Screenshot from NASA Webcast of the OA-4 Cygnus launch. It looks like a Beer Keg. I’m thirsty
Mission Rundown: ULA - Atlas V 401 - OA-4 Cygnus
Written: January 6, 2023
They need me. Hold my beer
Orbital ATK’ Cygnus resupply spacecraft finally returned to flight on Sunday following weather scrubs over numerous recent attempts. Riding United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket uphill a year on from the loss of its previous mission atop Orbital’s own Antares rocket, liftoff from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral finally occurred on December 6, 2015 at 16:44 Eastern - 21:44 UTC on Sunday.
Aiming a rocket toward a specific orbit in a launch window requires a azimuth - compass heading - that goes from a low numbered to a high numbered azimuth. You turn when the orbit intersects
Bound for the International Space Station, the launch was the first Cygnus flight since last October’s failure, and the first mission for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program since the loss of CRS-7, a SpaceX Dragon resupply mission, on June 28, 2015.
The Antares, which consists of a first stage designed by Ukraine’s Yuzhnoye bureau based on the company’s Zenit rocket and a Castor upper stage built by Orbital, failed shortly after liftoff last year, falling back onto its launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and exploding.
Reports into the anomaly have found the failure was caused by a turbopump malfunction in one of the rocket’s AJ-26 first stage engines.
Orbital’s investigation found a manufacturing fault to be the root cause, while NASA’s report has also indicated the presence of foreign object debris in the turbopump – although the report did not find sufficient evidence to suggest whether this may have had an effect upon the failure.
The AJ-26 turbopump had been an early suspect in the failure investigation and shortly after the unsuccessful launch Orbital announced plans to move away from the AJ-26 – which is an Aerojet-refurbished NK-33 engine, using up a stockpile that were originally built for the Soviet Union’s N-1 rocket in the early 1970s.
Antares launches are expected to resume next year with NPO Energomash’s RD-181 engine in place of the AJ-26.
In order to fulfill its commitments to NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services program, Orbital ATK contracted United Launch Alliance to provide launch services for one resupply mission, with an option – since exercised – for a second launch.
The launch also marked the debut of an enhanced Cygnus vehicle, using an enlarged pressurized module to accommodate a larger payload than on earlier missions.
Orbital is one of two companies – along with SpaceX – contracted by NASA to deliver cargo to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. OA-4 is the fourth operational Cygnus mission under CRS – the spacecraft having also flown one mission under the precursor Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration program.
Cygnus launched atop an Atlas V rocket, flying in the 401 configuration. This version of the rocket uses a four-meter payload fairing and a single-engine Centaur upper stage, with no solid rocket motors attached to the first stage. The rocket had the tail number AV-061, and was the sixtieth Atlas V to fly.
The OA-4 Cygnus Payload
The Cygnus launching is the Orbital ATK 4 (OA-4) mission, named the SS Deke Slayton II after astronaut Deke Slayton. Slayton, the only member of the original Mercury Seven not to fly during the Mercury program – having been grounded due to a heart defect, was the first Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office.
The OA-4 mission is carrying 3,513 kilograms (7,745 lb) of cargo to the Space Station. This includes supplies and provisions for the crew – including food and clothing – station, computer and scientific hardware, cameras, and equipment for performing spacewalks.
Launching atop the Atlas V – a larger and more powerful vehicle than the Antares – the Cygnus is able to carry even more cargo than had been planned for this configuration atop the most powerful Antares, the Antares 130.
The pressurized segment of the spacecraft will be connected to a service module that will arrive at Kennedy in October. Equipped with a pair of unfurling solar arrays, thrusters and an instrument package, the service module will provide power, guidance and control during the mission. About three-quarters of the cargo manifested for the flight will be loaded into the Cygnus while it is in the processing hall.
The complete Cygnus spacecraft will be moved to the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for fueling and will be encapsulated inside the payload fairing. The rest of the cargo will be loaded about two weeks prior to launch.
Then the spacecraft will be moved to the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 and joined to the Atlas V rocket for launch.
Data facts about the enhanced Cygnus with a volume of 27m3 compared to standard at 18.9m3.
Cygnus was left in a near-circular orbit measuring 229.8 by 230.0 kilometers (142.8 by 142.9 miles; 124.1 by 124.2 nautical miles), at an inclination of 51.6 degrees.
