NROL-79: Intruder 12A & 12B - Atlas V 401 (AV-068) - Ванденберг SLC-3E - 01.03.2017, 17:50 UTC

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Предпусковой обзор
http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/26/atlas-5-rocket-to-provide-spacelift-for-u-s-national-reconnaissance-office/

Atlas 5 rocket to provide spacelift for U.S. National Reconnaissance Office
 February 26, 2017 Justin Ray

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The NROL-79 commemorative poster. Credit: United Launch Alliance

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Taking a U.S. national security satellite payload into space is the primary objective of the 70th Atlas 5 booster that will be launched Wednesday.

The United Launch Alliance rocket, flying for the 35th time in its basic two-stage version with no solids, is scheduled for liftoff around 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT) from California.

Although the launch window's duration is withheld, officials say the day's liftoff opportunity will close by 10:30 a.m.

Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base is the point of origination for the mission, known as NROL-79.

The launch customer is the National Reconnaissance Office, the government agency responsible for the country's spy satellites.

While the launch is hardly a secret, what the payload is atop the rocket is classified. The NROL-79 spacecraft's purpose and final orbit have not been disclosed.

"Things are proceeding well on the booster side, doing some of the final closeouts that we have to do, working through the weekend to make sure all of those things are finalized," Lt. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, 4th Space Launch Squadron commander and the Air Force launch director, said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon.

"Monday we have a pretty full schedule of readiness reviews. Then we go into what we call a crew sync day. Because the time of day of launch being early in the morning, we give folks (Tuesday) to get some rest and (then) go into the launch Wednesday morning."

The eight-hour countdown begins before 2 a.m. local time.

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"We are postured for another successful Atlas launch," said Col. Christopher Moss, Vandenberg's 30th Space Wing commander and the launch decision authority. "These missions are critical, and our team is excited to be a part of something that will have a global impact."

The mission marks the 14th time an NRO payload has been launched by Atlas 5.

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The official NRO mission logos from the 14 launches on Atlas 5.

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For its 70th launch, the Atlas 5 vehicle will be flying in its 401 variant with a four-meter-diameter nose cone, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. It will come off the pad generating over 860,000 pounds of thrust.

"This is a pretty common 401," said Zarybnisky. "It is the 35th 401 so far, so we have a lot of experience both here and on the East Coast with this particular version of the rocket."

Originally slated to launch Dec. 1, the flight was postponed by last September's massive wildfire and electrical grid damage at Vandenberg. That held up the previous Atlas 5 launch of the commercial WorldView 4 satellite and delayed the start of the NROL-79 campaign at the pad by two months.

"We were actually able to deliver the booster during the fires. We were able to offload the booster, and there really was no issues for this mission, specifically, but the WorldView 4 mission was delayed due to the fires and the subsequent build back up of the Range and the electrical infrastructure," Zarybnisky said.

Then, a problem with the upper stage had to be rectified, causing a one-month slip.

"This mission has obviously been a little protracted than we would normally have. We moved the launch date twice — once due to the fires, that obviously drove some changes to our schedule, and then we had a technical issue during one of our wet dress rehearsals that we had to work through. We successfully fixed that issue, proved it out in a second wet dress rehearsal and we are moving forward," Zarybnisky said.

Still, the mission is occurring within three months of the launch date sel ected more than two years ago.

"Schedule is important and we try to make sure things happen on time, but at the end of the day mission success is really what we are focused on," Zarybnisky said.

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The 69 previous Atlas 5 launches. Photos by Pat Corkery, Jeff Spotts, Ben Cooper, Walter Scriptunas II, James Murati, Gene Blevins, Bill Hartenstein, Alex Polimeni and Justin Ray

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Zarybnisky added: "The infrastructure is ready to support. We had a great WorldView 4 launch and I expect this one to go just as well."

The 4th Space Launch Squadron, a team of about 75 military and civilian personnel, is the government's on-site group that oversees the rocket preparations from the point it arrives at Vandenberg until liftoff. The engineers and missile maintenance professionals give assurance that processing and testing of the vehicle performed by United Launch Alliance goes properly.

For Capt. Albert Vasso, launch mission manager in the squadron, that means "cat-herding" issues as they arise and working across the base to efficiently resolve them.

Another squadron member, Capt. Jonathan Crow, EELV lead engineer, works with ULA during the launch campaign to make sure the rocket's technical aspects are satisfactorily met.

"I get to be on console during day of launch, give one of the go's that says 'yes, the booster is ready, the infrastructure is ready and we are ready to put this extremely important mission on orbit,'" said Zarybnisky.

