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File
photo of ULA Delta IV rocket poised for sunset blastoff with the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-9) mission for the U.S. Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fl, on Mar. 18, 2017. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Ken Kremer —SpaceUpClose.com &
RocketSTEM –15 March 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR
FORCE STATION, FL – Nearing the end of its glorious 16
year life the penultimate Delta IV medium class rocket is set for a dazzling
sunset liftoff from Cape Canaveral with a mighty military communications
satellite for the U.S. Air Force, Friday, March 15.
Furthermore the weather outlook is very promising for tonight’s
dinnertime launch of the next-to-last Delta IV Medium from the Florida Space
Coast deploying a critical communications satellite for global military communications.
And rocket maker United Launch Alliance (ULA) is making
final preparations to launch the tenth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite for the U.S.
Air Force following a thumbs up after Thursday’s Launch Readiness Review cleared
the vehicle and payload.
Blastoff of the Wideband Global SATCOM-10
(WGS-10) mission for the U.S. Air Force is slated for 6:56 p.m. EDT on Friday, Mar.
15, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida.
“Feels like a good day to go to space. #WGS10,”
tweeted ULA CEO Tory Bruno this morning.
“Welcome to launch day for Delta IV and WGS-10!”
ULA tweeted.
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| ULA Delta IV Medium class rocket poised for liftoff on WGS-10 mission for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-37 on March 15, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The launch window runs for just over two hours
at 129 minutes and extends to 9:05 p.m. EDT.
You
can watch the Delta launch live on a ULA webcast. The live launch broadcast
will begin approximately 20 minutes prior to liftoff at 6:36 p.m. EST here:
The Delta IV will launch
eastward over the Atlantic Ocean and should put on a stunning sky show with the
sunny, clear weather conditions currently forecast.
Tourists from the across
the globe have flocked to the Kennedy Space center area filling hotels and restaurants
thereby providing a much needed ‘space boost’ to the local ‘space coast’ economy.
Beaches and parks will be
packed with spectators from near and far.
Here is
a visibility map from ULA:
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| Launch visibility map |
WGS-10
will be delivered to a supersynchronous
transfer orbit atop the ULA Delta IV Medium+ rocket.
This
marks the 38th launch of the Delta IV rocket.
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ULA Delta IV Medium class rocket poised for
liftoff on WGS-10 mission for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-37 on March 15, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
The 218
foot tall Delta IV Medium+ rocket will launch in the 5,4 configuration with a 5
meter diameter payload fairing and 4 solid rocket boosters to augment the first
stage. Northrop Grumman provided the four solid
rocket motors.
The
common booster core for Delta IV is powered by the RS-68A engine fueled by
liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene, and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage is
powered by the RL10B-2 engine, both supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Overall
the first stage provides approximately 1.8 million pounds of thrust.
The is
the eighth Delta IV flight in the Medium+ (5,4) configuration; all of which
were for prior WGS missions.
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| WGS-10 satellite. Credit: Boeing |
The prior
WGS-9 mission launched on March 18, 2017. See our photos.
“ULA
is proud to be the exclusive launch provider for all ten WGS missions,” said
Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “Our
focus on mission success continually demonstrates that safely and reliably
delivering these critical national assets is our highest priority.”
The Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system, developed by the Boeing Company,
provides wideband communications connectivity for U.S. and allied warfighters
around the world.
launches.
story will be updated further as I now head to the launch pad to set up remote
cameras.
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ULA Delta IV Medium class rocket poised for
liftoff on WGS-10 mission for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-37 on March 15, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
WGS-10 and her three sisters are the most powerful
US Air
Force military communications satellite ever built.
To date
the entire WGS constellation has been launch by ULA on Delta IV medium rockets.
It is
the tenth satellite in the WGS constellation that serves as the backbone of the U.S. military’s global satellite
communications.
“WGS provides flexible, high-capacity communications for the
Nation’s warfighters through procurement and operation of the satellite
constellation and the associated control systems,” according to the U.S. Air
Force.
“WGS provides worldwide flexible, high data rate and long haul
communications for marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, the White House
Communication Agency, the US State Department, international partners, and
other special users.”
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ULA Delta IV Medium class rocket poised for
liftoff on WGS-10 mission for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-37 on March 15, 2019 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Watch for Ken’s continuing
onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer
– email: ken at kenkremer.com
area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space
topics.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent ULA Delta 4 WGS-10, SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch
to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas &
Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville,
FL, evenings:
Mar
15/16: “ULA Delta 4 WGS-10
launch, SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX
Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX
Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX
Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity
and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space
Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings.
Photos for sale
Ken’s
upcoming talks:
Mars; The Search for Life & A Journey in 3-D.” 7 PM, Lawton C
Johnson Middle School, Summit, NJ
