Launch News AEHF 1 on Atlas V from Cape Canaveral

[Star Voyager]

An Atlas V rocket is now being assembled in the 531 configuration at the LC-41 VIF at CCAFS. Its payload: AEHF 1 (Advanced Extremely High Frequency). The launch will be July 30th at 8:05 a.m. EDT with a 2 hour window. Both the spacecraft and the Atlas V are being readied for launch at the Cape:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av019/100610prep.html

http://ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Launch.shtml#/9/

 

[Star Voyager]

About AEHF-1:

http://www.afspc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7758

And the mission poster:

From Florida Today's "Next Scheduled Space Coast Launch":

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the first of a series of advanced military satellites that will provide global, secure, protected, and jam resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea, and air assets. The spacecraft will provide 10 to 100 times the capacity of the 1990s-era Milstar satellites. Three AEHF satellites will be launched to enable the National Security Council and combat commanders to control their tactical and strategic forces at all levels of conflict through general nuclear war.

http://spacelaunch.flatoday.net/

 

[orb]

From a link posted on O-F's ChatBox by Orbinaut Pete:

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: Next Cape rocket launch delayed 10 days.

Cape Canaveral's next scheduled rocket launch has been delayed 10 days, from July 30 to Aug. 10, the Air Force announced today.

Engineers need more time to test a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket component that will help the protective fairing around the mission's payload separate properly during ascent.

The mission will launch the first in a new series of military communications satellites in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program, or AEHF.

No launch window was immediately available for the AEHF-1 flight from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Oops - I didn't know we had a thread for this! :embarrassed:

 

[Star Voyager]

Jeez, you guys are quick! How are you that fast?

---------- Post added at 05:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------

Spaceflightnow has a window, confirmed by Patrick AFB's website:

Advanced Extremely High Frequencey
Launch Vehicle/Mission: ATLAS V
Date: August 10
Pad: 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Window: 7:21 a.m. -- 9:22 am. EDT
Launch Hazard Area period: TBD

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Jeez, you guys are quick! How are you that fast?

I have too much free time on my hands! :lol:

 

[Star Voyager]

So do I! I'm on summber break AND have Florida Today on my favorites AND check it frequently because it's my favorite newspaper (and what bothers me the most is that they don't sell it over here in Tampa, just on the other side ).

 

[orb]

Spaceflightnow has a window, confirmed by Patrick AFB's website

So, it is updated in the calendar event for this launch, for which I thought I'll post the link here a week before the launch, but since the topic is updated, so here it is (with L-0 countdown set for the beginning of the window).

 

[Star Voyager]

Launched moved to August 12, according to Patrick AFB:

Advanced Extremely High Frequencey
Launch Vehicle/Mission: ATLAS V
Date: August 12
Pad: 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Window: 7:14 a.m. -- 9:14 am. EDT
Launch Hazard Area period: TBD

http://www.patrick.af.mil/

EDIT: Confirmed by Florida Today's Launch Schedule:

August 12
Atlas V
Advanced Extremely High Frequency System Spacecraft 1
Launch Time: 7:13 a.m.
Launch Window: 7:13 a.m. to 9:13 a.m.
Launch Complex: 41 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

and Spaceflightnow's schedule:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Aug. 12[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1] Atlas 5 • AEHF 1[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2]Launch window:[/SIZE][/FONT]</B>[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2] [SIZE=-2]1114-1314 GMT (7:14-9:14 a.m. EDT)[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-2]
[/SIZE]

No word from ULA yet, but the update is expected soon.

 

[Star Voyager]

Confirmed by ULA:

http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Launch.shtml#/9/

And here's a picture of the spacecraft:

And here's something else I didn't know about the mission:

Canada, the Netherlands and United Kingdom are also participating in the program and will have access to capacity once in orbit.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASA Watch: "Air Force Set to Launch First AEHF Satellite".

Aviation Week: "USAF Plans For AEHF Launch Next Week".

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Atlas 5 rocket to receive its satellite passenger today.

---------- Post added at 15:03 ---------- Previous post was at 14:53 ----------

Vehicle diagram:

This diagram shows the Atlas 5-531 launch vehicle used for the AEHF 1 mission.
Credit: ULA (Source: Spaceflight Now)

Ground track:

This map illustrates the ground track that the Atlas 5 rocket will follow during launch.
The X's mark Centaur's two ignitions and two shutdowns, plus spacecraft separation over the Indian Ocean.
Credit: ULA (Source: Spaceflight Now)


Spaceflight Now: Atlas/AEHF launch timeline.

