#nrol-70

[talkoftitusville]

United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy Roars To Orbit For Last Time

NROL-70, the final Delta IV mission, launches from CCSFS on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN On a bittersweet day in in the annals of spaceflight, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) said goodbye to one of its most powerful and storied rockets. With an ontime launch at 12:53 PM EDT on April 9, the Delta IV Heavy rocket soared into the skies for its final mission, carrying a classified…

[spacenutspod]

**Hosts:** Charlie and the Astronomy Daily Team --- **Episode Summary:** In today's transcendent episode of Astronomy Daily, let Charlie and the team be your celestial guides as we delve into the latest awe-inspiring events unfolding in the boundless theater above. Witness the unexpected delay of the Delta IV Heavy's final mission and the historic touchdown of the American-built Nova-C spacecraft on the Moon. We'll also ponder the Earth's accelerating rotation and its potential impact on timekeeping, and debate the merits of human versus robotic space exploration with insights from Britain's astronomer, Martin Rees. Plus, we prepare for the upcoming total solar eclipse set to unveil the sun's mysterious corona. Join us as we connect you to the cosmos, turning the sky's vastness into an intimate spectacle of discovery. --- **Featured Topics:** 1. **Delta IV Heavy's Last Stand:** Uncover the story behind the postponed swan song of a rocket that has served the skies for decades, and what this means for the future of space launches. 2. **Odysseus' Lunar Legacy:** Celebrate the Nova-C spacecraft's historic moon landing, and explore its contributions to NASA's lunar ambitions despite its silent slumber in the moon's dark embrace. 3. **The Ticking of Earth's Clock:** Dive into the scientific intrigue behind our planet's hastening spin and the debate over the leap second's future in our modern, digitally-driven world. 4. **Human vs. Robot:** Engage with Martin Rees' compelling argument on the direction of space exploration and whether the age of the astronaut is giving way to the era of the robot. 5. **Chasing the Corona:** Anticipate the total solar eclipse that promises to shed light on one of the sun's greatest mysteries, with scientists and skywatchers alike poised for a celestial revelation. --- **Additional Information:** For an astronomical array of resources, visit astronomydaily.io to immerse yourself in our daily newsletter, listen to past episodes, and explore the latest space and astronomy news. Engage with us and fellow enthusiasts by following @astrodailypod on social media and join the conversation that stretches beyond the stars. --- **Closing Remarks:** As we wrap up this episode, may your curiosity be as boundless as the universe we cherish. Remember, the sky is not our limit but our gateway to infinity. Stay tuned for Monday's podcast with Steve and Hallie for more cosmic updates. Until we meet again under the celestial canopy, this is Charlie, bidding you a stellar journey. Keep looking up! --- **Host Sign-off:** Charlie: "Thank you for embarking on today's astral adventure with us. Until our next cosmic rendezvous, this is Charlie signing off. Bye-bye, fellow stargazers!" 📋 Episode Chapters (00:00) Astronomy daily brings the cosmos closer to you with insightful commentary (00:43) Delta IV heavy rocket's final flight postponed slightly longer than originally planned (02:26) First American spacecraft to soft land on moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 (04:05) Earth's hastening rotation could prompt correction of world's chronometers (06:52) An upcoming total solar eclipse could be the key to unravelling the sun's mysteries (08:53) This concludes today's episode of the Astronomy Daily podcast

[mrm101]

Update: The launch of Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is now planned for Tuesday, April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT (17:53BST), pending range approval. The launch on Thursday (28 Apr) was aborted at T-3 mins 58 seconds after a pump on the ground gaseous nitrogen line failed. The gas is used to power pneumatic systems, not sure what, maybe launch clamps and such. After the pump failed again during post launch attempt testing the Mobile Service Tower was moved back around the rocket.

Today the 16th and last flight of the D4H will take place and the last flight of any Delta 4 version. The first Delta 4 launched in 2002 and the first Delta 4 Heavy in 2004. ULA plans to replace both with the new Vulcan Centaur which conducted it's first test launch on 8 January (launching the ultimately ill fated Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander).

The NRO/USSF payload is classified but is believed to be (thanks to Ed Snowden) Orion-12/Mentor-10, an enormous geostationary spy satellite with a 100m (328ft) dish antenna (when unfurled) originally designed to pick up military command communications but which can now pick up mobile phone and text messages. The things are so big they can appear as an 8th magnitude star, but which unlike a star stays in exactly the same place in the sky. Pic: ULA

Launch is currently scheduled for 18:45GMT today (28 Mar). Coverage from ULA from 18:15GMT at...

