GPS IIF-3 = Delta-IV-M+(4,2) - 4.10.12 16:10 ЛМВ -Canaveral

Автор Salo, 17.04.2012 14:43:52

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Salo

ЦитироватьSeptember 20 - GPS IIF-3 (or -4?) - Delta-IV-M+(4,2) - Canaveral SLC-37B
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#1
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/navstar-2f.htm

ЦитироватьGPS-2F (Navstar-2F)


GPS-2F [Boeing]

GPS-2F (Global Positioning System) or Navstar-2F (Navigation System using Timing And Ranging) satellites are the fourth evolution stage of the second generation of the GPS GPS satellites. Improvements included an extended design life of 12 years, faster processors with more memory, and a new civil signal on a third frequency. The first Block-IIF satellite is scheduled to launch in 2006

Boeing was contracted with options for up to 33 Block-IIF satellites in 1996, but in 2001 the contract was reduced 12 Block-IIF satellites. In July 2006, satellites 10, 11 and 12 were contracted.

The GPS-2F satellites do not need to carry an apogee kick motor, in contrast to the earlier generations, as the launch vehicles provide direct insertion into the GPS orbit. Originally the Delta-4M version was to be used for the Delta launches, but a mass growth of the satellites required a switch to the more powerful Delta-4M+(4,2) version. For Atlas launches, the Atlas-5(401) version is used.

Nation:      USA
Type / Application:      Navigation
Operator:      USAF
Contractors:      Boeing
Equipment:      ?
Configuration:      3-Axis stabilized
Propulsion:      ?
Power:      2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime:      15 years
Mass:      1630 kg
Orbit:      20200 km
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

А Боинг упорно пишет четвёрку:
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/launch/launch_sched.html
Цитировать1    GPS IIF-4    GPS    U.S. Air Force    2012    Delta IV
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#3
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/rollout.html
ЦитироватьDelta 4 rocket rolls out to bolster GPS constellation
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: August 19, 2012

The Delta 4 rocket that will launch in October for the direct benefit of the world's population using the Global Positioning System was stacked on its Cape Canaveral pad last week.

     
File image of rocket rollout. Credit: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now

The United Launch Alliance-made vehicle is targeting an Oct. 4 blastoff to deploy the GPS 2F-3 navigation satellite, replacing a 19-year-old craft in the orbiting constellation that serves billions of military and civilan users across the planet.

Liftoff will be possible during a morning launch window extending from 8:10 to 8:29 a.m. EDT (1210-1229 GMT).

Riding horizontal aboard a 36-wheel, diesel-powered transporter, the bright orange and white rocket, stretching 170 feet long, emerged from the assembly hangar and took the brief trip down the road and up the pad's ramp to the Florida spaceport's Complex 37.

Initial assembly of the rocket, including mating of the cryogenic upper stage with the Common Booster Core first stage using a precision laser alignment system, had been completed inside the Horizontal Integration Facility over the past couple of months.

After the vehicle arrived at the base of the pad, technicians went to work getting equipment ready to raise the rocket vertically. The erector system and its hydraulic pistons then lifted the rocket upright and set the vehicle atop the pad's launch table.

Later in the week, two solid-fueled strap-on boosters were mounted to the first stage to provide additional thrust at liftoff. The rocket will be flying in the Medium+(4,2) configuration.

The satellite payload was shipped to the Cape from Boeing's production factory in Los Angeles aboard a C-17 on July 9 to begin its own preparations for launch, including final testing, fueling and encapsulation in the rocket's nose cone. It will be hauled to the pad and hoisted atop the Delta 4 next month.

This will be the third satellite in the Block 2F series of GPS spacecraft with improved accuracy, enhanced internal atomic clocks, better anti-jam resistance, a civil signal for commercial aviation and a longer design life. Boeing is building a dozen craft to upgrade the constellation's foundation over the coming years.


A GPS 2F satellite is pictured at the manufacturing facility. Credit: Boeing

Known as the GPS 2F-3 satellite, this newest spacecraft will take the place of the GPS 2A-21 bird that was launched by a Delta 2 rocket on June 26, 1993 and began its remarkably long-lasting service life on July 21, 1993.

Given its advanced age, controllers have targeted it for replacement with this launch into the Plane A, Slot 1 position of the constellation. But the old craft won't be retired immediately, instead moving into an auxiliary role within the A-Plane of the network.