The 4th Space Launch Squadron was formed in 1994 to support Titan missions at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 4, then re-chartered in 2003 for the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 launch systems from Slicks 3 and 6.

This launch is the first of three that ULA has scheduled in a 19-day period in March fr om both coasts using Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets.

Tory BrunoПодлинная учетная запись‏@torybruno
 
First coin of the March triple header. #NROL79. #AtlasV
 

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See earlier NROL-79 coverage.

Our Atlas archive.

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Предположения, предположения...
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/ula/ula-readies-atlas-v-for-launch-of-nrol-79-reconnaissance-satellite/

ULA readies Atlas V for launch of NROL-79 reconnaissance satellite
               
Curt Godwin
February 27th, 2017

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An archive photo of a ULA Atlas V 401 common core booster being lifted into the vertical position for a previous launch. Photo Credit: ULA

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After enduring several delays – most recently from an issue with the second stage of its Atlas V launch vehicle – United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to launch the classified NROL-79 mission. 

Liftoff is planned for Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at about 9:50 a.m. PST (12:50 p.m. EST / 17:50 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

According to Spaceflight Now, the exact duration of the launch window is classified, but the opportunity is expected to close by 10:30 a.m. PST.

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Official NROL-79 mission artwork. Credit: ULA

 
The Rocket

Tasked with launching the clandestine NROL-79 payload is the reliable Atlas V in its 401 configuration. By far the most common variant of ULA's Atlas V, the 401 is the base model of the Atlas.

The "401" designation signifies a 4-meter payload fairing, no supplemental solid rocket boosters, and a single RL10C-powered Centaur stage.

The Atlas common booster core is powered by a Russian-made RD-180 main engine, which provides 860,000 pounds (3,827 kilonewtons) of thrust at liftoff. This increases to 933,000 pounds (4,152 kilonewtons) as the vehicle climbs and the atmosphere thins.

The kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen-fueled engine has been a highly reliable powerplant for ULA's rocket with a notable exception of the anomaly on the OA-6 resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The Atlas V's second, or Centaur, stage is outfitted with a single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C. The Centaur holds up to 45,920 pounds (20,830 kilograms) of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant for the highly-efficient engine, and contains the flight and navigation computer for the Atlas V.

The RL10 has a long history, with a heritage dating back to the 1950s and a first flight in 1961. The RL10C-1 model flown on the Atlas V Centaur provides 22,890 pounds (101.8 kilonewtons) of vacuum thrust and has been solidly dependable throughout its Atlas V use, save for an anomaly on the NROL-30 mission.

Like its OA-6 counterpart, the NROL-30 mission was still classified as a success as the payload was able to reach its intended orbit. Those aberrations aside, the Atlas V has proven itself to be a highly dependable launch vehicle with an enviable 100 percent mission success rate.
 

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The Mission

Sitting atop the rocket is the classified NROL-79 payload. This secretive spacecraft is designed and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which is a key component of the United States' intelligence apparatus. The NRO is also responsible for developing and operating space-based reconnaissance systems.

While much isn't known about the specifics of the payload, some inferences can be made based on the capabilities of the Atlas V in its 401 configuration.

The base model of ULA's workhorse vehicle can carry 14,705 pounds (6,670 kilograms) to a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) and may be a good estimate of the mass of the NROL-79 payload.

There has been information suggesting NROL-79 might be a pair of Naval Ocean Surveillance Satellite (NOSS) spacecraft, much like those deployed on the previous NROL-36 and NROL-55 missions.

The NOSS spacecraft, also known by the code name INTRUDER, tip the scales at approximately 14,330 pounds (6,500 kilograms) for the pair and provide signals intelligence to the NRO and U.S. Navy.

Wednesday's liftoff will mark the 70th flight of an Atlas V, and the 35th of the rocket in its base 401 configuration. It will also be the second launch of 2017 to fly out of Vandenberg Air Force Base (the first was SpaceX's Iridium-1 mission) and ULA's second Atlas V flight of the year.

