Sunday, October 7, 2018

Encapsulated Air Force AEHF-4 National Security MilSatCom Rolls to Cape Launch Pad for Oct 17 Blastoff: Photos

Advanced Extremely High Frequency-4 (AEHF-4) jam-resistant national security military communications satellite for U.S. Air Force Space Command is encapsulated in 5 meter RUAG Space payload fairing as it rolls overnight Oct. 5, 2018 with convoy from Astrotech processing facility, Titusville, FL on public highways to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL for upcoming night launch Oct. 17, 2018 on most powerful variant of United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Ken Kremer  --   SpaceUpClose.com  --   6 October 2018

TITUSVILLE, FL – The newest and most advanced US Air Force jam-resistant protected military communications satellite - named AEHF-4 and vital for U.S. national security - rolled out from a Titusville processing facility to its Cape Canaveral launch pad in the dead of night Friday Oct. 5 for integration with the mighty United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will propel it to geostationary orbit (GEO) later this month from the Florida Space Coast on October 17.

ULA will use the most powerful variant of their workhorse Atlas V rocket in the 551 configuration to launch the secure AEHF-4 milsatcom for Air Force Space Command shortly after midnight on October 17 at 12:15 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.

AEHF-4 is the fourth communications satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) series for U.S. Air Force Space Command.

For the move to the Cape, the AEHF-4 milsatcom was mounted atop the Centaur upper stage and encapsulated by technicians in a RUAG Space built short payload fairing (PLF) - approximately 5.4 meters (17-feet) in diameter and 20.7 meters (68-feet) tall, and secured atop a multi-wheeled, yellow colored KAMAG transporter inside the high bay at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility in Tiitusville, FL.

Check out my eyewitness gallery of Space UpClose photos as I observed the AEHF-4 convoy travel along public locations on Rt. 405 towards the Cape. 
Advanced Extremely High Frequency-4 (AEHF-4) jam-resistant national security military communications satellite for U.S. Air Force Space Command is encapsulated in 5 meter RUAG Space payload fairing as it rolls overnight Oct. 5, 2018 with convoy from Astrotech processing facility, Titusville, FL on public highways to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL for upcoming night launch Oct. 17, 2018 on most powerful variant of United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

AEHF-4 was transported via a convoy of protective and law enforcement escort vehicles on public roads to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after midnight in order to keep the hugely expensive satellite safe, avoid as much traffic as possible and minimize interaction with and interruption to normal vehicular movements.  

AEHF-4 jam-resistant national security milsatcom for USAF Space Command is encapsulated in 5-m RUAG payload fairing as it convoys overnight Oct. 5, 2018 from Astrotech processing facility, Titusville, FL on public highways to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL for upcoming night launch Oct. 17, 2018 on most powerful variant ULA Atlas V rocket.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Highway 405 is heavily travelled during daylight hours by both workers and tourists visiting the Kennedy Space Center and Visitor Complex and beyond to NASA and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch pads and facilities.

The bright white payload fairing was emblazoned on one side with the colorful AEHF-4 logo and made for quite a beautiful sight as the train of escort vehicles passed by me slowly – set against the clear black night sky blazing brilliantly with heavenly constellations under comfortable weather conditions. 
AEHF-4 jam-resistant national security milsatcom for USAF Space Command is encapsulated in 5-m RUAG payload fairing as it convoys overnight Oct. 5, 2018 from Astrotech processing facility, Titusville, FL on public highways to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL for upcoming night launch Oct. 17, 2018 on most powerful variant ULA Atlas V rocket.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The 5-m payload fairing was manufactured by Switzerland-based RUAG in Bern and is made of a sandwich composite structure made with a vented aluminum-honeycomb core and graphite-epoxy face sheets. The two piece bisector shell encapsulates both the Centaur second stage and the satellite.

