Intelsat 37e, BSat-4a - Ariane 5 ECA (VA239) - Kourou ELA-3 - 29.09.2017, 21:56 UTC

[tnt22]

Ariane 5 Launch Aborted after Main Engine Ignition

Space Videos

Опубликовано: 5 сент. 2017 г.

In a rare launch pad abort for Ariane, the VA239 mission was aborted automatically after main engine ignition but before ignition of the two solid rocket motors.

(2:32)

[uncle_jew]

Первым делом отрубили трансляцию, трусы позорные  :|

Интересно, а как они жидкий водород сливать собираются - шланги же (как я понял) уже отделились? Или они собираются к полностью заправленной ракете человека посылать?

[tnt22]

Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 5 мин. назад

VA 239 scrubbed tonight after Vulcain ignition/before lift-off. Launcher and Spacecrafts in security. New Launch date to be announced soon.

[tnt22]

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/anomaly-causes-interruption-of-the-countdown-for-arianespace-flight-va239/

Ariane 5 | September 5, 2017

Anomaly causes interruption of the countdown for Arianespace Flight VA239

During the final seconds of the launch countdown for Arianespace Flight VA239, the checkout process detected an anomaly on the launcher as the Vulcain cryogenic main stage engine was being ignited. As a result, the final countdown was interrupted.

The Ariane 5 and its Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a payloads immediately switched to a safe mode. Analysis of data is underway to determine the cause of the anomaly. In parallel, the launcher will be transferred back to the Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport in French Guiana – where it is to be returned to a flight-ready condition.

Arianespace will set a new launch date as soon as possible.

[tnt22]

http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-flight-va239-interruption-of-the-countdown/

Ariane 5 | September 5, 2017

Arianespace Flight VA239: Interruption of the countdown

In the last seconds of Ariane Flight VA239 launch countdown as the Vulcain cryogenic main stage engine was being ignited, the checkout process detected an anomaly on the launcher, interrupting the final countdown.

The Ariane 5 launcher and payload Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a immediately switched to a safe mode. Data analysis is underway to determine the cause of the anomaly. In parallel, the launcher will be transferred to the Final Assembly Building – where it will be returned to a flight-ready condition.

Arianespace will set a new launch date as soon as possible and apologizes to its customers for this delay.

[tnt22]

http://spaceflight101.com/ariane-5-va239/ariane-5-suffers-rare-on-pad-abort-after-engine-ignition/

Ariane 5 Suffers Rare On-Pad Abort after Engine Ignition
September 5, 2017


Ariane's Vulcain 2 Main Engine Fires before being Shut Down Unexpectedly – Photo: Arianespace Webcast

Europe's Ariane 5 workhorse launcher suffered a very rare on-pad abort on Tuesday when aiming for a sunset liftoff fr om French Guiana with a particularly heavy pair of communications satellites for operators Intelsat and B-SAT. Ignition of the main engine occurred as scheduled, but the launcher's computers commanded a shutdown of the engine prior to booster ignition due to an anomalous condition.

Спойлер

Arianespace said there was no danger to the launch vehicle and its payloads and evaluations into the circumstances of the aborted ignition were underway before determining a new launch date. The launcher will be returned to the Final Assembly Building to undergo re-attachment of umbilicals separated before launch and any repairs necessary to return the vehicle to flight readiness for its second launch attempt.


Ariane 5 on the eve of its planned liftoff – Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

Hidden under Ariane 5 L5100's payload fairing is Intelsat 37e, riding in the front seat, and BSat-4a, fastened to the rocket's second stage and hidden under the Sylda adapter that allows Ariane 5 to lift a pair of satellites in a stacked configuration. The two passengers and their adapter systems create a total payload upmass of 10,838 Kilograms, making this the second heaviest Ariane 5 mission to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

Lifting two GEO satellites at once has become Ariane's bread and butter business and Tuesday's launch was expected to be no different. The 55-meter tall rocket was rolled to the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center on Monday and entered countdown operations on Tuesday at 10:28 UTC, gearing up for the opening of a 33-minute launch window at 21:51 UTC, 6:51 p.m. local time or just 15 minutes after sunset and perfectly clear skies expected for the opportunity.

