Tag: STP-3

Live Coverage Begins for STP-3

STP-3 Launch Pad
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and the United States Space Force’s STP-3 mission on launch day. The mission hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC). Photo Credit: NASA

Hello, and welcome from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket stands ready for liftoff at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Launch is scheduled for 4:04 a.m. EST this morning, with a two-hour launch window. Follow along on NASA Television for the live broadcast.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a more than 90% chance of favorable weather for liftoff.

Here’s a look at some of today’s countdown and ascent milestones. All times are approximate:

COUNTDOWN 
Hr/Min/Sec    Event
– 00:55:00      Start flight control final preparations to raise hydraulic pressures
– 00:45:00      Pressurize Main Engine Pneumatic System to flight pressure
– 00:16:00      Initiate fuel fill sequence
– 00:10:00      Weather briefing with Atlas Launch Weather Officer
– 00:05:00      Fuel fill sequence is complete; water deluge system actuation pressure adjustment is performed; Atlas L02 at flight level; Centaur L02 at Flight level; Centaur LH2 at flight level
– 00:04:00      Hazardous gas monitoring is complete; automatic computer sequencer takes control for all critical events through liftoff; Atlas first stage LO2 replenishment is secured, allowing the tank to be pressurized for flight
– 00:03:00      Atlas tanks reach flight pressure
– 00:02:00      Atlas first stage and Centaur upper stage switch to internal power; L02 and LH2 topping for Centaur will stop in 10 seconds
– 00:01:30      Launch control system is enabled

LAUNCH AND SPACECRAFT DEPLOYMENT
All Times Approximate
Hr/Min/Sec    Event
00:00:00.1     RD-180 Engine Ignition
00:00:01.1     Liftoff of the Atlas V
00:00:03.9     Begin Pitch/Yaw Maneuver
00:00:34.7     Mach 1
00:00:48.7     Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:01:46.7     Solid rocket booster jettison
00:03:30.2     Payload fairing jettison
00:04:27.4     Atlas booster engine cutoff (BECO)
00:04:33.4     Atlas Centaur separation
00:04:43.3     Centaur first main engine start (MES-1) 
00:10:38.4     Centaur first main engine cutoff (MECO-1) 
01:07:22.1     Centaur second main engine start (MES-2)
01:12:25.6     Centaur second main engine cutoff (MECO-2)
06:24:48.2     Centaur third main engine start (MES-3)
06:27:26.3     Centaur third main engine cutoff (MECO-3)
06:30:15.4     STPSat-6 Separation
07:10:02.4     LDPE-1 Separation
08:08:02.3     End of mission

Stay connected with the LCRD mission on social media:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAGoddard, @NASALaserComm, @NASA_Technology, @NASASCaN
Facebook: NASA, NASAGoddard, NASA Technology, NASA Space Communications and Navigation
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Launch Day Arrives for Space Test Program-3 Mission

STP-3 Atlas V
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and the United States Space Force’s STP-3 mission sit on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket stands at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida for this morning’s launch of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission.

Lift off is scheduled for 4:04 a.m. EST, with a two-hour launch window. The mission, managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), will launch the Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC).

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a greater than 90% chance of favorable weather for liftoff.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about this morning’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.


Stay connected with the LCRD mission on social media:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASAGoddard, @NASALaserComm, @NASA_Technology, @NASASCaN
Facebook: NASA, NASAGoddard, NASA Technology, NASA Space Communications and Navigation
Instagram: NASA, NASAGoddard

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: 80% Chance Favorable

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 80% chance of favorable weather Tuesday, Dec. 7, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
A ridge of high pressure at the surface will generally dominate central Florida through Wednesday. For primary launch day Tuesday, a frontal boundary stalls over the Florida panhandle, with extensive cloud cover over north Florida and a slight chance for some mid-level clouds to extend further south near the Spaceport. Therefore, the primary concern for launch day is the Thick Cloud Layer Rule. For Wednesday, this front and associated cloud cover lifts further north. With high pressure at the surface, we can expect mostly clear skies, with a very slight chance for a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation Wednesday morning.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Launch Update, Now Targeted for Dec. 7

The Dec. 6 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission has been scrubbed. The team repaired the ground storage system but will require additional time to verify the sample integrity of the fuel prior to tanking operations. Launch of the mission – which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder – is now scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 4:04 a.m. EST.

NASA TV live launch coverage will start approximately 35 minutes before launch on Dec. 7, at 3:30 a.m. EST:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: 90% Favorable for Dec. 6

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather Monday, Dec. 6, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
High pressure will retreat into the Atlantic Ocean slightly by Monday, bringing light winds from the south, patchy fog slightly reducing visibility, and a slight chance for isolated low topped showers just off the coast Monday morning. Therefore, the primary concern for launch day is the Cumulus Cloud Rule. For Tuesday, some mid-level clouds ahead of a cold front that will stall out near the Florida panhandle could move over the Spaceport, with an isolated low topped shower still possible just offshore.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Launch Scrubbed, Now Targeted for Dec. 6

The Dec. 5 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission has been scrubbed. During initial operations, a leak was discovered in the Rocket-Propellant-1 (RP-1) ground storage system. Launch of the mission – which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder – is now scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, at 4:04 a.m. EST.

