Spaceline News Archives

Falcon 9 Launch View From Press Site, Photo Courtesy Liz Allen/Lloyd Behrendt

Falcon 9 Rocket Successfully Launches SES-16/GOVSAT-1 Satellite

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the SES-16/GOVSAT-1 payload at 4:25 p.m. EST today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 40. The launch was delayed one day to allow engineers time to replace a faulty sensor on the rocket's second stage. In a departure from previous Falcon 9 launches, the first stage booster was not recovered. The first stage booster flown today had been used one time previously, and had a design life of just two launches. The booster was, however, fitted with landing legs and grid fins to make a controlled splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. It facilitated a high thrust landing burn, whereby three engines were fired instead of one engine typically fired on previous landings. The booster survived the splashdown intact and floated on the surface of the water. It may be towed back to port.

Falcon 9 In Flight, Photo Courtesy Liz Allen/Lloyd Behrendt

SES-16/GOVSAT-1 is a joint venture between satellite operator SES and the government of Luxembourg. The satellite is intended to provide military, government and institutional applications, with the majority of its capabilities dedicated to the government of Luxembourg's obligations to NATO. According to SES, the satellite will "provide secure, reliable and accessible satellite communication services for governments, addressing connectivity demands for defense and institutional security applications." The satellite weighed about 9,300 pounds fully fueled at launch and will be deployed in a geostationary orbit about 22,300 miles above Central Africa. Built by Orbital ATK, the satellite has a design life of 15 years. In an interesting design feature, the satellite has a special port that can receive a payload which can achieve an orbital docking. Launch occurred 60 years to the day following the launch of Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 26 on January 31, 1958.

Falcon 9 First Stage Booster Floats On Atlantic Ocean, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Rocket On Launch Pad 40, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Launch Scrubbed

Today's scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SES-16/GOVSAT-1 satellite has been scrubbed. The scrub announcement was made about an hour before the opening of the launch window at 4:25 p.m. EST. The scrub was called due to a faulty sensor on the rocket's second stage which will need to be replaced. Ground level winds were also unacceptable at launch time, causing a delay of the scheduled launch time to no earlier than 5:30 p.m. EST. It is possible that the launch would have been delayed anyway due to high winds regardless of the technical issue.

Launch has been rescheduled to Wednesday, January 31 at 4:25 p.m. EST with the launch window extending to 6:46 p.m. EST. Winds are not expected to be a problem on Wednesday, as Air Force meteorologists predict a 90% chance that weather will be acceptable. The rocket will carry the SES-16/GOVSAT-1 military communications payload, a joint venture between satellite operator SES and the government of Luxembourg. Launch will be from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Cassette Tape Containing Live Press Site Challenger Recording, Photo Courtesy Lee Riley

Spaceline Releases Lost Challenger Press Site Audio In Advance Of January 28 Anniversary

Spaceline today released previously lost audio recorded at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site on January 28, 1986. The audio was recorded live starting at T-30 seconds and extending approximately 12 minutes as reporter Cliff Lethbridge witnessed and then responded to the Challenger tragedy as it unfolded. "I thought I had lost the original cassette tape during a recent move, but I thankfully found it among some space memorabilia in my personal collection," said Lethbridge. "I hadn't listened to the recording in many years, and it brought back a lot of memories."

Crew Of Space Shuttle Challenger Mission 51-L, File Photo Courtesy NASA

Lethbridge converted the audio on the original cassette recording to mp3 format so that it could be posted on the Internet. "I think it is appropriate to release the audio on the anniversary of the Challenger tragedy," Lethbridge explained. "The audio presents a vivid account of how the journalist in me attempted to make sense of what had happened and how to report on it." According to Lethbridge, "The audio recording started on the ground near the large countdown clock at the Press Site. I was not near a television, and with the view I had it took a nailbiting 15 seconds or so to realize what had happened." If you listen closely to the audio, you can hear the voice of Mission Control narrating in the background as Lethbridge tried desperately to file a live story regarding the accident.

