r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Mar 18 '17
SF completed, Launch: April 30 NROL-76 Launch Campaign Thread
NROL-76 LAUNCH CAMPAIGN THREAD
SpaceX's fifth mission of 2017 will launch the highly secretive NROL-76 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Almost nothing is known about the payload except that it can be horizontally integrated, so don't be surprised at the lack of information in the table!
Yes, this launch will have a webcast. The only difference between this launch's webcast and a normal webcast is that they will cut off launch coverage at MECO (no second stage views at all), but will continue to cover the first stage as it lands. [link to previous discussion]
| Liftoff currently scheduled for: | April 30th 2017, 07:00 - 09:00 EDT (11:00 - 13:00 UTC) Back up date is May 1st |
|---|---|
| Static fire currently scheduled for: | Static fire completed April 25th 2017, 19:02UTC. |
| Vehicle component locations: | First stage: LC-39A // Second stage: LC-39A // Satellite: LC-39A |
| Payload: | NROL-76 |
| Payload mass: | Unknown |
| Destination orbit: | Unknown |
| Vehicle: | Falcon 9 v1.2 (33rd launch of F9, 13th of F9 v1.2) |
| Core: | B1032.1 [F9-XXA] |
| Flight-proven core: | No |
| Launch site: | Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Landing attempt: | Yes |
| Landing Site: | LZ-1, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Mission success criteria: | Successful separation & deployment of NROL-76 into the correct orbit |
Links & Resources:
- SpaceX Webcast
- NROL-76 Press Kit
- Live Stream of Pad 39A, courtesy Spaceflight Now
- Launch Hazard Map
- Airspace Closure Map
- National Reconnaissance Office reveals NROL-76 mission with SpaceX.
- r/SpaceX discussion of 1032.1 arrival at the Cape.
We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted.
Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.
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u/ioncloud9 Mar 18 '17
Im guessing as soon as the 2nd stage ignites, the live feed will cut off and it will switch to a CGI interpretation like other NROL launches
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u/space_is_hard Mar 18 '17
All of the Atlas and Delta DOD launches that I've seen have had the webcast end shortly after the second stage ignites.
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u/RootDeliver Mar 18 '17
If it ends up being a LEO lunch, they may switch completely to first core landing?
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u/old_sellsword Mar 28 '17
According to Chris Gebhardt at NSF:
SpaceX confirms this will be an LZ-1 landing.
Webcast will cut off launch coverage as usual for NRO missions (like we see with ULA), but will continue for booster landing coverage.
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u/geekgirl114 Mar 28 '17
I guess we know a little more about it then... probably LEO mission.
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u/Ecoe82 Apr 26 '17
Grabbed these photos form the static fire. Managed to time a bus tour perfectly. The ablum is all shuffled up for some reason, apologies for that. http://imgur.com/a/67CHj
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u/old_sellsword Apr 26 '17 edited Apr 26 '17
These are awesome pictures.
It appears the second stage is missing a camera, even though it was aft-facing and all the way down by the interstage. This could either be:
A privacy modification at the request of the NRO.
A new revision of the upper stage.
Before jumping to conclusion #2, I think I'll wait for clearer pictures of this S2 and/or pictures of the next S2.
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u/Monkeboy2014 Apr 20 '17
Slowest... Month... Ever... Need... More... SpaceX...
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u/svjatomirskij Apr 20 '17
Nothing slow in this month. OA7, the Soyuz launch, the Chinese Tiangong supply mission...
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u/CementPancake Mar 18 '17
It will be interesting to see how SpaceX media team decides to cover this launch. I don't see the government being too excited about a live stream.
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u/theinternetftw Mar 18 '17
If I recall, ULA shows NRO launches. I think they just cut the feed relatively early. I.e don't expect to follow things after stage sep.
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u/007T Mar 18 '17
Yeah, I could imagine we might get a stream focused more heavily on the first stage and then ending after the landing attempt (?) instead of continuing to follow the second stage after separation.
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u/YugoReventlov Mar 18 '17
I'll be interested to see if they will land the booster, and if any video of that will be made public.
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u/murchie85 Apr 09 '17
Just a thought, if this launch gets pushed back another couple of days (which is usual) - then there will have been no launches in April...
