Eutelsat 115 West B (Satmex 7), ABS 3A - Falcon 9 v1.1 - Канаверал SLC-40 - 02.03.2015 03:50 UTC

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflight101.com/spacex-falcon-9---eutelsat-115-west-b--abs-3a-launch-updates.html

Falcon 9 completes Engine Test Fire ahead of Dual-Payload LaunchFebruary 25, 2015

SpaceX successfully conducted a Static Fire Test of the Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket that is set for liftoff fr om Space Launch Complex 40 at cape Canaveral Sunday night to boost two commercial communications satellites into a Supersynchronous Transfer Orbit. The Static Fire completed on Wednesday served as a last end-to-end test of the launch vehicle and ground systems to confirm that everything is in readiness for this mission.

 The satellites to be delivered to orbit are Eutelsat 115 West B and ABS 3A, both based on Boeing's 702SP satellite platform and launched in a stacked fashion using a system developed by Boeing to allow satellites to be stacked with no need for an additional payload adapter. This allowed SpaceX to treat this mission like a single payload launch since the satellite manufacturer completed all the processing of the individual satellites and delivered a one-piece stack to the launch services provider. SpaceX is generally not inclined to do dual payload missions like its competitor Arianespace due to the fact that problems with one of the co-passengers affect both, the other payload and the launch services provider.

 With a payload stack of over 4,100 Kilograms and the target orbit being a Supersynchronous Trajectory, Falcon 9 is pretty close to its maximum payload capacity - at least in its current version. 

*File Image* - Credit: SpaceX
 

Propellant Densification and the inauguration of a higher thrust setting on the Merlin 1D engine planned later this year will further increase Falcon's capabilities in terms of mass that can be delivered to orbit [refer to our F9 Page for details on those upgrades]. The first mission to use these upgrades will be SES-9 this summer after SES decided to be the first customer to use this enhanced engine performance. 

Given the required performance on this particular mission, the Falcon 9 will be flown in its fully expendable configuration without landing legs. No attempt to recover the booster will be made for this and the next mission before the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship will be in action again on the launch of the Dragon SpX-6 mission that will include a landing attempt of the first stage.

Final preparations for this launch started just one day after the Falcon 9 with the DSCOVR spacecraft left the launch pad when the first stage for this mission was moved over to the hangar at SLC-40 to begin the launch vehicle assembly operation. The stage and its engines went through the usual testing prior to their arrival at the Cape - starting with individual engine tests at McGregor in Texas before the integration of the first stage in California. The 1st stage also made a stop in Texas to be test-fired before being shipped to the Cape.

Photo: SpaceX

Inside the SpaceX Hangar, the first stage was integrated with the second stage via the Interstage Adapter and testing was performed on the assembled launcher. The satellites begun processing at the launch site much earlier to get ready for liftoff, being encapsulated in the Falcon 9 fairing in the closing stages of their processing campaign to get ready for installation atop the rocket.

The mission had originally been set for February 27, but given the repeated delays of the DSCOVR launch, that target drifted to NET March 2 (UTC). SpaceX had been working hard to minimize the turnaround time in between launches that is filled with repairs on ground systems and of course the assembly and preparation of the next launch vehicle since the hangar at SLC-40 does only allow a single vehicle to be present. 

To further increase launch rates, SpaceX plans to add two new launch facilities to their existing pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Work is progressing at LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center where SpaceX has begun the construction of a hangar for the assembly of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets that will launch from here starting later this year. Contracts were also signed for the first launches from the SpaceX launch facility near Brownsville, Texas as SES chose SpaceX to launch the SES 14 and SES 16 satellites in 2017.

Focusing on the next launch, SpaceX performed the Flight Readiness Review on Monday and approved Falcon 9 for its static fire test on Wednesday. In the morning hours, Falcon 9 was rolled from the hangar to the launch pad wh ere it was placed in its vertical launch position, supported by the strongback structure.

