[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
Launch Alert
launch-alert at mailman.qth.net
Sat Jan 15 09:30:46 EST 2011
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Ventura County, California
launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
http://www.spacearchive.info
2011 January 15 (Saturday) 06:16 PST
----------------------------------------------------------------------
VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
As of 2011 January 15
Launch
Time/Window
Date (PST/PDT) Vehicle Pad/Silo
-------- --------------- -------------- --------
JAN 20 13:08 Delta IV Heavy SLC-6
Vehicle will launch the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-49
payload
FEB 5 To be announced Minotaur I SLC-8
Vehicle will launch the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-66
payload
FEB 23 02:09:43 Taurus XL 576E
Payload is the Glory scientific satellite. Vehicle will carry three
small satellites as secondary payloads: Explorer 1 Prime (Montana
State University), Hermes (University of Colorado), and KySat-1
(Kentucky space consortium).
MAR 31 To be announced Atlas V SLC-3E
Vehicle will launch the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-34
payload
JUN 9 Unknown Delta II SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch Argentina's SAC-D scientific satellite carrying
NASA's Aquarius instrument
The above schedule is a composite of unclassified information
approved for public release from government, industry, and other
sources. It represents the Editor's best effort to produce a schedule,
but may disagree with other sources. Details on military launches are
withheld until they are approved for public release. For official
information regarding Vandenberg AFB activities, go to
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil.
All launch dates and times are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format similar to military time (midnight = 00:00, 1:00 p.m. = 13:00,
11:00 p.m. = 23:00, etc.).
The dates and times in this schedule may not agree with those on other
online launch schedules, including the official Vandenberg AFB
schedule because different sources were used, the information was
interpreted differently, and the schedules were updated at different
times.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ORBITAL-BUILT GLORY EARTH SCIENCE SATELLITE ARRIVES AT
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE LAUNCH SITE
Orbital Sciences Corporation Press Release
2011 January 11
Spacecraft Built for NASA to be Integrated With Company's Taurus XL
Rocket for Launch in February
(Dulles, VA 11 January 2011) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation
(NYSE: ORB), one of the world's leading space technology companies,
today announced that the Glory satellite has arrived at Vandenberg Air
Force Base, CA to be integrated with the company's TaurusR XL rocket
that will launch the satellite into low-Earth orbit in late February.
Built by Orbital for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), the Glory satellite
is the latest in an extensive series of Earth science satellites that
Orbital has designed, developed, built and tested for NASA since the
early 1980's.
"Over the next month, Orbital's spacecraft and launch vehicle teams
will be working together to prepare the Glory satellite and Taurus XL
rocket for a late February launch operation and satellite deployment,"
said Mr. J.R. Thompson, Orbital's Vice Chairman and Chief Operating
Officer. "Following its deployment and check-out, the Glory satellite
will add to the capabilities of NASA's highly-productive 'A-Train'
series of Earth sensing spacecraft, which is an excellent example of
how multiple distributed satellites can provide valuable scientific
returns at very reasonable mission costs."
Mr. Thompson added, "We look forward to contributing to NASA's success
in gathering critical data on aerosols in the atmosphere and
continuing to provide spacecraft, launch vehicles and mission
operations for solar irradiance measurements. The Glory mission
builds on the heritage of our ACRIMSAT and SORCE satellite programs,
both of which were launched aboard Orbital rockets, and could lead to
our support of the future solar monitoring mission as well."
About the Glory Satellite
Orbital's Space Systems Group designed, built and tested the Glory
satellite at its Dulles, VA satellite production facility. It is based
on the company's LeoStarTM small satellite bus that has served as the
baseline platform for several previous successful NASA science
spacecraft programs, including recent missions such as GALEX, SORCE
and AIM. The satellite weighs approximately 1,160 lbs. (525 kg.) and
features deployable solar arrays, three-axis stabilization, and X-band
and S-band communications capabilities.
The Glory mission is being led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
under the direction of Project Manager Bryan Fafaul and Project
Scientist Michael Mishchenko. The spacecraft carries two primary
instruments, the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor (APS), which will measure
aerosols in the atmosphere, and the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM),
which will point toward the Sun and continue a 32-year data record of
the Sun's brightness, or total solar irradiance.
About Taurus XL
Orbital developed the ground-launched four-stage Taurus XL vehicle to
provide a reliable and cost-effective means of launching satellites
weighing up to approximately 3,000 pounds into low-Earth orbit. Taurus
XL incorporates advanced structural and avionics technology proven on
the company's PegasusR rocket and other operational launch systems. It
is also designed for easy transportability and austere site
operations, offering customers rapid-response launches from a wide
range of locations around the globe.
The Glory mission will be the ninth flight of the Taurus rocket, with
six of the previous eight missions having been fully successful. It
also marks the Taurus XL's "return to flight" following a launch
failure in 2009 during which the fairing encasing the satellite failed
to properly separate from the rocket, preventing the satellite from
achieving orbital velocity. Orbital has identified and corrected the
root cause of the fairing separation problem and has since carried out
three fully successful space launch missions using the updated fairing
separation system.
The Taurus XL launch system maintains its launch vehicle reliability
certification from NASA, enabling the space agency to launch
satellites of high value and importance aboard the system. It joins
Orbital's Pegasus rocket, as well as the Delta II and Atlas V rockets,
as the only launchers to have earned that distinction.
About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and
space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers.
The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles,
including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary
exploration spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific
and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar
and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver
satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as
interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite
subsystems and space-related technical services to U.S. Government
agencies and laboratories.
More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ORBVIEW-3 TO BE DE-ORBITED
by Brian Webb
2011 January 9
An Earth-imaging satellite launched from California six years ago
appears to be scheduled for a fiery demise.
Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission granted
GeoEye, owner of the the OrbView-3 spacecraft, permission to use
telemetry, tracking and telecommand (TT&C) frequencies during the
de-orbiting and reentry of the satellite.
GeoEye is authorized to operate TT&C in the 2092.536-2092.664 MHz and
402.69-402.75 MHz (Earth-to-space), and 401.47-401.53 MHz,
8189.982-8190.018 MHz and 8115-8265 MHz (space-to-Earth) frequency
bands for 30 days.
Orbview-3 was carried into orbit on 2003 June 26 by a Pegasus XL
rocket air-dropped from a jumbo jet flying off of the California coast.
The launch was staged from Vandenberg AFB.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WEB SITE UPDATES
The narrative of an unannounced visit to Goldstone Tracking Station
has been moved to:
http://www.spacearchive.info/memoirs-goldstone.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DONATIONS
Launch Alert is distributed at no cost. However, donations of $20 or
less from private individuals within the U.S. are welcome.
Send your donation to:
Mail
Brian Webb
Post Office Box 6484
Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-6484
ATTN: Launch Alert
Make your check or money order payable to Brian Webb.
Online
www.paypal.com
Payee: launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
Donations are used to compensate the Editor for his work and to
support the newsletter's information technology service provider.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2011, Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
be distributed in its entirety without restriction. Excerpts may not
be reprinted or posted elsewhere without prior permission.
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5789 (20110115) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
More information about the Launch-Alert
mailing list