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US Space Force has its First Launch Today; Delayed but Successful Launch [Updated]

posted by martyb on Thursday March 26 2020, @08:14PM   Printer-friendly
from the can-you-hear-me-now? dept.

[20200326_203138 UTC: Update: There was a delay due to hydraulic issues, but the launch was able to get reset and launched. The Centaur upper-stage rocket is proceeding on its way to GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) --martyb]

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

United Launch Alliance says its Atlas V rocket is ready to launch on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is set for 2:57pm (18:57 UTC) for the national security mission, which has a two-hour launch window. This is the first launch under the command of the newly constituted US Space Force.

For this mission, the Atlas V rocket will boost the sixth and final satellite in a constellation of military communications satellites in geostationary orbit. The "Advanced Extremely High Frequency" (AEHF) satellites are replacing the older Milstar communications system. The individual satellites cost $850 million each, and this AEHF-6 satellite to be launched Thursday was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. The previous five AEHF satellites launched on Atlas V rockets from 2010 to 2019.

[...] But at the US military's main spaceports in Florida, where the Atlas V rocket is due to launch, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, essential launch opportunities appear to be continuing, at least for now.

United Launch Alliance will provide a live webcast of the launch, beginning about 20 minutes before the opening of the launch window.

There is a hold on the launch at the moment: tweet

William Harwood @cbs_spacenews ยท 19m A5/AEHF-6: ULA's Tory Bruno says problem was a bad amplifier card in a ground system hydrauylic pump controller; "working on a solution;" 1h 9m left in launch window

[The engineering crew established a process to test the hydraulics issue and are now preparing for a new launch time.(from memory)

Video stream is showing T-4:00, but I just heard the LD (Launch Director) announce reset launch time to to 20:18.

All areas reported all systems go. Proceeding with the count. --martyb]

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 26 2020, @11:28PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 26 2020, @11:28PM (#976131)

    You're not the first to claim that their posts have been removed. Seems more likely there is a bug in the system, but perhaps you are targeted for low level harassment by an admin trying to get you to leave.

  • (Score: 2) by martyb on Saturday March 28 2020, @05:37PM

    by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Saturday March 28 2020, @05:37PM (#976682) Journal

    You're not the first to claim that their posts have been removed. Seems more likely there is a bug in the system, but perhaps you are targeted for low level harassment by an admin trying to get you to leave.

    Please see my reply [soylentnews.org] to the parent comment.

    --
    Wit is intellect, dancing.