About two hours and six minutes after launch, Cygnus deployed its solar panels before beginning a series of thruster firings over the next few days to maneuver itself towards rendezvous with the International Space Station ISS.
The SS Deke Slayton II will spend two and a half days adjusting its orbit for rendezvous with the International Space Station.
Cygnus will be grappled at approximately 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, using the space station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to take hold of the spacecraft. Scott Kelly of NASA will support Lindgren in a backup position.
OA-4 is the first resupply flight to use the nadir port on the Unity module, which was until May occupied by the station’s Leonardo module which - after a station rebuild - has now been relocated to the Tranquillity module. All previous Cygnus spacecraft were berthed at the nadir port of the Harmony module.
Science payloads will support science and research investigations that will occur during the space station’s Expeditions 45 and 46, including experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science -- research that impacts life on Earth.
Investigations will offer a new life science facility that will support studies on cell cultures, bacteria and other microorganisms, a microsatellite deployer and the first microsatellite that will be deployed from the space station, and experiments that will study the behavior of gasses and liquids and clarify the thermo-physical properties of molten steel and evaluations of flame-resistant textiles.
The Space Automated Bioproduct Lab is a new space life science facility that is designed to support a wide variety of fundamental, applied and commercial space life sciences research, as well as education-based investigations for students from kindergarten through university.
The facility will support research on microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast, algae, fungi, and viruses, as well as animal cells and tissues and small plant and animal organisms.
Among the cargo items are two prototypes of Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset. Part of an outreach program, but also being tested by NASA for applications aboard the station, these are being reflown after two headsets were lost aboard the Dragon spacecraft in June.
For all future CRS missions, several small satellites are being carried aboard the Cygnus to be deployed from the space station. Japan’s Kibo module is equipped to release these satellites into orbit. The OA-4 mission carries eighteen small satellites.
Planet Labs has twelve Flock earth observation satellites aboard the Cygnus; The Flock-2e. These will join the many Flock satellites that have already been deployed as part of Planet Labs’ large constellation of low-cost imaging spacecraft.
Other spacecraft that are being carried for deployment from the space station include the CubeSat Investigating Atmospheric Density Response to Extreme Driving (CADRE) for the University of Michigan, a three-unit CubeSat which will demonstrate the Wind Ion Neutral Composition Suite (WINCS) sensor suite ahead of a proposed larger-scale mission.
The University of Colorado’s Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS-1) satellite is another three-unit spacecraft that will be engaged in solar research.
NASA’s Network and Operation Demonstration Satellites (NODES) are a pair of 1.5-unit CubeSats which will be used to test using multiple small satellites for co-ordinated research. The satellites will collect radiation data over a two-week mission, relaying data and commands through the two-satellite constellation.
The spacecraft automatically determines a master or “captain” satellite, designating the other a “lieutenant” that will be commanded by the “captain”. NODES was conceived as a follow-up to the EDSN mission launched as part of the ORS-4 payload on last month’s Super Strypi flight, however this failed to achieve orbit.
The Satlet Initial Mission Proofs and Lessons (SIMPL) is a commercial payload for NovaWurks Incorporated, in association with NanoRacks. A technology demonstrator, SIMPL also carries an amateur radio payload.
The St Thomas More Satellite 1 (STMSat-1) is the product of an educational outreach and earth observation payload built by young students at St. Thomas More Cathedral School – an elementary school (ages up to 11) – in conjunction with NASA.
In all, the Cygnus has a combined mass of 7,492 kilograms (16,517 lb).
At the end of its mission, the Cygnus will be loaded with cargo for disposal from the Space Station. The vehicle will be unberthed using the Remote Manipulator System and released away from the station before performing a deorbit maneuver.
Cygnus will spend more than a month attached to the space station before its destructive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, disposing of about 3,000 pounds of trash.
The Atlas V 401 Launch
The Atlas departed for the International Space Station - ISS from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Originally built for the Titan IIIC, the pad was also used by the Titan IIIE and Titan IV rockets before being torn down in 1999 to make way for the Atlas V.
For the Cygnus mission, AV-061 flew a twenty-one minute mission to Low Earth orbit.
