that the most common launch delays are due to weather, do we know if Firefly has any means to mitigate that factor? Pegasus had the advantage of being able to both launch from multiple sites and fly above any inclement weather.

Wait, was Pegasus really that immune to upper level winds?

edzieba · « **Reply #28 on:** 05/26/2023 10:53 am »

Quote from: Asteroza on 05/26/2023 01:12 am

Quote from: IanO on 05/25/2023 09:30 pm
Quote from: trimeta on 05/18/2023 12:15 am
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 05/17/2023 11:57 pm
US Space Force to attempt to replace a damaged satellite in less than 24 hours
The sentence "this attempt, known officially as Tactically Responsive Launch-3, will be the first to have a ground-based rocket deliver a satellite payload into space directly" is kind of hiding that "ground-based" is the unique part here: the previous TacRL-2 launch used Pegasus XL. (Perhaps more notably, TacRL-2 had a 21-day callup, while TacRS-3 is down to a 24-hour callup; in my opinion, that's more significant than ground-launch vs. air-launch.)
Considering that the most common launch delays are due to weather, do we know if Firefly has any means to mitigate that factor? Pegasus had the advantage of being able to both launch from multiple sites and fly above any inclement weather.

Wait, was Pegasus really that immune to upper level winds?

As a compact all-solid vehicle, it almost certainly has a similarly high tolerance to wind shear as other small all-solid vehicles. Still limited by weather at the drop zone (and the airport) due to the need to fly Balls 8 / Stargazer, but there is the potential to have multiple contingency drop zones if a payload absolutely positively needs to launch on time.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #29 on:** 06/21/2023 05:21 pm »

Any news on this one?
(I have seen some rumors elsewhere but I would want to see if there are public news since late May)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #30 on:** 06/23/2023 07:39 pm »

https://twitter.com/harry__stranger/status/1672318639968772097

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High resolution satellite imagery shows what appears to be @Firefly_Space's Alpha rocket (minus the payload fairing) at SLC-2W, as preparations continue for the upcoming VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3) mission.

Image capture time: 2023-06-21 19:02:45 UTC

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #31 on:** 06/26/2023 09:15 pm »

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Launch Roundup: SpaceX to launch Euclid; Virgin Galactic to fly crewed suborbital mission

June 26, 2023

[...]

The launch time and date are not yet known, and Firefly has 24 hours to launch the satellite after the US Space Force gives the order to launch the payload. The launch is expected to happen sometime this week. The satellite’s purpose is listed as “space domain awareness,” and the flight is meant to test a rapid launch capability for the DoD.

[...]

Timux · « **Reply #32 on:** 06/28/2023 05:24 pm »

Do we expect to get an exact time from Firefly, after the Space Force gives the go?

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #33 on:** 06/29/2023 07:11 pm »

Quote from: Timux on 06/28/2023 05:24 pm

Do we expect to get an exact time from Firefly, after the Space Force gives the go?

The coverage and information provided will be the same as predecessor missions i.e. TacRL-2 etal. See:
Pegasus XL – TacRL-2 – Vandenberg –13 June 2021 (08:11 UTC)

spacenuance · « **Reply #34 on:** 06/29/2023 11:59 pm »

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The company is under contract to launch a Space Force mission called “Victus Nox” sometime this summer . . .

https://spacenews.com/firefly-to-launch-lockheed-martin-small-satellite-experiment/ [Jun 29]

Zed_Noir · « **Reply #35 on:** 06/30/2023 12:55 am »

Maybe someone at the USSF scheduled the VICTUS NOX launch for July 4th.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #36 on:** 07/20/2023 02:48 pm »

Cross-posts:

Quote from: Salo on 07/20/2023 02:17 pm

NextSpaceflight, updated July 20:
Quote
VICTUS NOX (TacRS-3)
Launch Time
NET August 2023

Quote from: Salo on 07/20/2023 02:43 pm

https://twitter.com/mirandahw_/status/1666424606943576065

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #37 on:** 08/04/2023 05:48 pm »

Bump/any new news?

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #38 on:** 08/26/2023 03:34 am »

NextSpaceflight, updated August 25:
Launch NET September 2023

The wait is mildly annoying.

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #39 on:** 08/26/2023 11:17 am »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/26/2023 03:34 am

NextSpaceflight, updated August 25:
Launch NET September 2023

The wait is mildly annoying.

Why don't they launch a different payload in meantime. Their other customers must be getting sick of waiting.