Launch News AEHF 1 on Atlas V from Cape Canaveral

[Orbinaut Pete]

Florida Today: "Atlas V rocket delivers satellite from launch at Cape Canaveral | VIDEO".

Florida Today: "Today's Atlas V rocket launch No. 119 for Satellite tech".

 

[orb]

It's already after the launch, but this photo gallery link wasn't yet posted, as it appeared just recently on the Spaceflight Now:

Atlas rolls out to the launch pad (Photo gallery / Credit: ULA).​

 

[Star Voyager]

And the launch highlights have been released (click the video icon):

http://ulalaunch.com/site/pages/News.shtml#/54

 

[Kyle]

I saw the launch from my backyard, reminded me a bit of the STS-131 launch (core stage produced a visible and amazing plume)

 

[Star Voyager]

This isn't good:

http://space.flatoday.net/2010/08/air-force-reviewing-concern-with-new.html

 

[Star Voyager]

Perigee raise delayed due to primary RSC shutdown:

http://space.flatoday.net/2010/08/military-satellites-rise-to-final-orbit.html

---------- Post added 08-28-10 at 10:17 AM ---------- Previous post was 08-27-10 at 06:41 PM ----------

Here's a follow up on yesterday's story:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article.../NEWS02/Companies+to+raise+orbit+of+satellite

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aviation Week: "AEHF Thruster Failure Stalls Trip To Orbit".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: "Military satellite relying on backup plan to save itself".

---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:50 PM ----------

Space News: "AEHF-1 Deployment To Take Several Months Longer than Planned".

Florida Today's "The Flame Trench" Blog: "Air Force confident satellite will reach final orbit, eventually".

---------- Post added 31st Aug 2010 at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was 30th Aug 2010 at 08:37 PM ----------

Aviation Week: "AEHF To Reach Intermediate Orbit In Weeks".

Florida Today: "Air Force confident military satellite will reach intended orbit".

---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:51 PM ----------

Aviation Week: "Faulty AEHF To Reach Orbital Slot Next Summer".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: "Investigators probing what went wrong with AEHF 1".

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: First milestone reached on AEHF 1's long road to orbit:

The U.S. Air Force has completed the initial phase of its multi-step, multi-month strategy to maneuver the new secure communications satellite into the proper orbit without the main engine operating.

Satellite-tracking hobbyists report that the Advanced Extremely High Frequency 1 spacecraft has climbed into the intermediate orbit that project officials were targeting.
...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "AEHF-1 Orbit Raising Proceeding as Planned".

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Patience required as AEHF 1 recovery begins new mode:

Moving into the next phase of its orbital rescue, the Air Force's Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite is warming up exotic electric thrusters to begin 10 months of propulsion-with-persistence that's needed to save the craft's life.
...

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Main engine probably not to blame for AEHF 1 trouble:

...
The on-going investigation into the misfire indicates the main engine wasn't the cause of the problem and that the fault resides somewhere else in the overall propulsion system.
...

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: Japanese Engine Not AEHF Issue: USAF Official:

U.S. Air Force officials have ruled out the Japanese-made liquid apogee engine (LAE) as the culprit for the failure of the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite to reach orbit as expected, says Erin Conaton, undersecretary of the Air Force.

The IHI model BT-4 LAE failed twice to fire during an orbit-raising attempt shortly after the satellite launched Aug. 14. “We know some of the things that it is not. The LAE is one of the things that is not” the cause of the failure, Conaton tells Aviation Week. She says the company has been cooperating with an investigation into the mishap.

{...}

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: One year later: Air Force craft still fighting adversity:

Launched from Cape Canaveral a year ago Sunday, the first satellite in the U.S. military's next-generation secure communications network continues its arduous journey to reach the correct orbit.

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Burning its exotic electric thrusters daily for the past 10 months, AEHF 1 has reached an orbit of 22,000 by 27,400 miles inclined 5.1 degrees to the equator, according to hobbyist satellite observers who continue to keep tabs on the craft's trek.

It should achieve the desired circular orbit with a 4.8-degree inclination on October 3, allowing payload activation and testing to begin in preparation for entering service at long last.

{...}

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Air Force satellite's epic ascent should finish soon:

After 14 months in space and more than 450 maneuvers, the first satellite in the U.S. military's next-generation secure communications network now expects to complete its arduous journey to reach the correct orbit by late October and enter service in March.

{...}

Despite the extra-long wait to get the satellite into the proper orbit, the Air Force says the satellite will have enough remaining fuel to function for its full 14-year service life.

"The orbit raising has been a technical challenge. However the team of U.S. Air Force, Aerospace and Lockheed Martin have been able to balance space vehicle priorities of protecting the satellite from space debris and radiation while conserving fuel to maintain the full mission life of the space vehicle," the spokesperson said.

{...}

 

[orb]

Florida Today - The Flame Trench: Military satellite completes long journey to orbit

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: AEHF-1 Activated, Begins Orbital Testing:

The U.S. Air Force has completed the initial activation of its first jam-proof Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite, and begun on-orbit testing.

Ground terminals at Schriever AFB, Colo. and MIT/Lincoln Labs, Mass. logged in to the Lockheed Martin-built satellite as part of its startup process. The Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB plans to transfer responsibility for the satellite to 14th Air Force early next year.

“By the end of November we should have completed sufficient testing to confidently make the decision on whether to ship and subsequently launch SV-2 in April 2012,” says Dave Madden, director of SMC’s Milsatcom Systems Directorate.

{...}

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: Checkout Of AEHF Paves Way For 2012 Launch:

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Air Force says activation of its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite continues to progress well, and the launch of two more jam-proof satellites is now on track for 2012.

Although launched in August 2010, the AEHF satellite took 14 months to reach orbit on Oct. 24, 2011, after debris in the propulsion system prevented the spacecraft’s liquid-fueled booster engine from placing the satellite in its correct apogee.

“It’s in orbit and has been in checkout since then,” says the commander of Air Force Space Command, Gen. William Shelton. “All the payload systems and antenna have deployed properly, although I was concerned after that long a cold soak. Yet everything is performing as expected.”

{...}

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: The fight to save AEHF 1 produces remarkable rescue:

As the new year is ushered in, flight controllers are continuing with the detailed checkout of the U.S. military's newest ultra-secure communications satellite after a miraculous recovery saved the craft's life.

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SPACE.com: Fight to Save US Military Satellite Ends in Remarkable Rescue