Posted on 02/13/2004 5:15:07 PM PST by Calpernia
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Feb. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite, scheduled to be launched on Saturday, Feb. 14, from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Station, will include sophisticated nuclear test detection sensors from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). NNSA's advanced nuclear detonation detection payload, a primary detection system for nuclear explosions in the upper atmosphere and space, will be the satellite's secondary payload.
These space-based sensors, developed by NNSA's Office of Nonproliferation Research and Engineering, are used to monitor the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963, and to deter proliferant nations from conducting nuclear tests. NNSA develops and provides a wide variety of technologies to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and its sensors. These technologies have been monitoring space and atmospheric nuclear explosions for over 40 years and are currently secondary payloads on both the DSP and Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
The U.S. Air Force launched the first DSP satellite on Nov. 6, 1970. This constellation of satellites operates in geosynchronous orbit to provide early warning of missile launches, space launches and nuclear explosions.
The last DSP satellite, scheduled for launch in 2005, will mark the end of the present nuclear detection sensor package design, but will also carry the demonstration experiment for the next generation of high altitude sensors -- the Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System (SABRS) -- that NNSA is currently developing. Continuing research and development programs have made the sensor packages both smaller and more robust, while greatly increasing the ability to detect clandestine nuclear tests.
NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency of the Department of Energy. It enhances U.S. national security through the military application of nuclear energy, maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, promotes international nuclear nonproliferation and safety, reduces global danger from weapons of mass destruction, provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion, and oversees its national laboratories to maintain U.S. leadership in science and technology.
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MISSION UPDATE
Launch day weather looks 'iffy'
For 5:15 p.m. EST Friday Feb. 13:
If you were expecting to treat your sweetheart to a Titan 4B launch for Valentines Day on Saturday you'd better have a back up plan.
A developing low pressure system over the Gulf of Mexico is moving this way and it's very likely the clouds associated with the disturbance will reach the Cape Canaveral area just as the launch window is opening. Whether the Air Force actually makes an attempt will depend on if they think they have a shot at getting off the ground at the beginning of the window.
Officially there is a 40 percent chance of acceptable weather.
If the launch scrubs to Sunday, the opposite situation is expected to arise as the passing weather system offers clearing conditions in the afternoon, making the end of Sunday's launch window the best chance to fly.
Meanwhile, technically everything is looking good at the launch pad. The rocket is fully fueled and basically ready to fly.
We will post an update to this page at noon EST on Saturday, sooner if a decision to scrub is made earlier.
Jim Banke, Senior Producer in the Cape Canaveral Bureau of SPACE.com.
Still America's most powerful unmanned booster -- at least for a short time more -- the Titan 4B is built by Lockheed Martin. Originally designed as an ICBM, the Titan 4's first two stages and attached pair of solid rocket boosters can be flown with different upper stages, including the mighty Centaur, and nose fairings. At it's most capable, it stands more than 20 stories tall and can carry the same payload weight as NASA's shuttle. Learn more here.
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Keep track of it here: http://spaceflightnow.com/titan/b39/status.html
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