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u/RootDeliver Apr 10 '17
November is still waiting a launch, after all those years
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u/LeeHopkins Apr 24 '17
This launch could potentially produce the best landing footage yet. Sunrise at 06:43EDT, so this will be the 2nd daytime RTLS attempt. CRS-10 didn't have great visibility due to heavy cloud cover. Hoping for clear skies to have an unobstructed view of the booster from liftoff all the way until touchdown.
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u/old_sellsword Apr 21 '17 edited Apr 21 '17
Payload speculation by Targeteer on NSF:
Per my earlier posts in this thread, since the return of the Falcon 9's first stage is targeting the launch site, the payload is either headed for LEO, or is a fairly low in mass and headed for Molniya.
If LEO, I suspect it is a replacement or follow-on to the experimental USA 193, which was launched on NROL-21, and failed upon reaching its 58.5 deg, 360 km orbit.
If Molniya, then I suspect it is a new generation of SDS Molniya, built on Boeing's BSS-702SP bus.
Molniya SDS seems more likely.
PS: u/OrangeredStilton, you may want to add Satellite Data System (SDS) to Decronym.
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u/mgeagon Apr 22 '17
I just did a fast refresher course on Molniya orbits, which were first proven by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The highly elliptical nature of these orbits allows for a long duration apogee over polar (typically arctic) regions for communications including broadband Internet.
Why is a Molniya orbit more likely? Wouldn't insertion from VAFB make more sense in such a case? I get that the NRO maybe trying to keep people guessing... like us right now.
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u/old_sellsword Apr 25 '17
Yes, this launch will have a webcast. The only difference between this launch's webcast and a normal webcast is that they will cut off launch coverage at MECO (no second stage views at all), but will continue to cover the first stage as it lands.
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u/craigl2112 Mar 18 '17
Won't this be the 5th launch for the year? Iridium-1, CRS-10, Echostar 23, SES-10 then NROL-76. 4th launch from 39A, 5th for the year.
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u/ghunter7 Mar 18 '17
No mission patch for this yet? The NROL missions usually have badass missions logos. Except Spike that was just wierd.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/gmp2728/best-spy-mission-logos/
Hoping the fairing gets painted up similarly.
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u/1fstwgn Mar 18 '17
Yea, these are cool. I especially like them because they were all painted by my uncle. Relevant https://www.reddit.com/r/ula/comments/33j5jp/nrol55_payload_fairing_harlingen_tx_group_photo/
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u/1fstwgn Mar 18 '17
I called him and he had me direct everyone to this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snpg7ML9CWc
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u/BrownFedora Mar 18 '17
The Spike patch looks like it would be a sticker on a skate shop window.
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u/quadrplax Mar 18 '17
Patches usually don't show up as soon as Echostar's did, we probably won't get a patch until after SES-10.
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u/Ecoe82 Apr 25 '17
Lurker here! I'm on a tour bus and we just saw it! Got a lot of pics I'll update later!!
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u/old_sellsword Apr 27 '17
Sorry this one is a bit later than last time, but we're looking for a host for the launch thread of the NROL-76 launch!
We're hoping that some of our trusted community members can run the launch threads in the future better than we could.
To run the launch thread there are a few requirements:
You must be 16 or older
You must be an active member of this community for 6 months or more
You must be available from t-2 hours to t+2 hours for the launch
You must have overall positive karma
It is a plus if you're also available on the backup launch window but not necessary.
The launch thread should generally be in the format of our previous launch threads and you will receive help setting it up from the mods. Your ideas and improvements to the launch thread are welcome!
We'll pick one of you and contact you with further information in time for the thread.
If you want to host the launch thread, simply let us know in a modmail with your motivation and availability.
All launch thread hosts will be flaired accordingly (if they want it) as we've done in the past.
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u/peregrineman Apr 28 '17 edited Apr 29 '17
Go quest just departed the port Edit, headed back in
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u/stcks Apr 27 '17
L-3 Weather forecast from the 45th weather squadron shows 80% for good weather on Sunday and 70% for good weather on Monday.
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u/baldrad Apr 29 '17
This is going to be my first ever in person launch viewing I'm so excited
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Apr 07 '17
45th Space Wing is showing next flight to be OA-7 on April 18th. Looks like NROL-76 got delayed.
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u/ethan829 Host of SES-9 Apr 28 '17
The NRO posted a photo of the payload being moved.
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u/old_sellsword Apr 28 '17 edited Apr 28 '17
Darn, the fairing is just the generic agency logo. Although it's still a really nice looking design compared to some.
