Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Archives - Page 15 of 25

October 4, 2024

Launch Report: ULA Launches Vulcan Cert-2, Vehicle Survives In-Flight SRB Failure

United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Cert-2 mission lifting off from Cape Canaveral this morning. — United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Cert-2 mission lifting off from Cape Canaveral this morning.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

United Launch Alliance successfully launched its second Vulcan rocket this morning from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral. The launch was not a perfect one, however, as Vulcan survived a very close call when one of the two solid-rocket boosters on the first stage partially failed and lost its nozzle in flight.

Despite a partial loss of thrust from the errant SRB, ULA’s flight software and engineering teams were able to make corrections to trajectory of the rocket as it continued to ascent.

Later, ULA CEO Tory Bruno would say that the SRB had “an observation” and he added quickly that the mission was a success.

Vulcan uses Northrop Grumman-built GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters to provide additional thrust for the vehicle and to increase its capabilities. GEM motors have a long history of usage, and the 63XL edition was flying its third and fourth flights. Two other GEM 63XLs flew with no problem on Vulcan Cert-1.

Later on X.com, Tory Bruno stated, “All missions have propellant reserves. We add to that additional propellant margins based on the mass [and] the configuration of the rocket. Because this was compensated for within reserves, this anomaly was ‘invisible’ to the rocket.” Bruno credited “Robust design and well engineered avionics” for the resilience of Vulcan, and indeed, it is one of the very few rockets launched that had an SRB failure and still successfully completed their mission.

Launch Replay

Video starts at t-minus five minutes.

Next Launch:

The next launch from Florida is a tricky call: SpaceX and the FAA have “paused” Falcon family launches while the company investigates issues with Falcon 9s second stage — there was an “off-nominal” performance of the Crew 9 second stage after the astronauts had separated from the launch vehicle when the stage was relit to de-orbit and reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

At this time, SpaceX has not announced a return to flight for Falcon rockets, and the FAA has not yet released a safety determination on the Crew 9 event that would allow SpaceX to resume flights.

Both of those could come at any time, however, and given the short stand-downs earlier in the summer with other Falcon issues, odds are good that this delay will be shorter rather than longer.

Should SpaceX announce Falcon 9 returning to action, its next scheduled launch is for the European Space Agency and the Hera mission. According to ESA, “As part of the world’s first test of asteroid deflection, Hera will perform a detailed post-impact survey of the target asteroid, Dimorphos – the orbiting moonlet of a binary asteroid system known as Didymos.”

“Now that NASA’s DART mission has impacted the moonlet, Hera will turn the grand-scale experiment into a well-understood and repeatable planetary defence technique. Demonstrating new technologies from autonomous navigation around an asteroid to low gravity proximity operations, Hera will be humankind’s first probe to rendezvous with a binary asteroid system and Europe’s flagship Planetary Defender.”

Date: NET October 7, 2024
Organization: SpaceX / ESA
Mission: Hera
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 10:52 — 11:27 AM EDT
Payload: Hera probe

October 3, 2024

Launch Preview: ULA Plans To Launch Second Vulcan Certification Mission Friday

ULA Vulcan CERT-2 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on October 3, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

United Launch Alliance is planning to launch its second Vulcan rocket early tomorrow morning from Space Launch Complex 41. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 06:00 AM EDT, with a launch window that extends to 09:00 AM EDT the same day.

The launch is planned for about 75 minutes before sunrise, and if liftoff occurs before the sun peeks over the horizon, the expanding gases of the second stage may produce a spectacular display.

At A Glance

Mission: Cert-2
Date: NET October 4, 2024
Launch Window: 06:00 – 09:00 AM EDT
Weather: 80% Go during the primary launch window
Organization: United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Rocket: Vulcan (VCS2)
Trajectory: Easterward
Launch Site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Booster Landing: none
Payload: Scientific instruments and an inert payload
Destination: Heliocentric orbit

^{* consult the ULA website for the specific target for T-0.}

Launch Readiness Review Completed

ULA announced yesterday the mission has been cleared to proceed.

According to the company, “The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director Eric Richards, was completed this morning at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).”

“Leadership from ULA and the Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload and mission assets, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that projects a 75 percent chance of meeting the launch rules.”