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Spaceflight Now‏@SpaceflightNow 45 мин. назад
 
Launch Readiness Review passed for Wednesday's Atlas 5 to execute #NROL79 mission from California. Weather 90% GO
 

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ULAПодлинная учетная запись‏@ulalaunch 2 мин. назад
 
2 days! ULA's Launch Readiness Review complete! #AtlasV will launch #NROL79 for @NatReconOfc on March 1 at 9:30amPST http://bit.ly/av_nrol79

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Прогноз погоды на пуск

30th Space Wing‏ @30thSpaceWing 2 мин. назад
 
Atlas V NROL-79 Launch Forecast
Clear Skies
Visibility: 7 miles
Weather: None
Temperature: 53 – 58°F
Wind: 020 – 050 8 - 10 kts

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02/28 23:18
Countdown clocks will begin ticking early Wednesday morning to ready an Atlas 5 rocket to haul a covert governmental asset into orbit from a California launch pad.

The eight-hour launch countdown sequence will prepare the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base and United Launch Alliance rocket for the NROL-79 flight.

Liftoff is targeted for 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT).

The unclassified launch period extends to 10:30 a.m. The actual usable launch window ends before that, but the exact time is secret. 

This will be United Launch Alliance's 117th flight, the second this year and the company's 24th for the National Reconnaissance Office.

"These launches require constant communication with a widespread team, especially with the unique challenges we faced during this mission," said Lt. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, 4th Space Launch Squadron commander and Air Force launch director at Vandenberg.

"With the wildfires and recent rains, the Air Force team worked closely with the United Launch Alliance to ensure a successful and safe launch."

According to public warning notices, the rocket will head on a southerly track, traveling on the "coast-hugging" trajectory toward orbit to deploy its payload.

It is one of three courses typically followed from Vandenberg, ranging from coast-hugger to produce a 63-degree orbital tilt relative to the equator to sun-synchronous at 98 degrees to full retrograde at 121 degrees inclination. 

"As with many of our missions, these are really important to many customers, especially this customer," said Zarybnisky.

"There's nothing quite like watching a rocket launch, that's for sure."

Air Force meteorologists give 90 percent odds that the weather will allow the launch to occur. High pressure over Vandenberg today will produce favorable weather for launch tomorrow.

"High pressure will build in today and be firmly in place and the dominant feature for launch day. This high pressure will allow for offshore flow, clear skies and light winds over the range," the launch weather team reports.

"Early in the count, shallow low level moisture will cause a reduction in visibility with fog, but will clear out by T-0."

At launch time, the forecast calls for clear skies, 7 miles of visibility, northeasterly winds of 5 to 10 knots and temperatures between 53 and 58 degrees F.


02/28 00:41
LRR: The Launch Readiness Review today formally gave approval to proceed into countdown operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to deploy the NROL-79 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office on Wednesday using an Atlas 5 rocket.

Liftoff is targeted for 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT).

A live launch webcast can be viewed on this page.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/av068_journal/

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Прямая трансляция на сайте SpaceFlightNow в 20:30 ДМВ
Launch webcast begins at 9:30 a.m. local / 12:30 p.m. EST / 1730 GMT
http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/av068_journal/

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Трасса выведения

03/01 01:15
ASCENT PROFILE: This is the launch timeline to be followed by the Atlas 5 rocket's ascent into orbit with NROL-79 on Wednesday morning. 

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http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/28/timeline-atlas-5nrol-79-launch-events/

Timeline: Atlas 5/NROL-79 launch events             
 February 28, 2017 Justin Ray

 Follow the unclassified portion of the Atlas 5 rocket's ascent to space from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-79 satellite payload. Launch is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:50 a.m. local time (12:50 p.m. EST; 1750 GMT).

T+00:01.1: Liftoff

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The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-068, will lift off and begin a vertical rise away from Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

T+00:81: Mach 1 and Max Q

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The Atlas rocket achieves Mach 1 some 81 seconds into the flight, then passes through the region of maximum dynamic pressure at 89 seconds.

T+04:03: Main Engine Cutoff

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The RD-180 main engine completes its firing after consuming the load of RP-1 kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen supply in the Atlas first stage.

T+04:09: Stage Separation

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The Common Core Booster first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket separates from the Centaur upper stage. Over the next few seconds, the Centaur engine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are readied for ignition.

T+04:19: Centaur Ignition No. 1

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The Centaur RL10 engine ignites to inject the Centaur stage and NROL-79 spacecraft into orbit.

T+04:27: Nose Cone Jettison

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The two-piece, 14-foot-diameter payload fairing that protected the NROL-79 craft during the atmospheric ascent is separated to reveal the satellite to space.

The mission now enters a news blackout to perform the orbit-shaping and payload deployment for the National Reconnaissance Office in secrecy.

After performing its mission, the Centaur will be de-orbited into the South Pacific, west of Chile.



See earlier NROL-79 coverage.

Our Atlas archive.