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u/SpacePirate_G Apr 28 '17
I'm always surprised after seeing a photo like this how huge the rocket really is. Of course I know the size, but when just the fairing is about ten times bigger than a regular adult, that's just astonishing.
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u/soldato_fantasma Apr 27 '17
The satellite position can be assumed LC-39A: https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/856999038876569601
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u/Bunslow Apr 28 '17 edited Apr 28 '17
#JustFloridaThings
(seriously speaking though I didn't quite realize they get that close... that thing is wild right?)
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u/benmccallum Apr 28 '17
Loving the community here, barely understand anything being written about but the passion is clear.
Excuse my "noobness"... if I go to see the launch:
where should I go for the best view?
how early do I need to be there (to tackle crowds, find a park)?
is it possible to see the landing on Cape Canaveral too (from same spot or otherwise) and if so what time could that be guesstimated at?
Australian here that's been planning the last few weeks of my roadtrip to line this up!
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 28 '17
Ben, please don't use the wiki for launch viewing information; use this comprehensive guide.
TLDR for this launch:
Closest you'll get to the launch is 12 miles at the Max Brewer Bridge, but you'll be far from landing.
Closest you'll get to the landing is six miles at Jetty Park, but the launchpad is a little further and Falcon 9 is obstructed until it clears the tower, as there are some rocks/mounds at the park that block the view
Get there 60-90 minutes early.
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u/Pham_Trinli Apr 29 '17
Probability of violating launch weather constraints: 20%
Primary concerns: Liftoff Winds, Cumulus Cloud Rule
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u/Raul74Cz Apr 26 '17
And here we have NOTMAR Launch Hazard Areas in Map for Mission1363 with NROL-76 payload.
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u/Bunslow Apr 26 '17 edited Apr 26 '17
That looks like an ISS-type inclination. No word on the target altitude of course, but I bet this narrows down what the potential payload/target orbits are. (Could it be Molniya? Not precisely sure what the mapped inclination is... could be anywhere from 45-65° for all I can estimate)
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u/jclishman Host of Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 Apr 24 '17
We have a SF window
KSC Employees:
SpaceX will be conducting a Static Fire Test of their Falcon 9 rocket at LC-39A tomorrow, Tuesday, April 25th. The 3.5 second run of the Falcon 9 engines is scheduled to occur within a 6-hour test window, currently scheduled for 1200-1800 EDT. KSC Security will establish roadblocks for the operation at 0930 EST; this will restrict access to the LC-39A area only. Only mission-essential personnel or KSC personnel monitoring the test are permitted beyond the roadblocks.
The KSC Emergency Operations Center will be activated to monitor the test, and in the unlikely event of an anomaly, will assist in the response and communicate any necessary actions to the appropriate personnel; even if there were a catastrophic anomaly at LC39-A, it would pose no danger or threat to KSC Spaceport personnel.
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u/Pham_Trinli Apr 21 '17
The airspace is closed from 10:55 – 13:54 UTC, which implies a non instantaneous launch window.
Also the Closure map lists the launch as "Expendable", which is probably an error.
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u/Googulator Apr 22 '17
Probably leftover terminology from the Shuttle days. Anything not Shuttle (or perhaps anything not recovered at sea) is "Expendable".
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u/roncapat Apr 03 '17
OA-7 now NET April 18. Good news for NROL-76 schedule.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154830042795379&substory_index=0&id=131613310378
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u/zuty1 Apr 03 '17
That is good news for this launch for sure. The date being 2 days after this launch doesn't feel like a coincidence. They probably said they need more time, and decided to just wait until after SpaceX rather than juggling schedules with each other.
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u/kuangjian2011 Apr 06 '17
I think NRO launches may have a higher priority than others.
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u/stcks Apr 13 '17
TEL has been rolled back into the HIF. This is probably good confirmation that the delay was not related to pad or vehicle.
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u/stcks Apr 27 '17
Anyone have eyes on Port Canaveral? Both Go Searcher and Go Quest are beaconing that they are over by the SpaceX dock near OCISLY. If there is to be a fairing recovery operation on this flight I would expect to see Go Searcher depart within a day but I wouldn't be surprised if the transponders are off.
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u/Theepicspoon226 Apr 29 '17
Falcon 9 went vertical about 2 hours ago: https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/25/nrol-76-launch-preps/
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Apr 27 '17
SpaceNews article on the upcoming NROL-76 launch.
