GPS III-01 - Falcon 9 - Canaveral SLC-40 - 23.12.2018 13:51 UTC

[Чебурашка]

PIN пишет:
Зачем ему "скруглять орбиту" ?

Потому что спутники GPS крутятся на круговой орбите на высоте где-то 2000 км. И лететь туда где-то 3 часа.
Вопрос, способна ли вторая ступень Флакона выдержать три часа до апогея орбиты для скругления орбиты или спутник своим двигателем это сделает?

[PIN]

Чебурашка пишет:
Потому что спутники GPS крутятся на круговой орбите на высоте где-то 2000 км. И лететь туда где-то 3 часа.

Лететь на 22000 почти 4 часа. Но вы правы, скорее всего, аппарат сам скруглит - судя по сайту Moog на платформе остался-таки Leros-1С. Кроме как для "скругления" такая тяга, как у него, вряд ли нужна.

[che wi]

На spaceflightnow.com пуск уже стоит NET September.

[che wi]

GPS OCX software ready for 2018 GPS III launch
http://gpsworld.com/gps-ocx-software-ready-for-2018-gps-iii-launch/

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With the latest contract awards, SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets are slated to launch five of the Air Force's first six new GPS 3-series navigation satellites, beginning as soon as September with the launch of the GPS 3-1 spacecraft. The second GPS 3 satellite is set for launch on a Falcon 9 booster no earlier than March 2019, followed by the launch of the GPS 3-3 satellite later next year on a ULA Delta 4 rocket.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/03/20/u-s-air-force-divides-new-launch-contracts-between-spacex-ula/

[tnt22]

Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 4 ч. назад

The US Air Force's first new-generation GPS 3-series navigation satellite, named "Vespucci," arrived in Florida this week in preparation for a December launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Hugely important mission for SpaceX and for the future of GPS. (USAF photo)

[tnt22]

https://www.losangeles.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1611017/gps-iii-space-vehicle-no-1-vespucci-arrives-in-florida-prepares-for-december-l/

GPS III Space Vehicle No. 1 "Vespucci" Arrives in Florida, Prepares for December Launch
SMC Public Affairs / Published August 23, 2018

A government and contractor team loads the first GPS III satellite for transport aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Aug. 20 at Buckley AFB, Colorado to begin processing for a December launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Erin Gulden)

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif --

The U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Directorate achieved a major program milestone Aug. 21, successfully delivering the first GPS III satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida to begin launch processing.

"The shipment of the first GPS III satellite to the launch processing facility is a hallmark achievement for the program," said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. "The modernization of GPS has been an outstanding collaborative effort and this brings us another step closer to launch."
 
The satellite, dubbed "Vespucci" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the Americas were named, was transported in a custom container from the Lockheed Martin factory facility in Waterton, Colorado to the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, by a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The transportation crew consisted of both contractor and government personnel who oversaw the entire operation to ensure that the conditions of the transport environment would not damage any of the satellite's sensitive components.

The delivery of Satellite Vehicle 01 (SV01) starts the clock for final testing and checkout of the space vehicle prior to launch. The satellite will be processed at the Astrotech Space Operations Florida facility. A government and contractor team will ensure the integrity of the satellite after shipment by performing a Mission Readiness Test to verify the health and safety of the vehicle, as well as communication compatibility with the ground operations center. The team will then prepare for propellant loading and encapsulate the satellite in its protective fairing. At the completion of these activities, the satellite will be headed for a first of its kind horizontal integration with the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

"While the launch of the last GPS IIF satellite marked the end of an era, the upcoming GPS III launch will be the start of a brand new one," said Col. Steven Whitney, director of the GPS Directorate. "It is the first of our new GPS III satellites, first to integrate with a SpaceX rocket, first to interact with elements of GPS' Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) Block 0, and first to have spacecraft acquisition and on-orbit checkout from Lockheed Martin facilities. We are excited to be at this point and we are ready for the upcoming launch of Vespucci."

The modernized GPS III SV01 is slated to launch in December. It will augment the current constellation of 31 operational GPS satellites. GPS delivers the gold standard in positioning, navigation, and timing services supporting vital U.S. and allied operations worldwide, and underpins critical financial, transportation, and agricultural infrastructure that billions of users have come to depend on daily./QUOTE]

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https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-second-usaf-mission-december-gps-satellite-launch-target/

SpaceX's second dedicated USAF mission targets Dec. 2018 for GPS satellite launch

By Eric Ralph
Posted on September 3, 2018

One of a number of 2018 SpaceX missions pushed into this year's fourth quarter, SpaceX's second-ever dedicated US Air Force payload is tracking towards a tentative mid-December launch, hopefully kicking off the deployment of the first ten third-generation GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

Set to launch the first and second GPS satellites on upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rockets, SpaceX and the USAF could potentially decide to fly one or several of the company's contracted GPS missions on flight-proven boosters.

