Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 with NROL-76 - April 16, 2017

[Kyle]

SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket with the NROL-76 satellite on the first NRO mission for SpaceX. Exact launch time will not be released until we are closer to T-0, but it'll be sometime within 7:00am-9:30am (11:00 UTC - 13:30 UTC) from LC-39A. The first stage will RTLS to SpaceX's Landing Zone-1 (Launch Complex-13). Further details regarding the payload, orbital inclination, et cetera are classified.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

NROL-76 launch delayed.

Launch NET April 30, same window, opens at 7 a.m. Eastern.

Static Fire on April 26.

No reasons given, but most probably due to payload.

Booster is B1032-1 which arrived at KSC back a few months ago. No idea of where 2nd stage and the payload are as of now.

[ame="https://twitter.com/AndrewMegler/status/842791636623081476"]Andrew Megler on Twitter: "Just passed a NASA or SpaceX Booster Motorcade! You can make out the 8 rockets! https://t.co/En5oyioTWO"[/ame]

And what about this unofficial mission patch?

You have to love Abby's work :lol:

[ame="https://twitter.com/abbygarrettX/status/849762650712092677"]Abby Garrett on Twitter: "Merlin deserves his shot at stardom. Maybe on a patch one day? 😂😉🚀#SpaceX @NASASpaceflight @SpaceXTrip @bencredible @kate_tice @jaredhead https://t.co/U9SzJFtxEU"[/ame]

Also, F9's Inmarsat 5 F4 launch is moved to NET May 15. Window opens at 1920 Eastern.

[ame="https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/850346120291266560"]Chris B - NSF on Twitter: ".@abbygarrettX SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch with Inmarsat 5 F4 moved to NET May 15 placeholder. Window opens at 1920 Eastern. https://t.co/pPAXq03Ink"[/ame]

 

[Kyle]

Sounds like it could be associated with the payload. We'll never know why if that's the case. Might not get a F9 launch in April, unfortunately.

 

[Messierhunter]

Darn, well I'm moving out of my apartment on April 30th, so unless I can expedite that I might now miss the launch/landing. Hopefully I can still make it work, seeing that last LZ-1 landing was amazing in spite of the weather. An early morning launch combined with a landing could be spectacular.

 

[Hlynkacg]

Edit: wrong thread.

are we not able to delete our posts anymore?

 

[dman]

SSSSHHHH.......

Its a secret ......

 

[Kyle]

Good static test fire earlier this week. Pressing ahead with a Sunday launch attempt. NRO patch released ahead of the mission. Good looking patch but it irks me that the launch site is referred to as "Cape Canaveral AFS" when it's actually the Kennedy Space Center.

 

[Star Voyager]

I have a feeling NRO's patch was designed pre-Amos-6. Doesn't irk me as bad as the off center F9 in SpaceX's version of the patch:

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Static fire pictures and videos:

Mission press kit: http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/nrol76presskit.pdf

Live broadcast:

NROL-76 MISSION​

SpaceX is targeting launch of NROL-76 from historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two hour launch window opens on Sunday, April 30, at 7:00 a.m. EDT, or 11:00 UTC. A backup launch window opens on Monday, May 1, at 7:00 a.m. EDT, or 11:00 UTC.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Note: The timeline of upper stage events after the release of the rocket’s payload fairing, scheduled for T+plus 2 minutes, 48 seconds, has not been released. SpaceX’s live coverage of the second stage’s progress will conclude then at the NRO’s request.

Updates:

Payload arrival.

F9 vertical!

Live updates:

Launch pushed 15 minutes into the window.

[ame="https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing/status/858611257271824384"]45th Space Wing on Twitter: "@SpaceX #Falcon9 will launch @NatReconOfc #NROL76 in just under two hours. Shooting for a T-0 of 7:15 a.m.!"[/ame]

Spaceflightnow.com:

04/30/2017 18:04
T-minus 70 minutes and counting. The first liquid oxygen vapors are visible venting from the Falcon 9 rocket at pad 39A, a bit earlier than expected. Liquid oxygen is supposed to begin loading into the launcher at T-minus 45 minutes.

To give it a more densified form, the RP-1 kerosene is cooled to -7 degrees Celsius.

Webcast would confirm if this is the first flight of the new Block upgrade Falcon 9.

T-1 hour.

Spaceflightnow.com:

04/30/2017 18:15
The launch autosequence should have started by now, but SpaceX is yet not providing any real-time insight into this morning's countdown. The autosequence kicks off the first steps to begin pumping propellants into the 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 at launch pad 39A.