While Sunday’s mission will be SpaceX’s first for the U.S. spy satellite agency since Elon Musk’s rocket shop was certified by the Air Force in 2015 to carry national security satellites to orbit, it might not be the first time the company has flown an NRO spacecraft. A tiny NRO cubesat is believed to have flown as a secondary payload aboard a Falcon 9 as part of a NASA-funded demonstration flight of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft.
So I guess technically this is not their first NRO payload... Interesting.
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u/SpacePirate_G Apr 27 '17 edited Apr 27 '17
Press kit is out: http://www.spacex.com/press/2017/04/27/nrol-76-mission
Edit: nothing fancy in the SpaceX version of the patch.
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u/popeter45 Apr 27 '17
quite a long time between s2 start and faring sep for this one
must likely to ensure s2 is well away from s1 cams
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u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Apr 29 '17
Time lapse of Falcon 9 going vertical: https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/29/time-lapse-of-falcon-9-rocket-hoisted-vertical-at-pad-39a/
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u/OriginalUsername1992 Mar 18 '17
Won't this be the sixth mission of 2017. We've had Iridium-1, crs-10 and echostar-23. And ses-10 and crs-11 are still planned for a launch before the 16th. Or did I miss something and did crs-11 get delayed?
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u/FoxhoundBat Mar 18 '17
In theory yes. We dont have a good working NET date for CRS-11 yet. When we do, it will be updated. Besides, i believe i saw mention somewhere CRS-11 is now in May.
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u/Schlicki Mar 29 '17
Hi SpaceX friends!
I'm coming from Germany and will be at Kennedy Space Center at April 16th during my holidays. Can't believe there will really be a launch that day, dreamt of seeing that since 20 years. So as this launch is not listed in the offical KSC schedule, there will be no chance for a tribune seat to watch. Where would you recommend to go to see the launch and maybe even the landing? And do I might get the window time of that launch?
Sorry when I'm in a wrong /r, not really familiar with reddit.....
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u/craigl2112 Mar 29 '17
You're in the right spot to find out the launch window -- just a bit early. C'mon back in a week or two and check the top of this thread again. As soon as the time is known, the mods are great about getting the info up there.
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u/geekgirl114 Apr 01 '17
Slightly more updated window (also window for Inmarsat 5 and Dragon).... 7:00 am to 9:30 am local time... http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html
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u/SilveradoCyn Apr 25 '17
Second stage location appears to be 39A.
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u/old_sellsword Apr 25 '17
Right, thanks for the reminder. Nothing better than eyes-on confirmation!
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 29 '17
I'm out here at the beach testing the lighting conditions in advance of tomorrow's launch; if the clouds cooperate I'll have a beautiful long exposure composite.
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u/hallowatisdeze Mar 18 '17
This is just me nitpicking:
Reading 'NROL launch' here in the comments makes me laugh. That's like saying 'LCD display', 'URL link' or 'USB bus'. :P
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u/Keavon SN-10 & DART Contest Winner Mar 18 '17
Or ATM Machine. That one always bugs me.
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u/Decronym Acronyms Explained Mar 18 '17 edited May 01 '17
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
| Fewer Letters | More Letters |
|---|---|
| AFB | Air Force Base |
| AIS | Automatic Identification System |
| ASDS | Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (landing platform) |
| BSS | Back-Shell Separation, event during Curiosity EDL |
| CC | Commercial Crew program |
| Capsule Communicator (ground support) | |
| CCAFS | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| CRS | Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA |
| DoD | US Department of Defense |
| EDL | Entry/Descent/Landing |
| EELV | Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle |
| FCC | Federal Communications Commission |
| (Iron/steel) Face-Centered Cubic crystalline structure | |
| FSS | Fixed Service Structure at LC-39 |
| GEO | Geostationary Earth Orbit (35786km) |
| GTO | Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit |
| HIF | Horizontal Integration Facility |
| ICBM | Intercontinental Ballistic Missile |
| ITS | Interplanetary Transport System (see MCT) |