GPS satellites orbit about 11,000 nautical miles above the planet and emit continuous navigation signals that allow users to find their location in latitude, longitude and altitude and determine time. The constellation features six orbital planes with multiple satellites flying in each.

The first two Block 2F birds were launched by Delta 4 rockets in May 2010 and July 2011. The latest spacecraft should be operational about 30 days after liftoff.

"As each 2F satellite becomes operational, we continue the seamless transformation of the GPS constellation into an even more accurate, reliable and durable navigation resource for the U.S. military and the global civilian user community," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "Our efficient pulse-line manufacturing process, adapted from Boeing's commercial airplane production lines, also ensures that we deliver each spacecraft on time and on cost."

Today's GPS fleet is comprised of 31 satellites, including 10 Block 2A's made by Boeing, 12 Block 2R's and seven 2R-Modernized spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin, and Boeing's two Block 2F vehicles.

"The GPS constellation remains healthy, stable and robust with 31-operational satellites on-orbit providing precise position, navigation and timing information to users worldwide," an Air Force spokesperson said.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#4
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/payload/
ЦитироватьGPS 2F-3 satellite readied to launch
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: Sept. 30, 2012

About three weeks before before its scheduled launch, the U.S. Air Force's Global Positioning System 2F-3 navigation satellite was encapsulated in the Delta 4 rocket's two-piece nose cone at Cape Canaveral's DSCS Processing Facility, then transported to Complex 37 a week later for hoisting into the mobile service gantry and placement atop the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket.

The bullet-shaped shroud protects the satellite during ascent through Earth's atmosphere during the first four-and-a-half minutes of flight and then gets jettisoned to uncover the craft after the threshold the space is reached.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the launch.

Photo credit: United Launch Alliance









"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#5
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/preview.html
ЦитироватьIt's launch week for Delta 4 to upgrade GPS constellation
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: October 1, 2012

Shooting for a morning blastoff Thursday, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket and Global Positioning System satellite payload will undergo a final technical assessment today and their readiness review tomorrow before entering into countdown operations Wednesday night.


File image of Delta 4 atop pad for GPS launch. Credit: Pat Corkery/United Launch Alliance

"A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished to date on this mission. There's hundreds of people on the satellite and launch teams that have been hard at work to ensure a successful launch and mission. I'm extremely proud of their efforts as they continue to work through the remaining mission-related tasks while maintaining a focus on mission success," said Col. Ron Fortson, the Air Force's mission director for the launch.

Liftoff is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. EDT (1210 GMT) at the start of a 19-minute launch opportunity. The window is timed to deliver the GPS 2F-3 satellite directly into Plane A of the navigation network 11,000 miles above Earth.

The Delta's flight will last three hours and 33 minutes from liftoff until spacecraft separation, firing its cryogenic upper stage in three different burns to reach an initial parking orbit and taking a two-step transfer route to reach the circular GPS orbit tilted 55 degrees to the equator.

GPS 2F-3 will replace an aging craft -- deployed 19 years ago -- in Plane A, Slot 1, incrementally upgrading the constellation with greater accuracy, better jam-resistance and a new civilian aviation signal, all features of the Boeing-build Block 2F series of spacecraft.

The aerospace company expects to have the satellite checked out and ready for handover to Air Force controllers in mid-November, said Jan Heide, Boeing's GPS program director.


An artist's concept of GPS 2F. Credit: Boeing

This will be the third of 12 Block 2F spacecraft being built to form the backbone of the GPS fleet for the next 15 years.

"The GPS 2F satellites continue our efforts to modernize our PNT (position, navigation and timing) service and provide new space-based capabilities and ensure improved accuracy and signal availability," said Col. Steve R. Steiner, chief of the GPS Space Systems Division at the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.

"We are ready to launch this third GPS 2F satellite," he added.

ULA moved the Delta 4 rocket from its horizontal processing hangar to the launch pad in mid-August, erecting the two-stage vehicle atop Complex 37 and attaching a pair of solid-fuel boosters.

The GPS satellite arrived at the Cape in July from the Boeing factory in Los Angeles to undergo final testing, the loading of maneuvering fuel and encapsulation within the two-piece nose cone of the rocket. The payload was shipped to the pad and hoisted atop the Delta on Sept. 18 to begin the final push to launch.

See a photo gallery of GPS 2F-3's preparations.


Illustration shows the Delta 4 rocket elements for GPS launch. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The integrated systems test between rocket and satellite was conducted on Sept. 21, and technicians spent last week completing tasks like filling the hydrazine bottles on the second stage, installing and connecting ordnance and buttoning up various compartments on the rocket.