Challenger Explosion View From Kennedy Space Center Press Site, File Photo Courtesy NASA

"I ran from the grounds and got to a pay phone in what we used to call The Dome, a building where the press routinely filed stories and an area I was quite familiar with. I was lucky to find a pay phone, and you will hear an oriental language being spoken by a journalist to my left. On my right was a female reporter who was nearly hysterical," recalled Lethbridge. "I wanted to go on air with my radio station employer, but they were so busy they couldn't get me on the air. It was a bit frustrating, but under the circumstances it was understandable." It is Lethbridge's hope that the listener will gain an understanding of how a journalist reacted to the tragedy. The audio may be accessed via links at www.spaceline.org or www.spaceline.org/challenger.html which also includes a written transcript of the tape, Mission Control and Lethbridge's thoughts to the best of his recollection. See the link to "It Was a Long Day for Me, It Was a Long Day for the World" article to access the transcripts.

Falcon Heavy Test Firing, Video Capture Courtesy SpaceX

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Test Fired

When Dr. Wernher Von Braun tried it with his Saturn I rocket in the early 1960's his critics called it "Cluster's Last Stand". It was generally believed that when the Saturn I's clustered eight first stage engines fired, the vehicle would be blown to bits. Well, that didn't happen, and it didn't happen today. SpaceX successfully performed a static test firing of their Falcon Heavy rocket at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon on historic Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. And it wasn't eight engines like the Saturn I, it was a whopping 27 engines for the Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy first stage is comprised of three modified Falcon 9 first stage engines strapped together, each having 9 engines for a total of 27.

The rocket is the world's most powerful, capable of producing about 5.1 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. SpaceX is typically tight lipped regarding the results of tests like this one, but the company expressed optimism that with this test in the books, they are one major step forward toward the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy, now targeted for February, 2018. A firm launch date has yet to be announced, and there is a chance that SpaceX will perform another static test firing before launch, depending on whether or not enough data was achieved during today's test. The Falcon Heavy will officially be performing a test flight, but will be carrying a Tesla Roadster automobile on a deep space trajectory.

Atlas V Launch View From Launch Pad 41, Photo Courtesy United Launch Alliance

Atlas V Successfully Launches SBIRS GEO-4 Satellite

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully launched the Air Force SBIRS GEO-4 satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 41 at 7:48 p.m. EST tonight. Launch was delayed 24 hours while engineers troubleshooted a stuck liquid oxygen fill and drain valve located in ground support equipment. SBIRS GEO-4, short for Space Based Infra-Red System Geosynchronous Flight 4, is the fourth in a four-satellite SBIRS constellation positioned in geosynchronous orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth.

Atlas V Launch View From Launch Complex 41, Photo Courtesy United Launch Alliance

According to an Air Force publication, the SBIRS mission is "to provide global, persistent, infrared surveillance and environmental monitoring capabilities to our warfighters and the nation." The SBIRS GEO-4 satellite consists of multiple subsystems that allow the satellite to conduct its primary mission of global missile warning via infrared sensing. The satellite subsystems include communication, flight software, electrical power, structures and mechanisms, propulsion, command and data handling, thermal control and guidance, navigation and control.

Atlas V Launch View From Press Site, Photo Courtesy Liz Allen/Lloyd Behrendt, www.thespacecoast.net

Among the SBIRS GEO-4 "advertised" capabilities are the ability to provide faster and more accurate missile warning to the warfighter, detection of much dimmer events and shorter missile burns than previous missile warning satellites, enhanced point-of-origin determination and point-of-impact prediction as well as fulfilling multiple national defense requirements in a single satellite. The SBIRS GEO-4 satellite weighed about 10,000 pounds fully fueled at launch and has a design life of 12 years with 9.8 years average mission duration. The satellite's prime contractor is Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation.