After the connection of various umbilicals and the usual set of systems tests, the two stages of the vehicle were filled with Rocket Propellant 1 and Liquid Oxygen as well as nitrogen ACS propellant and helium tank pressurant to exercise all the systems of the vehicle to uncover any problems - if present.  Filling the Falcon 9 with over 400 metric tons of propellant is a two-hour process and at its conclusion more tests and reconfigurations are completed. Although the second stage was not directly involved in the static fire, it also went through fueling and pressurization for testing purposes. 

Going through the Automated Countdown Sequence starting ten minutes prior to T-0, Falcon 9 was switched to internal power, all propellant tanks were pressurized and control was handed off to the flight computers of the vehicle. Just after 2 p.m. local time, the nine Merlin 1D engines of the first stage soared to life with flames and steam erupting from the base of the rocket for just a brief moment, allowing the engines to build-up thrust to record all parameters of the start-up sequence needed to verify the performance of the propulsion system.

A quick review ensured that all data that was needed had been collected, allowing Falcon 9 to be de-tanked and moved back into the hangar for installation of the payload stack. Detailed analysis of data will be performed ahead of the Launch Readiness Review that will provide the formal approval to press into countdown operations set to get underway on Sunday.

Liftoff of Falcon 9 is expected at 3:49 UTC on Monday, the opening of a 45-minute window. With its nine Merlin 1D engines up and running, Falcon 9 will climb uphill, burning the first stage for 176 seconds ahead of separation at the three-minute mark. The second stage will then ignite its MVac engine for a burn of five minutes and 44 seconds to place the stack into a slightly elliptical orbit for a 17-minute coast phase ahead of a short second burn of the MVac engine that will raise the apogee of the orbit to Supersynchronous Altitude for spacecraft separation at T+30 minutes when Eutelsat 115 West B will be released, flying as the upper passenger, followed five minutes later by the separation of ABS 3A.

Payload Overview

Eutelsat 115 West B & BSS-702SP Satellite Bus

Eutelsat 115 West B is a commercial geostationary communications satellite operated by Eutelsat Americas, formerly Satmex,  and built by Boeing Satellite Systems. The spacecraft is part of an order of four satellites from ABS and Satmex based on the same Boeing bus. the four satellites are launched in pairs as part of dual-payload missions.

 The spacecraft is based on the BSS-702SP platform, the smallest in the 702 satellite bus series provided by Boeing. 702SP was inaugurated in 2012 and passed its Critical Design Review in May 2013 after which production was started. The satellite minimizes the larger 702HP and MP satellite buses and relies on an all-electric propulsion system which frees up volume for the satellite payload and reduces the mass of the satellite by eliminating a chemical propulsion system. The 702SP satellites support a payload power range from 3 to 8 Kilowatts.

 The 702SP satellite bus is about 4.6 meters tall and 2.1 meters wide with a typical launch mass of 1,800 to 2,500 Kilograms. The satellite consists of a central cylindrical structure that acts as the primary load-carrying element of the spacecraft. Aluminum honeycomb side panels are used to provide mounting structures for the various satellite systems. A modular approach is used to allow the standard bus modules to be integrated with the custom-made payload modules late in the assembly process and a separation between bus and payload thermal control systems increases the overall efficiently of the design. The 702SP bus can facilitate communication payloads with up to five antenna reflectors.

 Boeing has developed a patented system to launch two 702SP based satellites in a stacked fashion without any adapter needed between the satellites. According to Boeing, the satellite riding in the lower position does not require any structural modifications to support the loads of the upper satellite, only using its central load-bearing structure to support the uppermost satellite. The two satellites are separated after orbital insertion, allowing them to be treated as a single payload which reduces complexity for the launch services provider.

Eutelsat 115 West B & BSS-702SP Satellite Bus

Eutelsat 115 West B is a commercial geostationary communications satellite operated by Eutelsat Americas, formerly Satmex,  and built by Boeing Satellite Systems. The spacecraft is part of an order of four satellites from ABS and Satmex based on the same Boeing bus. the four satellites are launched in pairs as part of dual-payload missions.