Managers and engineers will gather today for the final technical assessment of the flight hardware, then move into the Launch Readiness Review tomorrow that culminates with the "go" to begin the countdown on Wednesday evening.

Retraction of the mobile service gantry to unveil the 206-foot-tall rocket occurs around 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday, and the Terminal Count picks up at 1:40 a.m. EDT Thursday, with fueling operations starting a short time later.

"The team has worked tremendously hard to get us to this point, and following a couple of final reviews, we are ready to launch GPS 2F-3," said Jerry Jamison, United Launch Alliance's vice president of launch operations.

It will be ULA's 9th flight this year.

"Our GPS constellation remains healthy, stable and robust. We currently have 31 operational satellites on-orbit, all actively broadcasting position, navigation and timing information to users -- both civilian and military -- around the world," Steiner said.

"We do have a very robust constellation, but it is a mix of older and newer satellites."

This will be the third replacement GPS satellite carried aloft by the Delta 4 rocket since 2010.

The team has a backup opportunity available on the Eastern Range for Friday morning, with a window opening approximately four minutes earlier at 8:06 a.m. EDT.

Encapsulated in the rocket's nose cone, GPS 2F-3 hoisted atop Delta 4. Credit: United Launch Alliance

The Range has Saturday set aside for its reconfiguration from Delta to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is scheduled for blastoff Sunday evening on the first operational commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. That launch has three attempts reserved on the Range, if needed.

The Range provides the necessary tracking, communications and safety services for Cape launches and needs time between flights of different boosters to reset equipment.

The Delta 4 will be taking its 21st flight and launching for the 9th time in the Medium+ (4,2) variant with a four-meter-diameter upper stage and payload fairing and two strap-on solid motors.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#7
Циклограмма:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/launchtimeline.html
ЦитироватьGPS 2F-3 launch timeline

BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: Sept. 30, 2012

T-0:00:05.5       Engine start
     
The RS-68 main engine begins to ignite as the liquid hydrogen fuel valve is opened, creating a large fireball at the base of the rocket. The engine powers up to full throttle for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff.

T-0:00:00.0       Liftoff
     
The rocket's two strap-on solid rocket motors are lit, the four hold-down bolts are released and the Delta 4 lifts off fr om Cape Canaveral's pad 37B. The pad's three swing arms retract at T-0 seconds.

T+0:01:00.2       Max-Q

      The vehicle experiences the region of maximum dynamic pressure. Both solid motors and the RS-68 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine continue to fire as the vehicle heads downrange, arcing over the Atlantic along a 105-degree flight azimuth.

T+0:01:40.0       Jettison solid motors

      Having used up all their solid-propellant and experienced burnout six seconds ago, the two strap-on boosters are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage. The spent casings fall into the ocean.

T+0:04:05.6       Main engine cutoff

      The hydrogen-fueled RS-68 rocket engine completes its firing and shuts down to finish the first stage burn.

T+0:04:11.6       Stage separation

      The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage are separated in one piece from the Delta 4's upper stage. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle drops into position as the first stage separates.

T+0:04:26.1       Second stage ignition

      The upper stage begins its job to place the GPS 2F-3 satellite into space with the first of three firingsby the RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine.

T+0:04:36.5       Jettison payload fairing

      The four-meter diameter composite payload fairing that protected the GPS 2F-3 cargo atop the Delta 4 during the atmospheric ascent is no longer needed, allowing it to be jettisoned in two halves.

T+0:12:11.5       Upper stage shutdown

      The RL10 upper stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch. The rocket and attached satellite reach a parking orbit.

T+0:21:17.4       Restart upper stage

      After a 9-minute coast period, the upper stage is reignited to raise the apogee to the medium-Earth orbit altitude.

T+0:24:34.4       Upper stage shutdown

      At cutoff time for the second burn, the upper stage will reach the intermediate transfer orbit wh ere it coasts for the next three hours.

T+3:20:44.6       Restart upper stage

      The upper stage reaches the proper point in space and reignites the the RL10 engine to circularize the orbit.

T+3:22:22.5       Upper stage shutdown

      The powered phase of the Delta 4's mission to reach the GPS constellation concludes. The targeted circular orbit is 11,047 nautical miles with an inclination of 55 degrees.

