At top, the Delta IV rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base Nov. 4. At bottom, the Delta II launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Nov. 17. Photos courtesy of The Boeing Company.

November A Record-Breaking
Month at The Aerospace Corporation

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (11/17/06) — November was a record-breaking month at The Aerospace Corporation, as employees supported the 47th and 48th successful consecutive operational launches for the U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center.

On Nov. 4, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F-17 satellite was launched aboard a Delta IV rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 5:53 a.m. PST. On Nov. 17, a Delta II rocket carried the Global Positioning System (GPS) IIR-16 (M3) satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. That launch took place at 2:12 p.m. EST less than two months after the launch of the GPS IIR-15 (M), the second in the new series of GPS satellites that will modernize the navigation system.

Aerospace employees performed extensive launch verification prior to both launches to assess flight worthiness and launch readiness for both the Delta II and Delta IV rockets.

DMSP Launch Marks a First

The DMSP launch marked a first with a "controlled de-orbit" of the rocket’s upper stage into the Pacific Ocean. “This complex maneuver was accomplished to eliminate space debris in compliance with the nation’s orbital debris minimization policies,” said Mark Brosmer of The Aerospace Corporation's Delta IV Launch Operations.

The Aerospace Corporation's Meteorological Satellite Systems group also provided key mission assurance support for the DMSP-17 satellite from early integration and testing to launch countdown monitoring and on-orbit analysis and operations.

Each DMSP satellite is placed in a near-polar orbit for strategic and tactical weather prediction and is equipped with sensors designed for the military’s specialized meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-geophysical needs. The satellites also provide space environmental data to assist with high-frequency communications, over-the-horizon radar, and reentry tasks.

Last-Minute Fixes for GPS IIR-16

Aerospace played a critical roll in assessing some last-minute fixes to the GPS 11R-16 prior to its launch Nov. 17. "Several weeks before the launch, the satellite contractor reported a failure in static readable-addressable memory (S-RAM ) on another satellite in production at the same time as the GPS IIR-16 satellite,” said John Clark of The Aerospace Corporation's Navigation Division.

To avoid a possible delay in the launch, the satellite was switched with another modernized GPS payload, one that didn’t have the same potential problem, according to Clark. Subsequently, the contractor completed its S-RAM investigation and exonerated the satellite. "Aerospace reviewed the contractor’s materials and endorsed the analysis," Clark said.

A second issue arose when the satellite’s apogee kick motor (AKM) was being installed. The AKM inserts the satellite into its final operational orbit.

“Unfortunately, one of the bolts that attached the motor could not be tightened because the plate into which it screwed had never been threaded, Clark said. Aerospace, along with the contractors building the satellite, performed an analysis that concluded that the mission would be compromised without the bolt in place. “The contractor devised a solution for attaching the bolt," Clark said. "Aerospace reviewed and approved the modification and oversaw the installation.”

The third in the series of modernized GPS satellites, the GPS IIR-16 satellite will add a new military and a second civil signal to improve GPS accuracy and availability. Eight modernized GPS satellites are scheduled to be launched by the end of 2008, increasing the system's accuracy to support a range of emerging GPS uses.

The Aerospace Corporation, based in El Segundo, Calif., is an independent, nonprofit company that provides objective technical analyses and assessments for national security space programs and selected civil and commercial space programs in the national interest.

Media Inquiries: Contact Dave Jonta, 310-336-5041, david.l.jonta@aero.org