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SpaceX Launches Air Force's Most Powerful GPS Satellite Ever Built (cbsnews.com)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared to life and streaked away from Cape Canaveral early Sunday carrying the first in a powerful new generation of GPS navigation satellites into orbit. It was the California rocket builder's 21st launch this year and its first Pentagon-sanctioned national security mission. From a report: Propelled by 1.2 million pounds of thrust from its nine first stage engines, the 229-foot-tall rocket lifted off at 8:51 a.m. EST (GMT-5), climbing straight away from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was the 20th major rocket launch from Florida this year, the busiest pace since 1998. The launching came five days late because of a last-minute problem with first stage propellant temperatures Tuesday and stormy weather Thursday. High winds forced another 24-hour delay Saturday, but conditions were ideal Sunday and the rocket put on a spectacular show as it raced away to the northeast through a cloudless sky.
Vice President Mike Pence, chairman of the newly reconstituted National Space Council, was on hand for Tuesday's initial launch try but flew back to Washington after touring SpaceX facilities at the Kennedy Space Center. "The most important thing is that we get that rocket up safely and securely and it achieves its mission," Pence told spaceport workers. "I know this bird is going to fly and when it flies, it's going to make a difference for the security and prosperity of the American people." Pence has taken an active role in directing the Trump administration's revised national space policy, calling for establishment of a military "Space Force," increased commercial development in low-Earth orbit and continued NASA development of a huge new rocket and spacecraft to carry astronauts back to the moon.
Vice President Mike Pence, chairman of the newly reconstituted National Space Council, was on hand for Tuesday's initial launch try but flew back to Washington after touring SpaceX facilities at the Kennedy Space Center. "The most important thing is that we get that rocket up safely and securely and it achieves its mission," Pence told spaceport workers. "I know this bird is going to fly and when it flies, it's going to make a difference for the security and prosperity of the American people." Pence has taken an active role in directing the Trump administration's revised national space policy, calling for establishment of a military "Space Force," increased commercial development in low-Earth orbit and continued NASA development of a huge new rocket and spacecraft to carry astronauts back to the moon.
To explore space and push for serious colonization efforts instead of bitching about trees.
Ever Built SO FAR!
Yours,
The Psydkick!
This is great for SpaceX!
The next challenge for them will be to manage to put creimer into orbit so we can finally be done with him!
A dumb satellite would suffice. We certainly do not want that sat to have any data link! The challenge will consist of lifting the heavy payload!
another mind controlling time travelling united states illuminati, under the guise of alien conspiracy, total FUBAR F'UP
it's funny how a cornered rat makes all these random jumps, unknowing to it, it will never make it out alive.
caption : pea soup
The 6pm news here in Adelaide, Australia had a fluff bit about a "UFO" being sighted last night. When I saw the footage I immediately thought "that's a rocket" and then a few seconds later they spoke to an astronomer who said it was probably the latest SpaceX launch.
It was reported to have been sighted at about 0100-0130ACDST, which pretty much lines up with the launch time. Wish I'd been awake and outside drinking at that time, like the people who recorded the footage were.
Pretty cool.
It wasn't clear to me at first how POWER comes into play regarding GPS. I've been accustomed to GPS simply showing the way to some place or telling me where I am already located.
But now I get it! This new GPS with POWER doesn't just show us how to get somewhere ... it will TRANSPORT us there! Well, probably just military people at first, like the original GPS, but just wait--we'll all be zipping around thanks to the fabulous POWER of this new GPS. Time to sell your Uber and other transportation stocks.
...omphaloskepsis often...
For a Black South African Guy... Gooo Mandela. :)
[($)]
A bit over 21 GWatt continuous, as I recall. So powerful, instead of merely telling you where you are, it will be able to relocate an equipped vehicle by up to 320 Km displacement. It took quite a bit of work to ensure the displacement would match ground elevation levels, since relocating a land vehicle too far above ground would result in adverse passenger effects, and relocating in the other direction would do the same, plus inject toxic material (gasoline, diesel, e-waste, human remains) underground where it could get into drinking water. They use detailed surface topographic maps and millimeter wave RADAR to micro-correct the maps for vertical land surface movement, several centimeters of which occurs over the course of a year due mostly to aquifer levels (it's almost like the earth breaths). They decided to aim for 2-3 cm above ground level at the destination; you'll feel a bounce as your vehicle drops to ground. If they didn't do this your tires could end up fused into the pavement by a few mm due to measurement errors and quantum fluctuations. Of course military and police/fire/med will get priority usage, but they should be rolling out US civilian accounts in a year or two; you'll be able to bypass commuter traffic for around $3500 per year. Another early adopter will be civil aviation; when they roll out multi-hop flights you'll be able to fly coast to coast in under an hour. Apple, Samsung and Moto are equipping phones, so by the time civ accounts roll out you probably won't even need a vehicle. That 3cm elevation will still be required, so bend your knees a bit to anticipate a little drop (you get used to that pretty fast). Wheelchair makers are going to need to think about active suspension or some kind of pneumatics to handle this without causing spinal injuries.
With the emergence of GLONASS as a viable technology and with other nations pushing for their own positioning networks, it's nice to see legitimate efforts to maintain US supremacy... and nice to see SpaceX continue to provide consistently viable launch services, something that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should in comparison with the reality TV'esque drama spin constantly given by the media towards Musk and his businesses.
Not much is explained about the GPS satellite in the summary, from the TFA we learn;
As it now stands, the ground control system, known as OCX, will not be fully on line until at least 2021, after the first half dozen GPS 3 navsats are in orbit.
The GPS 3 navsats will provide four civilian data streams for use by countless devices ranging from smart phones to automobiles, commercial aircraft and virtually all sectors of the transportation industry. Multiple data streams will enable receivers in aircraft, for example, to compensate for atmospheric effects that might otherwise reduce accuracy.
Another advantage for civilian users is interoperability with navigation systems launched by other nations.
The new satellites also feature encrypted channels using sophisticated anti-jamming technology intended to keep the satellites operational under electronic attack. Military signals will use so-called M-code processing, "a stronger and encrypted, military-specific GPS signal which can help users operate in jamming environments," according to the GAO.
The new satellites also feature a redesigned Nuclear Detonation Detection System, a search-and-rescue payload and other improvements.
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
Thanks for the update.
They didn't do a first stage recovery with this rocket. The orbital profile and satellite mass required using all the first stage fuel. If they had a Falcon Heavy they maybe could have done this with first stage recovery. It is worth noting how successful SpaceX has gotten at recovery that actually not recovering the booster makes this one notable.
We'll see some spectacular blowups once the chinese hackers clock them.
"SpaceX Launches Air Force's Most Powerful GPS Satellite Ever Built" is a COVER STORY. What reason is there for a larger GPS when more smaller ones are better? But I seriously do NOT want to know that it is. Then, they have to kill me.