 

[orb]

Per Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center, the launch is rescheduled to August 14, 7:07-9:06 a.m. EDT (11:07-13:06 UTC):

MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2010

As expected, this week's Atlas 5 rocket launch has shifted a couple days. Liftoff is rescheduled for Saturday, August 14 during a morning window of 7:07 to 9:06 a.m. EDT.

The rocket will be rolled from its assembly building to the Complex 41 pad on Friday to begin the countdown to launch.

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 12:18 ----------

An addition from Patrick AFB:

Launch Window: 7:07 a.m. - 9:07 am. EDT
Launch Hazard Area period: 5:05 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Weather For Saturday's Atlas Launch Expected To Be 'Go'".

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: First AEHF satellite readied for launch (photo gallery).

Atlas 5 rocket awaits rollout to pad for Saturday launch
An Atlas 5 rocket launching the inaugural craft in the U.S. military's new series of secure communications satellites will be rolled the pad in the morning for Saturday's planned liftoff.

---------- Post added at 13:39 ---------- Previous post was at 00:38 ----------

The Atlas 5 rocket is on the pad.

The rollout started at 6:48 a.m. EDT / 10:48 UTC, and ended at 7:26 a.m. EDT / 11:26 UTC.

This image currently showing Atlas 5 on the pad is being updated automatically:

---------- Post added 14th Aug 2010 at 01:19 ---------- Previous post was 13th Aug 2010 at 13:39 ----------

Spaceflight Now: Atlas on the launch pad with AEHF 1 (photo gallery).

 

[Star Voyager]

Don Spencer is our PAO this morning! At T-20 minutes current weather conditions remain at 80% "go". No technical issues are being worked.

---------- Post added at 06:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 AM ----------

AEHF-1 is now on internal power. We're now at T-4 minutes and holding.

---------- Post added at 06:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 AM ----------

This launch will fall in the same week as the 50th anniversary of Echo 1, the very first communications satellite.

---------- Post added at 06:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 AM ----------

Here's some stats:

The 604th launch for Atlas program since 1957
The 318th Atlas to occur from Cape Canaveral
The 22nd launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
The 20th Atlas 5 to occur from the Cape
The 14th Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
The 1st Atlas 5 to fly in the 531 configuration
The 9th Department of Defense launch of Atlas 5
The 3rd Atlas launch of 2010

---------- Post added at 06:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:58 AM ----------

Launch controllers are being polled.

---------- Post added at 06:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 AM ----------

All systems "go" for launch!

---------- Post added at 07:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 AM ----------

T-4 minutes and counting.

---------- Post added at 07:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:02 AM ----------

T-25 seconds. Centaur and Atlas are "go"!

---------- Post added at 07:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:05 AM ----------

Liftoff of the first Atlas V 531 rocket for the U.S. Air Force!

---------- Post added at 07:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 AM ----------

Mach 1 has been passed and we're at Max-q.

---------- Post added at 07:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 AM ----------

The Atlas is heading smoothly down AMR. The SRB's have jettisoned.

---------- Post added at 07:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 AM ----------

The payload fairing and first stage have jettisoned.

---------- Post added at 07:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 AM ----------

Centaur's RL-10 engine has ignited.

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Rise and shine: Atlas 5 rocket successfully soars at dawn
• Atlas soars into space for U.S. military (Launch complex photo gallery)
• Atlas soars into space for U.S. military (Press site photo gallery)

NASASpaceflight.com: ULA Atlas V successfully launches with AEHF GPS satellte.


Are there any official launch replays released for people, who couldn't watch it?

I've found only some recordings made by people from distance on YouTube:

#1: AEHF-1 First Launch

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#2: From Melbourne Beach

{colsp=2}

#3: Atlas 5 launch 8/14/10

​

 

[Star Voyager]

Here's from Florida Today:

http://space.flatoday.net/2010/08/atlas-v-launches-new-era-of-military.html

http://www.floridatoday.com/section...t+launch/51731098001/51727465001/574776888001

 

[N_Molson]

Wonderful ! Again, I hope that those EELVs will be used for the manned space program one day... That RD-180 is a nice piece of hardware :thumbup:

After all, providing a new launchpad, they could be easily evolved into a HLV...

 

[orb]

And another one photo gallery of the launch from Spaceflight Now: Atlas 5 rocket launches at dawn (Photo credit: Pat Corkery/United Launch Alliance).