After arriving at Space Launch Complex-41 the encapsulated satellite will be integrated on top of the ULA Atlas V rocket inside the Vertical Integration Facility. 
AEHF-4 jam-resistant national security milsatcom for USAF Space Command is encapsulated in 5-m RUAG payload fairing as it convoys overnight Oct. 5, 2018 from Astrotech processing facility, Titusville, FL on public highways to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL for upcoming night launch Oct. 17, 2018 on most powerful variant ULA Atlas V rocket.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

AEHF provides survivable, global, highly secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea, and air assets, between U.S. national leadership [meaning the President] and deployed military forces, says USAF Space Command.

The AEHF constellation “provides 10 times the throughput and a substantial increase in coverage compared to the 1990s-era Milstar satellites” that it replaces and are currently in orbit. 

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
The AEHF-4 satellite has been undergoing extensive final prelaunch processing in the Astrotech Space Operations processing facility since arriving at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on July 27, to ensure its readiness for flight and ability to carry out its critical mission in support of US national defense, according to a USAF statement.  It was flown aboard a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft from Travis Air Force Base, California. 


The satellite was built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin at the satellite integration facility in Sunnyvale, California, based on the A 2100 series communications satellite spacecraft model and has a mass of some 6100 kg (13600 pounds).


Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

“AEHF-4 delivery and launch marks a significant milestone in fulfilling our communication commitment to the highest priority Department of Defense ground, sea, and air missions.  It’s an important asset for the warfighter and will be employed for years to come,” said Lt.  Gen. John Thompson, Space and Missiles Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for space, in a statement. 


The processing work at Astrotech by a combined government and contractor team includes “final ground activities including a Launch Base Confidence Test to verify satellite integrity after shipment, an intersegment test to verify communication compatibility from the satellite to the ground operations center, and the final battery reconditioning for launch.” 


Furthermore, the satellite was fueled and prepared for integration with the Atlas V launch vehicle at pad 41. 
Artists concept of Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite in orbit for US Air Force Space Command. Credit: USAF

AEHF-4 will supplement the existing constellation of three satellites launched earlier on ULA Atlas V rockets;  AEHF-1 in 2010, AEHF-2 in 2012 and AEHF-3 in 2013 – all utilizing the 531 configuration using 3 first stage solid rocket boosters vs. 5 solids for AEHF-4. 

United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and the highly advanced AEHF-2 military communications satellite soar to space on May 4, 2012 from pad 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
The new satellite expands that constellation of three Air Force Space Command AEHF satellites to four - operating in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles (36000 kilometers) above Earth.  

Two additional AEHF satellites are under construction by Lockheed Martin and are expected to launch starting in 2019 to round out the system to a six-satellite constellation.  

Lockheed Martin built and tested the fourth AEHF satellite in Sunnyvale, California, before shipping it for launch on ULA Atlas V in October 2018. Two other satellites are in production. Credit:  Lockheed Martin
A major milestone was achieved with the first 3 AEHF satellites when the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency system was declared on July 28, 2015 by General John Hyten, Air Force Space Command commander.  

The Air Force's 4th Space Operations Squadron operates the AEHF system, supporting warfighters around the world.


It provides continuous 24-hour coverage between 65 degrees north and 65 degrees south latitude.


The AEHF satellites are equipped with 2 SHF Downlink Phased Arrays, 2 Crosslinks, 2 Uplink/Downlink Nulling Antennas, 1 Uplink EHF Phased Array, 6 Uplink/Downlink  Gimbaled Dish Antenna, 1 Each Uplink/downlink earth coverage horns.


The data rate capability ranges from 75 bps to approximately 8 Mbps. 


The AEHF system includes international partners from the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands.
Advanced Extremely High Frequency-4 launch poster on United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Credit: United Launch Alliance

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com


Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area.


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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events


Ken’s upcoming outreach events/photos for sale:

Learn more about the upcoming upcoming/recent ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18 & 19 launches, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-15 launch to ISS,  Falcon Heavy, NASA TESS, GOES-S, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. 

Oct 13, 15-17: “ULA/USAF AEHF-4 milsatcom, NASA/ULA Parker Solar Probe launch, SpaceX Merah Putih & Telstar 18v & 19v Launches, SpaceX Dragon CRS-15 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX SES-12 comsat. ULA Atlas USAF SBIRS GEO 4 missile warning satellite, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale



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