Ariane 5 went into power up operations after 11 UTC and completed an extensive series of tests before heading into propellant loading to receive 184 metric tons of supercold Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen. Propellants were kept topped up at flight level throughout the countdown and the colorful sunset provided a fitting backdrop to the launch vehicle as it entered a final computer-controlled countdown sequence at T-7 minutes to transition to an autonomous configuration.

No issues arose during the automated countdown sequence and Ariane 5 went through pressurization of its tanks, transitioned to internal power and switched control fr om ground computers to its own flight computers. The Cryogenic Feed Arms retracted from the second stage at T-5 seconds and the trusted Vulcain 2 main engine fired up when clocks hit zero at 21:51:00 UTC with seven seconds of thrust build-up and engine monitoring planned before ignition of the twin EAP Boosters – the point of no-return.


Photo: Arianespace Webcast

However, the flight computer refused the ignition of the boosters due to an anomalous condition – likely related to the operation of the engine – and commanded the orderly shutdown of the Vulcain 2 engine with flameout occurring around 12 seconds after H-0. The Launch Team immediately went into safing steps to back out of the countdown and put the vehicle on external power and vent down the tanks before diving into data reviews to understand what caused the ignition abort.

The most recent post-ignition abort suffered by the Ariane 5 was in 2011 on the VA201 mission which coincidentally also carried an Intelsat spacecraft, Intelsat New Dawn in that case along with Yahsat-1A. VA201 was aborted due to a failed engine gimbal check and was delayed by 23 days to facilitate the rocket's rollback, inspections, corrective action and rollout. The fastest possible timeline for rollback & re-rollout would be around five days.


Photo: Arianespace Webcast

Due to Ariane 5's design, a number of irreversible events occur in the final countdown seconds beginning with the retraction of the two cryogenic feed arms for the upper stage. These will have to be reconnected at the Final Assembly Building and the Vulcain 2 engine will require some servicing steps including the replacement of igniter charges.

"We had an aborted launch," said Arianespace's executive vice president of missions Luce Fabreguettes. "Everything is fine – the launcher, the satellites are OK. We will be analyzing the problem to be able to launch again as soon as possible. I would, of course, like to apologize to our customers for this delay. ... We will return to flight very soon, and we will be launching again as soon as possible."

Spacecraft operator Intelsat confirmed the company's satellite was safe after Tuesday's abort.


Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

The VA239 mission is carrying the 6,438-Kilogram Intelsat 37e satellite in the upper payload slot while the lighter, 3,520kg BSat-4a rides in the lower payload berth for separation 47 minutes after liftoff.

The Boeing-built Intelsat 37e will join Intelsat's satellite fleet as the fifth in the company's Epic-NG satellite series designed to deliver flexible communications on a global scale through the use of the latest advances in satellite technology. Intelsat 37e hosts a tri-band communications payload with ninety 36-MHz-equivalent transponders in C-Band covering Europe, Africa, the Atlantic, South America and the Eastern U.S./Canada; 275 36-MHz equivalent Ku-Band transponders create 56 fixed Ku-Band beams over Europe, Africa and South America as well as portions of the Eastern U.S. plus a focused Ku-Band beam over Algeria and a steerable Ku-Band beam to direct additional coverage wh ere it is needed; a single Ka-Band spot beam offers high throughput services with a total data throughput of 45Gbit/s across the satellite.


Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

As the fifth in the Epic-NG constellation, Intelsat 37e is the first in the series to use advanced power-sharing capabilities and interconnectivity between all its communication bands. The satellite will operate for at least 15 years, replacing the 16-year old Intelsat 901 satellite at a position of 18°W over the Atlantic Ocean.

>> Intelsat 37e Overview

BSat-4a, built by Space Systems/Loral for operation by the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation, is an all-Ku-Band satellite for the sole purpose of Direct-to-Home television distribution to Japan and the Asia-Pacific Region.

Based on the popular SSL-1300 platform, BSat-4a will spiral up into a position at 110° East wh ere it will provide expansion and replacement coverage, eventually taking over from B-SAT's first third generation satellite that launched in 2007.