 The spacecraft is based on the BSS-702SP platform, the smallest in the 702 satellite bus series provided by Boeing. 702SP was inaugurated in 2012 and passed its Critical Design Review in May 2013 after which production was started. The satellite minimizes the larger 702HP and MP satellite buses and relies on an all-electric propulsion system which frees up volume for the satellite payload and reduces the mass of the satellite by eliminating a chemical propulsion system. The 702SP satellites support a payload power range from 3 to 8 Kilowatts.

 The 702SP satellite bus is about 4.6 meters tall and 2.1 meters wide with a typical launch mass of 1,800 to 2,500 Kilograms. The satellite consists of a central cylindrical structure that acts as the primary load-carrying element of the spacecraft. Aluminum honeycomb side panels are used to provide mounting structures for the various satellite systems. A modular approach is used to allow the standard bus modules to be integrated with the custom-made payload modules late in the assembly process and a separation between bus and payload thermal control systems increases the overall efficiently of the design. The 702SP bus can facilitate communication payloads with up to five antenna reflectors.

 Boeing has developed a patented system to launch two 702SP based satellites in a stacked fashion without any adapter needed between the satellites. According to Boeing, the satellite riding in the lower position does not require any structural modifications to support the loads of the upper satellite, only using its central load-bearing structure to support the uppermost satellite. The two satellites are separated after orbital insertion, allowing them to be treated as a single payload which reduces complexity for the launch services provider.

Photo: Boeing
Eutelsat 115 West B & ABS 3A Stack
 

Electrical power is generated by two deployable solar arrays and stored in Li-Ion batteries with dedicated avionics conditioning the satellite power bus that supplies electrical power to the various bus systems, the electric propulsion system and the satellite payload. The satellites use a state of the art attitude determination and control system utilizing star trackers and Earth sensors for precise attitude determination and reaction wheels for accurate pointing.

The 702SP satellite platform uses a pure electrical propulsion system that performs the insertion of the satellite from its transfer orbit into Geostationary Orbit, stationkeeping in the GEO slot and desaturations of the reaction wheels at regular intervals to manage wheel momentum.

XIPS, the Xenon Ion Propulsion System, has flown on numerous spacecraft and is ten times more efficient than the conventional chemical propulsion systems, the only disadvantage being the low thrust that can be achieved with the system leading to a longer time frame needed between launch and Beginning of Service. Ion thrusters generate thrust by accelerating ions through the use of an electric field and ejecting these ions at extremely high velocity creating thrust force propelling the spacecraft forward. Although ion thrusters deliver a very low thrust, they are extremely efficient and consume only a very small amount of propellant. The method of ion acceleration varies between the use of Coulomb and Lorentz force, but all designs take advantage of the charge/mass ratio of the ions to create very high velocities with very small potential differences which leads to a reduction of reaction mass that is required but also increases the amount of specific power compared to chemical propulsion. 

Image: Boeing

The XIPS-25 system used by the 702SP spacecraft consists of a central Xenon tank and four 25-centimeter ion thrusters. Required power varies between 1,300 and 4,500 Watts achieving a thrust of up to 165 Millinewtons and a specific impulse of 3,500 seconds. Two of the four thrusters are used as primary units at any given time and stationkeeping in Geostationary Orbit will require four burns for a total of about 30 minutes per day to maintain the satellite within a 0.01 degree stationkeeping zone which allows many satellites to be collocated in a single orbital slot. 

The Eutelsat 115 West B satellite is outfitted with C- and Ku-Band transponders to deliver Fixed Satellite Services in the Americas. Stationed at 114.9° West in Geostationary Orbit, the satellite provides coverage across America. A C-Band Pan-American beam provides coverage from Alaska over the western portion of Canada and the United States to Mexico, Latin America and the north-western regions in South America. The Ku-Coverage is split in several beams, one covering Mexico and surrounding territories, another covers the majority of South America with the exception of the north eastern regions, and a third covers the entire United States (except Florida) and Canada. 