RP-1 kerosene was to be pumped into the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket first, followed by liquid oxygen chilled to near minus 340 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 206 degrees Celsius).

T-50 minutes. Standing by to begin loading the liquid oxygen in less than five minutes.

T-45 minutes. The oxidizer loading should begin by now. This liquid oxygen is cooled even lower than the kerosene; all the way to -207 degrees Celsius.

[ame="https://twitter.com/NASA_Nerd/status/858630136396206080"]NASA Nate on Twitter: "Current radar indicating a few stray showers and scattered clouds around KSC for this mornings #Falcon9 #NROL76 launch https://t.co/QKti3lNFFR"[/ame]

Good morning, Cape!

Live video for those who have Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/videos/live/...tp://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php&_rdr

IMPORTANT: [ame="https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/858629314341896192"]Robin Seemangal on Twitter: "The SpaceX NROL-76 launch was not contracted to SpaceX directly by the NRO but through Ball Aerospace."[/ame]

Sky is now blue.

 

[Kyle]

L-28 minutes. Venting can be seen from the vehicle.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Webcast has begun. just some musics:

The big vent that Kyle mentioned:

T-18 minutes.

Here are some statistics on today's flight, from spaceflightnow.com:

33rd launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010

38th launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006

1st launch of Falcon 9 Vehicle No. 32

30th Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral

98th flight from launch pad 39A

4th Falcon 9 launch from pad 39A

13th launch of the upgraded Falcon 9

1st SpaceX launch for NRO

19th Falcon 9 day launch

5th Falcon 9 launch of 2017

7th launch from Cape Canaveral in 2017

T-15 minutes.

Webcast started!

NROL-76 on internal power! Terminal count has started.

The strongback, which supplies electricity and propellant to the Falcon 9, will be retracted 1.5 degrees away from the rocket at about T-3 minutes, 30 seconds. The two clamps below the payload fairing will be moved about a minute beforehand.

While it may look like the strongback has not moved at all, it will be "thrown back" at T0 similar to the Antares launches.

LZ-1

The engine chilldown sequence has started for the nine Merlin 1D+ engines.

All systems GO!

Stage 1 fuel "closed out". RP-1 topping complete.

Vehicle "pressing for strongback" retract sequence.

Strongback retract has started.

T-3 minutes. Strongback is now at the T0 position. Standing by for Falcon 9 to go on internal power.

LOX loading complete on Stage 1.

HOLD at T-52s.

Sensor issue on 1st stage. Launch scrubbed! 2nd launch attempt tomorrow.

NROL-76 will head to LEO.

 

[Star Voyager]

...and 24 hour scrub. What was that shotgun noise? I think it started after they did something with the strongback.

 

[Kyle]

Good launch. Incredible landing videos.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Good launch. Incredible landing videos.

The flyback video is amazing. First time I think we've been able to see the entire flyback in one go.

 

[Messierhunter]

The flyback video is amazing. First time I think we've been able to see the entire flyback in one go.

SpaceX Falcon-9 Launch NROL-76 Landing NASA Kennedy Space Center May 1 2017 - YouTube

Arg, that's exactly what I was hoping to get with my own scope, but I had to work today so couldn't be at the launch. Oh well, hopefully I can get that shot next time. One continuous shot from launch to landing from an independent amateur should help silence those who claim this is all fake.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Another one:

Sorry, I couldn't broadcast the launch as I was having dinner with family in a restaurant. Anyway, Congrats, SpaceX! :thumbup:

 

[Kyle]

Arg, that's exactly what I was hoping to get with my own scope, but I had to work today so couldn't be at the launch. Oh well, hopefully I can get that shot next time. One continuous shot from launch to landing from an independent amateur should help silence those who claim this is all fake.

You'll definitely get a chance soon. Next mission up is Inmarsat-5-F4, which is expected to be an expendable mission, but after that is CRS-11, which will be another flyback to LZ-1 and could even happen by the end of the month.

 

[Messierhunter]

You'll definitely get a chance soon. Next mission up is Inmarsat-5-F4, which is expected to be an expendable mission, but after that is CRS-11, which will be another flyback to LZ-1 and could even happen by the end of the month.

That would be great! Hopefully I can get it on a clear day like this morning, those shots from the ground were gorgeous.

 

[Donamy]

As Mr. Spock often said, " Fascinating!".

 

[Andy44]

Watching those flyback vids is amazing. Really brings home the complexity of the whole operation. And seeing the booster flying through its own shockwave nozzle-end first was epic.