Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
Ah the Atlas V. Like a pretty girl (boy?) with parents from foreign lands and a rich history of ancestors, using the general design and brains of the attractive Atlas-Centaur, the robust tanks of the Titan, the tried-and-true-and-efficient RL-10 hydrogen-powered engine on the long-living Centaur upper stage, and the attractive, state-of-the-art and Russian 
P) RD-180 kerosene main engine, it is no wonder she (?) is the 21st century darling of the USAF, NRO, other parts of the Pentagon and NASA (although being not so easy-going, read rather expensive the Atlas V is not quite as attractive to the common commercial customer). And she works every time, well apart from one small mishap many years ago....
....yet the rocket has suddenly been blown into a storm in a cauldron recently, thanks to 2 separate things happening at the same time.
Firstly the Russians have went into loud-threatening mode after some economic sanctions from the US on high-ranking Russian officials about the you-know-what affair, resulting in deputy PM Dimitry Rogozin threatening the stoppage of supply of the RD-180 engine from NPO Energomash. While only words have been heard till now, there is a distinct possibility of this happening, and the Americans are now forced to take contingencies into account, ranging from accelerating Delta IV production to looking at domestic kerosene engine replacements (sadly none are close to usable right now).
The second comes from the opposite side of the globe, yet also threatening to close down the Atlas V's survival space. A certain new-aerospace-company-of-California-which-must-not-be-named () is taking legal actions against the USAF for their most recent "block buy" of 36 Atlas V and Delta IV rocket cores for the next few year's national security satellite launches. One of the main points that company (and many law-makers inside the Beltway) is criticizing of ULA is the Atlas V's "flow of Russian blood", with the supply of the RD-180 at the mercy of the Russians, and domestic production of it is several years away at a cost of billions of dollars, and still at the mercy of the expiration of the agreement in 2022. That company's ominipotent-leader even suggest that the Atlas V should be retired ASAP and replaced by the Delta IV (plus his rockets, of cuz)!
So in the midst of such storms, maybe the best thing to happen for the Atlas V is......a launch. And interestingly, this time it's again for the National Reconnaissance Office, which definitely will raise the eyebrows for many when it launches tomorrow.
The launch of NROL-33 is now on schedule to happen tomorrow at 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC). All the public information available, ranging from the lovely mission logo (red-headed Valkyrie (?)) to the rocket drop zones and rocket configuration, suggest that the black payload is the latest member of NRO's Satellite Data System, lately revealed to use the codename "QUASAR". Consisting of several data-relaying satellites in both geostationary and elliptical Molniya orbits, they are the data-relaying backbones of spysat imagery data from optical and radar spysats back to US ground stations. This one, judging from rocket drop zones, will probably head to geostationary orbits - as are the last 2 probable members of the system, launched in March 2011 and June 2012. The 2 identified satellites before that are in high-inclination orbits, launched in August 2004 and December 2007.
Whatever your eyes are looking for, the Atlas V will certainly hit the magazine covers tomorrow! :tiphat:
|
{colsp=2}
|
Viewing the Launch Live:
Mission Description:
{colsp=3}
|
|
Links:
Launch Updates:
Launch Vehicle:
Weather Forecast for Titusville, Florida on May 22, 2014 (9 a.m.)
A mainly sunny sky. High 33C. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 kph.
Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
9 AM|23°C|18°C|70%|1%|0%|15%|1021 hPa|8 km/h WSW|
Clear
P) RD-180 kerosene main engine, it is no wonder she (?) is the 21st century darling of the USAF, NRO, other parts of the Pentagon and NASA (although being not so easy-going, read rather expensive the Atlas V is not quite as attractive to the common commercial customer). And she works every time, well apart from one small mishap many years ago........yet the rocket has suddenly been blown into a storm in a cauldron recently, thanks to 2 separate things happening at the same time.
Firstly the Russians have went into loud-threatening mode after some economic sanctions from the US on high-ranking Russian officials about the you-know-what affair, resulting in deputy PM Dimitry Rogozin threatening the stoppage of supply of the RD-180 engine from NPO Energomash. While only words have been heard till now, there is a distinct possibility of this happening, and the Americans are now forced to take contingencies into account, ranging from accelerating Delta IV production to looking at domestic kerosene engine replacements (sadly none are close to usable right now).
The second comes from the opposite side of the globe, yet also threatening to close down the Atlas V's survival space. A certain new-aerospace-company-of-California-which-must-not-be-named (
) is taking legal actions against the USAF for their most recent "block buy" of 36 Atlas V and Delta IV rocket cores for the next few year's national security satellite launches. One of the main points that company (and many law-makers inside the Beltway) is criticizing of ULA is the Atlas V's "flow of Russian blood", with the supply of the RD-180 at the mercy of the Russians, and domestic production of it is several years away at a cost of billions of dollars, and still at the mercy of the expiration of the agreement in 2022. That company's ominipotent-leader even suggest that the Atlas V should be retired ASAP and replaced by the Delta IV (plus his rockets, of cuz)!So in the midst of such storms, maybe the best thing to happen for the Atlas V is......a launch. And interestingly, this time it's again for the National Reconnaissance Office, which definitely will raise the eyebrows for many when it launches tomorrow.
The launch of NROL-33 is now on schedule to happen tomorrow at 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC). All the public information available, ranging from the lovely mission logo (red-headed Valkyrie (?)
) to the rocket drop zones and rocket configuration, suggest that the black payload is the latest member of NRO's Satellite Data System, lately revealed to use the codename "QUASAR". Consisting of several data-relaying satellites in both geostationary and elliptical Molniya orbits, they are the data-relaying backbones of spysat imagery data from optical and radar spysats back to US ground stations. This one, judging from rocket drop zones, will probably head to geostationary orbits - as are the last 2 probable members of the system, launched in March 2011 and June 2012. The 2 identified satellites before that are in high-inclination orbits, launched in August 2004 and December 2007. Whatever your eyes are looking for, the Atlas V will certainly hit the magazine covers tomorrow! :tiphat:
|
Launch date:
|
May 22, 2014
Launch time:
|
13:05 UTC / 9:05 am EDT
Launch site:
|
SLC-41, Cape Canaveral AFB, Florida
{colsp=2}
[highlight]L[eventtimer]2014-05-22 13:05:00;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
Viewing the Launch Live:
Live broadcast will be available at 8:45 a.m. EDT / 12:45 UTC on launch day on the ULA Web site.
The broadcast [eventtimer]2014-05-22 12:45?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2014-05-22 12:45?.| ago.;%c%[/eventtimer]
The broadcast [eventtimer]2014-05-22 12:45?will start in|started;%c% %h% hours, %m%[/eventtimer] minutes[eventtimer]2014-05-22 12:45?.| 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-33 (NROL-33). 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.
Mission Insignia (clickable)
Links:
- United Launch Alliance: NROL-33 page
Launch Updates:
- Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center
- United Launch Alliance Twitter
- ULA launch hotline - dial at: 1-877-852-4321
Launch Vehicle:
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}
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:
|
- 7724 kg (17028 lb) SSO
- 4750 kg (10470 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 Titusville, Florida on May 22, 2014 (9 a.m.)
A mainly sunny sky. High 33C. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 kph.
9 AM|23°C|18°C|70%|1%|0%|15%|1021 hPa|8 km/h WSW|
