edkyl…@hotmail.com (ed kyle) wrote

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> With the April 8, 2003 launch of Titan 401B-35, I know of
> only nine launch vehicles with core stages directly
> derived[1] from the first U.S. ICBMs that have assigned
> missions.  These include three Titan 4, one Titan 23G, and
> five Atlas 2AS vehicles.  I think that three other Titans
> exist, but I have been unable to find information about
> plans for them.    

> About half of the remaining fleet should be expended by
> the end of this year.  The June launch of Titan 23G-9
> "Cindy Marie" could be the last time we see a Titan 2.  
> (They’ve been trying to launch that Titan for several
> years now!)

> Here is an updated Heritage Atlas/Titan Countdown Forecast

> 9  Titan 403B B-30        NRO           VAFB-SLC-4E  May 2003
> 8  Atlas 2AS  AC-164      MLV-11 (NRO)  VAFB SLC-3E  Jun 2003
> 7  Titan 23G  G-9         DMSP-503-F16  VAFB SLC-4W  Jun 2003
> 6  Titan 401B B-36/TC-20  NRO           CC SLC-40    Jul?2003
> 5  Atlas 2AS  AC-163      Superbird 6   CC SLC-36    Aug 2003
> 4  Titan 402B B-39/IUS-10 DSP-22        CC SLC-40    ??? 2004?
> 3  Atlas 2AS  AC-1??      ICO           CC SLC-36    ??? ????
> 2  Atlas 2AS  AC-1??      AMC-10        CC SLC-36    ??? ????
> 1  Atlas 2AS  AC-1??      AMC-11        CC SLC-36    ??? ????
> 0  Titan 23G  G-10        Unassigned    VAFB SLC-4W  ??? ????
> 0  Titan 40XB B-37        Unassigned    VAFB SLC-4E  ??? ????
> 0  Titan 40XB B-26        Unassigned    VAFB SLC-4E  ??? ????

This seems like an opportune place to put a note I prepared earlier
today. Note that B-30 seems to be on indefinite hold, there are two
T-IVBs still scheduled for CCAFS, and the last T-IVB out of VAFB is
apparently scheduled for Feb 2005.

—————

http://www.newspress.com/businessoutlook/vandenberg.htm
  Santa Barbara New-Press
  Business Outlook ’03
  Change in the Air
  By NORA K. WALLACE
  [EXCERPTS]

  It will be a year of great transformation at Vandenberg Air
  Force Base, with the phasing out of two workhorse rockets, the
  loss of some employment and the arrival of a new generation of
  launch vehicles.

[snip]

  Some of those [job]losses [at Vandenberg]will come as [Lockheed
  Martin Space Systems Co.] phases out two of its long-standing
  rocket systems, the Titan 2 and the Atlas. The final Titan 2 is
  set for May, and the last Atlas 2AS rocket will fly from
  Vandenberg in June. The company does not have another launch on
  its schedule until February 2005, when the final Titan 4 is set
  for lift-off.

——————

  http://mocc.vandenberg.af.mil/launchsched.asp
  Titan IV – DOD – Indefinite date

—————–

Looking at page 6 (slide 14)of  
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/nexgen/Nexgen_Downloads/ELV_BAR_F…
, which is dated 11/5/99 (presumably Nov 5, 1999), we see,

  Titan IV System Launches
   - Remaining 11 launches involve high value national security
     spacecraft (~ $9 billion)

——————

So, counting forward from Nov 5, 1999 and putting the launch
history into the picture, we have

  29 05/08/2000 SLC-40 CCAFS, Fla. Titan 4B/IUS DSP 20
  30 08/17/2000 SLC-4E VAFB, Calif. Titan 4B Lacrosse 4
  31 02/27/2001 SLC-40 CCAFS, Fla. Titan 4B/Centaur Milstar 2-2
  32 08/06/2001 SLC-40 CCAFS, Fla. Titan 4B/IUS DSP 21
  33 10/05/2001 SLC-4E VAFB, Calif. Titan 4B Keyhole
  34 01/15/2002 SLC-40 CCAFS, Fla. Titan 4B/Centaur Milstar 2-3
  35 04/08/2003 SLC-40 CCAFS, Fla.  Titan 4B/Centaur Milstar

  Future Titan 4B/Centaur B-36 CCAFS NRO
  Future Titan 4B B-39 CCAFS DSP 22
  Future Titan 4B VAFB DOD (B-30?)DOD/NRO
  02/xx/2005 Titan 4B VAFB (B-26/-37?)DOD/NRO

Which gives the eleven.

This is consistent with a rumor I heard a couple of months ago,
but was keeping on the "not proven" shelf.  Namely, that the
Titan IVB B-30 vehicle had not only been descheduled for a
5 May 2003 launch from VAFB, but was also being moved to the
Cape.  If indeed true, something pretty significant must have
happened in the world of secret satellites.

The rumor also said that a T4B would be launched in 2005 from VAFB,
consistent with the recently discovered Feb. 2005 one.

  http://lmms.external.lmco.com/latestnews/index.html
  U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin team up to successfully
  launch final Milstar II satellite on a Titan IV B rocket
  [EXCERPTS]

  CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., April 8, 2003 — Lockheed
  Martin and the U.S. Air Force joined forces to successfully place
  the Milstar II military communications satellite into orbit today.

  Four Titan IV Bs remain to be launched, three from Cape Canaveral,
  Fla., and one from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

A problem has been found regarding the security of the "SETI @ home"
screen saver program:
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993597

Pat Flannery

http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/1591

))))

cheers

Bernhard

Does anybody know more about these?

http://www.launchers.eads.net/complementaires/

cheers

Bernhard

http://www.floridatoday.com/columbia/columbiastory2A48977A.htm

"Judgment errors similar to Challenger, Ride says"
_FLORIDA TODAY_ – Apr 8, 9:26 PM

Excerpts:

‘NASA might have made the same type of errors in judgment before the
Feb. 1 Columbia disaster that the agency made before the Challenger
explosion in 1986, an accident investigator said Tuesday.’

‘In the 22 years leading up to Columbia’s ill-fated flight, investigator
Sally Ride said NASA grew to treat persistent damage to critical shuttle
heat shielding as an acceptable risk, despite agency requirements to
preclude such damage.’

‘The former astronaut, who became the first American woman in space in
1983, also noted the booster rocket O-ring problem that ultimately
doomed Challenger was handled in much the same manner.’

‘"I think I’m hearing an echo here," said Ride, who also served on the
Rogers Commission that investigated the Challenger explosion.’
…

‘A Florida Today examination of NASA and contractor records showed
launch debris damaged orbiters on at least 112 of 113 flights to date.
On at least 71 of those flights, the damaging debris broke free from
external tanks.’

‘"Tile damage was a very big concern in the early stages of the shuttle
program — a huge concern," she added.  "But as time went on, people I
think got used to tile damage from debris off the external tank, got
used to repairing that between flights, got used to thinking about it as
a turnaround issue.  And I think we saw that in the way problems were
handled" in the years leading up to Columbia’s final flight.’

See the URL for the rest of the disturbing news.

–
Scott M. Kozel    Highway and Transportation History Websites
Virginia/Maryland/Washington, D.C. http://www.roadstothefuture.com
Philadelphia and Delaware Valley   http://www.pennways.com

A damn shame, one of the most beautiful aircraft…

Anyway, is there any possible use these could be put to?
They are rather small, admittedly.

–
http://inquisitor.i.am/    |  mailto:inquisi…@i.am |             Ian Stirling.
—————————+————————-+————————–
"The device every conquerer, yes, every altruistic liberator should be required
to wear on his shield… is a little girl and her kitten, at ground zero"
      –  Sir Dominic Flandry in Poul Andersons ‘A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows’

Is this a sign that Lockheed Martin’s Atlas just can’t cut it in
the commercial launch sector?  All previous Eutelsat ILS launches
were on Atlas vehicles.

 - Ed Kyle

Press Release Source: International Launch Services

ILS Signs New Contract with Eutelsat for Proton Launch
Thursday April 10, 5:12 pm ET

MCLEAN, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–April 10, 2003–International Launch
Services (ILS) and Eutelsat SA have signed a contract for launching
the W3A satellite on a Proton rocket.
The W3A launch is planned for late 2003 using the powerful Proton
M/Breeze M configuration. The satellite is an Astrium Eurostar 3000
model, similar to several already scheduled for launch on Proton
vehicles.

This will be the seventh Eutelsat launch on an ILS vehicle, and the
company’s first on an ILS Proton. Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading
satellite operators, has launched six times successfully on ILS’
Lockheed Martin-built Atlas rocket. Three of those missions were the
inaugural flights of Atlas variants – Atlas II, Atlas III and Atlas V.

Lockheed Martin developed Atlas V to meet not only commercial
requirements, but also to provide the U.S. government with assured
access to space through the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.

ILS President Mark Albrecht said: "Eutelsat is a long-time and valued
customer. Our ties go back to the late 1980s, when Eutelsat was the
first customer to purchase a commercial Atlas launch, giving rise to
the U.S. commercial launch industry. We have provided Eutelsat with
six excellent Atlas launches, and we appreciate their continued
confidence in ILS by choosing Proton this time. ILS prides itself on
having the world’s most reliable launch vehicles, with comparable
capabilities, enabling us to offer mutual backup. Thus we provide our
customers with schedule assurance, which is the cornerstone of our
business."

ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT – News) in
the United States, which builds the Atlas rocket; and Russian
companies Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and
RSC Energia. Khrunichev produces the Proton vehicles and the Breeze M
upper stage.

ILS was formed in 1995 to provide launch services to customers
worldwide, including technical, management and marketing expertise. It
offers the broadest range of launch services in the world along with
the highest reliability in the industry.

I talk about Yuri’s Night, and the NSS petition, while dissing
International A.N.S.W.E.R.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83822,00.html

–
simberg.interglobal.org  * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole)  
interglobal space lines  * 307 733-1715 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org

"Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets…"
Swap the first . and @ and throw out the ".trash" to email me.  
Here’s my email address for autospammers: postmas…@fbi.gov

If there’s anyone willing and able to focus their talents and
resources upon humanly obtainable goals, for that challenge I’ve got
just the ticket.

I realize that I’m not the one and only "village idiot" that sees
what’s on Venus as being more likely artificial than not. Of course,
if you or anyone you know of can offer some images (preferably SAR
format) of similar complex natural formations that look nearly as
artificial but are obviously not (those can be of Earth), I’m all eyes
and even ears if would care to be giving me a call. Among other
updates and pages chuck full of my village idiot stuff:

http://guthvenus.tripod.com/gv-town.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/confused.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/exploration.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/village-idiot.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/heat-is-relative.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/just-because.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/radio-maybe.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/few-words.htm
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/positive.htm

I’ve recently introduced another go at the Venus communications via
light, mostly by way of UV and near UV. I could certainly use your
experienced input upon this as well.
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/light-communications.htm
rather than of the following which is entirely science future:
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/exploration.htm
and perhaps the following is not science future but more like science
now;
http://guthvenus.tripod.com/universal-light.htm

Sorry if any of that’s not something within your expertise.

Regards, Brad Guth / IEIS   1-253-8576061  http://guthvenus.tripod.com
 and as an alternate: http://geocities.com/bradguth