T+3:28:53.0       Begin spin-up

      The next step in preparing for deployment of the payload is gently spinning up the stage like a top.

T+3:33:03.0       Separate spacecraft

      The GPS 2F-3 satellite is released into space from the Delta 4 rocket to upgrade the orbiting navigation network.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#8
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/status.html
ЦитироватьMONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012
Clouds and showers along the Space Coast will be potential problems for Thursday morning's launch attempt of the Delta 4 rocket and GPS satellite. Forecasters issued their initial outlook today and predict a 60 percent chance of acceptable launch conditions, with cumulus clouds, precipitation and the thickness of cloud cover all areas for possibly violating the weather criteria.

The launch weather team's forecast: "Florida peninsula will be located between upper level low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico and upper level high pressure over the western Atlantic. This will result in south-southwesterly flow aloft and deep layered moisture across the state. At the surface a weak surface trough dissipates while a high pressure ridge axis builds north and west across central Florida. Surface winds will become onshore, especially south of the Cape. Overnight and early morning offshore cloud cover and showers will likely be located over the near coastal waters with movement towards or parallel to the coast. Main concerns will be associated with the proximity of any cloud cover and precipitation. Similar conditions expected the following days."

The specifics for launch time on Thursday include scattered and broken decks of clouds, showers in the vicinity, easterly winds of 8 peaking to 12 knots, humidity of 94 percent and a temperature of 78 degrees.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#9
Processing/spacecraft patch:


Mission/launch patch:

"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#10
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/status.html
ЦитироватьWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012

1800 GMT (2:00 p.m. EDT)

The United Launch Alliance team is resting ahead of the overnight countdown operations for the Delta 4 rocket carrying the Global Positioning System 2F-3 satellite.

"All is good," said Tony Taliancich, director of ULA's customer program office.

Workers will be reporting for duty at pad 37B tonight to perform final preparations to retract the mobile service gantry away from the booster at 10 p.m. EDT. Clocks will enter into the one-hour hold point at 12:40 a.m. EDT prior to picking up Terminal Count. Fueling begins around 2 a.m. EDT.

The weather forecast remains 60 percent favorable for the 19-minute launch window that opens at 8:10 a.m. EDT. Concerns for violating the cumulus cloud, precipitation and cloud thickness rules will be the areas to watch due to coastal showers.

The outlook includes scattered and broken decks of clouds, showers in the vicinity, southeasterly winds of 8 to 12 knots and a temperature of 78 degrees F.

1500 GMT (11:00 a.m. EDT)

The third new-generation satellite for the Global Positioning System and its Delta 4 rocket booster have been cleared for blastoff into the navigation network Thursday from Cape Canaveral.

The GPS 2F-3 spacecraft is targeting an 8:10 a.m. EDT launch from Complex 37. A 19-minute window extending to 8:29 a.m. EDT will be available if conditions prevent an on-time liftoff.

Managers gathered this morning for the Launch Readiness Review, which culminated with the consensus to proceed with picking up the countdown Wednesday evening.

We will have complete live coverage of the count and launch on this page.

And if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates sent to your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

Forecasters are predicting a 60 percent chance of favorable weather, with the concerns being thick clouds, rain and violations of the cumulus cloud rule.

"Overnight and early morning offshore cloud cover and showers will likely be located over the near coastal waters with movement towards or parallel to the coast. Main concerns will be associated with the proximity of any cloud cover and precipitation," Air Force meteorologists say.

The launch time outlook includes scattered clouds at 2,000 and 8,000 feet, a broken deck at 15,000, showers in the vicinity, easterly winds of 8 to 12 knots and a temperature around 78 degrees F.

The forecast for Friday's backup launch opportunity looks about the same.

Boeing developed a dozen Block 2F satellites to sustain and further upgrade the Global Positioning System for the U.S. Air Force. The first was launched in May 2010 and the second went up in July 2011 to replace aging craft in the constellation.

They feature improved accuracy, enhanced internal atomic clocks, better anti-jam resistance, a civil signal for commercial aviation, a longer design life and reprogrammable onboard processors to evolve with future needs.

About three-and-a-half hours after liftoff Thursday, the Delta 4 rocket will deliver the satellite directly to the GPS constellation's altitude 11,047 nautical miles high. Ground controllers expect to have the new bird checked out and ready for use in about a month.

The GPS 2F-3 spacecraft takes over the Plane A, Slot 1 location of the network, which is divided into six orbital groupings with multiple satellites flying in each.

