Atlas V OTV-1 Mission Booklet

Atlas V Launches the
Orbital Test Vehicle-1
Mission Overview
Atlas V 501
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL
Space Launch Complex 41
Atlas V/OTV-1
United Launch (ULA) Alliance is proud to support the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) with the first
launch of the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV).
The OTV, also known as the X-37B, supports space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept of operations (CONOPS) development for long duration and reusable space vehicle technologies.
My thanks to the entire Atlas team for its dedication in bringing the OTV to launch, and to the RCO for
selecting Atlas for this ground breaking mission.
Go Atlas, Go Centaur, Go OTV!
Mark Wilkins
Vice President, Atlas Product Line
1
Atlas V 501 Vehicle
Configuration Overview
The Atlas V 501 configuration consists of a single Atlas V booster stage and the Centaur upper stage.
The Atlas V booster is 12.5 ft in diameter and 106.5 ft long. The booster’s tanks are structurally stable and constructed of isogrid
aluminum barrels, spun-formed aluminum domes, and intertank skirts. Atlas booster propulsion is provided by the RD-180 engine
system (a single engine with two thrust chambers). The RD-180 burns RP-1 (Rocket Propellant-1 or highly purified kerosene) and
liquid oxygen, and delivers 860,200 lb of thrust at sea level. The Atlas V booster is controlled by the Centaur avionics system that
provides guidance, flight control, and vehicle sequencing functions during the booster and Centaur phases of flight.
The Centaur upper stage is 10 ft in diameter and 41.5 ft long. Its propellant tanks are constructed of pressure-stabilized, corrosion
resistant stainless steel. Centaur is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen- (cryogenic-) fueled vehicle. It uses a single RL10A-4-2 engine
producing 22,300 lb of thrust. The cryogenic tanks are insulated with a combination of helium-purged insulation blankets, radiation
shields, and closed-cell foam insulation. The Centaur forward adapter (CFA) provides the structural mountings for vehicle electronics
and the structural and electronic interfaces with the spacecraft.
The OTV mission is encapsulated within the Atlas V 5-meter-diameter short payload fairing (PLF). The 5-meter PLF is a bisector PLF
with a composite structure made from sandwich panels with carbon fiber face sheets and a vented aluminum honeycomb core. The
5-meter PLF is comprised of two major components: the lower section, or base module, that encapsulates the Centaur, and the upper
section, or common payload module (CPM), that encapsulates the spacecraft. The Atlas V booster, Centaur, and the 5-meter payload
fairing boattail are attached by the 3.8-meter diameter Centaur interstage adapter (C-ISA). The C-ISA is a composite structure with
graphite epoxy facesheets over an aluminum honeycomb core.
2
Atlas V 501 Vehicle
Orbital Test Vehicle
Forward Load
Reactor (FLR)
Centaur
Atlas V Booster
RL 10A
Centaur Engine
RD-180 Engine
Cylindrical
Interstage
Adapter
Centaur
Interstage
Adapter
Payload
Fairing
Centaur Conical
Interstage Adapter
3
Atlas V Processing Overview
Denver, CO
Booster Fabrication & Final Assembly
Centaur Final Assembly
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL
Payload Processing & Encapsulation
Launch Vehicle Processing
Encapsulated Payload Mating
Launch
San Diego, CA
Centaur Tank Fabrication
Harlingen, TX
Booster Adapter Fabrication
Centaur Adapter Fabrication
4
Zurich, Switzerland
5-meter Payload Fairing Manufactured
at RUAG Space
Launch Site Processing Overview
Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC)
Receiving & Inspection
VIP Viewing
Launch Control Center
ULA Offices
Communication Center
Mission Director’s Center
Battery Lab
ITAR Facility
Administrative Offices
Conference Center
Material Stores
Antonov AN-124
Centaur
Interstage
Adapters
Antonov AN-124
Booster
5-m
Payload
Fairing
Halves
Payload
Transporter
Vertical
Integration
Facility
Integration
Spacecraft Mate
Testing
SLC-41
Testing & Launch
Mobile Launch Platform
Spacecraft
Processing
Facility
Spacecraft
Processing
Testing
Encapsulation
5
Launch Site Overview
Space Launch
Complex 41
Vertical Integration
Facility (VIF)
Atlas Spaceflight
Operations Center
(ASOC)
Ordnance Annex
6
Customer
Support
Center
(CSC)
Launch Control
Center (LCC)
Launch Site Overview (concl’d)
Entry Control
Bldg. (ECB)
Bridge Crane
Hammerhead
Launch
Vehicle
VIF
Bridge Crane
MLP
Centaur
LO2
LH2
Storage
Area
Pad ECS
Shelter
Gaseous
Helium
Conversion
Plant
High Pressure
Gas Storage
RP-1
Storage
Area
Launch
Vehicle
MLP
Pad Support
Area
Booster LO2
Pad
Pad
Equipment
Equipment
Bldg.