[hackernewsrobot]

End of an era: Final Delta IV heavy rocket carries NROL-70 on historic mission

https://floridamedianow.com/2024/03/25/the-end-of-an-era-the-last-delta-launches-this-week/

[ricmlm]

4K Launch Replay: ULA Delta IV Heavy finale (NROL-70)

[aresdifesa]

Si è conclusa l'era del razzo vettore Delta United Launch Alliance (ULA) ha comunicato che il programma Delta, durato 60 anni, si è concluso con il lancio dell’ultimo razzo Delta IV Heavy avvenuto ieri dallo Space Launch Complex-37 presso la base spaziale delle Forze Armate Statunitensi di Cape Canaveral, in Florida. Il Delta IV Heavy che trasporta la missione NROL-70 per conto del National Reconnaissance Office, segna la fine dell’era Delta e dà inizio al futuro del trasporto pesante sul razzo Vulcan di prossima generazione dell’ULA. Il razzo Delta IV Heavy è stato un cavallo di battaglia per la NRO, lanciando 12 missioni fornendo carichi utili critici per la

[ramtracking]

RECAP of ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket launch scrub: next attempt uncertain [ National Reconnaissance Office ]

RECAP of ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket launch scrub: next attempt uncertain [Highlights] Follow FLORIDA TODAY Space Team updates of the historic ULA’s final liftoff of the Delta IV Heavy on the NROL-70 mission. SpaceX will try again to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites after at least a one-day delay. History was delayed on Thursday in Cape Canaveral. The final mission of ULA’s…

[astroimages]

Vamos acompanhar a tentaiva de lançamento do foguete Delta IV Heavy em seu último voo da história!!!

AVISO DE LIVE NO CANAL!!!

LANÇAMENTO DELTA IV HEAVY - NROL 70 - ÚLTIMO LANÇAMENTO DA HISTÓRIA DO DELTA IV HEAVY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGAhsLH6zPk

[famousruinsdeer]

Успешный запуск спутника-шпиона США: годовой рекорд SpaceX и очередная твёрдая посадка

New Post has been published on https://v-m-shop.ru/2020/12/19/uspeshnyj-zapusk-sputnika-shpiona-ssha-godovoj-rekord-spacex-i-ocherednaya-tvyordaya-posadka/

Успешный запуск спутника-шпиона США: годовой рекорд SpaceX и очередная твёрдая посадка

Успешный запуск спутника-шпиона США: годовой рекорд SpaceX и очередная твёрдая посадка 19.12.2020 [21:00],  Константин Ходаковский

Компания SpaceX запустила сегодня в космос секретный спутник-шпион для Национального управления военно-космической разведки США (НУВКР), успешно завершив уже 26-й пуск в 2020 году — это новый годовой рекорд для компании. Таинственная полезная нагрузка, получившая название NROL-108, стартовала с площадки 39A в Космическом центре Кеннеди NASA в 17:00 по московскому времени.

Примерно через девять минут после старта первая ступень ракеты-носителя Falcon 9 приземлилась на площадке Space X-1 (LZ-1) на мысе Канаверал. Сегодняшний полет стал пятым запуском для этой конкретной первой ступени Falcon 9. Ракета-носитель, получившая обозначение B1059, ранее отправила две коммерческие грузовые миссии на Международную космическую станцию ​​для NASA, доставила партию спутников SpaceX Starlink на орбиту в начале этого года, а совсем недавно запустила спутник для наблюдения за Землёй для Аргентины. Спасательное судно GO Ms. Tree также должно выловить из Атлантического океана створки головного обтекателя ракеты, которые спустились на парашютах.

Запуск изначально был запланирован на четверг, но густые облака и проблема со второй ступенью ракеты вынудила SpaceX отложить его. B1059 — лишь вторая ракета-носитель, приземлившаяся на мысе в этом году (большинство до сих пор садятся на беспилотные баржи в море). Ещё один раз компания приземлила первую ступень на территории базы ВВС Ванденберг в Калифорнии после запуска спутника наблюдения Земли Sentinel-6 для NASA.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/AG4rAR6qNp

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 19, 2020

О спутнике для НУВКР известно немногое, за исключением того факта, что агентство обеспечило доставку сверхсекретного груза на орбиту нетрадиционным способом. Как правило, оно проводит свои полёты в космос через Программу запуска космических сил национальной безопасности США, но на этот раз, согласно отчёту Spaceflight Now, это было сделано самостоятельно.