The craft replaces the long-lived GPS 2A-21 satellite launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral on June 26, 1993.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#11
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/status.html
Цитировать0702 GMT (3:02 a.m. EDT)
As today's countdown continuing to go very smoothly, the launch team is preparing to start fueling the Delta 4 rocket's upper stage. The "go" has been given to start the chilldown conditioning of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system.

0658 GMT (2:58 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen chilldown is complete. "Slow-fill" mode is beginning to load a small percentage of the tank. The process then speeds up to the "fast-fill" mode until the tank is nearly full.

0650 GMT (2:50 a.m. EDT)
No issues are being reported in the countdown as activities continue toward today's 8:10 a.m. EDT liftoff of the Delta 4 rocket and GPS 2F-3.

0648 GMT (2:48 a.m. EDT)
First stage liquid hydrogen tanking operation is switching fr om "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode.

0635 GMT (2:35 a.m. EDT)
And now the chilldown of Delta's first stage liquid oxygen system is starting. This preps the tank and pumping to guard against shock when the supercold oxidizer begins flowing into the rocket a short time from now.

0634 GMT (2:34 a.m. EDT)
Liquid hydrogen flow to the first stage is confirmed. Some 110,000 gallons of LH2 will fill the rocket's tank.

0630 GMT (2:30 a.m. EDT)
Check out the gantry rollback photo gallery taken by Justin Ray on Wednesday night.

0628 GMT (2:28 a.m. EDT)
The cold gas chilldown conditioning of the liquid hydrogen system has been accomplished. Liquid hydrogen propellant will begin to flow into the first stage in "slow-fill" mode. That is sped up to "fast-fill" after a small portion of the tank is loaded.

Chilled to Minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit, the liquid hydrogen will be consumed by the RS-68 main engine along with liquid oxygen during the first four minutes of the launch.

0602 GMT (2:02 a.m. EDT)
And fueling operations have begun. The hydrogen system's cold gas chilldown conditioning is underway.

0600 GMT (2:00 a.m. EDT)
A "go" has been given to start the cold gas chilldown conditioning of the first stage liquid hydrogen system. This is the precursor to actually filling the vehicle with propellant.

0559 GMT (1:59 a.m. EDT)
Interrogation checks are getting started on the C-band beacon used for tracking the vehicle during its flight downrange.

0540 GMT (1:40 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 6 hours, 15 minutes and counting! The Terminal Countdown begins now for today's flight of the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket with the Global Positioning System 2F-3 satellite.

The count has a planned built-in hold at T-minus 4 minutes lasting some 15 minutes, leading to liftoff at 8:10 a.m. EDT (1210 GMT).

Technicians have finished all hands-on work at the launch pad and Complex 37 has been cleared of personnel in advance of fueling the rocket's two stages this morning. Pad systems and equipment stand ready for fueling activities, which should kick off shortly.

0537 GMT (1:37 a.m. EDT)
The launch team has been polled to verify all consoles are manned and ready to begin the Terminal Countdown when this hold ends at 1:40 a.m.

0530 GMT (1:30 a.m. EDT)
The call to "man stations" has gone out to the launch team in preparation for fueling operations and the Terminal Count.

0515 GMT (1:15 a.m. EDT)
Weather forecasters have improved the outlook for today's launch window, upping the odds of acceptable conditions to 70 percent. Clouds and showers are the main concerns.

Meteorologists are calling for scattered clouds at 3,000 and 8,000 feet, a broken deck at 15,000 feet, showers in the vicinity, good visibility, easterly winds of 5 to 10 knots and a temperature of 78 degrees F.

0440 GMT (12:40 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 6 hours, 15 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered a planned 60-minute built-in hold, a pre-planned pause designed to give the team time to catch up on any work that could be running behind schedule. Once the clocks resume ticking at 1:40 a.m. EDT, the Terminal Countdown phase of today's launch operation will begin.

0245 GMT (10:45 p.m. EDT)
The 330-foot tall mobile service tower has been retracted from the Delta 4 rocket at Cape Canaveral's pad 37B for the morning's launch that will place the GPS 2F-3 satellite into Earth orbit.

The wheeled structure just moved along rail tracks to its launch position about the length of a football field away from the rocket. The 9-million pound tower shielded the Delta from the elements during the its stay on the pad, provided workers 360-degree access to the various areas on the vehicle and was used to attach the strap-on solid motors and the payload during the launch campaign. The tower is 90-feet wide and 40-feet deep.

