Wystartował tajny satelita 13.11. o 22:32 z Cape Canaveral wystartowała RN Atlas-5/531, która wyniosła na orbitę o parametrach:
hp=11033 km, ha=11068 km, i=58,54° nieznanego satelitę dla NRO, noszącego kryptonim USA-310
(misja nosiła nazwę NRO L-101). Orbita jest unikalna, dotąd na tego typu orbitę nie wynoszono żadnych
satelitów.
http://lk.astronautilus.pl/n201101.htm#06
Atlas V launches NROL-1018723 wyświetlenia•13 lis 2020
Start misji NROL-101 BY REDAKCJA ON 21 LISTOPADA 2020
(...) Start na początku był planowany na trzeciego listopada, ale był on kilkukrotnie przesuwany z powodu problemów technicznych, a potem z powodu sztormu tropikalnego eta.
Ładunek wysłany przez ULA jest nieznany. Wiemy tylko, że został on prawdopodobnie wysłany na orbitę o dużej inklinacji. Na takich orbitach NRO posiada obecnie satelity QUASAR, Trumpet oraz Intruder. Z całą pewnością dowiemy się czegoś więcej, gdy zaobserwujemy na jakiej orbicie i ile urządzeń zostało umieszczonych. (...)
Wyjątkowym w tej misji było to, że zamiast silników Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A, użyto silników GEM-63 firmy Northrop Grumman. Zamiana tych silników miała na celu zmniejszenie kosztów lotu i przetestowanie silników GEM-63. Najnowsza rakiet ULA, czyli Vulcan ma zostać wyposażona w silniki GEM-63XL.
Artykuł przygotował Mikołaj Data – serdecznie dziękujemy!(ULA)
https://kosmonauta.net/2020/11/stary-misji-nrol-101/Here are some statistics on today's mission:668th launch for Atlas program since 1957
370th Atlas launch from Cape Canaveral
257th mission of a Centaur upper stage
234th use of Centaur by an Atlas rocket
503rd production RL10 engine to be launched
34th RL10C-1 engine launched
92d flight of an RD-180 main engine
1st-3rd GEM-63 solid rocket boosters to fly
86th launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
30th Atlas 5 launch for the NRO
71st launch of an Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral
5th Atlas 5 launch of 2020
126th Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle flight
141st United Launch Alliance flight overall
78th Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
101st United Launch Alliance flight from Cape Canaveral
31st 500-series flight of the Atlas 5
4th Atlas 5 to fly in the 531 configuration
98th launch from Complex 41
71st Atlas 5 to use Complex 41
24th orbital launch overall from Cape Canaveral in 2020
https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/12/atlas-5-av090-nrol-101-mission-status-center/Atlas 5 rocket back on the launch pad for national security missionNovember 12, 2020 Stephen Clark
An Atlas 5 rocket stands on pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Thursday night. Credit: United Launch AllianceA United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket made its third trip to a Cape Canaveral launch pad Thursday, rolling into position for liftoff Friday afternoon with a classified payload for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/12/atlas-5-rocket-back-on-the-launch-pad-for-national-security-mission/ULA declares success on Atlas 5 launch with new solid rocket boostersNovember 14, 2020 Stephen Clark
An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral on Friday evening. Credit: United Launch Alliance(...) The NRO revealed no information about the payload flying on the NROL-101 mission, but warning notices released to pilots and mariners before the launch suggested the Atlas 5 rocket would head on a northeasterly track from Cape Canaveral, following a path parallel to the U.S. East Coast before flying near the Canadian maritime provinces.
The trajectory indicated the Atlas 5 would release the NRO payload into a high-inclination orbit.
The NRO owns data relay satellites and several spacecraft designed to intercept communications signals in elliptical Molniya-type orbits that stretch nearly 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) above Earth at their highest points. Those orbits are tilted around 63 degrees to the equator, giving satellites regular views of Russia and other parts of the northern hemisphere.
The Atlas 5 launch Friday night was likely aiming for a similar Molniya-type orbit, according to multiple independent experts who track spy satellite activity.
Ted Molczan, a leader in the global community of hobbyists who expertly monitor satellite movements, wrote in the online SeeSat-L forum that he believes the payload on the NROL-101 mission is likely a new spacecraft for the NRO’s fleet of Satellite Data System orbiting communications stations.
The SDS, or Quasar, satellites relay images from the NRO’s sharp-eyed optical and radar surveillance satellites to analysts, allowing users to more quickly receive imagery than if they had to wait for the spy satellites to fly over a ground station.
SDS satellites fly in Molniya orbit and in geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator. The last two SDS satellites launched into a Molniya orbit took off in 2004 and 2007, meaning it’s about time for a replacement to join the fleet, according to Molczan.
The NRO launched new signals intelligence satellites into Molniya orbits in 2014 and 2017. “This year seems too soon for a replacement or new generation,” Molczan wrote.
The signals intelligence satellites have launched into Molniya orbits more often from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, while SDS satellites have launched from Cape Canaveral, according to Molczan.
“Data collected by NRO’s national security systems is used to provide intelligence to senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, as well as U.S. allied partners,” the NRO said in a statement. “Additionally, information collected by NRO systems can be used to assist emergency and disaster relief efforts in the U.S. and around the world.”
The NROL-101 mission was ULA’s 30th launch for the National Reconnaissance Office. (...)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/14/ula-declares-success-on-atlas-5-launch-with-new-solid-rocket-boosters/ULA Atlas 5 launches National Reconnaissance Office satelliteby Sandra Erwin — November 13, 2020
The Atlas 5 for the first time flew with three GEM 63 solid rocket boosters made by Northrop Grumman.WASHINGTON — A National Reconnaissance Office satellite flew to orbit Nov. 13 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.
The rocket lifted off at 5:32 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The satellite’s final orbit is classified. At the request of the NRO, ULA ended the webcast about three-and-a-half minutes after liftoff following payload fairing separation.
The mission dubbed NROL-101 was originally scheduled for Nov. 3 but was delayed to repair a duct at the top of the rocket that provides conditioned air to the payload fairing. It was again scrubbed Nov. 4 due to an anomaly in the ground system liquid oxygen valves.
The Atlas 5 flew with a five-meter payload fairing, three GEM 63 solid rocket boosters side-mounted to the first stage and a single RL10C-1 engine on the Centaur upper stage.
This launch was the first to use GEM 63 rocket motors made by Northrop Grumman. ULA plans to fly the GEM 63s on future Atlas 5 missions while Northrop Grumman completes the development of a larger GEM 63XL version for ULA’s future vehicle, the Vulcan Centaur.
NROL-101 was the 86th flight of the Atlas 5 and ULA’s 141st flight.
The NRO’s payload is classified. Ted Molczan, a Toronto-based amateur satellite observer, said that based on his estimates on the target orbit inclination, he believes NROL-101 is an SDS relay satellite. The Satellite Data System (SDS) is a constellation of U.S. military communications satellites.
https://spacenews.com/ula-atlas-5-launches-national-reconnaissance-office-satellite/Mighty Atlas Returns ULA to Flight, Delivers NROL-101 to OrbitBy Ben Evans, on November 13th, 2020
The Atlas V, minus its Medium Payload Fairing (PLF), completed a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) last month. Photo Credit: ULA(...) Liftoff of the “Mighty Atlas”—sporting a trio of upgraded strap-on boosters—occurred at 5:32 p.m. EST Friday, just at sunset, and in doing so ended more than three frustrating and launchless months for ULA. This was the Centennial, Colo.-headquartered launch provider’s fifth mission of 2020, tying with a similar number of flights last year. Due to the classified nature of NROL-101, at the “customer’s request”, live coverage ended shortly after Payload Fairing (PLF) jettison.
As detailed in AmericaSpace’s NROL-101 preview article, virtually nothing of substance has trickled into the public domain about the nature of the payload. However, its presence atop the Atlas V in its infrequently-used “531” configuration—equipped with a 17-foot-diameter (5-meter) payload fairing, three solid-fueled boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage and nicknamed “The Thunderer”—does offer an indicator of its possible size, mass, orbital destination or energy requirements.
The 531 had only been used three times before today, delivering the first three Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellites in August 2010, May 2012 and most recently September 2013. It has the capability to lift 34,350 pounds (15,575 kg) to low-Earth orbit and 16,480 pounds (7,475 kg) to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
The Atlas V Common Core Booster (CCB) and Centaur for this mission were delivered to the Cape in early July, followed by the three uprated Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEMs) later that month. Provided by Northrop Grumman Corp., the boosters are officially designated “GEM-63”, on account of the 63-inch (1.6-meter) diameter of their cases. (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2020/11/13/mighty-atlas-returns-ula-to-flight-delivers-nrol-101-to-orbit/https://www.spacenews.lu/united-launch-alliance-successfully-launches-nrol-101-mission-in-support-of-national-security/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/atlas-v-new-boosters-nrol-101/USA 310 (NROL 101)
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/usa-310.htm
Wątek: Atlas V | NROL-101 | 13.11.2020 (Przeczytany 2846 razy)