Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
The Tri-core Hydrogen Fireball Generator (TM) is flying again today!
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch into polar orbit a classified spy satellite cargo (most likely KH-11 type satellite) for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. This is the second launch of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg AFB (after NROL-49 in 2011), which launched a similar satellite into orbit. This will be the seventh launch of the Delta IV Heavy in program history and the fifth Delta IV launch at SLC-6.
Interestingly due to the infamous "rocket on BBQ" problem as seen during the NROL-49 launch....
...starting from this flight the starboard booster will start its RS-68A engine 2 seconds earlier than the other 2 (at T-7 s instead of T-5 s), such that a significant portion of the resulting fire will be drawn into launch table instead of rising up. Sorry, no roasted rocket today!
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This is the sixth operational flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the second from the West Coast, Vandenber's SLC-6. A successful demonstration flight was flown on Dec. 21, 2004. The first operational mission with DSP-23 was flown Nov. 10, 2007, the second operational flight (NROL-26) was flown Jan. 17, 2009, and the third (NROL-32) on Nov. 21, 2010. NROL-49, launched Jan. 20, 2011, was the first DIV-H out of VAFB. The latest one, NROL-15, was launched Jun. 29, 2012.
Viewing the Launch Live:
Mission Description:
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch into polar orbit a classified spy satellite cargo (most likely KH-11 type satellite) for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. This is the second launch of a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg AFB (after NROL-49 in 2011), which launched a similar satellite into orbit. This will be the seventh launch of the Delta IV Heavy in program history and the fifth Delta IV launch at SLC-6.
Interestingly due to the infamous "rocket on BBQ" problem as seen during the NROL-49 launch....
...starting from this flight the starboard booster will start its RS-68A engine 2 seconds earlier than the other 2 (at T-7 s instead of T-5 s), such that a significant portion of the resulting fire will be drawn into launch table instead of rising up. Sorry, no roasted rocket today!
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Launch date:
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August 28, 2013
Window open:
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17:52 UTC / 10:52 a.m. PDT / 1:52 p.m. EDT
Window close:
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18:07 UTC / 11:07 a.m. PDT / 2:07 p.m. EDT
Launch site:
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SLC-6, VAFB, California
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[highlight]L[eventtimer]2013-8-28 17:52:00;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
This is the sixth operational flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the second from the West Coast, Vandenber's SLC-6. A successful demonstration flight was flown on Dec. 21, 2004. The first operational mission with DSP-23 was flown Nov. 10, 2007, the second operational flight (NROL-26) was flown Jan. 17, 2009, and the third (NROL-32) on Nov. 21, 2010. NROL-49, launched Jan. 20, 2011, was the first DIV-H out of VAFB. The latest one, NROL-15, was launched Jun. 29, 2012.
Viewing the Launch Live:
Live broadcast will be available at 10:32 a.m. PDT / 1:32 p.m. EDT / 17:32 UTC on launch day on the ULA Web site.
The broadcast [eventtimer]2013-8-28 17:32?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2013-8-28 17:32?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
The broadcast [eventtimer]2013-8-28 17:32?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2013-8-28 17:32?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
Mission Description:
This launch supports the military's national defense mission. The payload is confidential and is designated as National Reconnaissance Office L-65 (NROL-65), but most likely it's KH-11 type electro-optical reconnaissance satellite. From analysis by various satellite observers, the satellite it will replace is probably USA-186/NROL-20, launched on the very last Titan rocket on Oct. 19, 2005. 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.
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Launch Vehicle:
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Launch preparations photos:
Links:
Mission Insignia (clickable)
Launch Vehicle:
Delta IV Heavy is comprised of a common booster core (CBC), two additional CBCs as strap-on liquid rocket boosters (LRBs) to augment the first-stage CBC, a cryogenic upper stage, and 5-m-diameter payload fairing (PLF).
The Delta 4 CBC design is optimized for balanced performance over a wide range of payloads using the high-performance RS-68 main engine powered by liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2). The RS-68 is throttleable to serve various mission profiles operating at 102% and 58% thrust level. Two separate 5-m-dia. LO2 and LH2 tanks provide the majority of the first stage structure. These two tanks are integrated wih a composite cylinder, called the centerbody. At the forward end of the CBC, another composite cylinder, the interstage, provides the interface between the CBC and the cryogenic second stage. For the port and starboard strap-on CBCs of the Heavy configuration the interstage structure is replaced with a composite nose cone.
At the aft end of the CBC, an engine section provides the thrust structure and thermal shield that integrates the RS-68 main engine to the CBC. The RS-68 requirements were balanced to enable operational thrust at lower chamber pressures. This design trade increase engine reliability, while reducing complexity. Compared with the SSME, the RS-68 has an 80% reduction in unique part count. Even with lower performance than comparable LO2/LH2 engines, the RS-68 develops a world record 2949 kN (663000 lb) of sea-level thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 359 seconds at sea level.
The second stage comprises a 5-m-diameter fuel tank, a composite intertank structure, a liquid oxygen tank, avionics equipment shelf, avionics suite, attitude control system and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney RL10B-2 liquid rocket engine that produces 100kN (24750 lb.) of thrust. The RL10B-2, with its high expansion, carbon-carbon nozzle provides an Isp of 465.5 seconds.
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Launch preparations photos:
- Delta 4-Heavy rocket rolls out at Vandenberg (PHOTO GALLERY)
- Delta 4-Heavy readied for launch (PHOTO GALLERY)
Links:
- United Launch Alliance: NROL-65 page
- Spaceflight Now: America's largest rocket set for launch Wednesday
Launch Updates:- Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center
- United Launch Alliance Twitter
- ULA launch hotline - dial at: 1-877-852-4321
