Recent content by Voyager_VI

Jonathan McDowell @planet4589 Space Force has cataloged LINK (the Swift reboost spacecraft) in a 362 x 392 km x 20.6 deg orbit, confirming successful launch. TLEs consistent with the launch NOTAM areas

Launch - July 3, at 8:36 p.m. UTC+12 (4:36 a.m. EDT) Northrop Grumman's Stargazer aircraft took off from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean, climbed to about 40,000 feet, and dropped a Pegasus XL rocket carrying Katalyst Space's LINK robotic...

Weather Delays Launch of Mission to Boost NASA’s Swift The launch of Katalyst Space’s robotic servicing spacecraft LINK, designed to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, was postponed again Wednesday due to unfavorable weather conditions. The next launch attempt is targeted...

Why? I posted to the discussion of the Mission/Addon to keep it relevant. If I posted over under the live missions heading, it may get lost to someone following the addon and updates to the scenario situation.

Launch of Mission to Boost NASA’s Swift Scrubs Due to Weather The launch of Katalyst Space’s robotic servicing spacecraft LINK, designed to boost the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, was postponed Tuesday due to unfavorable weather conditions. The next launch attempt is targeted...

Mission Success, after rendezvous and capture, Swift has been boosted to a higher orbit. Thanks BrianJ, another home run addon!

Woohoo, 0.00deg alignment! Now the long slow climb uphill to catch Swift :-)

Using a drop time of 115400 at 12.3km and heading 112 put me right at 0.04degrees with almost all my RCS left.

I think you are an hour early unless the TLE for Swift has changed a bunch, I'm seeing about 11:25-11:35 as a rabbit chase and about 1200 UTC Swift flying right over the warning box.

0.3 degrees!, I thought I was doing good under 0.75 degrees...that 2nd stage is a bucking bronco

With the trade winds, I often wonder how many pieces actual come down in those designated warning areas, lol

I don't have any insider information other than having been station there and it is that time of the year and Kwajalein is on the inter-tropical convergent zone. Thunderstorms daily with the humidity. Today's snapshot

From the NASA Swift Boost Mission Page: A mission to raise the orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is poised for launch no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

So far, I have not had success with the capture of Swift. I can get within about about 500 meters but after the RCS fuel is gone, I can't get any closer with the ions.

N140SC arrived in Kwajalein on the 25th. Based on the latest HYDROPAC 1814/26, looks like launch has slipped to NET June 30. 260642Z JUN 26 HYDROPAC 1842/26. PACIFIC OCEAN. MARSHALL ISLANDS. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 300730Z TO 301328Z JUN, ALTERNATE 0730Z TO 1328Z DAILY 01 AND 02 JUL IN...