The Air Force and launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) Monday successfully lifted a pair of Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites after days of delays due to weather and a technical issue.
The launch took place at 7:28 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on a Delta IV launch vehicle, according to a ULA statement. In addition to the GSSAP satellites, a secondary payload known as Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS) was also part of the launch. ANGLES is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
The launch was originally supposed to take place July 23, but was delayed that day due to an issue with the ground support equipment environmental control system that supports the launch vehicle. Additional launches were attempted, but delayed three times due to weather before Monday’s successful liftoff.
ATK [ATK] contributed to the launch with propellant tanks on the satellite and launch vehicle, two Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM-60), large composite structures and the main engine nozzle on the RS-68 first stage motor that powers the Delta IV. The RS-68, developed by GenCorp– [GY] division Aerojet Rocketdyne, also features ATK’s thermal protection material that shields the nozzle from extreme exhaust heat that can exceed 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
GSSAP satellites will support Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC SPACE) tasking to collect space situational awareness (SSA) data, allowing for more accurate tracking and characterization of man-made orbiting objects, according to the Air Force. GSSAP will have a clear, unobstructed and distinct vantage point for viewing resident space objects orbiting earth in a near-geosynchronous orbit without the disruption of weather or atmosphere that can limit ground-based systems.
Data from GSSAP will uniquely contribute to timely and accurate orbital predictions, enhancing our knowledge of the geosynchronous orbit environment, and further enabling space flight safety to include satellite collision avoidance. Outgoing Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) chief Gen. William Shelton called GSSAP satellites the “neighborhood watch” keeping an eye on other nation’s satellites for “nefarious” activity. Orbital Sciences [ORB] developed the GSSAP satellites.
ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].