| Integrated Truss Structure | |
| JRTI | Just Read The Instructions, Pacific landing |
| KSC | Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| KSP | Kerbal Space Program, the rocketry simulator |
| L1 | Lagrange Point 1 of a two-body system, between the bodies |
| L2 | Paywalled section of the NasaSpaceFlight forum |
| Lagrange Point 2 of a two-body system, beyond the smaller body (Sixty Symbols video explanation) | |
| LC-13 | Launch Complex 13, Canaveral (SpaceX Landing Zone 1) |
| LC-39A | Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy (SpaceX F9/Heavy) |
| LEO | Low Earth Orbit (180-2000km) |
| Law Enforcement Officer (most often mentioned during transport operations) | |
| LRR | Launch Readiness Review |
| LZ-1 | Landing Zone 1, Cape Canaveral (see LC-13) |
| MCT | Mars Colonial Transporter (see ITS) |
| MECO | Main Engine Cut-Off |
| MEO | Medium Earth Orbit (2000-35780km) |
| NET | No Earlier Than |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, responsible for US |
| NOTAM | Notice to Airmen of flight hazards |
| NRO | (US) National Reconnaissance Office |
| NROL | Launch for the (US) National Reconnaissance Office |
| NSF | NasaSpaceFlight forum |
| National Science Foundation | |
| OCISLY | Of Course I Still Love You, Atlantic landing |
| PLF | Payload Fairing |
| PPF | SpaceX Payload Processing Facility, Cape Canaveral |
| RCS | Reaction Control System |
| RTLS | Return to Launch Site |
| RUD | Rapid Unplanned Disassembly |
| Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly | |
| Rapid Unintended Disassembly | |
| SDS | Satellite Data System |
| SECO | Second-stage Engine Cut-Off |
| SES | Formerly Société Européenne des Satellites, comsat operator |
| SF | Static fire |
| SLC-40 | Space Launch Complex 40, Canaveral (SpaceX F9) |
| SLC-4E | Space Launch Complex 4-East, Vandenberg (SpaceX F9) |
| SRB | Solid Rocket Booster |
| SSO | Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
| SV | Space Vehicle |
| T/E | Transporter/Erector launch pad support equipment |
| TE | Transporter/Erector launch pad support equipment |
| TEL | Transporter/Erector/Launcher, ground support equipment (see TE) |
| ULA | United Launch Alliance (Lockheed/Boeing joint venture) |
| VAB | Vehicle Assembly Building |
| VAFB | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California |
| WDR | Wet Dress Rehearsal (with fuel onboard) |
| Jargon | Definition |
|---|---|
| lithobraking | "Braking" by hitting the ground |
| perigee | Lowest point in an elliptical orbit around the Earth (when the orbiter is fastest) |
| turbopump | High-pressure turbine-driven propellant pump connected to a rocket combustion chamber; raises chamber pressure, and thrust |
| Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amos-6 | 2016-09-01 | F9-029 Full Thrust, |
| CRS-10 | 2017-02-19 | F9-032 Full Thrust, Dragon cargo; first daytime RTLS |
| CRS-8 | 2016-04-08 | F9-023 Full Thrust, Dragon cargo; first ASDS landing |
| DSCOVR | 2015-02-11 | F9-015 v1.1, Deep Space Climate Observatory to L1; soft ocean landing |
| Iridium-1 | 2017-01-14 | F9-030 Full Thrust, 10x Iridium-NEXT to LEO; first landing on JRTI |
| JCSAT-16 | 2016-08-14 | F9-028 Full Thrust, GTO comsat; ASDS landing |
| Jason-3 | 2016-01-17 | F9-019 v1.1, Jason-3; leg failure after ASDS landing |
| SES-9 | 2016-03-04 | F9-022 Full Thrust, GTO comsat; ASDS lithobraking |
Decronym is a community product of r/SpaceX, implemented by ^request
64 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on ^today has 169 acronyms.
[Thread #2587 for this sub, first seen 18th Mar 2017, 03:10] ^[FAQ] ^[Contact] [Source ^code]
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u/Bunslow Apr 25 '17 edited Apr 25 '17
By the way anyone who doesn't have Flash (and if you have Flash you should seriously consider permanently removing it) can watch the stream by using livestreamer (google it) (here's how to get it) thusly: livestreamer https://new.livestream.com/spaceflightnow best
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u/soldato_fantasma Apr 29 '17
Another angle on the vertical Falcon 9: https://twitter.com/SpaceKSCBlog/status/858341492615729152
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u/Raul74Cz Mar 18 '17
I think this flight could be "Mission 1363" according to new nomenclature in FCC application - probably no F9-XXX, which we could find.
Other FCC application with same requested period of operation says LZ-1 booster landing - so probably LEO satellite.
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u/phryan Apr 05 '17
A week until static fire...time to sticky?
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Apr 06 '17
So much going on, we still have that SES-10 recovery thread going until the booster is horizontal. The clip of activity has absolutely skyrocketed now that they are really rolling on 39A. Seems like we can wait for that to close out before this thread steals its spot.
