Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
Just 6 days after ULA's 100th launch, today we will see their 101st - and the 2nd Atlas V launch too!
This time it will fire off from SoCal, with some secret thingy for the US National Reconnaissance Office. The logo for NROL-55 spots ULA's most recently favored Roman deity - good old Vulcan hitting hard with his hammer. Maybe that's a deliberate sign from NRO of what's to carry their new toys in a few years time...... :rofl:
The real identity of that secret thingy is not quite in doubt though, as amateur observers all concluded that NROL-55 is the newest pair of Naval Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) satellites to go into service. These satellites fly in pairs (and for those launched before 2001, trios) 1100 km above the Earth (at 63.4 degree inclination) to track signals and transmissions over the oceans from various military ships and planes. These satellites were so important that the Chinese actually copied it with 5 groups now in service! The last two pairs flew off in April 2011 and September 2012 from the very same pad, while this pair is though to be replacing one launched in February 2005 on the very last "classical Atlas rocket".
There are unclassified satellites flying today though - 13 cubesats are hitchhiking on board the Atlas, testing various new technologies and working on science measurements and provide new tracking targets for ham radio operators.
This launch continues a rather busy schedule for the Atlas V. After today's launch, another will fly from the other coast of the US on October 30 carrying the newest GPS navigation satellite. Then comes the return of Cygnus on December 3 to the ISS. 2016 will be even busier than usual with up to a dozen flying everything from ISS logistics spacecraft, commercial communication satellites, toys of NRO to Mars landers and asteroid sample return missions.
|
{colsp=2}
|
{colsp=1}
Launch coverage: (starts 5:29 am PDT / 12:29 UTC)
Mission Description:
The Atlas 5 was developed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services as part of the US Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Each Atlas 5 rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage.
The Atlas 5 launcher will fly in the so-called 401 configuration, denoting a 4.2-meter payload fairing, no strap-on solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.
{colsp=2}
Weather forecast for Lompoc, California on October 8, 2015 (6 a.m.)
Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 26C. Winds NNW at 15 to 30 km/h.
Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
6 AM|15°C|13°C|88%|0%|0%|55%|1017 hPa|8 km/h NNE|
Partly Cloudy
Links:
This time it will fire off from SoCal, with some secret thingy for the US National Reconnaissance Office. The logo for NROL-55 spots ULA's most recently favored Roman deity - good old Vulcan hitting hard with his hammer. Maybe that's a deliberate sign from NRO of what's to carry their new toys in a few years time...... :rofl:
The real identity of that secret thingy is not quite in doubt though, as amateur observers all concluded that NROL-55 is the newest pair of Naval Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) satellites to go into service. These satellites fly in pairs (and for those launched before 2001, trios) 1100 km above the Earth (at 63.4 degree inclination) to track signals and transmissions over the oceans from various military ships and planes. These satellites were so important that the Chinese actually copied it with 5 groups now in service! The last two pairs flew off in April 2011 and September 2012 from the very same pad, while this pair is though to be replacing one launched in February 2005 on the very last "classical Atlas rocket".
There are unclassified satellites flying today though - 13 cubesats are hitchhiking on board the Atlas, testing various new technologies and working on science measurements and provide new tracking targets for ham radio operators.
This launch continues a rather busy schedule for the Atlas V. After today's launch, another will fly from the other coast of the US on October 30 carrying the newest GPS navigation satellite. Then comes the return of Cygnus on December 3 to the ISS. 2016 will be even busier than usual with up to a dozen flying everything from ISS logistics spacecraft, commercial communication satellites, toys of NRO to Mars landers and asteroid sample return missions.
|
Launch date:
|
October 8, 2015
Launch time:
|
12:49 UTC / 5:49 am PST
Launch site:
|
SLC-3E, VAFB, California
{colsp=2}
[highlight]L[eventtimer]2015-10-08 12:49:00;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
Mission Insignia
Launch coverage: (starts 5:29 am PDT / 12:29 UTC)
- ULA webcast: http://www.ulalaunch.com/webcast.aspx
- ULA webcast 2: http://cmc-i.akamaihd.net/hls/live/201845/launch/index-launch.m3u8
- Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/10/07/av058-journal/
Mission Description:
This launch supports the military's national defense mission. The payload is confidential and is designated as National Reconnaissance Office L-55 (NROL-55). The flow of official information about this mission will cease at the point of payload fairing separation. No further comment about the status of the mission will be made after this milestone.
Thirteen CubeSats also will launch aboard the Atlas V aboard the NRO’s Government Rideshare Advanced Concepts Experiment (GRACE) auxiliary payload. Nine of the CubeSats are sponsored by the NRO, and four are sponsored by NASA. The GRACE payloads will be delivered to space on the Aft Bulkhead Carrier, located on the rear of the Centaur upper stage.
Launch Vehicle:Thirteen CubeSats also will launch aboard the Atlas V aboard the NRO’s Government Rideshare Advanced Concepts Experiment (GRACE) auxiliary payload. Nine of the CubeSats are sponsored by the NRO, and four are sponsored by NASA. The GRACE payloads will be delivered to space on the Aft Bulkhead Carrier, located on the rear of the Centaur upper stage.
The Atlas 5 was developed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services as part of the US Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Each Atlas 5 rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage.
The Atlas 5 launcher will fly in the so-called 401 configuration, denoting a 4.2-meter payload fairing, no strap-on solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.
Specifications
Gross mass:
|
- 338640 kg (746570 lb)
Payload:
|
- 7095 kg (15641 lb) SSO
- 4950 kg (10910 lb) GTO
Height:
|
- 58.30 m (191.20 ft)
Diameter:
|
- 3.81 m (12.49 ft)
Span:
|
- 3.81 m (12.49 ft)
Thrust:
|
- 3827.00 kN (860343 lbf)
Weather forecast for Lompoc, California on October 8, 2015 (6 a.m.)
Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 26C. Winds NNW at 15 to 30 km/h.
6 AM|15°C|13°C|88%|0%|0%|55%|1017 hPa|8 km/h NNE|
Links:
