Chinese Rocket Rolled Out To Launch Pad, As Taikonauts Arrive For Manned Mission
Chinese space workers finished rolling out the Long-March II-F rocket topped by a spaceship, moving the system onto the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Six taikonauts arrived at the center, of which three will ride the Shenzhou-7 spaceship into orbit in a launch planned for Thursday. Once in orbit, one of the taikonauts will conduct the first Chinese spacewalk.
This will be the third Chinese manned space mission, in a space program that NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has termed capable and something to be proud of, when he toured space program facilities two years ago.
SpaceX To Try Launching Falcon 1 Tomorrow To Thursday; NASA Hopes Company Succeeds In Bid To Reach Space
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, plans to launch its Falcon 1 rocket sometime between tomorrow and Thursday, California time, according to Elon Musk, SpaceX co- founder and CEO.
The rocket would lift off from Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.
If the rocket reaches orbit, it would mark a welcome shift from failure in the SpaceX quest to reach space. For example, on Aug. 2, a Falcon 1 failed to reach orbit because of a problem during separation. (Please see Space & Missile Defense Report, Monday, Aug. 4, 2008.)
Other failures have occurred for different reasons on March 20 last year and March 24, 2006.
NASA is hoping these failures, like those NASA suffered in its earliest days half a century ago, will lead to repeated successes to open a new era of commercial cargo hauling capabilities.
The U.S. space agency certainly could use that, because it is approaching a time when it will lose the ability to supply the International Space Station and must depend on others for space logistics missions.
NASA has supplied seed money, but not full capitalization and mission funding, to SpaceX in hopes that the firm will succeed as a private cargo lifter.
So SpaceX has much riding on the launch this week.
To be sure, Musk noted that some unforeseen problem might force a delay in the fourth Falcon 1 launch to next month.
“It is still possible that we encounter an issue that needs to be investigated, which would delay launch until the next available window in late October,” Musk wrote in an update Friday. “If preparations go smoothly, we will conduct a static fire on Saturday and launch sometime between Tuesday and Thursday (California time).”
In preparing for the fourth launch attempt, SpaceX has been mindful of the failure of the third attempt, in which the first stage burn went well, only to have a glitch at separation. Musk noted that SpaceX and outside veterans combed through data to see whether there might have been other, undetected problems in that Falcon 1 rocket.
“The SpaceX team worked hard to make this launch window, but we also took the time to review data from Flight 3 in detail,” Musk wrote. “In addition to us reviewing the data, we had several outside experts check the data and conclusions.”
But the examination revealed no shortcomings other than the separation anomaly detected earlier. ” No flight critical problems were found apart from the thrust transient issue,” Musk reported.
While the fourth Falcon 1 still is on the launch pad, preparations already are underway for the next three launch attempts, said Musk, who is a wealthy man thanks in large measure to his key role as a co-founder of PayPal.
“Flight 5 production is well underway with an expected January completion date, Flight 6 parts are on order and Flight 7 production will begin early next year,” he noted. “We are now in steady state production of Falcon 1 at a rate of one vehicle every four months, which we will probably step up to one vehicle every two to three months in 2010,” the year when President Bush has ordered the space shuttle fleet to stop flying.
Musk also is chairman and principal owner of Tesla Motors, developer of scorchingly fast luxury electric-powered cars.
JASSM Passes Test At White Sands
The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) passed a Product Upgrade Verification (PUV) flight test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] announced today.
JASSM navigated through a preplanned route and struck its intended target.
The PUV flight tests are designed to test new hardware. The primary objective was to demonstrate Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver performance in a jamming environment.
“This flight test successfully demonstrated the continued missile reliability and performance of JASSM’s anti-jam GPS,” said Randy Bigum, vice president of Strike Weapons at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “JASSM’s ability to function in a jamming environment is one of its major benefits to our warfighters.”
Earlier in the year, JASSM was successful in 14 of 16 flight tests conducted by the U.S. Air Force that verified the missile as a reliable weapon system, according to Lockheed.
JASSM is a critical weapon for the Air Force, with the seventh production lot under contract toward a total objective of 4,900 JASSM and JASSM-ER (Extended Range). The baseline JASSM is also produced for foreign military sale customers. JASSM is integrated on the B-1, B-2, B-52 and F-16 aircraft. Future platforms include the F-15E, F/A-18 and F-35.
A 2,000-pound class weapon with a penetrator/blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art infrared seeker in addition to the anti-jam GPS to find a specific aimpoint on the target. Its stealthy airframe makes it extremely difficult to defeat, according to the company.
Telesat Launches NIMIQ 4 Broadcast Satellite
Telsat Saturday launched the Nimiq 4 satellite, Loral Space & Communications Inc. [LORL] announced.
Telesat is 64 percent owned by Loral and the world’s fourth largest fixed satellite services operator.
Nimiq 4 is fully leased to Bell TV, and will enable Bell TV to expand its advanced digital satellite television services over Canada by offering more HDTV, specialty channels and foreign-language programming.
Nimiq 4 will enter into commercial service after it has successfully completed orbit raising and comprehensive in-orbit testing.
The satellite, which will be located at 82 degrees West, is equipped with 32 active high-power transponders in Ku-band and eight in Ka-band. It has a solar array span of 39 meters (128 feet), an expected 15-year mission life, and a launch mass of approximately 4850 kilograms (5.3 tons).
Sea Launch Posed For Wednesday Launch Of Intelsat Galaxy 19 Satellite
Sea Launch is poised to launch the Intelsat Galaxy 19 satellite on Wednesday, Sea Launch announced.
A 72-hour countdown is underway at the launch site.
All systems and personnel are ready for launch.
Weighing 4,690 kg (10,340 lbs), this high-powered C-band and Ku-band satellite will provide communications services to customers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands.
NASA’s Shuttle and Rocket Missions
Updated — September 11 – 11:50 a.m. EDT
Legend: + Targeted For | *No Earlier Than (Tentative) | **To Be Determined
2008 Launches
Date: October +
Mission: TacSat-3
Launch Vehicle: Orbital Sciences Minotaur Rocket
Launch Site: Wallops Flight Facility – Goddard Space Flight Center
Description: NASA will support the Air Force launch of the TacSat-3 satellite, managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate. TacSat-3 will demonstrate the capability to furnish real-time data to the combatant commander. NASA Ames will fly a microsat and NASA Wallops will fly the CubeSats on this flight in addition to providing the launch range.
Date: Oct. 5
Mission: IBEX
Launch Vehicle: Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL Rocket
Launch Site: Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll
Launch Window: 12:41 to 12:48 p.m. EDT
Description: IBEX’s science objective is to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium and will achieve this objective by taking a set of global energetic neutral atom images that will answer four fundamental science questions.
Date: Oct. 10 +
Mission: STS-125
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 12:43 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility
Landing Date and Time: Oct. 20 +
Description: Space Shuttle Atlantis will fly seven astronauts into space for the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. During the 11-day flight, the crew will repair and improve the observatory’s capabilities through 2013.
Date: Nov. 12 +
Mission: STS-126
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 8:43 p.m. EST
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility
Landing Date and Time: Nov. 27 +
Description: Space Shuttle Endeavour launching on assembly flight ULF2, will deliver a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to the International Space Station.
2009 Launches
Date: 2009
Mission: Ares I-X Test Flight
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39B
Description: The Ares I-X test flight is NASA’s first test flight for the Agency’s new Constellation launch vehicle — Ares I. The Ares I-X flight will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.
Date: Jan. 15
Mission: OCO
Launch Vehicle: Orbital Sciences Taurus Rocket
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base – Launch Pad SLC 576-E
Description: The Orbiting Carbon Observatory is a new Earth orbiting mission sponsored by NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program.
Date: Jan. 23 *
Mission: STSS Demonstrators Program – Missile Defense Agency
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – Launch Complex 17, Pad A
Description: STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors and interceptors. To be launched by NASA for the Missile Defense Agency.
Date: Feb. 4
Mission: NOAA-N Prime
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base – Launch Pad SLC-2
Description: NOAA-N Prime is the latest polar-orbiting satellite developed by NASA/Goddard Spaceflight Center for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA uses two satellites, a morning and afternoon satellite, to ensure every part of the Earth is observed at least twice every 12 hours. NOAA-N will collect information about Earth’s atmosphere and environment to improve weather prediction and climate research across the globe.
Date: Feb. 10 *
Mission: GOES-O
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta IV
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – Launch Complex 37
Description: NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are actively engaged in a cooperative program, the multi-mission Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite series N-P. This series will be a vital contributor to weather, solar and space operations, and science.
Date: Feb. 12 +
Mission: STS-119
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Discovery launching on assembly flight 15A, will deliver the fourth starboard truss segment to the International Space Station.
Date: March 2 *
Mission: LRO/LCROSS
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – Launch Complex 41
Description: LRO will launch with the objectives to finding safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment and test new technology. The Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite mission is seeking a definitive answer about the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at either the Moon’s North or South Pole.
Date: April 10
Mission: Kepler
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – Launch Complex 17 – Pad 17-B
Description: The Kepler Mission, a NASA Discovery mission, is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to detect and characterize hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone.
Date: April 30
Mission: STSS ATRR – Missile Defense Agency
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base – Launch Pad SLC-2
Description: STSS ATRR serves as a pathfinder for future launch and mission technology for the Missile Defense Agency. To be launched by NASA for the MDA.
Date: May 15 +
Mission: STS-127
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the exposed facility of Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station.
Date: June 15
Mission: Glory
Launch Vehicle: Orbital Sciences Taurus Rocket
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base – Launch Pad SLC 576-E
Description: The Glory Mission will help increase our understanding of the Earth’s energy balance by collecting data on the properties of aerosols and black carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere and how the Sun’s irradiance affects the Earth’s climate.
Date: July 30 +
Mission: STS-128
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Atlantis will use a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to carry experiment and storage racks to the International Space Station.
Date: Sept. 15 *
Mission: Mars Science Laboratory
Description: The Mars Science Laboratory is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life and to determine the planet’s habitability.
Date: Oct. 15 +
Mission: STS-129
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Discovery will deliver components including two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly and a spare latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm to the International Space Station.
Date: November +
Mission: WISE
Description: The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) will survey the entire sky in the mid-infrared with far greater sensitivity than any previous mission or program ever has. The WISE survey will consist of over a million images, from which hundreds of millions of astronomical objects will be catalogued.
Date: Dec. 10 +
Mission: STS-130
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the final connecting node, Node 3, and the Cupola, a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center that provides a 360-degree view around the International Space Station.
2010 Launches
Date: < 26 Jan.>
Mission: SDO
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – Launch Complex 41
Description: The first Space Weather Research Network mission in the Living With a Star (LWS) Program of NASA.
Date: Feb. 11 +
Mission: STS-131
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Atlantis
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Atlantis will carry a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with science racks that will be transferred to laboratories of the International Space Station.
Date: April 8 +
Mission: STS-132
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Discovery mission will carry an integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly hardware, including spare parts for space station systems. In addition, the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, a Mini Research Module, will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the Zarya module.
Date: May 31 +
Mission: STS-133
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Description: Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver critical spare components including antennas and gas tanks to the International Space Station.
For NASA’s Space Shuttle Flights and International Space Station Assembly Sequence, visit:
� Shuttle Consolidated Launch Manifest
Source: NASA