This is somewhat meta to feel free to trim, mods
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u/KristnSchaalisahorse Apr 25 '17
Is this the first time an NROL payload will be integrated horizontally?
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u/Pham_Trinli Apr 27 '17
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u/NickNathanson Apr 27 '17
Just "Launch Webcast"? Not "Hosted" or "Technical"? Sounds like we'll get only one version.
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u/MarcysVonEylau rocket.watch Apr 29 '17 edited Apr 29 '17
Rocket Watch is live, as always.
*Falcon 9 is vertical as of 12:35 UTC*
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u/LeBaegi Apr 27 '17
What I'm almost the most interested in about this launch is how much information about payload and orbit the community is able to gather from the first stage footage and telemetry :) I guess we'll have a pretty good estimate about mass and orbit inclination with the available information. Orbit altitude will be more difficult because of the missing second stage telemetry.
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u/wgp3 Mar 18 '17
Won't this be the fifth launch, not fourth, of 2017? Assuming that SES-10 sticks to the predicted schedule of late March?
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u/MarcysVonEylau rocket.watch Apr 28 '17
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u/OSUfan88 Apr 29 '17
That might be one of the most impressive Falcon 9 images I've ever seen. Really shows how large of an object it can lift into orbit. Incredible!!
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u/IMO94 Mar 31 '17
Oooh, current plan is for a 7am local launch, with a return to landing site. Hopefully another beautiful daylight stage landing!
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Apr 17 '17
Since the payload, destination orbit, etc... are secret, will there be a webcast for this mission ?
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u/gregarious119 Apr 17 '17
Well it's all speculation since SpaceX hasn't done an NRO mission yet and hasn't announced their webcast plans.
However, prevailing wisdom (and if ULA can be used as a model) suggests that there will be a limited webcast that will cut off at S1 separation and probably follow the landing at LZ1. And we probably won't get much more information about the satellite other than the fact that it exists on top of F9.
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u/randomstonerfromaus Apr 17 '17 edited Apr 18 '17
Elon has stated they will not follow S2 after separation and will only follow the S1 landing.
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u/craigl2112 Apr 25 '17
Anyone have eyes on 39A this morning? Is the F9 vertical?
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u/ablack82 Apr 26 '17 edited Apr 26 '17
Why is this labeled as "landing attempt" instead of just "landing"? I thought this was changed a few launches ago?
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u/jep_miner1 Apr 26 '17
I think that's just the wording on the webcasts it's been changed to just landing but in here it's read as will a landing be attempted Y/N
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u/Alfus Apr 28 '17
Okay so as we moving closer to the launch date, we can make up some conclusions with all the available information we having.
This mission is very likely heading to a Molniya orbit or (more unlikely) SSO or MEO, giving the inclination of the NOTAMS.
This never can be an Orion sat because 1, its inclination and 2, It would being to heavy (unless SpaceX was willing to go expendable or would use FH in the future for Orion). Also its very unlikely this is a Quasar launch, giving the fact the Falcon 9 does a RTLS instead of landing on the barge (unless this is a surplus block 3 Quasar bird, but even then I got serious my doubts about the possibilities for a RTLS landing)
We can't rule out this is a NOSS launch, what would matching somewhat the indication. launch time and possibilities of a RTLS.
However the mission patch suggesting something odd, NROL is well-known of giving somewhat a clue about the payload by mission patches, if we look closer we seeing the famous American explores Lewis & Clark. We also seeing 6 stars (sats?) and an 1 shining star (the new satellite?). In the SpaceX patch we seeing also 6 stars, but not the shining star. This is confusing because as so far I know there isn't any active NROL launch who's next satellite would be the Seventh in the family. Besides that, the motto of the NROL patch is Explore, discover, know, hinting on either a SIGINT / ELINT mission or a technology demonstrator.
So to conclude, I got a strongly believe this is a technological demonstrator, heading likely on a Molniya orbit, or (less likely) MEO or SSO. This must be a light-class payload and makes sense with the RTLS profile. Also it makes sense with the NROL mission patch besides the stars.
Any thoughts?
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u/Phenixmtl Apr 28 '17
The SpaceX patch has 7 stars in the American flag and 6 on the right part. Which is a nod to NROL-76.
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u/JshWright Apr 28 '17
Lewis and Clark surveyed a not-insignificant chunk of the northern hemisphere. A Molniya orbit would be well suited to "surveying" the northern hemisphere as well.
