Titan 4 launches with final Milstar spacecraft

Spaceflight Now ^ | 4/8/2003 | Justin Ray

[Rockitz]

A U.S. Air Force Titan 4 rocket has lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying a 10,000-pound, $800 million satellite that will serve as an orbiting switchboard for secure communications between senior U.S. leaders and military forces around the world. Liftoff occurred at 9:43 a.m. EDT (1343 GMT). Follow the complete flight in our mission status center.

[Rockitz]

Congrats to the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin on the successful Titan IV launch!

Still waiting for final Centaur burn and payload insertion about 2pm PST.

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[Guenevere]

Good mercy, I heard that this morning from inside the house.

It sounded like a train about to rumble down our street, and we're several miles away.

The rumbling seemed to continue for a good 10 minutes....

Finally,, it occurred to me what I was hearing.

[maestro]

GO.....GO.....GO......GO......HooRah......U.S.A.

[ksen]

I went outside and watched it take off. A beautiful sight.

[Rockitz]

Titan IV launch

Milstar

[NormsRevenge]

Milstar Bump

[_Jim]

USAF Fact Sheet

Milstar Satellite Communications System

Mission

Milstar is a joint service satellite communications system that provides secure, jam resistant, worldwide communications to meet essential wartime requirements for high priority military users. The multi-satellite constellation will link command authorities with a wide variety of resources, including ships, submarines, aircraft and ground stations.

Features

Milstar is the most advanced military communications satellite system to date and represents the future of the U.S. communications capability. The operational Milstar satellite constellation will consist of five satellites positioned around the Earth in geosynchronous orbits. Each mid-latitude satellite weighs approximately 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) and has a design life of 10 years.

Each Milstar satellite serves as a smart switchboard in space by directing traffic from terminal to terminal anywhere on the Earth. Since the satellite actually processes the communications signal and can link with other Milstar satellites through crosslinks, the requirement for ground controlled switching is eliminated under nominal operating conditions. The satellite establishes, maintains, reconfigures and disassembles required communications circuits as directed by the users. Milstar terminals provide encrypted voice, video, data, teletype or facsimile communications. A key success of Milstar is providing interoperable communications among the users of Army, Navy, and Air Force Milstar terminals.

Geographically dispersed mobile and fixed control stations provide survivable and enduring operational command and control for the Milstar constellation.

Background

The first Milstar satellite was launched Feb. 7, 1994 aboard a Titan IV expendable launch vehicle. The first two Milstar satellites have a low data rate payload while the remaining three satellites add an increased capacity with a medium data rate payload. The Milstar constellation will be complete with the launch of the final satellite in 2003.

The Milstar system is composed of three segments: space (the satellites), terminal (the users) and mission control. Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is responsible for development and acquisition of the Milstar space and mission control segments. The Electronics Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, Mass., is responsible for the Air Force portion of the terminal segment development and acquisition. The 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., is the front line organization providing real-time satellite platform control and communications payload management.

General Characteristics

Primary function: Survivable global military communications system

• Primary contractor: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
• Power plant: Solar panels generating 8,000 watts
• Weight: About 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms)
• Orbit altitude: 22,250 nautical miles (inclined geostationary orbit)
• Payload:
• Low data rate communications (voice, data, teletype and facsimile) at 75 bps to 2,400 bps (Block I and II)
• Medium data rate communications (video, voice, data, teletype, facsimile) at 4.8 kbps to 1.544 bps (Block II only)
• Launch vehicle: Titan IVB/Centaur upper stage
• Unit Cost: $800 million

From publicly accessable source: http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/Milstar_Satellite_Communicati.html

[yay]

Yay!

[NormsRevenge]

A key success of Milstar is providing interoperable communications among the users of Army, Navy, and Air Force Milstar terminals.

I want one of those terminals.

[Rockitz]

There's some great on-vehicle video at the spaceflight now website. SRM sep and payload fairing sep were kewl!

[_Jim]

A key success of Milstar is providing interoperable [worldwide] communications among the users of Army, Navy, and Air Force Milstar terminals.