“At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a ready status for launch, then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.”

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron has listed a 20% Probability of Violation for tomorrow’s launch, which means that the weather is expected to be 80% GO at launch time.

Payload

In this case, the mission is the payload.

CERT-2 is designed to be the second and final demonstration flight of Vulcan. The key objective for CERT-2 is to validate the performance of the Vulcan rocket and to demonstrate to the Department of Defense that the Vulcan flight system is ready for national defense and surveillance payloads.

Aside from the flight characteristics and performance of the Blue Origin BE-4 booster, ULA will also gauge the performance of its Centaur V upper stage. The stage was redesigned for Vulcan and proving its abilities and reliability is also a critical piece of the certification process.

CERT-2 was originally scheduled to carry the Sierra Space Dream Chaser ‘Tenacity’ on its maiden flight, but ULA was forced to switch to an inert payload for CERT-2 due to Dream Chaser not being ready for flight. Dream Chaser is currently scheduled to fly sometime in 2025, but no launch date has been announced. Currently, the spacecraft is at Kennedy Space Center undergoing flight preparations.

Trajectory

Eastwards, relatively speaking. Vulcan is destined for a heliocentric orbit around the sun, so it will take a path that lines up with the equator.

Online Viewing

SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream

ULA will have a livestream of the launch on their website: ULA Cert-2 Mission Page. This will also be available on the Youtube platform. Coverage will start about about twenty minutes prior to liftoff.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

For official updates regarding launch times, ULA’s Cert-2 Mission Page is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.

Launch Viewing: In Person

Given that this is a launch from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-41, Jetty Park, The Banana River Bridge and southern Titusville Parks are your best bets.

Cocoa Beach and the northern Titusville parks will have an excellent view as well.

October 2, 2024

Vulcan CERT-1 Revisited

Using Lightroom rather than Photoshop, I edited one of the photos I took from the January 8, 2024 launch of ULA’s Vulcan. The second launch of this rocket is scheduled for Friday 10/4.

September 30, 2024

ULA Rolls Second Vulcan Rocket To Its Launch Mount

United Launch Alliance's CERT-2 rocket on its way to the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on September 30, 2024.
Photo: United Launch Alliance — United Launch Alliance’s CERT-2 rocket on its way to the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on September 30, 2024.
Photo: United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance has moved its second Vulcan Rocket from their Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 to the launch mount. Final preparations can now begin for a launch scheduled for NET (not earlier than) Friday morning. Launch time is unofficially expected to be between 06:00 AM – 009:00 AM EDT, but ULA has not yet announced an official time for T-0.

Test Mission

This mission, dubbed “CERT-2” will not carry a customer payload. Originally slated to launch Sierra’s Dream Chaser on its maiden voyage to the International Space Station, ULA and Sierra agreed to remove the payload because Sierra would not have Dream Chaser flight-ready this fall. Instead, ULA will fly an inert “dummy” to simulate a payload with the goal being to further prove out the Vulcan system and also to achieve certification from the Department of Defense for Vulcan to launch national defense payloads.

United Launch Alliance's Vulcan CERT-1 lifting off on January 8, 2024. — United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan CERT-1 lifting off on January 8, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

In its first launch, Vulcan performed admirably, launching Astrobiotics Peregrine lunar lander to its target orbit, with the lander then traveling to cislunar space.

Vulcan is the first rocket designed wholly by United Launch Alliance. The Delta and Atlas family of rockets were legacy designs created by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively prior to the founding of the company in 2006. ULA is a joint venture between the two aerospace giants, and has successfully launched more than 157 missions since its inception.

According to the company, “This second Certification (Cert-2) launch will demonstrate Vulcan’s high-energy rocket architecture by achieving an Earth-escape trajectory and placing the Centaur V with an inert, non-deployable payload into deep space where it will orbit the sun for the rest of time. Cert-2 follows Vulcan’s successful inaugural launch on Jan. 8, 2024.”