Atlas V Viewed From Press Site, Photo Courtesy Liz Allen/Lloyd Behrendt

Atlas V SBIRS GEO-4 Launch Scrubbed

Launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Air Force SBIRS GEO-4 payload scheduled for this evening has been scrubbed. Late in the countdown, engineers discovered a potentially faulty stuck liquid oxygen fill and drain valve located in ground support equipment. There was reportedly nothing amiss on the rocket itself.

Atlas V Viewed From Launch Pad 41, Photo Courtesy United Launch Alliance

If the issue can be resolved fairly quickly, the launch may be rescheduled as early as Friday, January 19. Launch window on January 19 extends from 7:48 p.m. to 8:28 p.m. EST. Air Force meteorologists predict a 90% chance of favorable weather for a launch attempt on Friday. The rocket will launch the SBIRS GEO-4 (Space Based Infra-Red System Geosynchronous-4) satellite, the fourth in a four-satellite constellation designed to detect ballistic missile and rocket launches anywhere on the globe. Launch will be from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 41.

Falcon 9 Booster Lands At Landing Zone 1, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

More Mystery As ZUMA Payload Is Reported To Be Lost

There is now even more mystery surrounding the secret ZUMA payload launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 40 on January 7, 2018. A number of reliable news sources have reported that the payload was lost when it failed to separate from the Falcon 9 second stage and plunged back to Earth, according to anonymous sources. SpaceX has officially disputed this claim, stating that the Falcon 9 rocket performed nominally during its flight. So, if the payload has indeed failed, it would be a problem with the payload itself, not the Falcon 9 rocket. Northrup Grumman, who scheduled the ZUMA launch for an undisclosed U.S. Government customer, has declined comment because the payload and its mission are secret. We will have more on this story as new information becomes available.

Falcon 9 Launches With ZUMA Payload, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Successfully Launches Mysterious ZUMA Payload

The Cape's first rocket launch of 2018 is in the books. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the mysterious ZUMA payload at 8:00 p.m. EST tonight from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 40. Little is known about ZUMA, other than that its launch was scheduled by Northrup Grumman on behalf of an undisclosed U.S. government customer. Neither the National Reconnaissance Office nor any military branch has said that the ZUMA payload belongs to them. Ownership and purpose of the payload remains secret. Northrup Grumman has confirmed that the payload was launched to Low-Earth Orbit, primarily owning to the fact that the Falcon 9 first stage booster returned for a successful landing at the Cape's Landing Zone 1 about eight minutes after liftoff. The booster is typically recovered on land during missions to Low-Earth Orbit. During launches to Geostationary Transfer Orbit, the booster is typically recovered on a barge at sea. Although various theories about the purpose of the ZUMA payload abound, it is Spaceline policy not to speculate regarding secret payloads.

Falcon 9 First Stage Booster Lands At Landing Zone 1, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Trident II Launch From Submerged Submarine, File Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy

Navy Confirms No Eastern Range Trident II Launches In 2017

The Navy Office of Strategic Systems Programs has confirmed that there were no Eastern Range Trident II submerged submarine launches in 2017. This was only the third year since 1957 that the Navy has not launched test vehicles or missiles over the Atlantic Ocean. There were also no Eastern Range Trident II launches in 2008 and 2011. The first Cape launch of a Navy vehicle tied to the submarine-based missile effort, that of a Polaris Flight Test Vehicle (Polaris FTV), a modified X-17 research rocket, was conducted on April 13, 1957. The first launch of a missile from a submerged submarine was conducted over Atlantic waters from the USS George Washington on July 20, 1960. The first launch of a Trident II missile from a submerged submarine was conducted on March 21, 1989 from the USS Tennessee. That launch resulted in the infamous "pinwheel" failure, prompting a redesign of the missile's first stage steering system before launches resumed. The record for total number of Navy launches over the Eastern Range was 82, set in 1963.

Trident II Failure From USS Tennessee 3-21-1989, File Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy

First Missile Launch From A Submerged Submarine 7-20-1960, File Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy