[Here in Southern California, got to see a spectacular view of the Delta
IV as it flew down the coast southward till first stage engine cut
off, and it lasted longer than the Delta II's do]
New era of rocket launches begins at California base
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: June 27, 2006
A new spy satellite is circling Earth after a spectacular sendoff
Tuesday evening, marking the first time such a clandestine national
security spacecraft has launched aboard America's modern breed of rockets.
Boeing's next-generation Delta 4 rocket fired away from the infamous
Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California just
after sunset for the 54-minute ascent into orbit.
This inaugural West Coast flight of the Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle program began at 8:33 p.m. local time (11:33 p.m. EDT; 0333
GMT). The liftoff was delayed 19 minutes due to strong winds blowing
across the hilly launch base.
Powered skyward by its hydrogen-fueled main engine and twin strap-on
solid rocket motors, the Delta 4 created a brilliant trail visible
across a wide swath. Spaceflight Now readers throughout California and
even Mexico reported spotting the launch.
Crews working on the secretive mission had been waiting years to see the
rocket go. The booster was assembled on the pad in 2003, only to have
its launch date slip repeatedly due to delays readying the payload. And
liftoff plans last October were scrapped a day before launch over
concerns with fuel sloshing in the upper stage.
Worries about clouds and strong winds Tuesday threatened to keep the
rocket grounded again. But the clouds parted and winds eased enough to
let the Delta 4 fly from its renovated pad on the first countdown
attempt, a remarkable achievement sure to erase lingering frustrations
about the previous postponements.
The rocket flew south over the Pacific Ocean, soared above the tip of
South America, then crossed the extreme southern Atlantic before passing
south of Africa and starting its northward trajectory over the Indian
Ocean. Less than an hour after the flight began, the second stage motor
released the top-secret National Reconnaissance Office payload while
flying just east of Madagascar.
The National Reconnaissance Office is the U.S. government agency
responsible for developing and operating the country's fleet of spy
satellites. The NRO keeps details about its spacecraft hush-hush, and
the Delta 4 cargo was no exception to that rule.
But information made public about the launch implied the satellite was
headed for a highly elliptical, highly inclined orbital perch often
called a Molniya-style orbit.
Sky watchers around the world have made a hobby of tracking mystery
spacecraft, using the Internet to trade notes and viewing tips. Canadian
Ted Molczan, a respected satellite observer, says past experience could
indicate the possible use for the craft launched by the Delta 4.
"I estimate that this rocket configuration can place in excess of 4,000
kg into a Molniya orbit. The U.S. has used such orbits since the early
1970s for communications and SIGINT (signals intelligence) satellites,"
Molczan said.
Tuesday's flight was the 14th for an EELV rocket since 2002. But all
previous launches had occurred from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and none
had carried a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite.
The EELV program was created a decade ago by the Air Force to spark the
creation of cheaper, less cumbersome U.S. rockets to haul satellites
into space, replacing older designs like the Titan 4. Boeing's Delta 4
and Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 rocket families were born to answer the
military's call.
Both companies have launched various versions of the rockets with
commercial, NASA and Air Force satellite payloads from complexes on the
East Coast. And they have built launch pads on the West Coast at Space
Launch Complex 6 for Delta 4 and SLC-3 East for Atlas 5.
Now, Vandenberg has witnessed its maiden EELV blastoff at last.
"Assured access to space is vital to our country. Bringing EELV to the
West Coast is a next step," Lt. Col. David Goldstein, the Air Force
launch director and commander of the 4th Space Launch Squadron, said in
an interview.
"I see it's a major step for our country ... because we have to have
that access from both coasts because of the types of orbits that are used."
The Vandenberg launch site allows rockets to fly southward for delivery
of spacecraft into orbit around Earth's poles for coverage over most of
the planet's surface. Cape Canaveral is best suited for launches headed
eastward to reach equatorial orbits.
"Over the next couple years we're going to have a few Atlas launches and
a few more Delta launches, and they're all vital to our national
security. In my mind, it's a huge step forward to be able to get EELV
launched off of the West Coast," Goldstein said.
"This first Delta 4 launch from Vandenberg is an important achievement
for Boeing and our NRO and Air Force customers," said Dan Collins, vice
president of Boeing Launch Systems. "Today we successfully validated
launching the Delta 4 from SLC-6, providing the Air Force and the nation
with the first operational West Coast launch site for the EELV program.
"With this launch, the Delta team has fulfilled all the EELV
requirements outlined by the Air Force. We have a full family of launch
vehicles, including a flight-proven, heavy-lift vehicle, a domestically
produced first stage engine and now fully operational launch sites on
both coasts."
Plans call for a second Delta 4 launch from Vandenberg in November to
deliver the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's DMSP-17 weather
satellite into polar orbit.
The first West Coast Atlas 5 is stacked on its pad for liftoff in
January carrying a classified NRO payload.
Lockheed Martin has retrofitted its existing Atlas pad to accommodate
the larger, more powerful Atlas 5. However, the California home of Delta
4, commonly called Slick Six, has a unique history.
The site's star-crossed legacy began with construction in the 1960s for
the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory space station project. But
that program was cancelled before the first launch.
Then came visions of military space shuttle launches to polar orbit.
Billions of dollars were spent rebuilding the pad in the 1980s for
liftoffs of the winged spaceplane. The Challenger accident and the
Pentagon's transfer of its satellites from the shuttle to unmanned
rockets put Slick Six back into mothball status before hosting a single
launch.
Lockheed Martin's tiny Athena booster made four flights from the pad in
the 1990s, yet only one enjoyed full mission success for both the rocket
and satellite.
The new era of Delta 4 started with pad modification work in 2000. Now,
there's a successful launch to celebrate.
--
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