NASA TV live launch coverage will start approximately 35 minutes before launch on Dec. 6, at 3:30 a.m. EST:  

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive 

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: Remains 90% Favorable

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather Sunday, Dec. 5, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
High pressure will be in place over central Florida through Sunday morning when it retreats into the Atlantic Ocean slightly by Monday, bringing light winds Sunday coming from the south on Monday, and a slight chance for isolated low topped showers near the coast on Monday. Therefore, there is minimal concern for the Cumulus Cloud Rule on Sunday, and an increased concern for the same on Monday as isolated showers near the coast.

Primary concern: Cumulus Cloud Rule

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: 90% Chance Favorable

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will take the Department of Defense Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather Sunday, Dec. 5, for launch of the Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the DOD’s Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

LCRD is about the size of a king-sized mattress and seeks to make operational laser communications a reality. As space missions generate and collect more data, higher bandwidth communications technologies are needed to bring data home, and laser communications systems offer higher bandwidth in a smaller package that uses less power. LCRD will send and receive data over infrared lasers at approximately 1.2 gigabits per second from geosynchronous orbit to Earth.

UVSC Pathfinder is a joint NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory experiment that studies the origins of solar energetic particles, the Sun’s most dangerous form of radiation.

Forecast Details
High pressure will build at the surface over central Florida through Saturday. This will keep the launch area dry all day Friday with light winds and near average temperatures. The surface high retreats into the Atlantic Ocean slightly Sunday into Monday, bringing light winds Sunday coming from the south on Monday, and a slight chance for isolated low topped showers near the coast, especially on Monday. Therefore, the primary concern for launch day is the cumulus cloud rule.

Launch Coverage: Dec. 5
Live coverage and countdown commentary of the launch will begin at 3:30 a.m. EST and air on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion, Theta.TV and the NASA App.

NASA invites the public to register to virtually attend the launch and receive mission updates and activities via email. NASA’s virtual guest program for LCRD includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities, and a virtual guest passport stamp.

Teachers and students can explore the LCRD STEM Tool Kit. The kit includes five activity sheets, each designed for a target grade-level range, a model of STPSat-6 that students and teachers can 3D print, an overview of LCRD, and several other printable items. Many of the toolkit resources are also available in Spanish.

Stay connected with the LCRD mission on social media:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASAGoddard, @NASALaserComm, @NASA_Technology, @NASASCaN
Facebook: NASA, NASAGoddard, NASA Technology, NASA Space Communications and Navigation
Instagram: NASA, NASAGoddard

Lift and Mate Operations Complete for Space Test Program 3, Now Targeted for Dec. 5

Teams prepare to lift the STP-3 spacecraft and attach it to the top of ULA's Atlas V rocket.
The Space Test Program-3 (STP-3) mission for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) is mounted atop its ride to space, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, in preparation for launch. STP-3 will host NASA’s Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD). LCRD will send and receive data over infrared lasers at approximately 1.2 gigabits per second from geosynchronous orbit to Earth and seeks to make operational laser communications a reality. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance

NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) moved one step closer to launch on Monday, Nov. 22, after a team of engineers fastened the payload fairing containing its host satellite to a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. Launch is now targeted for Dec. 5, 2021, due to inclement weather during launch vehicle processing.

Teams at Astrotech Space Operations Payload Processing Facility in Titusville, Florida, spent several weeks preparing the satellite before moving it to the United Launch Alliance’s Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) for the lift and mate operations.

The Space Test Program-3 (STP-3) mission for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) is mounted atop its ride to space, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, in preparation for launch. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

Inside the VIF, a team of engineers fastened the payload fairing, which houses the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft. LCRD is hosted on STPSat-6. The mission is scheduled to launch on Dec. 5 from Launch Complex 41 on CCSFS, with a two-hour launch window beginning at 4:04 a.m. EST.

The fully stacked rocket and payload stands 196 feet tall and is anticipated to roll out on a mobile launch platform from the VIF to the launch pad on Dec. 3. The rocket’s Centaur second stage and spacecraft will remain attached until 4 minutes, 33 seconds after launch, with deployment of STPSat-6 scheduled about 6 hours, 30 minutes after launch.

NASA’s LCRD payload, hosted on STPSat-6, is about the size of a king-sized mattress and seeks to make operational laser communications a reality. As space missions generate and collect more data, higher bandwidth communications technologies are needed to bring data home, and laser communications systems offer higher bandwidth in a smaller package that uses less power. LCRD will send and receive data over infrared lasers at approximately 1.2 gigabits per second from geosynchronous orbit to Earth.

LCRD is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Partners include NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. LCRD is funded through NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions program, part of the Space Technology Mission Directorate, and the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program at NASA Headquarters.

To learn more about the STP-3 launch, visit: www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Launch Update

STP-3 mission patch.United Launch Alliance (ULA) is now targeting Dec. 4 to launch the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). The two-hour launch window runs 4:04 – 6:04 a.m. EST. STPSat-6 is part of the Space Test Program 3, or STP-3, mission which will launch on a ULA Atlas V 551 rocket from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The LCRD technology demonstration is testing an enhanced communication capability called laser communications, which will enable space missions to generate and collect more data. The payload is the size of a king size mattress and will send and receive data via infrared lasers at approximately 1.2 gigabits per second from geosynchronous orbit to Earth. Laser communications systems offer higher bandwidth in a smaller package that uses less power.

To learn more about STP-3, visit: www.ulalaunch.com.

To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.