Vulcan CERT-2 will be externally identical to the CERT-1 vehicle: along with the methane-oxygen fueled first stage powered by two Blue Origin BE-4 engines (the same engine Blue Origin will use with New Glenn) the first stage will also have two GEM solid-rocket boosters attached to give it additional lifting power. Together, the methane-fueled main engines and SRBs will provide the 2 million pounds (8.9 kilo-Newtons) of thrust generated at liftoff to power Vulcan off the launch pad.

Mark Peller, ULA’s senior vice president, Vulcan Development and Advanced Programs said in a press release that, “After the key objectives necessary for certification are completed, the mission will evaluate additional changes to the design of the upper stage and how it is operated over long coast periods to further increase its endurance.”

In other words, ULA plans to first meet the requirements of DoD certification, and afterwards, work on iterative improvements on the new vehicle.

The United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket is transported from the Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in preparation for the second certification mission (Cert-2). Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

September 29, 2024

SpaceX, Falcon 9, Crew 9 Launch 09-28-2024

SpaceX successfully launched the Crew 9 mission Saturday, November 28, 2024 from Space Launch Complex 40 in the first crewed launch from that storied pad. Liftoff was at 01:17 PM EDT under broken skies and a building threat of storms.

September 28, 2024

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Crew 9 Towards ISS

SpaceX successfully launched the Crew 9 mission today from Space Launch Complex 40 in the first crewed launch from that storied pad. Liftoff was at 01:17 PM EDT under broken skies and a building threat of storms.

A little more than eight minutes later, spectators were treated to a second awesome view as Booster B1085 completed its second mission successfully when it touched down a Landing Zone 1, roughly six miles from where it launched. A sonic boom echoed across the Space Coast.

After achieving orbit, Crew Dragon separated from Falcon 9’s second stage and astronauts Aleksandr Gorbunov and “Nick” Hague began performing checkouts of propulsion, life support, and thermal control systems. Later, Dragon will perform “phasing burns” where the spacecraft performs dorbit raising maneuvers to catch up with the International Space Station.

If all proceeds as planned, Hague and Gorbunov will arrive at ISS on Sunday, Sept. 29, with docking planned for 5:30 PM EDT.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

After a lull in a steady stream of Starlink launches, SpaceX will return to building out its orbital ISP NET Wednesday from Cape Canaveral. The launch window opens at 4:50 AM EDT and extends to 8:50 AM the same day.

Date: NET October 2, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 10-10
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 04:50 AM – 08:50 AM EDT
Payload: Starlink satellites

September 24, 2024

Crew 9 Shifted To NET Saturday, September 28

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gorbunov and NASA Astronaut Nick Hague greeted reporters and @NASA personnel yesterday at the old Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC. They launch NET Thursday 2:06 PM EDT.

NASA has announced that the SpaceX Crew 9 mission would not launch until Saturday due to potential effects from tropical storm Helene.

NASA and SpaceX teams have adjusted the next launch opportunity for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to no earlier than 1:17 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 28, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida due to expected tropical storm conditions in the area. The change allows teams to complete a rehearsal of launch day activities Tuesday night with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, which rolled to Space Launch Complex-40 earlier in the day. Following rehearsal activities, the integrated system will move back to the hangar ahead of any potential storm activity.

Although Tropical Storm Helene is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and expected to impact the Florida panhandle, the storm system is large enough that high winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast.

NASA, SpaceX Shift Crew-9 Launch to NET Sept. 28 Over Weather Concerns

NASA’s reasoning is sound, according to the official forecast for Helene today, on September 24th:

Current Forecasts

The Tuesday September 24th PM forecast for Helene.
Source: TROPICAL STORM HELENE, Retrieved 09/24/2024.
**Note: refer to official sources (NOAA, NHC, etc. for the current forecast!**

The Space Coast is currently under a Tropical Storm watch, and effects from Helene are expected before and during the Thursday launch window. That’s not good for pre-launch preparations and not very likely to result in a clean range weather-wise Thursday afternoon.

OFFICIAL STORM INFORMATION:
TROPICAL STORM HELENE

A Far-Away Look Ahead To The Weekend

NASA has identified Saturday at 1:17 p.m. EDT in an instantaneous window as the next possible launch date for Crew 9. The current National Weather Service forecast for Cape Canaveral calls for “a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.”