Services delivered by the satellite include Direct to Home television, broadband applications, mobility services, VSAT solutions and special coverage for government and private customers.

The satellite is expected to operate for at least 15 years.

Photo: Boeing
ABS 3A

ABS 3A is a commercial communications satellite operated by Asia Broadcasting Satellite (ABS) and manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems, also using the 702SP satellite bus. For notable characteristics of the satellite platform, refer to the section on the all-electric 702SP in the above description of Eutelsat 115 West B.

 The satellite will be located at 3° West covering the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It replaces the ABS 3 satellite launched in 1997 to ensure service continuity and expand the capabilities provided from this strategic position in Geostationary Orbit. The spacecraft delivers three C-Band beams and four Ku-Band coverage zones.

ABS 3A is outfitted with 24 active C-Band transponders operating at a bandwidth of 72 MHz and a frequency range of 5.850 to 6.425 GHz for uplink and 3.625 to 4.200 GHz for downlink. The C-Band transponders use Traveling Wavetube Amplifiers operating at a power of 70 Watts. The Ku-Band payload consists of 24 active transponders also operating at a 72MHz bandwidth. Uplink uses frequency ranges of 13.750 to 14.750 and 11.450 to 11.700 GHz while downlink is done at frequencies of 10.700-11.200 and 12.500-12.750. The Ku Traveling Wavetube Amplifiers have a power of 150 Watts with a 24 for 19 redundancy. 

ABS 3A serves three C-Band coverage zones: an Eastern Hemisphere Beam covers the entire African continent including Madagascar, Europe, the Middle East and into regions of western Asia. A Global Beam covers the entire footprint of the satellite from west of South America to central India. The Western Hemisphere Beam covers South America in its entirety, the Caribbean, Cuba, Florida, the US East Coast and eastern Canada.

Image: Boeing
 

Four Ku-Band coverage beams are served by ABS 3A: an Americas Beam delivers coverage to entire South America, the Caribbean, portions of Cuba and Florida, and the US and Canadian East Coast. A European Beam covers the entire continent including the northern regions while also covering a portion of the Middle East and Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Greenland and eastern Canada. The MENA beam covers the northern portion of Africa, the Middle East and further east into Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The SAF Beam covers the southern portion of Africa, excluding Madagascar.

ABS-3A will deliver a variety of services including VSAT applications, TV distribution, IP trunking, and cellular backhaul. Maritime services are also provided by the satellite since it covers the majority of the Atlantic Ocean and portions of the Indian Ocean. The satellite is expected to be operational for at least 15 years.

[che wi]

[Lanista]

Клевер на удачу?

[che wi]

Lanista пишет:
Клевер на удачу?

День Св. Патрика на носу, м.б. поэтому.

[Анатолий Ревзин]

А что враги пишут о подготовке? Осталось меньше суток

[Искандер]

Анатолий Ревзин пишет:
А что враги пишут о подготовке? Осталось меньше суток

Уже запущен webcast. До начала трансляции 17 ч 30 мин.

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/28/photos-satellites-readied-for-tandem-launch-on-falcon-9/

Photos: Satellites readied for tandem launch on Falcon 9       
Posted on February 28, 2015 by Stephen Clark

Two communications spacecraft built by Boeing and owned by Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite will ride a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Sunday, and these pictures show the satellites stacked together and prepared for liftoff from Cape Canaveral.
The images were taken at Boeing's satellite factory in El Segundo, California, and at SpaceX's payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral.
 

Photo credit: Boeing


Photo credit: Boeing


Photo credit: Boeing


Photo credit: Boeing


Photo credit: SpaceX


Photo credit: SpaceX
 
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/28/falcon-9-launch-timeline-with-eutelsat-115-west-b-and-abs-3a/

Falcon 9 launch timeline with Eutelsat 115 West B and ABS 3A       
Posted on February 28, 2015 by Stephen Clark    
          
Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent into space from Cape Canaveral with the Eutelsat 115 West B and ABS 3A communications satellite.
Launch is set for 10:50 p.m. EST on March 1 (0350 GMT on March 2) from Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad. The satellites will be deployed in a supersynchronous transfer orbit with perigee of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles), an apogee of 43,792 kilometers (27,211 miles) and an inclination of 24.8 degrees.
Data source: ABS

T-0:00:00: Liftoff

After the rocket's nine Merlin engines pass an automated health check, four hold-down clamps will release the Falcon 9 booster for liftoff from Complex 40.
 