Crews will spend the next couple of hours securing the complex for launch before leaving the danger area around the pad. All workers must be clear of the area for the start of hazardous operations in the countdown, which include fueling the vehicle later overnight.

The Terminal Countdown will begin ticking at 1:40 a.m. EDT, leading to the multi-hour process of loading the Delta 4's Common Booster Core first stage and the second stage with supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants.

Testing of communications links between the rocket and Air Force Eastern Range will occur after fueling is accomplished. Steering checks of the first stage RS-68 engine and second stage RL10 powerplant are on tap in the last hour of the count.

A 15-minute build-in hold is slated for T-minus 4 minutes, during which time teams will go through final polling to grant clearance to launch. The Delta 4 will transition to internal power as the count resumes, ordnance will be armed and the propellant tanks pressurized as clocks target the main engine ignition time at T-minus 5.5 seconds.

Liftoff remains scheduled for 8:10 a.m. EDT, the opening of a 19-minute window that extends to 8:29 a.m. EDT (1210-1229 GMT).

If you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates sent to your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

And check out Spaceflight Now's Facebook page!

0218 GMT (10:18 p.m. EDT Wed.)
Tower rollback has begun!

0210 GMT (10:10 p.m. EDT Wed.)
All of the lightning advisories have been lifted and the tower should be moving shortly.

0015 GMT (8:15 p.m. EDT Wed.)
It is a rainy, stormy, lightning-filled night along the Space Coast wh ere the Delta rocket team awaits to get the mobile tower rolled back later this evening to begin the countdown for Thursday morning's launch of GPS 2F-3.

The crew was cleared from Complex 37 as a precaution for lightning, but expects to get permission shortly to resume work and roll on the planned timeline.

Watch this page for updates when the gantry gets moving and the Terminal Countdown commences overnight.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#12
Цитировать1000 GMT (6:00 a.m. EDT)
Check out the gantry rollback photo gallery taken by Justin Ray on Wednesday night.

0940 GMT (5:40 a.m. EDT)
The newly revised weather forecast for the 8:10 a.m. EDT launch time has deleted the mid-level deck of broken clouds at 15,000 feet.

Meteorologists now calling for scattered clouds at 2,000 and 4,000 feet, showers in the vicinity, good visibility, easterly winds of 5 to 10 knots and a temperature of 78 degrees F.

The odds of favorable weather remain at 70 percent.

0937 GMT (5:37 a.m. EDT)
The upper stage liquid oxygen tank has entered the topping phase after the post-fueling tests were accomplished. That puts all four cryogenic fuel tanks aboard the Delta 4 rocket in topping mode.

0935 GMT (5:35 a.m. EDT)
The Delta 4 rocket stands fueled and ready for launch at 8:10 a.m. EDT today. The launch team is tracking no issues, weather conditions are green and the countdown remains on schedule.

0930 GMT (5:30 a.m. EDT)
Engineers are conducting the standard evaluation of the Delta 4 rocket's thermal insulation following the loading of supercold propellants into the vehicle.

0921 GMT (5:21 a.m. EDT)
And the upper stage liquid oxygen filling has been completed, now heading into post-loading tests.

0912 GMT (5:12 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen system has been topped off and conditioned for flight.

0910 GMT (5:10 a.m. EDT)
Now entering into the final three hours of the countdown to launch of Delta 361.

0904 GMT (5:04 a.m. EDT)
And now putting the upper stage's liquid hydrogen system in topping mode.

0855 GMT (4:55 a.m. EDT)
The topping mode is starting for the first stage's liquid hydrogen tank.

0830 GMT (4:30 a.m. EDT)
Loading of the upper stage liquid oxygen tank -- the last of the four vehicle tanks to fill -- is underway.

0819 GMT (4:19 a.m. EDT)
Post-filling tests on the first stage liquid oxygen system are complete. The tank is now entering topping mode.

0817 GMT (4:17 a.m. EDT)
Fast-fill loading of the upper stage liquid hydrogen tank has been accomplished as fueling proceeds very smoothly this morning at Complex 37.

0816 GMT (4:16 a.m. EDT)
After chilldown of the upper stage liquid oxygen system, loading the rocket's tank with 4,500 gallons will be performed. This is the last of the rocket's four cryogenic supplies to be filled in today's countdown to launch.