At about 2.7 seconds before the countdown reached zero, the RD-180 engine ignited and began building up thrust. At about T+1.1 seconds, the thrust produced exceeded the weight of the rocket and liftoff occurred. The rocket initiated a series of pitch and yaw maneuvers 17.3 seconds later to put itself onto a 44.4-degree launch azimuth as it headed northwest over the Atlantic Ocean.
AV-061 reached Mach 1, the speed of sound, 82.6 seconds into her flight before passing through the area of maximum dynamic pressure, or Max-Q, 11.2 seconds later.
The first stage burned for four minutes and 15.5 seconds before its engine shut down. Six seconds later the spent stage separated, with the Centaur’s RL10 in its prestart phase.
The Cygnus – despite not being publicized in advance – was actually the heaviest payload launched by the Atlas V to date, although the rocket flew a single-burn flight profile injecting Cygnus directly into her deployment orbit with only one firing of the Centaur’s RL10 engine, which eliminated the need for a coast phase and subsequent restart as often seen on other Atlas missions.
The Atlas core booster is now in a parabolic free fall heading north east up along the US and Canadian eastern shorelines where it will reenter as a flaming shooting star. This was seen and photographed by astrophotographer Michael Bochat.
OA-4 Cygnus flight path. End of red zone is the booster crash site 2400 km downrange by Halifax
The Centaur’s burn lasted thirteen minutes and 45.1 seconds, with the payload fairing separating from the nose of the vehicle eight seconds after ignition.
For Tuesday’s mission the rocket flew with an Extra-Extended Payload Fairing (XEPF), which at 13.8 meters (45.3 feet) in length is the longest of the three four-meter (13-foot) diameter fairings available. Keep finding odd numbers on those fairings.
Following completion of the Centaur’s burn, It coast for two minutes and 49 seconds before Cygnus separated, at twenty one minutes and 5.7 seconds mission elapsed time over the Atlantic to the West of Ireland.
Cygnus was left in a near-circular orbit measuring 229.8 by 230.0 kilometers (142.8 by 142.9 miles; 124.1 by 124.2 nautical miles), at an inclination of 51.6 degrees.
After separation of Cygnus, the Centaur engine was restarted for a 58 second -150 m/s disposal burn at T+00:45:03, thus deorbiting itself to a reentry south of Australia.
Or Centaur could do a -50 m/s propellant dump at T+22:27 just after spacecraft separation at T+21:10 - 22:06:07 UTC, reducing Cygnus perigee to a fatal 65 km with an atmospheric breakup also south of Australia at an similar crash time around 22:48 UTC.
The Atlas V 401 rocket
Tuesday's launch of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V was flying in the 401 configuration.
The Atlas V, tail number AV-061, consists of a Common Core Booster (CCB) first stage, with a single-engine Centaur (SEC) upper stage and a four-meter payload fairing fitted atop the Centaur. Although the Atlas V can fly with up to five Aerojet AJ-60A solid rocket motors boosting the first stage, AV-061 will use none.
The Atlas V is an expendable medium lift launch system and member of the Atlas rocket family. The rocket is one of the most reliable in the world, having more than 60 launches with no complete failures.
The Atlas V 401 rocket, tail no. AV-061 is standing 58.22 meters - 191 feet tall on SLC-41.
The rocket has two stages. The first is a Common Core Booster (CCB), which is powered by an RD-180 engine with two bells and burns kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). This is accompanied by up to five strap-on solid rocket boosters. The second stage is the Centaur upper stage, which is powered by one or two RL10 engines and burns liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
Atlas V rocket is filled with 344 472 liter - 91 000 gallons of RP-1, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Question is now how much goes to fill each stage and the four tanks. Together they can contain 344,47 m3 RP-1, cryogenic oxygen and cryogenic hydrogen.
The Common Core Booster holds 184 728 liter - 48 800 gallon liquid oxygen chilled to below -182,96 0C Celsius or -297,33 0F Fahrenheit and can fit in a 184,73 m3 oxygen tank.
The Common Core Booster holds 94 635 liter - 25 000 gallon RP-1 highly refined kerosine at room temperature that can fit in a 94,64 m3 fuel tank.
The Centaur upper stage holds about 15 709 liter - 4 150 gallons of liquid oxygen chilled to below -182,96 0C Celsius or -297,33 0F Fahrenheit that can fit in a 15,71 m3 fuel tank.