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03/01 01:20
PHOTO GALLERY: The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket stands atop Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on the eve of Wednesday's NROL-79 satellite-deployment mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. Rocky, the ULA mascot, even paid a visit to the pad Tuesday morning while photographers were setting up sound-activated cameras to capture the launch.

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Photos: Atlas 5 rocket ready to fly with NROL-79 payload
http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/28/photos-atlas-5-rocket-ready-to-fly-with-nrol-79-payload/

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NRO‏Подлинная учетная запись @NatReconOfc 9 мин. назад
 
#NROL79 will carry a national security payload designed, built and operated by the NRO. Photo: Payload mating to the @ulalaunch #AtlasV.
 

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http://spaceflight101.com/atlas-v-nrol-79/atlas-v-nrol-79-launch-preview/

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Countdown operations will be initiated at 1:50 a.m. local time, eight hours ahead of the planned 9:50 a.m. liftoff. After activation of all onboard systems, Atlas V will move through a detailed checkout with particular focus on electrical systems and the communications link to the rocket. The Mobile Service Gantry will be rolled back five hours prior to T-0 to enable final pad close outs to occur before Atlas V heads into tanking after the countdown comes out of a planned hold at T-2 hours.

 Over the course of a 90-minute sequence, Atlas V will receive cryogenic Oxygen and Hydrogen pumped into the first and second stage. Flying in the 401 configuration, Atlas V uses a two-stage stack with the RD-180-powered first stage loaded with 284 metric tons of rocket-grade Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen while the Centaur second stage holds nearly 21 metric tons of cryogenic propellants.

A final hold is scheduled at T-4 minutes to allow teams to catch up with any open items and assess the status of the launch vehicle, payload and western range as part of the final pre-launch poll. Ticking back from T-4 minutes, the highly choreographed countdown sequence will put Atlas V through the transition to internal power, the arming of the Flight Termination System, the pressurization of tanks and the handover of control to the vehicle's computers.

The Russian-built RD-180 engine will start breathing fire three seconds ahead of liftoff, putting out a whopping thrust of 392-metric ton force to lift the Atlas V off the ground. The two thrust chambers of the engine will individually gimbal to hold the rocket in a vertical posture for the first 17 seconds of the flight before Atlas V will begin the pitch and roll maneuver to attain its initial launch azimuth, utilizing a 'cost-hugging' trajectory, flying off-shore along the California coast line to aim for its target orbit inclined 63.4 degrees.

Passing Mach 1 around 80 seconds after liftoff, the Atlas V will continue to fire the first stage, delivering up to 422,000 Kilogram-force of thrust when heading out of the dense atmosphere. Shutdown of the RD-180 comes just after passing T+4 minutes followed six seconds later by stage separation and another ten seconds later by the ignition of the RL-10C engine of the Centaur upper stage, reaching a thrust of 10,400kgf.

Payload fairing jettison will occur swiftly after Centaur assumes control of the flight. As per the usual procedure, the mission will enter a news blackout at that point as Centaur heads on to orbit without the public watching.

To reach the expected NOSS orbit, Centaur will perform its first boost to a transfer orbit with an apogee near 1,200 Kilometers ahead of a coast to said apogee for a short second burn to bring up the perigee to 1,010 Kilometers for the separation of the NOSS pair. Centaur will then continue toward a brief retrograde burn to set up for destructive re-entry after completing one orbit around the Earth.

Satellite trackers will swing into motion after the NROL-79 payload reaches orbit, attempting to spot the newly launched satellite pair to provide final confirmation of the mission's identity. Search Elements for NROL-79 have been posted here.

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Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 2 ч назад
 
COUNTDOWN for #NROL79 now ticking to today's Atlas 5 launch from Vandenberg AFB in California at 9:49:51am local http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/av068_journal/ ...
 

[тавот]

В прошлом запуске ещё было десяток кубосатов. В этот раз как, без пассажиров ?

with Intruder 7B, SNaP-3 ALICE, SNaP-3 EDDIE, SNaP-3 JIMI, LMRSTSat, SINOD-D 1, SINOD-D 3, AeroCube 5C, OCSD A, ARC 1, BisonSat, Fox 1A, PropCube 1, PropCube 3  

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/noss-3.htm

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Atlas V prepares for 70th mission with NROL-79 fr om Vandenberg
 https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/03/atlas-v-nrol-79-vandenberg/

Atlas V prepares for 70th mission with NROL-79 from Vandenberg
March 1, 2017 by Chris Gebhardt
 

 
For its second mission of the year, the mighty Atlas V rocket will mark its 70th mission to space on Wednesday as the veteran rocket is called upon to loft the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-79 spacecraft to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  Liftoff is scheduled to take place from SLC-3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 0950 PST (1750 UTC) at the opening of a launch window that is understood to be 40 minutes in duration.
 