Спойлер

James Dean‏Подлинная учетная запись @flatoday_jdean

Air Force reports first GPS III spacecraft -- nicknamed "Vespucci" in honor of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci -- has arrived in Titusville to prepare for December launch on SpaceX Falcon 9.



16:45 - 22 авг. 2018 г.

Designed and built by Lockheed Martin, each of the first group of a dozen satellites will weigh approximately 3900 kg (8900 lb) and will be placed in a circular orbit 20,000 km (12,500 mi) above Earth's surface, resulting in one completed orbit every 12 hours. Both as a result of each satellite's significant mass and orbit requirement and the desire to spread risk over multiple launches, the first eight GPS Block IIIA spacecraft will ride into space on their own dedicated launch vehicles – five aboard Falcon 9, one on a ULA Delta IV, and the rest yet to be determined.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 was certified to launch national security-sensitive USAF payloads in May 2015 after spending years fighting for the reintroduction of competition into the Department of Defense's rocket launch procurement apparatus, killed back in the mid-2000s when Lockheed Martin and Boeing merged their space subsidiaries into the United Launch Alliance despite protests from NASA and some in the DoD.

SpaceNews‏ @SpaceNews_Inc

SN Military Space | Air Force wants new GPS in orbit before year's end • DoD big on OTAs • Space Force by 2020 a long shot - https://mailchi.mp/f9adf2caf8fe/sn-military-space-air-force-wants-new-gps-in-orbit-before-years-end-dod-big-on-otas-space-force-by-2020-a-long-shot ...




7:19 - 28 авг. 2018 г.

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That launch is now aiming for December 15th, 2018, although such a specific date nearly three and a half months out should be treating as purely for planning purposes. Originally planned to launch on a ULA Delta IV rocket, the USAF decided (for unknown reasons) to switch the order of launch, making SpaceX the launch provider for the first and second spacecraft, with ULA following up on the third launch. In March 2018, SpaceX was additionally awarded one more GPS IIIA launch with the option for two more, at a total contract cost of roughly $290 million or ~$97 million apiece. Of the remaining four satellites to be launched after Space Vehicle 06 (SV06) reaches orbit, contracts have yet to be competed, although that process is likely to begin within a year or so.

Спойлер

Falcon 9 B1046 returned to Port Canaveral in mid-August after the first Block 5 booster reuse, hopefully the first of dozens or even hundreds to come. (Tom Cross)


The second Block 5 booster, B1047, debuted at LC-40 last week, July 21. (Tom Cross)


The scale of Falcon Heavy. (Photo: Tom Cross)

Barring any unforeseen developments or anomalies, SpaceX's December launch of GPS IIIA SV01 ought to kick off a series of Falcon 9 GPS missions every 4-6 months between now and 2021 or 2022. After SV08 is launched sometime in those final years, the US Air Force will open competition slightly further, allowing launch providers SpaceX, ULA, and perhaps even Blue Origin to offer multi-satellite launches on their more powerful rocket offerings, including Falcon Heavy, heavier Atlas 5 variants, and New Glenn.

Beginning in March 2019, largely symbolic but still revolutionary language to be included in 2019's defense procurement authorization may explicitly require the USAF to explain before Congress – in the event that a launch contract does not allow a reusable rocket to compete – why an expendable launch vehicle was privileged. Currently NET March 2019 as well, SpaceX's third dedicated USAF launch – STP-2 on Falcon Heavy – is being set up primarily to help the USAF certify SpaceX's newest heavy-lift rocket for national security launches.

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[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/09/07/air-force-releases-new-target-dates-for-upcoming-military-launches/

Air Force releases new target dates for upcoming military launches
September 7, 2018 | Stephen Clark

...
SpaceX is slated to launch the Air Force's first third-generation GPS 3-series satellite no earlier than Dec. 15.

A Falcon 9 rocket will deliver the navigation payload to an elliptical transfer orbit ranging between a few hundred miles above Earth to a maximum altitude of nearly 12,550 miles (20,200 kilometers). The first batch of 10 GPS 3-series craft, built by Lockheed Martin, will use on-board propellant to maneuver into their 12,550-mile-high circular orbits.