The 45th Weather Squadron will issue its official Probability of Violation forecast later this week if the September 28th attempt remains on schedule.

Stay tuned.

SpaceX’s Crew 9 logo. NASA uses a different one.
Graphic: SpaceX

September 22, 2024

Crew 9 Astronauts Arrive At Kennedy Space Center

The NASA/SpaceX Crew 9 astronauts have arrived at Kennedy Space Center.

Crew 9 Final Preparations Set To Begin.

After landing on a chartered Gulfstream G-550 flight from Houston, the crew will begin final preparations for their upcoming flight aboard a Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon to the International Space Station, slated to launch no earlier than Thursday, September 26th, at 02:05 PM EDT.

They were greeted by Kelvin Manning, deputy director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program as well as a large contingent of reporters.

After answering questions from the press, Hague and Gorbunov left to enter quarantine at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at KSC. They will also complete a dry dress rehearsal of the mission, will align their resting and waking periods to match mission requirements and will also practive other launch and free-flight procedures that will be needed during the early part of their mission.

Dana Hutcherson gave more information on pre-launch preparations, “Our teams will also gather on Monday for the flight readiness review ahead of the launch. This launch will mark the first time a human spaceflight mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40, and our NASA and SpaceX teams have been working hand in hand with our Space Force mission partners. This is a huge increase in capability for us. With two pads now rated for human spaceflight, we now have operational flexibility with SpaceX to deconflict launches at both 39 A and SLC 40.”

Integration Of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams Into Crew 9

Due to issues with the Boeing Crewed Flight test and the subsequent shift of CFT astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Expedition 72 and Crew 9, the two astronauts who flew to ISS aboard Starliner will be returning to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon — a spacecraft neither of the two have previous flight experience with.

This reporter asked Crew 9 Commander Nick Hague when the integration of the two members would start:

Nick Hague comments on integrating the two Crew 9 astronauts already on Crew 9
Video via NASA liverstream.

September 17, 2024

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Galileo L13 From The Cape

SpaceX launched Falcon 9 early this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff was at 06:51 PM EDT as the sun was starting to set to the west. Eight and a half minutes later, Booster B1067 touched down on ‘Just Read The Instructions’, completing its twenty-second mission. Falcon 9’s second stage continued ascending to its initial orbit, where it will deploy the payloads so that they may travel to their final orbital destination in Medium Earth Orbit and begin their commissioning process before entering service.

Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the Just Read the Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/YhH3fP7svM
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 17, 2024

Lucky And Good

Some say that it’s better to be lucky than good, but in the case of SpaceX, they have been both in 2024: several times with stormy skies surrounding the launch pad and possibly closing in, the company has been able to successfully send a payload to space — and that includes crewed missions, customer payloads and of course their own Starlink satellites.

A rainstorm with downpours and distant lightning was just west of Space Launch Complex 40 only minutes before liftoff. The VAB is visible on the horizon to the right.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Tonight was no exception to a summer of just-in-time launches: a thunderstorm with an anvil cloud was lurking to the west of Space Launch Complex 40, and slowly moving towards Falcon 9. Had the storm moved a little faster, chances are the mission would have been scrubbed due to lightning rules, anvil cloud rules or cumulus cloud rules. ESA and SpaceX’s luck held out, however, and Falcon 9 launched on schedule and with no issues.

Payload

Galileo satellites are the European Union’s version of GPS and GLONASS, providing high-precision ground positioning.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

SpaceX and NASA will launch Crew 9 aboard Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon from Space Launch Complex 40 no earlier than September 25, 2024. NASA Astronaut Nick Hague will be the commander, with Russian Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as the mission pilot on a launch targeting the International Space Station.

Date: NET September 25, 2024
Organization: SpaceX / NASA / Roscosmos
Mission: Crew 9
Rocket: Falcon 9 / Crew Dragon
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 02:28 PM EDT
Payload: Two crew members

September 17, 2024

SpaceX, Falcon 9, Galileo L13, September 17, 2024

SpaceX launched Falcon 9 early this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff was at 06:51 PM EDT as the sun was starting to set to the west. Eight and a half minutes later, Booster B1067 touched down on ‘Just Read The Instructions’, completing its twenty-second mission.