BSat-4a hosts 24 Ku-Band transponders for Direct-to-Home broadcasting in standard and high definition as well as 4K Ultra-HD and the advanced 8K resolution. The satellite was commissioned for a 2017 liftoff to provide the maximum margin between its liftoff and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that are expected to the broadcast by the satellite in 4K and 8K resolution.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/05/last-second-launch-abort-grounds-two-u-s-built-communications-satellites/

Last-second launch abort grounds two U.S.-built communications satellites
September 5, 2017 Stephen Clark


Exhaust fr om the Ariane 5's Vulcain 2 main engine erupts from the flame trench at the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center, as birds scatter from the sound generated at ignition. Credit: Arianespace

An Ariane 5 countdown in French Guiana was aborted Tuesday with the European-made rocket's main engine already running, postponing the launch of two commercial communications satellites until engineers can resolve the problem.

Спойлер

The rare last-second abort came at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT; 6:51 p.m. French Guiana time) Tuesday as the Ariane 5's Vulcain 2 main engine, a cryogenic powerplant consuming super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, throttled up to full power.

Seven seconds were supposed to elapse before ignition of the Ariane 5's two powerful side-mounted solid rocket boosters, an irreversible command that would have propelled the rocket airborne.

A computer-run health check into the readiness of the Vulcain 2 engine apparently turned up a problem, and the countdown was halted before the strap-on boosters fired.

It was the first time since March 2011 an Ariane 5 countdown was aborted after main engine start. On that mission, engineers replaced suspect actuators inside the Vulcain 2 engine and successfully launched the Ariane 5 rocket around three weeks later.

Didier Faivre, director of the Guiana Space Center for CNES, the French space agency, said the abort was triggered by the Ariane 5's computers.

"There was a problem with the Vulcain engine, and we proceeded with an automatic stop of the launcher," Faivre said. "There is no danger on the base either for people or infrastructure."

The Ariane 5 launcher and the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites inside its payload shroud were reported safe after the abort by Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace's executive vice president of missions, operations and purchasing.

"We had an aborted launch," she said. "Everything is fine. The launcher, the satellites are OK. We will be analyzing the problem to be able to launch again as soon as possible. I would, of course, like to apologize to our customers for this delay."


A view of the Vulcain 2 engine moments after ignition. Credit: Arianespace

Arianespace was gearing up for its ninth launch of the year, and the fifth using the Ariane 5 heavy-lifter.

"Data analysis is underway to determine the cause of the anomaly," Arianespace said in a statement. "In parallel, the launcher will be transferred to the Final Assembly Building — wh ere it will be returned to a flight-ready condition."

The Ariane 5 will return to its assembly building, a cavernous structure 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) from the launch pad, for ground crews to reconnect umbilical lines between the rocket and its mobile platform. The umbilicals disconnected as planned in the final 10 seconds of the countdown, and they must be reinstalled manually.

The Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a satellites will likely remain aboard the rocket during any repairs deemed necessary.

The 14,193-pound Intelsat 37e satellite, occupying the upper position in the Ariane 5's dual-payload stack, will beam broadband, wireless communications, television and government services across the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Middle East from a perch in geostationary orbit at 18 degrees west longitude. Made by Boeing in El Segundo, California, Intelsat 37e is the fifth Epic-series satellite launched for Intelsat.

BSAT 4a will provide HD, 4K and 8K Ultra HD television broadcasts over Japan for Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. The satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, and carries 24 Ku-band transponders.

[свернуть]

[Pirat5]

Ну до декабря время есть. Ведь все остальные пуски (кроме Галилео) давно перекинуты на следующий год.

[tnt22]

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/interruption-of-the-va239-countdown-results-of-preliminary-analysis/

Ariane 5 | September 6, 2017

Interruption of the VA239 countdown: results of preliminary analysis

Just after the ignition of Ariane 5's main stage Vulcain engine, the on-board computer detected an anomaly affecting electrical equipment on one of the two solid-propellant boosters (EAP). This anomaly led to an interruption of the automated lift-off sequence.

This interruption is perfectly compliant with our procedures which authorize a launch only if 100% of launcher equipment is fully operational. This rule guarantees the reliability and robustness of our launch system.

An analysis started immediately after the countdown interruption. It will continue to identify the anomaly's cause and determine the measures to be taken in order to resume launch operations as soon as possible.

As the analysis is underway, Ariane 5 will be transferred to the Final Assembly Building (BAF) on Thursday, September 7, once the tanks have been purged. The two satellites, Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a, are safe under the fairing atop the launcher.