There they will replace older GPS satellites nearing retirement, ensuring the worldwide navigation system continues beaming reliable position and timing signals to military units, airplanes, ships, automobiles and mobile phones.

Спойлер

The GPS 3 satellite, designated Space Vehicle 1, or SV01 — rode an Air Force C-17 cargo plane from its Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado to Titusville, Florida, on Aug. 21 to begin launch preparations at the Astrotech spacecraft processing facility.

The first of the GPS 3-series satellites to launch has been nicknamed "Vespucci" in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the Americas were named. While the spaceraft was the first off Lockheed Martin's GPS assembly line and will be first to go into space, it's also known as the GPS 3-02 mission because it was the second GPS 3-series satellite assigned to a rocket.


The first GPS 3-series satellite, known as Space Vehicle 1 or "Vespucci," is set for launch in December. Credit: Lockheed Martin

The new satellite will also be the first GPS craft to broadcast the L1C navigation frequency, ensuring the U.S. navigation fleet's compatibility with other networks, such as Europe's Galileo system. The GPS 3 satellites will provide more accurate position measurements and debut improved anti-jamming features, but the multibillion-dollar program has been hamstrung by trouble developing ground control software.

"The shipment of the first GPS 3 satellite to the launch processing facility is a hallmark achievement for the program," said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for space. "The modernization of GPS has been an outstanding collaborative effort and this brings us another step closer to launch."

The satellite will also be the first GPS craft to be attached to its launcher horizontally. The Air Force said the launch, which had been scheduled for October, was delayed to December to complete qualification and validation work on SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.
...

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[tnt22]

Reese Wilson‏ @AstroReeseW 1 ч. назад

@NASASpaceflight GPS III patch is pretty cool

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 15:30 - 19 нояб. 2018 г.

SpaceX sets the Falcon 9 launch with GPS III for NET (No Earlier Than) December 18.


15:34 - 19 нояб. 2018 г.

Booster B1054 is set to be invovled with this mission. It's currently classed as "Expendable" meaning no recovery on the Eastern Range. This is the passenger:

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Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 22 мин. назад

Sec. of the Air Force Heather Wilson is still giving a Dec. 18 launch date for the first GPS 3 satellite, on the next Falcon 9 launch. #spacelaunch18

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Emre Kelly‏Подлинная учетная запись @EmreKelly 17:08 - 10 дек. 2018 г.

Via @USAirForce: First GPS III satellite, AKA "Vespucci," encapsulated in fairing on 12/7 ahead of #SpaceX Falcon 9 launch NET 12/18. This is the company's first GPS mission and is expendable, so there will be no booster recovery. (: @LockheedMartin)

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G C‏ @SmileSimplify 7 ч.7 часов назад

Final #SpaceX launch for 2018!
Dec 18 from SLC-40, CCAFS: 6:10am PST / 9:10am EST / 14:10 UTC
** B1064.1 to be expended

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NOTMAR (local)

lnm07502018.pdf - 3, 4 стр

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 11:51 - 12 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceX Falcon 9 (Expendable) booster set for Static Fire test on Thursday - the window for the test on SLC-40 opens at 11 AM Eastern) ahead of the GPS III mission on December 18.

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Raul‏ @Raul74Cz 11:29 - 12 дек. 2018 г.

NOTMAR Launch Hazard Areas for #SpaceX #GPS IIIA-01 mission. Expendable launch for booster 1054. Probable water recovery attempt of Fairing 2.0 southeast Outer Banks. https://goo.gl/HXcS8Q 

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 2 ч. назад

Per the Falcon 9 Static Fire test ahead of the GPS mission. The test window for today is at least six hours. Not yet vertical means it'll either be at the end of the window or (as they've done a few times) a new window tonight, or tomorrow. Plenty of time ahead of launch.

[tnt22]

AF SMC‏ @AF_SMC 1 ч. назад

Tuesday will be a launch doubleheader for SMC. A new launch date for NROL-71 has been set for Dec 18 from VAFB, California. The launch time is 5:57 pm PST. Earlier in the day, GPS III SV01 is set to launch aboard a Falcon 9 from CCAFS, Florida.

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Julia‏ @julia_bergeron 25 мин. назад

There is still a chance for @SpaceX to get a static fire of the #GPSIII booster tonight. It went vertical at LC40 in the last half hour, apparently after B1050 got a lift onto the transporter in port. Let's get this party started