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CAP CANAVERAL, FLA. – UPDATE: Launchers aim to take off Delta IV at 09:06. The launch window is 9:27.
PREVIOUS REPORT:
United Launch Alliance is preparing to launch its Delta IV Medium rocket Thursday morning for its 15th and final mission.
After nearly 17 years of operation, Delta IV will once again launch the launch of the second Global Positioning System III satellite for the United States Air Force Missile and Space Systems Center.
According to Air Force officials, the weather forecast for the Space Coast is good, with an 80% chance that the conditions are right for the 27-minute launch window that opens at 9am. The main concern is rain and cloud cover. Conditions worsen slightly if the launch late to Friday.
Delta IV takes off from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base. Here are some places that will make good spots of observation in Brevard County.
A livestream of the countdown will start at 8:40.
Below is an ULA chart that shows when people can expect to see the launch in their area based on visibility.
Before takeoff, here are five things to know about the Delta IV and its final launch:
What is the final mission
The Air Force named GPS III Magellan in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to have led an expedition around the world. The spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin will join a constellation of 31 satellites that offers powerful navigation, timing and positioning capabilities to civilian, commercial and military users.
Delta IV Medium: a story
The ULA rocket was launched for the first time in late 2002 and since then has been launched several times in various missions, including US Air Force security missions, GPS satellites and office programs. national recognition.
Swan song, but not goodbye
Although it is the final launch of the Delta IV's medium configuration, the heavy configuration will continue to be launched after 2020 until the Vulcan Centaur rocket from ULA is operational.
The Delta IV Medium has a central propeller core and two or four sturdy rocket engines attached to the core while the heavy lift rocket has a central core and two additional boosters attached to the central core side.
For this launch, Delta IV Medium will only need two solid-propulsion rocket engines, separated from the central core about 1 minute 40 seconds after take-off.
1 rocket, 5 states
The Delta IV Medium rocket hardware is manufactured in five states: California, Utah, Colorado, Alabama and Florida. The rocket is assembled and the spaceship is encapsulated in the nose cone in Florida before launch.
Meet Vulcan
ULA's next-generation rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, which will replace Delta IV Medium, and the company's rocket, Atlas V, is still in development. ULA calls Vulcan a "more affordable" option compared to its predecessors. The main rocket booster will be powered by Blue Origin's BE-4 engine and has six powerful thrusters.
According to the company's website, Vulcan's Centaur will offer a take-off thrust of up to 3.8 million pounds, with the capacity to carry 56,000 pounds in a low Earth orbit, 33,000 pounds in a geo-transfer orbit. and 16,000 books in a geostationary orbit.
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