As soon as the analysis of the anomaly has been completed, Arianespace will announce a new launch date. The objective is to launch around the end of September 2017.
This postponement does not affect the other launches scheduled for the end of 2017.

Плюс, аналогично, в пресс-релизе - http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/interruption-of-the-va239-countdown-results-of-preliminary-analysis/

[tnt22]

Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 31 мин. назад

#VA239 countdown interruption: compliant w/ procedures authorizing launch only if 100% of launcher equipment fully operational #reliability


30 мин. назад

The #Ariane5 launch vehicle, as well as the #Intelsat 37e and #BSAT-4a satellites, are being maintained in fully safe conditions


28 мин. назад

Our goal is to reschedule #VA239 launch around the end of September 2017; no effect on other launches planned for the remainder of 2017

[Чебурашка]

tnt22 пишет:
the on-board computer detected an anomaly affecting electrical equipment on one of the two solid-propellant boosters

Прикольно бы получилось, если бы один бустер зажёгся, а второй нет. Вот бы полетали 

[Apollo13]

"Если ТТУ включился вы летите, хотите вы этого или нет".

[Чебурашка]

Apollo13 пишет:
"Если ТТУ включился вы летите, хотите вы этого или нет".

Вопрос куда летите если включился один бустер

[zandr]

https://ria.ru/space/20170906/1501936674.html

В Arianespace рассказали, почему не взлетела ракета Ariane-5
ПАРИЖ, 6 сен — РИА Новости, Виктория Иванова. Старт ракеты-носителя Ariane-5 с двумя телекоммуникационными спутниками на борту с космодрома в ночь на среду не состоялся из-за неисправности электрического оборудования твердотопливного двигателя, сообщает компания-оператор космодрома Arianespace.
Запуск ракеты-носителя должен был состояться в ночь на среду, однако он был прерван по техническим причинам. Задачей этого пуска являлось выведение на орбиту двух геостационарных телекоммуникационных спутников: Intelsat 37e и BSAT-4a.
"Вскоре после запуска главного двигателя Ariane-5 бортовой компьютер определил аномалию, влияющую на электрическое оборудование на одном из двух твердотопливных ускорителей", — сообщает компания.
Исследование проблемы началось вскоре после прерывания обратного отсчета. "Оно будет продолжаться для установления причины аномалии и определения мер, необходимых для проведения предшествующих запуску процедур в ближайшее время", — отмечают в Arianespace.
В четверг, 7 сентября, после опустошения топливных баков, ракета будет переведена в здание финальной сборки. Спутники находятся в безопасности под обтекателем.

"Как только анализ неполадки будет завершен, Arianespace объявит новую дату запуска. Наша цель — повторный старт примерно в конце сентября", — говорится в заявлении.

Спойлер

Запуск ракеты в ночь на среду должен был стать девятым стартом с космодрома Куру и пятым для ракет Ariane-5 с начала года.
Ariane-5 — европейская ракета-носитель, предназначенная для выведения грузов на низкую околоземную орбиту Земли. Запуски Ariane-5 производятся с космодрома Куру во Французской Гвиане. На разработку Ariane-5 было потрачено около 10 лет и 7 миллиардов долларов.

[свернуть]

[Сергей]

Интересно было бы посмотреть циклограмму за последние 10 сек в части ТТУ. Наиболее вероятны отклонения от нормы : у электромеханических рулевых машин, источника бортового электропитания, коммутатора при переходе электропитания от наземного источника к бортовому.

[тавот]

Чебурашка пишет:

Apollo13 пишет:
"Если ТТУ включился вы летите, хотите вы этого или нет".

Вопрос куда летите если включился один бустер

Когда у Челленджера взорвался топливный бак, бустеры ещё долго летели сами по себе.

[Сергей]

тавот пишет:

Чебурашка пишет:

Apollo13 пишет:
"Если ТТУ включился вы летите, хотите вы этого или нет".

Вопрос куда летите если включился один бустер

Когда у Челленджера взорвался топливный бак, бустеры ещё долго летели сами по себе.