The Centaur upper stage holds about 48 075 liter - 12 700 gallons of liquid hydrogen chilled to -252,8 0C Celsius or -423 0F Fahrenheit that can fit in a 48,07 m3 hydrogen tank.
The 350 gallon of extra tank capacity found in the LOX tank could be used by Helium gas, Nitrogen gas and Hydrazine pressure vessels. Seven 50 gallon tanks.
Still to find is data on Helium gas, Nitrogen gas, pressures levels used and number of tanks - Carbon Overwrapped Pressure Vessels - COPV to store it. And there are tanks to store Hydrazine N2H4 propellant used to maneuver during launch and in orbit.
HAZ GAS operations are completed when the hydrazine is loaded. The RCS thrusters on the Centaur stage are using hydrazine as a monopropellant during orbit insertion.
The reaction control system (RCS) includes the ullage pressure thrust from the tanks and consists of twenty hydrazine monopropellant engines located around the stage in two 2-thruster pods and four 4-thruster pods.
For propellant, 150 kg (340 lb) of Hydrazine is stored in a pair of bladder tanks and fed to the RCS engines with pressurized helium gas, which is also used to accomplish some of the Centaur RL-10C-1 engine start up functions.
In the 401 configuration, the Atlas V is capable of carrying a structural maximum of 9,050 kg to Low Earth Orbit - LEO, 8,200 kg to the International Space Station - ISS and 4,950 kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit - GTO.
The Common Core Booster contains a total of 284,089 kilograms - 626,309 pounds of RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen, weighs 306,271.7 kilograms - 675,213.5 pounds fully fueled, and is 35.63 meters - 116,9 feet tall and 3.81 meters - 12,5 feet wide.
Its RD-180 main engine produces 3,826.9 kilonewtons - 860,321.35 pounds of thrust at sea level while the thrust level increases to 933,406.73 pounds in space.
The Centaur V1 upper stage contains 20,830 kilograms - 45,922.3 pounds of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, weighs 23,073 kilograms - 50,867.3 pounds fully fueled, and is 12.68 meters - 41,6 feet tall & 3.05 meters - 10 feet wide.
Its RL-10C-1 engine is optimized for vacuum usage with a big nozzle - engine bell, so it only produces 101.8 kilonewtons - 22,885.55 pounds in space.
Atlas V 401 weighs an estimated 336,368.7 kilograms - 741,556.0 pounds, including the OA-4 Cygnus spacecraft; and is 58.22 meters - 191 feet tall and 4.2 meters - 13,8 feet wide.
The OA-4 Cygnus spacecraft weigh 7,492.0 kilograms - 16,517 pounds on their own, that’s with the fairings weight excluded.
The Atlas V 401 LPF fairings weigh 2,487.0 kilograms - 5,482.9 pounds. The weight of a 3 foot fairing extension is estimated to be a small part of the LPF fairing. 100 kg at most.
Doing the math: 306272 kg + 23073 kg + 7492 kg Cygnus + 2687 kg = 339524 kg.
The Atlas V 401 rocket has a three number configuration code.
The first number represents the fairing diameter size in 4 or 5 meters, so in this instance there is a 4 meter fairing. This launch will use the 14.0 meter long (46 ft) XLPF.
The standard four-meter fairing, named the Long Payload Fairing (LPF), measures 12.2 meter (40 feet) in length and was first introduced as a larger fairing for the Atlas I rocket that was used in 1990.
One or two 90-centimeter (3-foot) cylindrical segments can be added to the fairing to form an Extended Payload Fairing (EPF) 13.1 meters (43 feet) or Extra-Extended Payload Fairing (XEPF) 14.0 meters (46 feet) respectively for payloads that require the additional space.
The second number denotes the number of solid rocket boosters (SRBs), which attach to the base of the rocket. The number of SRBs for a 5 meter fairing can range from 0 – 5. In this case there will be no SRB’s attached to the center core.
Atlas V 401 split in its major parts. This is a generic non mission specific graphic configuration
The third number shows the number of engines on the Centaur Upper Stage, which is 1 in this configuration. So this means that this rocket will have a 4 meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters, and 1 engine bell on the Centaur Upper Stage.
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