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 1 pic.twitter.com/mR18Qv3GoC

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 19, 2020

Ещё один интересный момент заключается в том, что SpaceX не проводила статические огневые испытания своей ракеты перед полётом. Обычно компания удерживает ракету на площадке и ненадолго запускает девять двигателей первой ступени, чтобы убедиться, что системы работают должным образом, до взлёта. SpaceX редко пропускает этот стандартный тест. Миссия знаменует собой шестой запуск для НУВКР и второй за всю историю полёт на борту SpaceX Falcon 9. Первой была миссия NROL-76 в мае 2017 года.

Миссия NROL-108 — это уже юбилейный 50-й повторный запуск SpaceX Falcon 9 с тех пор, как компания осуществила пуск возвращённой первой ступени в 2015 году. Она также знаменует собой 70-ю посадку первой ступени и 103-й запуск ракеты.

Сегодняшняя миссия ознаменовала конец напряжённого года для мыса Канаверал. Всего в уходящем году с этого космодрома была запущена 31 миссия, 26 из которых — на ракетах SpaceX. Ожидается, что в следующем году SpaceX продолжит пополнять свою группировку спутников связи Starlink, осуществит ещё две пилотируемые миссии к МКС и один раз запустит сверхтяжёлую ракету Falcon Heavy, помимо продолжения испытаний Starship. Все 26 основных миссий SpaceX в этом году оказались успешными, но в двух случаях компания не смогла посадить первые ступени ракет. «Роскосмос» в этом году осуществил 15 запусков против 25 годом ранее — все они тоже были признаны успешными.

Источник:

Space

Источник

[talkoftitusville]

ULA To Attempt Delta IV Heavy Launch After Infrastructure Repairs

Delta IV Heavy / NROL-70 sitting on its launch pad at SLC-37.Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT United Launch Alliance is planning to launch the final launch of Delta IV Heavy on Tuesday from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window extends from 12:53 PM – 6:51 PM EDT. Delta IV was scrubbed at T-min 3:58 by a faulty gaseous nitrogen pump on its first attempt March 28, and since…

[spacenutspod]

An illustration of the NROL-146 mission patch design. Graphic: NRO The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is set to start building a constellation of unknown size with a middle-of-the-night launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, dubbed NROL-146, features an undisclosed number of satellites riding onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) is set for the start of a launch window that opens 1 a.m. PDT (4 a.m. EDT, 0800 UTC). Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff. The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1071 in the SpaceX fleet, will launching for a 16th time. It’s first two flights were for NRO missions and it also launched a pair of Transporter rideshare flights. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1071 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This is set to be the 91st recovery for OCISLY and the 310th booster landing to date for SpaceX. Starshield takes flight While the details of the mission are largely under wraps, the payload onboard is believed to be a batch of Starshield satellites. These are government-specific versions of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, which the company previously stated focus on three main areas: Earth observation Communications Hosted payloads In the lead up to the final Delta 4 Heavy launch with the NROL-70 payload, Dr. Chris Scolese, the head of the NRO, noted that agency began launching prototypes for its constellation “about five years ago.” “We recognized that we had challenges, as we’ve mentioned, with Russia and China trying to deny our ability to operate in space,” Scolese said in March. “So, that was one reason. The other reason we needed it is we recognized that we needed to have more persistent coverage of the Earth. So, we needed to proliferate.” Scolese said that involved working with commercial providers to bring down the cost. He didn’t name check SpaceX in his comments, but he was responding to a question that referred to reporting about Starshield from Reuters. In April, Reuters was first to report that Northrop Grumman was working with SpaceX to test some of the Starshield satellites as well as to provide sensors for some of the spacecraft. The planned constellation will reportedly consist of “hundreds of satellites,” though a more specific number hasn’t been reported. The wire service was also first to report that SpaceX was tapped in 2021 to receive a previously undisclosed $1.8 billion contract for the NRO’s new constellation. Dr. Troy Meink, NRO Principal Deputy Director, gave a keynote address at the 39th Space Symposium in Colorado. Image: NRO During his comments at the 2024 Space Symposium in Colorado, Dr. Troy Meink, the NRO’s principal deputy director, made note of the forthcoming NROL-146 launch, stating that the NRO has “already launched a number of demonstrations over the last few years to verify cost and performance, but this will be the first launch of an operational system.” “These systems will increase timeliness of access, diversify communications pathways, and enhance our resilience,” Meink said. “Approximately half a dozen of these launches are planned for 2024, with additional launches expected through 2028. You’ll hear more details about launch locations, dates, and times as they approach.” The NRO isn’t the only government agency to call upon the use of the Starshield satellite bus. SpaceX also built some of the satellites for the Space Development Agency, part of the U.S. Space Force, which launched in 2023 as part of its Tracking Layer Tranche 0A and 0B missions.