Bldg. (PEB)
(PEB)
Payload
Van
Ready Room
Southwest View of Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41)
South View of the
Vertical Integration
Facility (VIF)
7
OTV Flight Profile
Atlas/Centaur
Separation
Centaur MES-1
Centaur MECO-1
PLF & FLR
Jettison
Mission Overview:
Atlas
Boost
Phase
Developed by the United States Air Force, the X-37B OTV is the United States’ newest and most
advanced re-entry spacecraft. Objectives of the autonomous, unmanned space test platform include
space experimentation, risk reduction, and CONOPS development for long duration and reusable
space vehicle technologies. The Boeing Company is the prime contractor for the OTV program and
the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the initiative with continued participation by NASA.
Key objectives of the first flight include demonstration and validation of guidance, navigation and
control systems to include fault tolerant, autonomous re-entry and landing as well as lightweight
high-temperature structures and landing gear. On-orbit tests of the thermal management, power
control and distribution, and attitude control subsystems are also planned objectives. Vandenberg
Air Force Base (AFB) will be the primary landing site, with Edwards AFB as a backup.
Liftoff
8
Sequence of Events
Event
Time
(seconds)
RD-180 engine ignition
Liftoff
Start pitchover, turn to zero alpha
Begin zero angle of attack flight
Start alpha bias steering
Enable guidance steering
Payload fairing jettison
Forward load reactor jettison
Booster engine cutoff (BECO)
Atlas/Centaur separation
Centaur first burn, main engine start (MES-1)
Centaur first burn, main engine cutoff (MECO-1)
-2.7
1.1
19.0
52.3
122.4
138.4
219.4
224.4
264.9
270.9
280.9
1038.0
Values Approximate
9
Atlas V Countdown (F-1 Day)
F-1 Day - MLP TRANSPORT TO PAD
T-11:30
T-11:00
T-10:00
T-9:00
Weather Brief
Start Count
T-8:00
T-7:00
T-6:00
T-5:00
Weather Brief
Status Check
T-4:00
Status Check
MLP Hard Down
MLP
GC3 &
RF / FTS
MLP Transport Preps
Transport Preps
Flight
Control
MLP Roll
MLP Connect
Pad Connections
Flight Control Preps
Atlas
RPRP-1
Atlas/
Centaur
Pneu, Prop
10
RP-1 Tanking
(If Required)
Transport Preps
Pneumatic System Preps
T-3:00
Atlas V Countdown (F-0 Day)
F-0 Day - LAUNCH
T-5:00
T-4:00
T-3:00
Weather Brief
Start
Count
Flight
Control
GC3 &
RF / FTS
T-2:00
T-1:00
T-:45
Status Check
Power Application, System Preps, Flight Control/Guidance Tests
& Countdown Preps
T-:15
Weather Brief
Flight Control
Final Preps
Open Loop Test & Monitor Preps
Open/Closed Loop Tests
T-:04H
Status Check
ECS GN2 Preps
ECS
All Systems
on GN2
Atlas/
Centaur
Pneu,
Prop
T-:30
T-0:04 (T-4) & Holding
T-6:20 T-6:00
Centaur LH2/LO2 Preps Atlas
Propulsion/Hydraulic Preps
Storage Area Chilldown
LAUNCH
Pressurize
Chilldown &
Tanking
11
Notes
12
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