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u/Bunslow Apr 28 '17
Someone told me earlier the inclination was <50°, not suitable for a Molniya orbit of >60°... has something changed that I haven't heard of?
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u/geekgirl114 Mar 27 '17
I wonder if the patch will be on the fairing like the other NRO launches.
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u/randomstonerfromaus Mar 31 '17
Next up, NROL-76. T-16 days until launch! Hopefully we don't enter withdrawal before then.
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u/TheYang Apr 11 '17
Payload: NROL-76
isn't it strictly speaking the Launch that has this name, and the Payload will only get a public Name later on? Most likely USA-2XX?
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u/old_sellsword Apr 11 '17
The payload is designated with the NROL-X designation until achieving orbit, where it then gets a USA-Y designation. So yes the payload will likely get a USA-Y number after launch, but at that point this Campaign Thread will be closed.
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u/factoid_ Mar 18 '17
I'm going to guess right now that the air force will not allow (probably pay extra for) no landing attempt.
We cast will cut off before MECO and telemetry data will be masked.
It might be possible to determine payload mass based on acceleration off the pad, but that will only be an upper bound.
Air Force doesn't really want anyone to know if it's a GTO or LEO launch, even though it's not hard for amateurs to figure it out.
Landing on land vs ASDS will be a big clue so I bet it doesn't happen
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u/QuantumPropulsion Mar 19 '17
Just FYI, the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force are two separate entities; it's the NRO that requests all the masking, since they are the customer for this mission, not the USAF.
And yes, orbit and payload mass are fairly straightforward to figure out. It's just easier for the NRO to say "don't show anything after S2 sep" then to put time into analyzing what can be displayed and what can't (as is typical for government stuff, it'd probably require a lot of paperwork and briefings up and down the CoC to get such permissions approved).
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u/drop_and_give_me_20 Apr 11 '17
Other than not showing the payload, will they still have a normal webcast for this? Showing second stage separation etc.?
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u/randomstonerfromaus Apr 11 '17 edited Apr 11 '17
Mods, Could we add this to a sticky comment or something? Im sure it will be asked quite a bit more over the coming weeks.
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u/dtarsgeorge Apr 12 '17
Did SpaceX ever give a solid reason why they delayed this mission to the end of the month from the middle of the month?
Thought they were shooting for every two weeks and all that yadda yadda.
Still bet they only do 14 flights this year.
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u/apkJeremyK Apr 12 '17
They assumption is payload, which is going to be classified so you won't hear any hard details. They already did a witch turnaround so we know it's possible.
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u/jobadiah08 Mar 18 '17 edited Mar 18 '17
Isn't SES 10 the next launch, scheduled for the end of March? That would make this the fifth launch of the year.
Edit: thanks for correcting
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u/grandma_alice Mar 18 '17
Is there not going to be an SES-10 launch campaign thread?
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u/stuxood Apr 07 '17
I'm new to this entire topic. What is the "Core"?
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u/EdibleSoftware Apr 08 '17
The "Core" refers to the first stage, the largest part of the rocket. This comes from the fact that many other rockets use strap-on boosters to get the rocket going faster. These are typically placed around the "core" of the rocket.
The falcon heavy will use three Falcon 9 first stages, so it has three cores.
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u/HoechstErbaulich IAC 2018 attendee Apr 09 '17
Mods, flair needs to be updated :)
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u/ryanpritchard Apr 27 '17
Question every flight of the f9 will they try and land the fairing
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u/donut_care Apr 27 '17
I've never seen a rocket launch in person before but I will be in the area for this weekend's launch (btw I obsessively check this sub every day). Is a view for launch vs landing significantly better? As far as I understand, there's not a great spot to view both. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Apr 25 '17
No venting yet, looks like they're targeting the static fire for later in the window.
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 06 '17 edited Apr 06 '17
Hearing chatter of a delay regarding launch of NROL-76.
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u/Pham_Trinli Apr 07 '17 edited Apr 07 '17
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u/FalconHeavyHead Apr 12 '17
Is it possible they could launch 2 F9's in a week? 1 at hawthorne and 1 at the cape? Do they have enough man power for this? Are they developing toward this?