Если срабатывает один бустер - никуда не летит, когда кончится вода на СК - спалит стартовый стол, РН рухнет, взорвутся еще и баки, сгорит и второй бустер, в общем абзац. Если срабатывает один бустер и маршевый ЖРД - улетает до безопасного места и подрыв по команде (если такой вариант предусмотрен СУ).
Челленджер - пример , когда, зная о ненадежности уплотнения между секциями ТТУ, менеджеры решили, что авось пронесет, но не пронесло. После аварии нашлись деньги и проектные дефекты устранили.

[tnt22]

DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 8 ч. назад

Nice shot of both EAP's of #Ariane5 #VA239 while on the pad before the launch attempt, stack is planned to be moved back inside #BAF today.

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/09/electrical-problem-prompted-ariane-5-countdown-abort/

Electrical problem prompted Ariane 5 countdown abort
September 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

An electrical problem on one of the Ariane 5 rocket's two solid rocket boosters led to an on-pad launch abort Tuesday, likely delaying liftoff with two U.S.-built communications satellites until around the end of September, Arianespace officials said.

Спойлер

A European Ariane 5 rocket sits on its launch pad in French Guiana ahead of an aborted countdown Tuesday. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Tuesday's launch was halted seconds before liftoff, with the Ariane 5's Vulcain 2 main engine already burning. A computer-run health check of the engine and other launcher systems turned up an anomaly affecting electrical equipment on one of the Ariane 5's solid rocket boosters, Arianespace said.

"This interruption is perfectly compliant with our procedures which authorize a launch only if 100 percent of launcher equipment is fully operational," Arianespace said in a statement. "This rule guarantees the reliability and robustness of our launch system."

The launch team safed and secured the Ariane 5 rocket and its two satellite payloads — the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications spacecraft — in the aftermath of the last-second abort.

"An analysis started immediately after the countdown interruption," Arianespace said. "It will continue to identify the anomaly's cause and determine the measures to be taken in order to resume launch operations as soon as possible."

Ground crews removed the Ariane 5 rocket Thursday from its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center, a French-run spaceport in French Guiana. A diesel-powered tug towed the rocket and its mobile launch platform back to the spaceport's final assembly building along 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) of rail tracks.
"As soon as the analysis of the anomaly has been completed, Arianespace will announce a new launch date," the French launch operator said in a statement. "The objective is to launch around the end of September 2017."

Along with making repairs to the solid rocket booster's electrical system, technicians will reconnect two umbilical arms to the Ariane 5's upper stage. The connectors feed cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants to the second stage tanks, but they retracted as planned during the final seconds of the countdown.

The umbilical arms require manual reconnection to the launcher.

The launch team depressurized the rocket's tanks after Tuesday's scrub, then drained propellants before rollback to the Ariane 5 hangar. The rocket has special propellant drainage lines from the upper stage that are designed for use in the event of an aborted countdown.


The upper stage's propellant drainage lines are circled in red, while the yellow umbilical arms, which retracted in the final countdown. This image of the launcher was taken before rollout to the launch pad. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon

The Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a satellites are expected to remain aboard the rocket until the next launch attempt.

The 14,193-pound Intelsat 37e satellite, occupying the upper position in the Ariane 5's dual-payload stack, will beam broadband, wireless communications, television and government services across the Americas, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Middle East from a perch in geostationary orbit at 18 degrees west longitude. Made by Boeing in El Segundo, California, Intelsat 37e is the fifth Epic-series satellite launched for Intelsat.

BSAT 4a will provide HD, 4K and 8K Ultra HD television broadcasts over Japan for Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. The satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, and carries 24 Ku-band transponders.

Arianespace expects no ripple effects in its manifest from this month's delayed launch.
A lightweight Vega launcher is scheduled for liftoff from French Guiana on Nov. 8 at 0142:30 GMT (8:42:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 7) with a spy satellite for the Moroccan government. One more Ariane 5 launch this year is slated for Dec. 12 at 1836:07 GMT (1:36:07 p.m. EST) with four European Galileo navigation satellites.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-announces-two-new-launches-bringing-its-order-book-to-53-launches-17-for-ariane-5-27-with-soyuz-and-nine-utilizing-vegavega-c/

...
Two more Ariane 5 launches and one by Vega are scheduled by the end of this year, bringing to 11 the total number of launches expected in 2017 (6 with Ariane 5, 2 by Soyuz and 3 with Vega):

[/li]
• The VA239 mission for Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a, currently scheduled as from September 29.
  

...