[ashxgx0044adfd-blog]

   NEWS TECH SPACEFLIGHT SCIENCE & ASTRONOMY SEARCH FOR LIFE SKYWATCHING ENTERTAINMENT VIDEO Space.comSpaceflight SpaceX Launches US Spy Satellite on Secret Mission, Nails Rocket Landing By Irene Klotz, Space.com Contributor | May 1, 2017 07:50am ET 155 26 9 41 0 MORE  00:0000:00 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday (May 1) to boost a classified spy satellite into orbit for the U.S. military, then turned around and touched down at a nearby landing pad. It was the 34th mission for SpaceX, but its first flight for the Department of Defense, a customer long-pursued by company founder Elon Musk. The privately owned SpaceX once sued the Air Force over its exclusive launch services contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA), a partnership of Lockheed-Martin and Boeing. Advertisement  Monday's 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT) liftoff of a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) officially broke ULA's 10-year monopoly on launching U.S. military and national security satellites. [In Photos: SpaceX's First US Military Satellite Launch] Launch was delayed one day to resolve a problem with a first-stage engine sensor.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-76 spy satellite on a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on May 1, 2017. The mission launched from Pad-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: Michael Seeley/USAF NRO Launch Services Integrator contractor Ball Aerospace arranged for the Falcon 9 flight on behalf of the NRO, said agency spokeswoman Karen Furgerson. Advertisement  In addition to the NRO's business, SpaceX has won two Air Force contracts to launch Global Positioning System satellites in 2018 and 2019. For now, the military's business is a fraction of more than 70 missions, worth more than $10 billion, slated to fly on SpaceX rockets. But with up to 13 more military satellite launches open for competitive bidding in the next few years and ULA's lucrative sole-source contract due to end in 2019, SpaceX is angling to become a major launch service provider to the Department of Defense. At the request of the NRO, SpaceX cut off launch coverage 2 minutes and 48 seconds after liftoff, some 30 seconds after the booster’s first-stage separated from the upper-stage. At that time, the rocket's second-stage had fired up to carry the spy satellite into a low-Earth orbit , SpaceX’s launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration showed. The NRO declined to provide further details about the satellite or its orbit. SpaceX continued to broadcast the booster's return flight and touchdown at the company's nearby Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. "And we have touchdown! The first stage has landed back at Landing Zone 1," SpaceX lead mechanical design engineer John Federspiel said during launch commentary. "Another good day for us at SpaceX. That is a beautiful sight to see." A month ago, SpaceX for the first time launched one of its previously flown rockets to send an SES communications satellite into orbit, a key step in Musk's quest to demonstrate reusability and slash launch costs.  SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage stands atop its Landing Zone 1 pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after successfully launching the classified NROL-76 satellite into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 1, 2017.. Credit: SpaceX General John "Jay" Raymond, head of U.S. Space Command, told reporters at the Space Symposium earlier this month that the Air Force is open to buying rides on previously flown rockets. "I would be comfortable if we were to fly on a reused booster," Raymond said. "They've proven they can do it." SpaceX landed its first orbital rocket in December 2015, a feat it has now repeated nine times. Four of those touchdowns have occurred at a landing pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and six returned to a platform floating in the ocean. The landings at sea are an option if the rocket doesn't have enough fuel to return all the way back to the launch site. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Advertisement  EDITOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS Blastoff! Spy Satellite Launched by SpaceX for First Time | Video The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever SpaceX Breaks Up US Spy Satellite Launch Monopoly | Video SpaceX Drone Ship Cameras Capture Historic Used Rocket Landing | Video Ads by Revcontent FROM THE WEB 25 Rare Pictures From Inside North Korea Watch How This Simple Method Can "Regrow" Your Hear Naturally. Try Tonight Watch How He "Regrow" His Hair Naturally in 14 Days! Try Tonight Mix This Herb with Your Drink to Regrow Lost Hair (try Tonight) This is the No.1 Reason Why You Loosing Your Hair (do This Daily) SUBSCRIBE TO SPACE.COM  enter email here SUBMIT FOLLOW US MOST POPULAR  'Grand Finale' at Saturn Begins: Cassini Spacecraft's 1st Ring Dive in Pictures  The Lego Has Landed! NASA Apollo Saturn V Moon Landing Set in Pictures  Cassini's 'Grand Finale' at Saturn: NASA's Plan in Pictures  SpaceX Poised for First Military Launch Sunday  Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump HomeAbout Us FOLLOW US SUBSCRIBE TO SPACE  enter email here ... SUBMIT  Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved.  Close

[sciencespies]

Rocket Lab kicks off busy year with NRO launch

https://sciencespies.com/space/rocket-lab-kicks-off-busy-year-with-nro-launch/

Rocket Lab kicks off busy year with NRO launch

WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab successfully launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office Jan. 30 in the first of up to a dozen launches planned by the company this year.

Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from the company’s launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula at 9:56 p.m. Eastern. The launch, dubbed “Birds of a Feather” by Rocket Lab, was the 11th mission for the Electron rocket and its first launch of 2020.

“Starting our 2020 launch manifest with a successful mission for the NRO is an immensely proud moment for our team. It once again demonstrated our commitment to providing responsive, dedicated access to space for government small satellites,” Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said in a statement.

The rocket was carrying a payload for the NRO designated NROL-151. The agency procured the launch through its Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket, or RASR, program, which it started in 2018 to procure small launch vehicles responsively. This launch was the first under the RASR program.

Neither Rocket Lab nor the NRO released details about the payload, including whether it was one or more satellites or their purpose. Amateur satellite observers noted the mission appeared to be going into a high inclination orbit of about 70 degrees, but not a sun-synchronous orbit commonly used by Earth observation missions.

The NRO released a logo for the mission prior to the launch that drew comparisons online to those of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team and Jägermeister liquor. The logo is adorned with good luck charms like a horseshoe, four-leaf clover and wishbone. The NRO said in a tweet that the logo was “a light-hearted way to wish #NROL151 good fortune & luck on its mission.”

For almost 6 decades, the NRO has answered the hardest national security questions w/ bold, innovative technology, & #NROL151 stands firm in this tradition. The logo is a light-hearted way to wish #NROL151 good fortune & luck on its mission. Launch date is Jan. 31 (NZDT). pic.twitter.com/XGfokrIdTV

— NRO (@NatReconOfc) January 28, 2020

Rocket Lab also used the launch to further its efforts to recover and reuse the Electron first stage. The company said that, was with the previous Electron launch in December, the first stage survived reentry and remained intact until it hit the ocean.

In a December interview, Beck said that, after this test, the company would “go quiet” for a few months in its reusability efforts as it makes another block upgrade for the rocket to incorporate parachutes and other changes for recovering the stage. “The next step is to splash it down into the water gently, and then the step after that is to recover it in mid-air with a helicopter,” he said then.

This launch was the first of up to a dozen the company expects to carry out this year. That will include the first launch from the company’s Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia. That launch, carrying a U.S. Air Force research and development smallsat called Monolith on a mission designated STP-27RM, is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

Rocket Lab is also building a second launch pad in New Zealand, which will be ready by late this year, the company announced in December. The company announced Jan. 14 it is constructing a new headquarters and factory in Long Beach, California, that will be able to produce 12 or more Electron rockets a year, while adding a second mission control center.

In addition to its launch vehicle efforts, the company is working on a satellite bus called Photon based on the kick stage of the Electron rocket. In a Jan. 29 presentation at the 23rd Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference here, Shane Fleming, vice president of global commercial launch services at Rocket Lab, said that first Photon mission should take place this year. “We’re very excited to have our first Rocket Lab satellite on orbit,” he said.

#Space

[parmapress-blog]

США запустили на орбиту спутник-шпион

- С космодрома Ванденберг в Калифорнии в 20.49 мск в среду стартовала ракета-носитель Atlas V с космическим аппаратом для разведки США. Содержание получившей кодовое название NROL-79миссии засекречено. Это 70-й старт для Atlas V и 35-й старт ракеты-носителя в конфигурации Atlas V-401, передает РИА... - - http://www.parmapress.ru/the-city-and-county/ssha-zapustili-na-orbitu-sputnik-shpion/

[talkoftitusville]

Launch Date Set for Delta IV Heavy, Another Slight Shift Right For Starliner

Delta IV Heavy on March 28, 2024Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT Today was an active day for launch scheduling: United Launch Alliance has announced that they will make their next attempt to launch Delta IV Heavy and NROL-70 on Tuesday April 9th, and later, NASA announced that the Crewed Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner is now Monday, May 6th. Delta IV was scrubbed at T-min 3:58 by a faulty gaseous…