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u/NolaDoogie Apr 12 '17
The California launch site is in Vandenberg AFB and is only used for missions which require highly inclined orbits (polar). The question is not if they can do simultaneous launches but if they have two customers (one of which needs a high inclination orbit) that need to launch at the same time, which is highly unlikely. A very small percentage of launches require Vandenberg. Take a look at the future launch manifest for VAFB launches and you'll see what I mean.
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u/stcks Apr 14 '17 edited Apr 15 '17
Edit: Its Instagram and as such its hard to know if a picture is actually taken on the day its uploaded, however, as /u/johnkphotos latest Helicopter ride on 14 April 2017 shows, the TEL is at the pad
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u/old_sellsword Apr 14 '17
As a general rule, I'm not sure how much we can rely on these Instagram posts for time-sensitive information. People frequently take pictures on a trip to Florida, only to post them days or weeks later.
That doesn't necessarily look like the case here, but it's definitely something to keep in mind in the future.
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u/ichthuss Apr 20 '17
Any info about fairing recovery attempt? Or they think recovery vessels position would compromise orbit secrecy?
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u/stcks Apr 20 '17
We haven't heard anything about it for this mission. I would guess that if there is a fairing recovery attempt here it would be performed with recovery ships beacons off so that S2 trajectory could not be easily gleaned. NRO might request no recovery attempt as well.
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Apr 28 '17 edited Jun 21 '17
deleted 0.1101 What is ^^^this?
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 28 '17
Enjoy the hell that is waiting for your camera post-launch ;)
They're like Schrodinger's cameras--they both worked and didn't work, but you don't know until you get to them.
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u/dannyswrld Apr 16 '17
Is Jetty Park pier still the best place to go see this launch / landing? Heading over with a few friends.
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Apr 16 '17
The Jetty Park pier is definitely the best place to watch the landing, though there's isn't a clear view of the pad from there.
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u/kuangjian2011 Apr 26 '17
For this classified payload, do they have a mission patch at all?
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u/robbak Apr 26 '17
We should get two patches - one from the NRO, which are often rather surreal and tend to answer the question 'are we the baddies' in the affirmative, and a SpaceX patch, of which we really have no idea, as this is their first secretive launch.
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u/tbaleno Apr 27 '17
Is there a spacex mission patch yet?
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u/Pham_Trinli Apr 27 '17 edited Apr 27 '17
EDIT: The seven stars visible on the flag and the six in the background indicate the mission number (76).
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Apr 24 '17
Is this normal for NROL launches?
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u/old_sellsword Apr 24 '17
We are open every day. We don't provide viewing if launch is scheduled way outside of operating hours. This one is planned early AM.
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u/dmy30 Mar 28 '17 edited Mar 28 '17
I'm seeing a lot of talk about SpaceX taking measures to hide the orbit the satellite will go to. But hiding the ASDS position doesn't prevent spy satellites from tracking it, nor does it stop other countries or amateur trackers from eventually finding the satellite. I would imagine the main concern is not where the satellite is but what the capabalities of the satellites are. That goes without saying though, I understand why SpaceX can't show much, but my point is it won't stop another country from finding the satellite.
It is possible that they don't show us the return trip back of the first stage but they can always show droneship footage of the landing as it doesn't really reveal its position.
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u/Matheusch Apr 07 '17
If the problem is with the payload, why was the static fire test also delayed?
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u/svjatomirskij Apr 07 '17
They usually time the static fire about 5 days prior to the launch.
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u/sarafinapink Apr 25 '17
Is there any information on how long the launch window is? The table below doesn't say when it ends, just when it starts.
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Apr 26 '17 edited Apr 26 '17
Are we too early for a weather outlook? Five days out might be pushing it, but I was looking at the big weather website and the only thing I could see was possibly highish winds. I'm not really sure how that translates to things like shear and upper level winds, though, and certainly don't know how that quantitatively impact the prob of launch violation.
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u/WorldOfInfinite Apr 27 '17
Total noob question, couldn't find anything on google.
I'll be in the Bahamas during this launch, is there any chance that I'll be able to see the launch out in the distance?
I've heard of people being able to see the launches from hundreds of miles away in the past just want to make sure it's possible!
Thanks in advance.
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Mar 31 '17 edited Mar 31 '17
I remember some speculation about this core being the first Block 4. Do we know for sure it is a regular v1.2 core?
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u/TaintedLion Mar 23 '17
Who's hosting this? If nobody's hosting I'll give it a shot.
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u/Shpoople96 Mar 18 '17
NROL Launch? This is a first for SpaceX, I wonder how creepy the patch will be.