Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Tuesday, Aug. 12, liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the USSF-106 mission.
Original story: Space fans on Florida’s Space Coast should see a post-sunset United Launch Alliance rocket launch tonight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of tonight’s ULA USSF-106 mission. ULA is targeting 8:56 p.m. to launch a 202-foot Vulcan rocket with four solid rocket boosters from Launch Complex 41.
Sunset will occur at 8:04 p.m., per The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The Vulcan will follow a due-east trajectory during the national security mission for the Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
Rocket fueling procedures remain underway. The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicted 80% odds of “go for launch” weather, citing cumulus clouds and a low-to-moderate risk of solar activity as low-probability risks.
No Brevard County sonic booms should occur.
Update 9:07 p.m.: Public updates of this Space Force national security mission have ended. ULA officials offered the following summary:
“To recap, the United launch Alliance rocket departed Space Launch Complex-41 at 8:56 p.m. EDT. The GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters burned for approximately 90 seconds and then separated, The methane-fueled first stage performed for five minutes before separating to allow the Centaur V to take over.”
Update 9 p.m.: “Everything is looking good,” ULA officials just announced in a live update.
Update 8:56 p.m.:Â Liftoff! ULA has just launched the Vulcan from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Space Force’s USSF-106 national security mission.
Update 8:51 p.m.: The countdown continues, and ULA just announced “the Centaur V upper stage is undergoing final configuring for launch as the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen replenishment from the ground systems to the rocket are being secured.”
Update 8:48 p.m.: “The Vulcan control teams and ULA leadership in Denver and Cape Canaveral have voiced unanimous readiness to proceed! The ULA Launch Director James Whelan has declared Vulcan ready to fly and Space Force Mission Director Col. Jim Horne has given final permission to launch,” a ULA live update just announced.
Update 8:46 p.m.: The Vulcan remains scheduled to take flight at 8:56 p.m.
Update 8:42 p.m.: Reported in a ULA live update: “Weather remains in our favor; no technical issues are being addressed with the launch vehicle or pad systems and we are on track for a liftoff at 8:56 p.m.”
Update 8:37 p.m.: We’ve posted ULA’s live webcast above, right below our countdown clock.
Liftoff is scheduled in 19 minutes.
Update 8:33 p.m.: A ULA tweet just announced the Vulcan is fully fueled and configured for liftoff.
Update 8:27 p.m.: ULA just announced the weather is forecast “go for launch,” per the countdown’s final planned briefing by Weather Officer Jimmy Taeger.
“A series of weather balloons has been launched throughout the countdown from the Range weather station at the Cape to collect measurements of wind speeds and directions to determine if conditions aloft violate the controllability or structural loads on the rocket during ascent,” a ULA live update said.
“The balloon data was transmitted to ULA engineers in Denver to select a steering profile that minimizes launch vehicle responses,” the update said.
Update 8:20 p.m.: ULA officials released this video of crews stacking the Vulcan rocket ahead of tonight’s launch.
Update 8:10 p.m.:Â ULA officials shared this cutaway view of the two-stage Vulcan configured for the USSF-106 mission.
“The versatile Vulcan rocket combines the best of legacy Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy into a single-core rocket to support U.S. national security, commercial and civil launch needs. Today we are flying the VC4S variant that stands 202 ft. tall and generates three million lbs. of thrust,” a tweet said.
Update 7:56 p.m.: Headquartered in Melbourne, L3Harris designed, built and tested the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 — the USSF-106 mission’s primary payload — that will deploy into near-geosynchronous orbit. The company’s fingerprints are elsewhere as well.
“This past summer, L3Harris marked the two-year anniversary of its acquisition of power and propulsion provider, Aerojet Rocketdyne. The Vulcan rocket that will be used to launch the NTS-3 satellite is equipped with two Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engines, providing a combined total thrust of nearly 48,000 pounds to its Centaur V upper stage,” an L3Harris press release said.
“Additionally, it utilizes 12 MR-107 thrusters and helium tanks provided by the company that are essential to the rocket’s operation. Separately, L3Harris’ Integrated Mission Systems segment is also providing key spaceflight avionics including controllers, data acquisition units, and the T-740U Transmitter, which are crucial for vehicle control and data relay during launch,” the release said.
Update 7:40 p.m.: ULA officials issued a live update detailing the tail end of the rocket-fueling process.
“Filling of the Centaur upper stage liquid oxygen tank is being completed. Topping mode is now underway to give us a fully fueled rocket for launch,” the update said.
“The cryogenics will be replenished throughout the countdown until the final minutes before launch to replace the cryogenics that naturally boils away,” the update said.
Update 7:27 p.m.: The National Weather Service reported fair skies, a temperature of 88 degrees, 10-mile visibility and a 7-mph southeasterly wind as of 6:55 p.m. at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Update 7:15 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency’s launch operations support team ahead of ULA’s upcoming Vulcan launch.
Update 6:52 p.m.: In a tweet, ULA reported liquid hydrogren propellant is flowing into the Centaur V upper stage, and “we have a green board with no issues being addressed by the ULA launch team.”
Update 6:41 p.m.: NASA has issued a Phase I lightning warning until 8 p.m. for the Mid-Course Radar Site, which is located north of the Haulover Canal in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
No other geographic weather warnings are in effect, and weather remains “green for go” to the south at Launch Complex 41.
Update 6:30 p.m.: This ULA graphic depicts potential visibility for Vulcan launch spectators across Florida, ranging from 30 seconds to 6½ minutes after liftoff along the ascending rocket’s easterly flight path.
Update 6:08 p.m.: ULA Launch Director James Whelan has announced the target liftoff time is 8:56 p.m.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
