SpaceX, Rocket Lab, UAL has scheduled rocket launches this weekend

08/29/2020 World


The last week of 20 August 2020 is becoming an exciting one in the world of rocket launches. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) will begin early weekend activities early Saturday with the launch of its Delta IV heavy rocket carrying a classified satellite payload from Capt. Canaveral Air Force to the EDT (0604 UTC) National Reconnaissance Office Fees. Station Space Launch Complex 37. U.L.A. After the successful launch of No, the weekend activity will be in high gear. Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, also agrees that this could be “intense” this week, in a post on his Twitter account on Friday, August 28th.

According to the weather launch mission execution forecast provided by the 45th Weather Squadron and confirmed by the company’s Twitter account, SpaceX aims to launch two Falcon 9s just nine hours off the Florida coast. The company also has a potential flight test of its Starship prototype vehicle on the books of Boca Chika in Texas this weekend. Rocket Lab seems to be engaging in launching activity with the return of its Electron Rocket flight mission following the wrap of its latest flight anomaly investigation.

The weather forecast provided by the 45th Weather Squadron for SpaceX’s Sunday Double Falcon 9 header looks hefty. (45th Weather Squadron)

SpaceX could only launch this week if the ULA does too

As both SpaceX and ULA launch from what is known as the Eastern Series – the location of all launches arising from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station or the Kennedy Space Center – the 45th Space Wing and the 45th can provide only one launch at a time. Weather Squadron that oversees Eastern Range operations.

As part of the reservation process before securing a launch date with the Eastern Range, each launch provider selects a target launch date and secures numerous back-up launches when delayed.

In the case of ULA’s NROL-44 mission, 24 hours and 48 hours after the initial launch attempt – one early initial opportunity and two back-up opportunities have been identified. This means that while Delta IV Heavy will have to endure another important issue as a result of the delay during its initial launch attempt on Saturday, August 29, Gust, both SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch opportunities will also be delayed.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV waits inside a protective mobile service tower before launching a heavy rocket. (Richard Angle)

ULA’s NROL-44 Delta IV Heavy carries a classified satellite payload for the National Reconnaissance Office fees, Department of National Security, Government of the United States. As such, the NROL-mission mission is a matter of national security and takes precedence over both SpaceX’s internal Starlink mission and SAOCOM-1B payload for Argentina’s national space agency, consumer commissions Nacional de Actiadas Essacials.

If the ULA NROL-44 mission is delayed by both back-up launch SpaceX, presumably, the Falcon launch will have to wait until Tuesday, September 1st.

Rocket Lab “I don’t believe it’s optical”

While SpaceX will have to wait for ULA’s Delta IV Heavy to clear its pads, before attempting any of the planned Falcon 9 launches, the rocket lab will try to return to its electron rocket flight mission – the fourteenth flight overall – regardless (weather permitting). .

Attempt to launch from ET (0304 UTC) at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, 28 August was rescheduled due to more wind and heavy cloud cover over Launch Complex-1A in Mahiya, New Zealand. Sunday, August 30, 0 August (0305 ​​UTC Monday, August 31) The next available launch attempt will line up for electrons just four hours after SpaceX’s SCO Com-1B mission.

Following the flight anomaly during the electron’s thirteenth mission in July, the rocket lab was forced to stand below the active launching position to complete a full investigation of the incident. Over a period of about a month, the second phase of the rocket lab electron was able to detect and remedy the issue of excessive heat with a single electrical connection.

After receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to resume operational launches, Rocket Lab has announced that Electron’s 14th flight – named “I Don’t Believe It’s Optical” – will be a mission dedicated to California-based company Capella Space. Earth observation data to provide information services.

The satellite payload, named “Sequoia”, is the only 100-kg microsatellite to be the first publicly available satellite in the company’s commercial synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, according to a statement from Rocket Lab. “

The rocket lab’s electron fairing features mission-specific artwork for the next fourteenth flight – a payload dedicated to Capella space. (Rocket Lab)

One of the big goals of Rocket Lab is to participate in the SpaceX launcher class that regularly orbits and reuses the orbit class booster. Rocket Lab intends to capture the electron of the first stage booster in flight once it is dispensed by grasping the parachute canopy of the falling booster with a hook secured from the helicopter.

However, the company said that currently the goal of a full-fledged demonstration of this endeavor will not be before the electron’s 17th mission, which is scheduled to take place in 2020.

If all goes according to plan, this week could end as the launchfest of rocket and spaceship prototypes. At the time of release, everything is going as expected with ULA’s Delta IV Heavy Launch effort, and the weather looks good on Saturday, August 29th.

The UAEA has confirmed that all previous issues that delayed the launch effort have been cleared and the weather view remains at 80% chance of favorable launching conditions.

The launch attempt will be streamed live and EDT (0543 UTC) on the company’s website is expected to start at 1:43 a.m. or will be viewed below.

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