...
After ramping up to full thrust and a series of health checks, the hold down clamps will release and the Atlas V will liftoff at T+ 1.1 seconds.
While the exact orbital destination for NROL-79 has not been revealed, all previous NROL missions from Vandenberg have been non-GTO (Geostationary Transfer Orbit) missions to either LEO or Molniya orbits (highly elliptical, high inclination orbits with arguments of perigee of -90 degrees and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day).
 
Given this, the NROL-79 Atlas V 401 can be expected to follow an LEO ascent profile, with the RD-180 engine producing 860,000 lbf at liftoff, a level of thrust that will gradually increase to 933,000 lbf as the vehicle breaks through Earth's atmosphere and enters the vacuum of space.
 
In its 401 configuration, the Atlas V will reach Max Q – the moment of maximum dynamic pressure and mechanical stress on the vehicle – 88 seconds after liftoff at an altitude of 11.6 km (37,970 ft) with a total Max Q of 490 psf.
Throughout the first 100 seconds of flight, the RD-180 engine will thrust at 100% of total throttle, stepping down to 95% of rated thrust from 100 seconds through 210 seconds, at which point a throttle drop off will occur as the booster maintains a 5G acceleration lim it in preparation for Booster Engine Cutoff (BECO).
 
BECO will occur just prior to Atlas/Centaur separation at the T+ 246 second mark at an altitude of ~157.6 km (~517,015 ft).
 
Ten seconds after Atlas core stage separation, the Centaur single-engine upper stage will ignite at the T+ 256 second mark.
 
Payload fairing jettison will follow at T+ 264 seconds at an altitude of 193. km (633,100 ft).
 


Once payload fairing jettison occurs, per the NRO's usual request to ULA, the live webcast will cease, and the final portion of launch operations and placement of the satellite into orbit will not be seen live.
...
 
 

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Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 32 мин. назад
 
Weather odds for today's Atlas 5 launch of #NROL79 from California improve to 100% GO with clear skies, light winds http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/27/av068_journal/ ...
 

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Tory Bruno‏Подлинная учетная запись @torybruno 2 мин. назад
 
Pgo at 100%. Ready to light this candle. #NROL79

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03/01 15:46
A readiness poll of the team has verified all systems are GO for retraction of the gantry at Space Launch Complex 3-East this morning.

03/01 15:11  Weather forecast improves to 100% GO
A check of the current weather shows it is a clear morning at Vandenberg and there's a 100 percent chance of favorable conditions at liftoff time for the Atlas 5 rocket from California today.
There are no constraints to proceeding with mobile service tower rollback in about an hour. That will reveal the rocket to the elements, allowing the vehicle to be fueled and launched.

03/01 15:07
The mobile service tower is being jacked up in preparation to roll.

03/01 13:57
Atlas and Centaur have been powered up. Guidance system testing is next.

03/01 12:49  Countdown ticking for today's NROL-79 launch
Clocks have begun ticking for today's flight by the Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to deliver the NROL-79 space payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.
As the countdown gets started, the launch team will power up the rocket to conduct standard pre-flight tests and ready the vehicle.
Rollback of the mobile service tower from around the rocket is expected in about three hours. Once the gantry is removed, crews at the pad will make preparations to systems and equipment before the site is cleared of all personnel for fueling.
Supercold liquid oxygen begins flowing into the Centaur upper stage around 7:30 a.m., followed by the Atlas first stage. Liquid hydrogen fuel loading for Centaur will be completed a short time later.
A final 30-minute built-in hold is scheduled when clocks hit the T-minus 4 minute mark. That will give the team a chance to finish any late work and assess the status of the rocket, payload, Range and weather before proceeding into the last moments of the countdown.
Liftoff is targeted for the exact moment of 9:49:51 a.m. local time (12:49:51 p.m. EST; 1749:51 GMT).

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03/01 16:05  Tower retraction underway
Rollback of the launch pad's service gantry is underway. This is a major milestone in today's countdown, getting the mobile tower retracted to uncover the Atlas 5 rocket.
The structure's internal crane was instrumental in bringing the rocket stages and payload together. And now the fully assembled Atlas 5 is being unveiled for its 70th launch, the 13th to originate from Vandenberg.