0810 GMT (4:10 a.m. EDT)
Now four hours till launch. The Delta 4 rocket's Common Booster Core first stage and upper stage are being loaded with supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Complex 37 has two giant sphere-shaped fuel tanks to store the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The LOX tank holds 250,000 gallons and LH2 sphere about 850,000 gallons.

The cryogenics are fed from the storage tanks through pipelines to the pad. For the Common Booster Core, the propellants are routed up to the launch table upon which the rocket sits. Tail service masts, the large box-like structures at the base of the vehicle, feed the oxygen and hydrogen to the booster via separate umbilicals.

The upper stage receives its cryos from the middle swing arm that extends from the Fixed Umbilical Tower to the front-side of the rocket.

0800 GMT (4:00 a.m. EDT)
The "go" has been given for the upper stage liquid oxygen chilldown in advance of filling that tank.

0754 GMT (3:54 a.m. EDT)
The first stage liquid oxygen loading just finished. The tank has been loaded with its supercold oxidizer that is chilled to Minus-298 degrees F. Topping will be completed as the count rolls on.

0750 GMT (3:50 a.m. EDT)
The launch team is actively loading the upper stage's liquid hydrogen tank with 10,000 gallons of propellant for the RL10 engine.

0741 GMT (3:41 a.m. EDT)
The chilldown of the upper stage liquid hydrogen system is reported complete, clearing the way for loading the rocket's tank.

0738 GMT (3:38 a.m. EDT)
Fast-filling of the first stage liquid hydrogen reservoir is wrapping up. After post-filling checks and valve tests, the tank will be placed in topping mode.

0714 GMT (3:14 a.m. EDT)
First stage liquid oxygen tanking operation is switching from "slow-fill" to "fast-fill" mode. The rocket will be loaded with 40,000 gallons of supercold LOX.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

#13
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/mst/
ЦитироватьTower retracted from Delta 4 rocket
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: Oct. 4, 2012

The mobile service gantry rolls away from the United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket at Cape Canaveral's Complex 37 for the mission to deploy the U.S. Air Force's Global Positioning System 2F-3 navigation satellite.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the launch.

Photo credit: Justin Ray/Spaceflight Now







"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Space Alien

Цитировать1110 GMT (7:10 a.m. EDT)
The countdown is entering the final 60 minutes until the Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral at 8:10 a.m. EDT. Here's a look at some stats about today's mission. This will be:
The 361st Delta rocket launch since 1960
The 21st Delta 4 rocket mission since 2002
The 17th Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
The 17th use of Delta 4 by the Air Force
The 9th Medium+ 4,2 configuration to fly
The 54th Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
The 65th United Launch Alliance mission since 2006
The 14th Delta 4 under the ULA banner
The 9th ULA launch this year
The fourth launch of the Delta family in 2012
The 63rd GPS satellite to launch
The 52nd GPS launch on a Delta rocket
The third GPS Block 2F satellite
1105 GMT (7:05 a.m. EDT)
The launch team is kicking off the steering checks for the RS-68 main engine and RL10 upper stage engine, plus commanding tests with the solid rocket motors.

1055 GMT (6:55 a.m. EDT)
Check out this photo gallery showing the GPS 2F-3 satellite being encapsulated in the rocket's nose cone last month.
1040 GMT (6:40 a.m. EDT)
The launch team is entering the last 90 minutes of the countdown. With fueling of the Delta 4 rocket completed, this phase of the count is fairly quiet. Engineers are monitoring systems while the clocks tick down.
Everything continues to proceed on schedule at Cape Canaveral for liftoff at 8:10 a.m. EDT.

1028 GMT (6:28 a.m. EDT)
Radio frequency link checks between tracking facilities at the Cape and the launch vehicle are complete.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d361/status.html


Space Alien

Цитировать1203 GMT (8:03 a.m. EDT)
The final readiness polls of the launch team and mission managers have been completed. No technical problems are being worked and all rocket, spacecraft and ground systems are "go" for liftoff at 8:10 a.m. EDT.
1159 GMT (7:59 a.m. EDT)
Standing by for the launch team readiness check for continuing the countdown.
1155 GMT (7:55 a.m. EDT)
Now 15 minutes to launch! The launch team will be polled in the next few minutes to confirm all systems are "go" to press onward for 8:10 a.m. liftoff.
Assuming all systems remain go, clocks will resume ticking at 8:06 a.m. local time. During those final four minutes, the rocket will switch to internal power, ordnance will be armed, all four propellant tanks will be secured and the Range will announce a clear-to-launch.

