https://twitter.com/AF_SMC/status/1227463066738155521
Today in 1970, the first Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) BlocK 5A launched on a Thor Burner rocket from SLC-10 at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. DMSP started in 1961 as Program 35 with the first successful launch occurring in 1962. Final satellite was launched in 2014.
>Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
LOSSES
2015 explosion and debris field
On 3 February 2015, the 13th DMSP satellite—DMSP-F13, launched in 1995—exploded while in a Sun-synchronous polar orbit leaving a debris field of at least 43 to 100 large fragments and more than 50,000 pieces smaller than 1 millimeter.[6] The US Air Force Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California is monitoring the expanding debris field, and "will issue conjunction warnings if necessary."[7]
2016 failure of DMSP 19 without replacement
On 11 February 2016, a power failure left both the command-and-control subsystem and its backup without the ability to reach the satellite’s processor, according to the US Air Force Space Command investigation released in July 2016 that also announced that DMSP 5D-3/F19 was considered to be 'lost'. The satellite's data can still be used, until it ceases pointing the sensors towards the Earth. The satellite was the most recent on-orbit, having been launched on 3 April 2014.[8]
The failure only left F16, F17 and F18 – all significantly past their expected 3–5 year lifespan – operational. F19's planned replacement was not carried out because Congress ordered the destruction of the already constructed F20 probe to save money by not having to pay its storage costs. It is unlikely that a new DMSP satellite would be launched before 2023; by then the three remaining satellites should no longer be operational.[9]
Near collision
In January 2017, the Joint Space Operations Center announced that two non-maneuverable satellites would come dangerously close, with a collision probability as high as 44%. DMSP F15 and Meteor 1-26 were considered to be the prime candidates for the encounter.[10] The operations center, which announced the possible collision, didn't identify the satellites involved but third party observers determined the most likely candidates.[10] The two did not collide.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Meteorological_Satellite_Program
Block 5D
Block 5D
Name ID
NORAD # Launch date Launch vehicle Mass (kg) Period (min) Perigee (km) Apogee (km) Inclination (deg) Status Alt. name
DMSP 5D-1/F1 1976-091A
09415 11 Sep 1976 Thor-Burner II 513 101.3 806 834 98.6 In orbit; aka AMS 1 OPS-5721
DMSP 5D1/F2 1977-044A
10033 5 Jun 1977 Thor-Burner II 513 101.3 789 853 99.0 In orbit; aka AMS 2 OPS-5644
DMSP 5D-1/F3 1978-042A
10820 1 May 1978 Thor-Burner II 513 101.1 804 817 98.6 In orbit; aka AMS 3 OPS-6182
DMSP 5D-1/F4 1979-050A
11389 6 Jun 1979 Thor-Burner II 513 101.2 806 828 98.7 In orbit; aka AMS 4 OPS-5390
DMSP 5D-1/F5 None 14 July 1980 Thor 513 —– —– —– —– Failed to orbit —–
DMSP 5D-2/F6 1982-118A
13736 21 Dec 1982 Atlas E 751 101.2 811 823 98.7 In orbit; aka AMS 5 OPS-9845
DMSP 5D-2/F7 1983-113A
14506 18 Nov 1983 Atlas E 751 101.4 815 832 98.7 In orbit OPS-1294
DMSP 5D-2/F8 1987-053A
18123 20 Jun 1987 Atlas E 823 96.89 564 653 97.6 In orbit; first to carry SSM/I microwave imaging sensor to see through clouds USA-26
DMSP 5D-2/F9 1988-006A
18822 3 Feb 1988 Atlas E 823 101.3 815 826 98.7 In orbit USA-29
DMSP 5D-2/F10 1990-105A
20978 1 Dec 1990 Atlas E 823 100.6 729 845 98.9 Operational, but not in desired orbit USA-68
DMSP 5D-2/F11 1991-082A
21798 28 Nov 1991 Atlas E 823 101.9 835 855 98.9 Exploded in orbit in 2004 [32][33] USA-73
DMSP 5D-2/F12 1994-057A
23233 29 Aug 1994 Atlas E 830 101.9 839 856 98.9 Exploded in orbit in 2016[33] USA-106
DMSP 5D-2/F13 1995-015A
23533 24 March 1995 Atlas E 830 101.9 845 854 98.8 Exploded in orbit in February 2015[34] USA-109
DMSP 5D-2/F14 1997-012A
24753 4 Apr 1997 Titan 23G 830 101.9 842 855 98.9 In orbit USA-131
DMSP 5D-3/F15 1999-067A
25991 12 Dec 1999 Titan 23G 101.8 837 851 98.9 In orbit (5D-2 suite of instruments)[35] USA-147
DMSP 5D-3/F16 2003-048A
28054 18 Oct 2003 Titan 23G 101.9 843 853 98.9 In orbit USA-172
DMSP 5D-3/F17 2006-050A
29522 04 Nov 2006 Delta IV 102 841 855 98.8 In orbit USA-191
DMSP 5D-3/F18 2009-057A
35951 18 Oct 2009 Atlas V 1200 101.9 843 857 98.9 In orbit.[36] Included a 2.4 hour post-spacecraft mission test of cryogenic fluid management on the Centaur upper stage.[37] USA-210
DMSP 5D-3/F19 2014-015A
39630 3 Apr 2014 Atlas V 101.85 840 853 98.85 It has stopped responding to commands on 11 February 2016 for reasons unknown.[38] The satellite was recovered to provide tactical data to field units but has not provided full-orbit weather imagery since. The attitude control was lost in October 2017, thus ending the mission. USA-249
In 2015, Congress voted to terminate the DMSP program and to scrap the DMSP 5D-3/F20 satellite, ordering the Air Force to move on to a next-generation system. But the Air Force intends to keep DMSP F20 in climate-controlled storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Sunnyvale, California, a bit longer in case it needs to be called up for launch in the coming years.[39] In the aftermath of this failure (DMSP 5D-3/F19), the USAF was reconsidering the future of DMSP-5D3 F-20. In late 2016, the USAF began scrapping DMSP-5D3 F-20.
Fuck me…let me screen cap that
DMSP Block 5D (latest launches) Info
https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1227464072364482562
St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong has released the following statement regarding Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester:
"With 7:50 remaining in the first period of our game tonight, Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac episode and collapsed on our bench after completing his shift. Thankfully, with the quick response of our medical trainers, Anaheim medical trainers and their team physicians, they were able to stabilize Jay. He was alert and moving all of his extremities as he was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center. Currently, Jay is conscious and alert as he undergoes further testing by Anaheim's physicians. We will update Jay's condition on Wednesday morning."