Watch live: SpaceX to launch advanced GPS satellite for US Space Force, ,
Update for 6:45 pm ET: SpaceX has successfully launched the GPS III SV04 satellite for the U.S. Space Force. Satellite deployment is expected 1 hour and 29 minutes after liftoff. That’s about 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT).
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the advanced GPS III SV04 navigation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Space Force today, Nov. 5, and you can watch it live here. Liftoff is at 6:24 pm EST (2324 GMT).
The Falcon 9 rocket will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with a SpaceX webcast scheduled to begin about 15 minutes before liftoff. You can watch it live above or directly from SpaceX’s website here and on YouTube.
Today’s launch has been delayed since September when an earlier attempt resulted in a last-minute abort. SpaceX has since identified an issue related to the Falcon 9’s engines and replaced the affected engines for this booster.
Following launch, SpaceX will attempt to recover the first stage of the Falcon 9 with a droneship landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Related: The U.S. GPS satellite network explained
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, November 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of the United States Space Force’s GPS III Space Vehicle 04 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 15-minute launch window opens at 6:24 p.m. EST, 23:24 UTC, and a backup opportunity is available on Friday, November 6 with a 15-minute backup window opening at 6:20 p.m. EST, 23:20 UTC.
Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft will deploy approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes after liftoff.
In September 2020, the United States Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) announced an agreement with SpaceX to launch previously flown first stage boosters on future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions.
You can watch the launch webcast here, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
Delayed: ULA Atlas V carrying NROL-101 spy satellite
Update for 5:50 p.m. ET on Nov. 4 : Today’s planned NROL-101 launch has been scrubbed due to a problem with a ground-system valve. The next launch attempt could come on Friday (Nov. 6) , ULA officials said.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the NROL-101 spy satellite from Florida today (Nov. 4) and you can watch it live here. Liftoff is at 5:54 p.m. EST (2254 GMT).
The Atlas V rocket, equipped with new Northrop Grumman Gem 63 solid rocket boosters, will launch the classified NROl-101 payload from Space Launch Complex 41 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. ULA’s webcast will begin about 20 minutes before liftoff. You can watch it directly from ULA here.
Today’s launch was originally scheduled for Nov. 3, but ULA postponed the flight by 24 hours to replace an upper payload environmental control system vent.
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., (Oct. 30, 2020) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is in final preparations to launch the NROL-101 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The launch is on track for Nov. 3 from Space Launch Complex-41 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Launch is planned for 5:58 p.m. EST. The live launch broadcast begins at 5:38 p.m. EST on Nov. 3 at www.ulalaunch.com.
“ULA is proud to play a pivotal role in support of our mission partners and national security by keeping our country safe one launch at a time,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “We thank our mission partners for their continued trust and teamwork. The NROL-101 mission will be ULA’s 29th mission launched for the National Reconnaissance Office and the 17th NRO mission launched on an Atlas V.”
The mission will launch on an Atlas V 531, a rocket that delivers unique capacity and the performance required for a range of mission types. The 531 configuration launched the first three Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites for the United States Space Force and will loft a pair of C-band satellites for SES in 2022.
The NROL-101 mission will be the first ULA launch flying the new Northrop Grumman Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM) 63 solid rocket boosters that burn solid propellant and augment the lifting capacity of rocket’s first stage. The GEM 63s measure 63 in. (1.6 meters) in diameter and 66 ft. (20.11 meters) in length. They will be ignited at the launch pad and burn for 94 seconds, each consuming 97,500 pounds (44,225.2 kg) of propellant to produce 371,550 pounds (1.6 mega-Newtons) of max thrust to augment the 860,200 pounds (3.83 mega-Newtons) of thrust produced by the RD-180 main engine to power the Atlas V rocket skyward. At liftoff, the combined thrust will be nearly 1.8 million pounds or 8 million mega-Newtons.
The Atlas V 531 configuration includes a 17 ft. (5 meter) payload fairing and stands 206 ft. (63 meters) tall. The Atlas booster for this mission is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne provided the RL10C-1 engine for the Centaur upper stage.
This will be the 86th launch of the Atlas V rocket and the 71st Atlas V to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 in Florida. To date ULA has launched 140 times with 100 percent mission success.
With more than a century of combined heritage, ULA is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered 140 missions to orbit that aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, unlock the mysteries of our solar system, provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, deliver cutting-edge commercial services and enable GPS navigation. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321).
Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.
DELAYED: ULA Delta IV Heavy launching NROL-44 spy satellite
Update for Sept. 30, 11:59 p.m. EDT: Tonight’s launch attempt was scrubbed after the rocket’s Terminal Countdown Sequencer Rack detected an issue. A new launch target has not been announced.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Wednesday night (Sept. 30).
The mission, titled NROL-44, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, at 11:54 p.m. EDT (0354 GMT on Oct. 1). Watch it live in the window above, courtesy of ULA.
Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
Mission: NROL-44 Launch
Date: Sun., Sept. 27, 2020
Launch Time: 12:10 a.m. EDT
Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Mission Information: A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch the NROL-44 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Launch Notes: This will be 141st mission for United Launch Alliance and our 29th for the NRO. It is the 385th Delta launch since 1960, the 12th Delta IV Heavy and the 8th Heavy for the NRO.
Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch; hashtags #DeltaIVHeavy #NROL44
Find out what the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are up to by tuning in to the “ISS Live” broadcast. Hear conversations between the crew and mission controllers on Earth and watch them work inside the U.S. segment of the orbiting laboratory. When the crew is off duty, you can enjoy live views of Earth from Space. You can watch and listen in the window below, courtesy of NASA.
“Live video from the International Space Station includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. During ‘loss of signal’ periods, viewers will see a blue screen.
“Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below.”
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