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Other Designations: Defense Support Program. Class: Early Warning. Destination: Geosynchronous Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Manufacturer: TRW. The Block 14 DSP satellites are the third generation of DSP vehicles. Cost is about $180M per spacecraft. Spacecraft: Spacecraft spin slowly (6 rpm) about the nadir axis to permit scanning of the Earth by the detector system. Zero momentum stabilised using a reaction wheel to counter the spacecraft spin. Four solar panels deploy to generate roughly 1300 W. Radiation hardened. Payload: Payload classified, but thought to include telescope with 6000 element IR array, nuclear explosion detectors, particle detection monitors.
Design Life: 7 to 9 years. Typical orbit: Geosynchronous. Length: 10.00 m (32.00 ft). Maximum Diameter: 4.00 m (13.10 ft). Mass: 2,358 kg (5,198 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Shuttle, Titan 4, Titan 4B.
DSP Block 14 Chronology
- 1999 April 9 - USA 142 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4B. FAILURE: IUS first and second stages failed to separate. Perigee: 720 km (440 mi). Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 28.00 deg.
The DSP F19 payload was a USAF Defense Support Program missile early warning satellite equipped with an infrared telescope to detect rocket launches. The Titan 4B placed the IUS upper stages and payload into a 188 km x 718 km x 28.6 deg parking orbit. The first stage of the IUS burned at 18:14 GMT and put the second stage and payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The IUS second stage fired at 23:34 GMT. However, the two stages of the IUS failed to separate completely. At least one connector remained attached. This meant the second stage motor nozzle did not extend properly. When the stage fired, the vehicle tumbled during the burn. The DSP was left out of control in a useless orbit.
- 2001 August 6 - USA 159 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4B. Mass: 2,300 kg (5,000 lb). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 2.90 deg. Period: 1,435.76 min.
Launch postponed from February, then delayed from July 27. USA 159 was a US Air Force Defense Support Program infrared missile early warning satellite was placed by the Titan core into a 328 x 663 km x 28.7 deg parking orbit. The Boeing IUS-16 upper stage then fired its first solid motor to enter geostationary transfer orbit. The second IUS solid motor fired at around 1400 GMT placing DSP Flight 21 in near-geosynchronous orbit. The 2,386 kg, 1.485 kW, 10 m long and 6.7 m diameter spacecraft carried an array of 6,000 heat-sensing detectors to monitor and locate missile launches. It was to also enable monitoring of surface nuclear explosions and forest fires. The USA 159 was the 21st member of the DSP fleet, with many of its members still operational. Last known longitude (0 January 1900) drifting at per day.
- 2004 February 14 - USA 176 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4B. Mass: 2,380 kg (5,240 lb).
Last flight of the IUS upper stage. Launch delayed from November 4, 2003, and January 17, 2003. Planned IMEX piggyback payload cancelled
Bibliography and Further Reading
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- Vis, Bert, Spaceflight, "Shuttle Weather Watch", 1996, Volume 38, page 170. Details on USAF weather astronauts
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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