Atlas V Rolls Out to Launch Pad for First Time; Successfully Performs First Propellant Loading and Simulated Countdown.Business Editors NOTE TO MEDIA: Photo is available in a Smart News Release(TM) on Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com and at www.newstream.com CAPE CANAVERAL Air Force Station The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) is the East Coast space launch facility of the United States Department of Defense. Located on Cape Canaveral in the State of Florida, it depends on Patrick Air Force Base, home of the 45th Space Wing. CCAFS is adjacent to the John F. , Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2002 International Launch Services International Launch Services (or ILS) was formed in 1995 as a private spaceflight partnership between the United States defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LM) (LM sold their part later) and the Russian firms Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and RSC -- "Clean pad" concept validated -- All-weather rocket on pad for over 90 hours straight -- Atlas V most powerful and reliable Atlas to date Lockheed Martin's new Atlas V booster passed its first major test on the launch pad this week on the way to the debut launch this summer. Over a five-day period, the Atlas team rolled the rocket on its mobile launch platform to the launch pad, loaded the super-cold propellants on board and conducted a simulated launch countdown. The Atlas V is being developed in partnership with the U.S. Air Force as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program was a United States government, primarily a Department of Defense–sponsored effort to develop at least one family of space launch vehicles, that would meet the long term needs of the military and fulfill commercial (EELV EELV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle EELV End-Expiratory Lung Volume EELV Extended Expendable Launch Vehicle ) Program. "The last piece of the Atlas V launch system left to test was the integration of vehicle and launch pad, which has now been verified to perform as designed and advertised," said John Karas Karas may refer to:
The process of checking out the vehicle as if for launch, including tanking and detanking propellants, is called a "wet dress rehearsal," or WDR WDR Westdeutscher Rundfunk (German radio and TV station) WDR World Development Report (World Bank) WDR Wide Dynamic Range (cameras) . WDR is the major pre-launch test that proves all airborne and ground hardware and software are ready to perform. During WDR the launch team simulates the countdown, which in the case of Atlas V will improve upon the Atlas II and III procedures. Atlas II and III are currently performing at 100 per cent Mission Success, with 60 consecutive successful launches over nine years. A total of three WDRs will be performed before the first Atlas V launch. As a prelude to WDR #1, the vehicle rolled to the pad for the first time on its mobile launch platform (MLP (Meridian Lossless Packing) The compression technique used in DVD-Audio that provides the highest audio quality. It delivers two channels at 192 kHz with 24-bit samples or six channels at 96 kHz. ) from the vertical integration facility (VIF VIF - VHDL Interface Format. Intermediate language used by the Vantage VHDL compiler. "A VHDL Compiler Based on Attribute Grammar Methodology", R. Farrow et al, SIGPLAN NOtices 24(7):120-130 (Jul 1989). ) Wednesday, March 6. In that first on-pad operation, the team checked numerous subsystems and the kerosene-like fuel known as RP-1 was loaded on board the Atlas and then unloaded before rollback to the VIF. The Atlas V made the 1,800-foot journey to the pad in 30 minutes. In the first demonstration of the robust, all-weather qualities of the launch vehicle, AV-001 stood outside for 31 hours straight. As it stands exposed on the launch pad, Atlas V is able to withstand winds of 60+ mph. WDR #1 was performed over a five -day period that began Monday, March 11. Centaur upper stage cryogenic propellants - super-cold liquid oxygen and hydrogen - were loaded and unloaded on Wednesday, March 13. Liquid oxygen was loaded on board the Atlas on Thursday, March 14. The entire process concluded on Friday, March 15, with rollback to the VIF. During the five days, the rocket spent 90+ hours on the launch pad through a variety of Central Florida weather conditions including wind, rain and lightning, further demonstrating the robust design of the system. WDR was deliberately expanded from normal operations to allow for extra development testing. Normal launch day operations will take only 11 hours from the time the vehicle is moved from the VIF to launch. "Once again the entire Atlas V team has done a fabulous job achieving another critical program milestone," said Col. Bob Saxer, the Air Force EELV System Program Director, who was on console with Col. Sue Mashiko during the initial rollout and tanking. "The technical challenges associated with bringing a brand new launch vehicle and launch pad to life are not insignificant. John Karas and the entire Atlas V technical team are to be commended for the outstanding job they've done; successfully tanking the entire vehicle, taking it to flight pressures, and counting down to T-minus 4 minutes during the first WDR is very impressive. I look forward with great anticipation to our first launch." The Atlas V launch system improves on performance as well as reliability. Today's Atlas II and III families lift up to 9,900 pounds to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO GTO Gran Turismo Omologato (Ferrari & Pontiac models) GTO Go To GTO Guanajuato (México) GTO Great Teacher Onizuka (Japanese series) GTO Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit ) and have one payload fairing size. The Atlas V Common Core Booster Common Core Booster (CCB) is the modular liquid fuelled first stage of the Atlas V expendable launch system. In most configurations a single CCB is used with strap-on solid rocket boosters. For heavier loads three CCBs can be strapped together in the first stage. (TM) can fly missions ranging from 11,000 pounds up to 19,000 pounds to GTO with either a four-meter or five-meter payload fairing without booster or upper stage changes. Configuring the vehicle can be done at the launch site rather than in the factory. The Atlas V also improves mission reliability by reducing active booster single-point failure components from hundreds to a handful because most systems are simplified, made redundant or eliminated altogether. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Lockheed Martin Space Systems is one of the 4 major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. It is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. From a rich history of major companies Lockheed Martin has brought them together to offer design, integration, and production of: adj. Existing or occurring between planets. interplanetary Adjective of or linking planets Adj. 1. spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a highly diversified global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses span space and telecommunications, electronics, information and services, aeronautics, energy and systems integration. Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales surpassing $24 billion. For additional information on Atlas and images of the Atlas V on the launch pad, go to www.ast.lmco.com or www.ilslaunch.com. Note: A Photo is available at URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. : URL: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.031502/bb8 |
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