Would you settle for nationwide terrestrial packet radio capability?

SkyTel 2Way [wireless, nationwide] messaging features

• Fully interactive - write, send, receive and respond to email and messages right from the unit
• Contacts can send you messages from the SkyTel website's Send a Message page
• Your callers can dial a toll-free SkyTel number to send a message
• Greet callers in your own voice - just like you do with your voice mail or answering machine. You can change your personal greetings as often as you like
• Your contacts can also download free SkyTel Access® software for their modem-equipped computers. Ideal for those who don't have an Internet connection
• Your SkyTel service lets you make a phone call without a phone - send a message from your unit to any U.S. phone number. The "call" will be read in a digitized voice
• And all calls to the SkyTel system are free, whether sending a message or calling Customer Service

http://www.skytel.com/products/blackberry_internet.htm

[Rockitz]

Looks like subscription is required.

[Bogey78O]

'Medium data rate communications (video, voice, data, teletype, facsimile) at 4.8 kbps to 1.544 bps (Block II only)'

1.544 bps?

Or is that supposed to be 1.544 Mbps?

[Rockitz]

http://www.ast.lmco.com/launch_titanIVfacts.shtml
Titan IV - Facts

Titan IV, produced and launched for the U.S. Air Force by
Lockheed Martin, is the nation's largest, most powerful
expendable space launch vehicle. It provides primary
access to space for critical national security and civil
payloads and is launched from the East and West Coasts.

Titan launch systems have a better than 95% operational
success rate. Titan IV is capable of placing 47,800 lb into
low-Earth orbit or more than 12,700 lb into geosynchronous orbit - 22,300
miles above the Earth.

Titan IV consists of two solid-propellant stage "O" motors, a liquid propellant
2-stage core and a 16.7-ft diameter payload fairing. Upgraded 3-segment solid
rocket motors increase the vehicle's payload capability by approximately
25%.

The Titan IV configurations include a cryogenic Centaur upper stage, a
solid-propellant Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), or no upper stage. Titan IV rockets
are launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, or Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, Florida.

Titan IV launches from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Florida, and from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air
Force Base, California. Titan IV core vehicle stages are built at Lockheed
Martin's Titan manufacturing facility.

The first Titan IV B was successfully flown from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station on February 23, 1997. This configuration improves reliability and
operability and increases lift capability by 25%. Advancements also include
improved electronics and guidance. The Titan IV B has standardized vehicle
interfaces that increase the efficiency of vehicle processing. Additionally, the
more efficient programmable aerospace ground equipment (PAGE) is used to
monitor and control vehicle countdown and launch.

Lockheed Martin provides overall program management, system integration,
and payload integration for the program and builds the first and second stages
and Centaur upper stage of the vehicle. Other members of the Titan IV team
and their responsibilities are shown on the following diagram.



PROGRAM - Titan IV

CUSTOMER -U.S. Air Force, Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles
Air Force Base, California.

CONTRACT - Approximately $16.1 billion

LOCKHEED MARTIN ROLE - Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in
Denver is prime contractor to the Air Force for development, program
management, production, payload integration, and launch operations for the
Titan IV space launch system.

CONTRACT STATUS - IIn February 1985, Lockheed Martin Space Systems
was chosen by the Air Force to build and launch 10 Titan IVs. As part of the
transition to the new Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, in
1997 the Air Force directed Lockheed Martin to complete the production of 40
vehicles and launch 39, with the 40th vehicle as a spare. Launch operations
are under contract through 2003.

DESCRIPTION - The Titan IV consists of two solid propellant stage "0"
motors, a liquid propellant two-stage core, and a 16.7-foot diameter payload
fairing. The system may be flown with a cryogenic wide-body Centaur upper
stage, an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), or no upper stage. Overall length of the
system is 204 feet when flown with an 86-foot payload fairing

Titan IV B -The first launch of the new, upgraded configuration called the
Titan IV B was Feb. 23, 1997. The Titan IV B features upgraded solid rocket
motors with three segments instead of seven for greater reliability, and
casings of graphite epoxy rather than steel. The Titan IV B uses a more
efficient Programmable Aerospace Ground Equipment (PAGE) system to
control the vehicle before launch. It has an improved guidance and control
system based on more accurate, lighter weight ring laser gyros. Mechanical
and electrical interfaces to the payload also have been standardized and the
core vehicle is a common design that can be fitted with mission kits to adapt
to specific payloads.