At T-minus 14 seconds, the sparkler-like radial outward firing ignitors -- or ROFIs -- are started beneath the main engine nozzle. The Terminal Countdown Sequencer will grab control at T-minus 8.5 seconds to manage events in the crucial last seconds and oversee the rocket's status. The ignition sequence for the RS-68 powerplant follows at T-minus 5.5 seconds as the main hydrogen fuel valve is opened. As fuel floods through the engines, spectacular flame erupts at the base of the rocket as free hydrogen reaches the ROFIs.

The oxygen valve in the engine is opened at T-minus 2 seconds as the RS-68 begins roaring to life. The engine must rev up to full throttle -- 102 percent thrust level -- and undergo a rapid computer-controlled health check to ensure all parameters are met.

If any problem is detected before T-minus 40 milliseconds, the engine will shut down and the rocket prevented from lifting off.

A successful engine startup leads to T-0 as the four hold-down bolts that have been restraining the rocket to Earth finally detonate. The 20-story vehicle blasts off at 8:10 a.m. (1210 GMT) on the GPS 2F-3 navigation satellite deployment mission.

1151 GMT (7:51 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 4 minutes and holding. The countdown has entered the planned 15-minute hold leading toward the 8:10 a.m. EDT liftoff of the Delta 4 rocket.
This pause is designed to give the launch team the opportunity to catch up on any work running behind schedule and verify all is in readiness for the final moments of the count. A series of management polls will be conducted during the hold to give approval to proceed with the launch.

1147 GMT (7:47 a.m. EDT)
The launch team continues to report no constraints in the countdown.
1146 GMT (7:46 a.m. EDT)
The ULA launch team and management are guiding the countdown from the Delta Operations Center, located about 9,200 feet from the pad. The engineers overseeing the rocket and ground systems are located on the third floor and the Mission Directors Center room is on the fourth floor. Both rooms have a view of pad 37B and the Delta 4 rocket out their windows. Other rooms are also set up for engineering support.
The DOC was formerly built to support the Titan-Centaur program but was refurbished to support Delta 4.

1142 GMT (7:42 a.m. EDT)
A load relief file based on the upper level winds is being transmitted to the Delta 4 rocket's flight computer. This program informs the rocket on the wind conditions it can expect to see during ascent.
1140 GMT (7:40 a.m. EDT)
About three-and-a-half hours after launch, the Delta 4 rocket will deliver its satellite payload directly to the GPS constellation's altitude 11,000 nautical miles high.
Ground controllers expect to have the new bird checked out and ready for use by the end of the year, the Air Force says. The new GPS 2F-3 spacecraft will take over the Plane A, Slot 1 location of the network, replacing a satellite that just was deployed in the summer of 1993.

"As the GPS 2Fs become operational, they are ensuring that the Air Force can meet the current and future needs of both military and civilian users," said Col. Bernie Gruber, director of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Global Positioning Systems Directorate.

Boeing is building a dozen Block 2F satellites for the Air Force.

"Boeing has worked alongside the Air Force for many years to continuously sustain and improve the GPS constellation," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "This new fleet of 12 GPS 2Fs will form the core of the GPS constellation for the next decade."

1133 GMT (7:33 a.m. EDT)
The Air Force launch weather officer has given his final planned briefing to mission managers in the countdown. There are no constraints currently and the outlook appears good for 8:10 a.m. EDT. The odds of acceptable launch conditions have improved to 80 percent.
The latest tweaks to the launch weather forecast now calls for scattered clouds at 2,000 and 4,000 feet, showers in the vicinity, southeasterly winds of 5 to 10 knots and a temperature of 80 degrees F.

The odds of acceptable launch weather remain at 80 percent.

1127 GMT (7:27 a.m. EDT)
The flight slews and commanding tests for the vehicle steering systems are complete and satisfactory. The first stage Common Booster Core, the strap-on solid rocket motors and upper stage engine steering checks were run through a pre-launch test pattern.
1125 GMT (7:25 a.m. EDT)
T-minus 30 minutes and counting. The countdown is headed to the T-minus 4 minute point where a 15-minute hold is planned. Liftoff is targeted for 8:10 a.m., which is the opening of today's 19-minute launch window to reach the desired location within the GPS constellation for replacing an aging satellite.
1120 GMT (7:20 a.m. EDT)
It is a beautiful sunrise here on the Space Coast! Countdown operations have gone very well overnight.


Space Alien