T+0:01:13: Mach 1

The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Mach 1, the speed of sound.
 
T+0:01:24: Max Q

The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure.
 
T+0:02:56: MECO

The Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D engines cut off.
 
T+0:02:58: Stage 1 Separation

The Falcon 9's first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.
 
T+0:03:06: Stage 2 Ignition

The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for an approximately 6-minute burn.
 
T+0:03:51: Fairing Jettison

The 5.2-meter (17.1-foot) diameter payload fairing jettisons once the Falcon 9 rocket ascends through the dense lower atmosphere. The 43-foot-tall fairing is made of two clamshell-like halves composed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core.
 
T+0:08:50: SECO 1

The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket shuts down after completing the first of two burns.
 
T+0:25:42: Second Stage Restart

The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine reignites for a brief firing to place the payload in the correct orbit for deployment.
 
T+0:26:41: SECO 2

The Falcon 9's vacuum-rated Merlin engine shuts down after a second burn.
 
T+0:30:08: ABS 3A Separation

The ABS 3A spacecraft, with a launch mass of approximately 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds), deploys from the dual-payload stack on the Falcon 9 rocket.
 
T+0:35:08: Eutelsat 115 West B Separation

The Eutelsat 115 West B satellite, with a launch mass of about 2,200 kilograms (4,850 pounds), deploys from the Falcon 9 rocket.
 
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.

[Salo]

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/28/falcon-9-mission-status-center/

1545 GMT (10:45 a.m. EST)
The forecast for Sunday's launch continues to show good conditions, with a 70 percent chance of favorable weather expected during the 42-minute launch window opening at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 GMT Monday).

The main worries in the forecast released this morning by the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron are with violating thick cloud and cumulus cloud rules at Cape Canaveral.

The rainy weather around Central Florida today will give way to improved conditions Sunday.

"Through the day Sunday, winds, clouds and rain gradually diminish as upper level ridging builds in," forecasters wrote. "Winds will remain on-shore however, resulting in a continued risk for coastal showers along the Space Coast. The primary weather concerns for launch Sunday evening are cumulus clouds associated with coastal showers and lingering thick clouds. Maximum upper-level winds will be northwesterly at 95 knots near 40,000 feet."

The outlook calls for isolated showers and scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and 10,000 feet, along with a broken deck of cirrus clouds at 25,000 feet. Winds will be from the southeast at 10 to 15 mph, and the temperature at launch time should be about 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the launch slips to Monday, the forecast is a bit better, with an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather.

[Salo]

[Salo]

Falcon 9 now vertical in advance of tomorrow night's launch attempt. Launch window opens 10:50pm ET
https://vine.co/v/O2ELVPT5QEY

[Salo]

Трансляция будет тут:

http://new.livestream.com/spacex/events/3843470
http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

[Сергио]

бразилию совсем исключили!

[Salo]

http://new.livestream.com/spacex/events/3843470

Falcon 9 and the ABS 3A and EUTELSAT 115 West B satellites are vertical in advance of tonight's launch attempt. Launch window opens at 10:50 p.m. EST -- live launch webcast begins here at 10:30 p.m. EST.

[snek]

пошла трансляция

[snek]

есть liftoff

[Брабонт]

На удивление, улетела с первой попытки.

[snek]

Виктор Воропаев пишет:
На удивление, улетела с первой попытки.

по ходу без плясок с бубном с возвращением у них уже все достаточно стабильно получается

[snek]

отделение 1ой ступени

[snek]

конец трансляции