PAYLOAD CAPABILITY - The Titan IV B/Centaur is capable of placing
payloads weighing more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit,
22,300 miles above the Earth. The Titan IV B system also is capable of
placing 47,800 pounds into a low-Earth orbit at 28.6 degrees inclination or
38,800 pounds into a low-Earth polar orbit.

LAUNCH SITES - The Titan IV is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

UPGRADED SOLID
Length: 112.4 feet

ROCKET MOTORS (2)
Diameter: 10.5 feet
Motor Thrust: 1.7 million pounds per motor (peak vacuum)
Weight: 770,673 pounds
Propellant: solid, 88 percent hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene
Contractor: Alliant Techsystems

FIRST STAGE
Length: 86.5 ft
Diameter: 10-ft Engine
Thrust: 551,200 lb (Full Duration Average)
Propellants: Hypergolic Liquid - Aerozine-50 (Hydrazine and Unsymmetrical
Dimethyl-Hydrazine) Fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide Oxidizer
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Space Systems

SECOND STAGE
Length: 32.7 ft (Bottom of Engine Nozzle To Top of Forward Skirt)
Diameter: 10-ft Engine
Thrust: 106,150 lb (Full Duration Average)
Propellants: Hypergolic Liquid - Aerozine-50 and Nitrogen Tetroxide
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Space Systems

CENTAUR UPPER STAGE
Length: 29.45 ft
Upper Stage Diameter: 14.2 feet
Thrust: 33,000 lb
Propellants: Cryogenic - Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen Stage
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Space Systems

INERTIAL UPPER STAGE
Length: 16.4 ft
Diameter: Flares from 7.5 to 9.5 feet
Thrust: 41,700 lb/17,200 lb
Propellants: Solid - Cast Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene, Aluminum, and
Ammonium Perchlorate
Contractor: The Boeing Company

ADVANCED GUIDANCE
Ring Laser Gyro with Digital Computer
Contractor: Honeywell

PAYLOAD FAIRING
Length: 56-86 ft
Diameter: Approximately 17 ft
Design: Trisector, aluminum isogrid construction
Contractor: The Boeing Company

LAUNCH WEIGHT - Approximately 2,074,000 for the Titan
IVB/Centaur/Milstar II mission

BACKGROUND - There have been 33 Titan IV launches, 22 from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and 11 from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
Calif.

TEAM MEMBERS
Major Element Contractors

GenCorp Aerojet Propulsion Division, Sacramento, Calif.--liquid rocket
engines
Pratt & Whitney, Chemical Systems Division, United Technologies
Corp., San Jose, Calif.--solid rocket motors
Alliant Techsystems, Magna, Utah--solid rocket motor upgrade
The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif.-- payload fairing
Honeywell, Clearwater, Fla.-- advanced guidance & control unit

[CasearianDaoist]

How many lauches have we had of this rocket?

Thanks in advance/

[Rockitz]

Including the Centaur vehicle this is approximately 23. This flight was known as B-35 with respect to the Titan core vehicle and TC-23 with respect to the Centaur vehicle. There have been 100s of Titan flights over the years dating back to Minuteman and Gemini days.

[SENTINEL]

Another Titan IV launch.

Schematic of Titan IV.

Pics courtesy of www.astronautix.com

[_Jim]

1.544

There is only *one* bitstream that I know that has that number associated with it - a "DS1" circuit commonly hauled over a "T1" line (with a raw 'bit rate' of 1.544 Mbps including 8000 bps for 'supervision' and 'synchonization bits') ...

[Carry_Okie]

Man, talk about a program that took FOREVER! I remember working on components for this monster in 1986!