Iridium Next Flight 3 (x10) - Falcon 9 - Vandenberg SLC-4E - 09.10.2017, 12:37 UTC

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Официальная эмблема миссии

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О трансляции пуска компанией SpaceX

либо на офсайте

spacex.com/webcast

либо на ТыТрубе (кликни по фото)

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SpaceX‏Подлинная учетная запись @SpaceX 27 мин. назад

Falcon 9 and Iridium-3 are vertical on SLC-4E at Vandenberg AFB. Weather is 90% favorable for tomorrow's launch at 5:37 a.m. PDT, 12:37 UTC.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 25 мин. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch another set of Iridium-NEXT satellites - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/10/spacex-falcon-9-launch-third-set-iridium-satellites/ ... - by William Graham

Спойлер

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SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch another set of Iridium-NEXT satellites

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https://blog.iridium.com/2017/10/08/falcon-9-rocket-is-vertical-at-vandenberg-air-force-base/

Falcon 9 Rocket is Vertical at Vandenberg Air Force Base
by Iridium | Oct 8, 2017 | Iridium, Iridium NEXT

Ready for Third Iridium® NEXT Launch

What:Iridium Communications, in partnership with SpaceX, is prepared to launch its third set of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites tomorrow, October 9th, on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The full payload and rocket have been transported to the launch pad, and the rocket is vertical for launch. Once deployed, there will be a total of 30 Iridium NEXT satellites in low Earth orbit.

Спойлер

Iridium NEXT is the company's $3 billion, next-generation, mobile, global satellite network scheduled for completion in 2018. Iridium NEXT will replace the Company's existing global constellation in one of the largest technology upgrades ever completed in space. It represents the evolution of critical communications infrastructure that governments and organizations worldwide rely upon to drive business, enable connectivity, empower disaster relief efforts and more. Iridium NEXT will enable and introduce new services like the Company's next-generation communications platform, Iridium CertusSM, and the AireonSM space-based ADS-B aircraft surveillance and flight tracking network. The Iridium NEXT satellites are manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and assembled by its subcontractor, Orbital ATK, at its facility in Gilbert, Arizona.

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When:Launch is Scheduled for Monday, October 9th at 5:37a.m. PDT / 12:37 p.m. UTC

Who: Iridium Communications and SpaceX

Where:Vandenberg Air Force Base, California – SpaceX launch site

A live feed of the launch will be available starting twenty minutes prior to launch at: www.spacex.com/webcast

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Chris G - NSF‏ @CwG_NSF 9 мин. назад

Hello gorgeous. Low res tease. Hi-res on @NASASpaceflight later today! #SpaceX #Iridium3 #Falcon9

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10/09/2017 02:57



Ten new satellites for Iridium's $3 billion next-generation communications network are set for launch Monday from California's Central Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission's Falcon 9 booster passed a pre-launch hold-down test firing Thursday, clearing the way for liftoff Monday at 5:37:24 a.m. PDT (8:37:24 a.m. EDT; 1237:24 GMT). The Falcon 9 has an instantaneous predawn launch opportunity Monday to deploy the Iridium satellites into orbit.

There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather, according to the official launch weather outlook.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/10/08/iridiums-third-batch-of-new-satellites-set-for-monday-launch/

Iridium's third batch of new satellites set for Monday launch
October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Ten new satellites for Iridium's $3 billion next-generation communications network are set for launch Monday from California's Central Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission's Falcon 9 booster passed a pre-launch hold-down test firing Thursday, clearing the way for liftoff Monday at 5:37:24 a.m. PDT (8:37:24 a.m. EDT; 1237:24 GMT). The Falcon 9 has an instantaneous predawn launch opportunity Monday to deploy the Iridium satellites into orbit.

Спойлер

The third set of 10 Iridium Next communications satellites were prepared for launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base over the last month. Credit: Iridium

There is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather, according to the official launch weather outlook.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket was rolled out to its launch pad over the weekend at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and lifted vertical for final countdown preps.

The time of Monday's launch was calculated to place the 10 Iridium spacecraft into Plane 4 of the company's constellation, which is spread among six orbital planes, for a total of 66 operational satellites. Two previous deployments of Iridium's new-generation satellites by SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets in January and June began refreshing the company's fleet, replacing aging voice and data relay platforms launched in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Designed by Thales Alenia Space of France and built in Arizona in partnership with Orbital ATK, the Iridium Next satellites are mounted on a two-tier dispenser inside the Falcon 9's payload shroud. The satellites, which each weigh 1,896 pounds (860 kilograms), will separate from the Falcon 9's upper stage one at a time beginning around 57 minutes after liftoff.

Monday's mission will give Iridium 30 new-generation satellites in orbit. Iridium ordered 81 Iridium Next spacecraft from Thales Alenia Space, and 75 of them have been assigned for launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets.

Of the 20 Iridium Next satellites launched to date, 13 are already in service, and the other seven are drifting to their designated orbital planes, according to Jordan Hassin, an Iridium spokesperson.

All 10 satellites launching Monday will go into service in Plane 4 within a few weeks of their arrival in space, taking the slots of the spacecraft currently occupying the plane.

The Iridium fleet provides global coverage from polar orbits 485 miles (780 kilometers) high, employing inter-satellite links to relay voice and data messages between spacecraft, bouncing signals around the world via an interconnected communications web.

With 11 operational satellites spread among six orbital planes, the constellation is used by the U.S. military, oil and gas companies, aviation and maritime operators, and mining and construction contractors. Product distributors and transportation companies are also Iridium clients.

Iridium's roster of subscribers totaled more than 900,000 at the end of June.

The new satellites will ensure Iridium's network continues uninterrupted service, but new capabilities will come online as more spacecraft are launched. Iridium announced last week that one new service set to debut with the Iridium Next fleet has begun in-orbit testing.

The Iridium Certus offering will permit customers to transmit and receive higher-bandwidth messages, including high-definition video and Internet services. Designed for ships, airplanes and other users on-the-go, Iridium Certus will provide Iridium customers with up to 1.4 megabits per second of L-band connectivity, up from 128 kilobits per second available with the existing satellites.

"Iridium Certus is going to fundamentally change the status quo in satellite connectivity for aviation, maritime, land-mobile, Internet of Things and government users," said Matt Desch, Iridium CEO. "Achieving this major milestone continues our momentum for our mission to introduce world-changing broadband services and applications designed to help our partners provide critical connectivity solutions, both standalone and in support of other broadband technologies."

Connecting with ground terminals fastened to vessels, aircraft and land vehicles, Iridium Certus will offer a range of service, from relatively low-bandwidth, low-cost asset tracking, remote monitoring, and emergency communications up to higher-throughput HD video, Internet and telemedicine applications.

Piggyback payloads on the Iridium satellites launching Monday will help commercial companies track and stay in contact with airplanes and ships outside the reach of land-based radars.

All of the Iridium Next satellites host radio receivers for Aireon, an affiliate of Iridium established in partnership with air traffic control authorities in Canada, Ireland, Italy and Denmark.

Eight of the 10 satellites awaiting liftoff Monday carry ship tracking antennas for exactEarth, a Canadian company.

The Iridium Next satellites are manufactured in assembly line fashion in a specially-equipped clean room at Orbital ATK's facility in Gilbert, Arizona. The factory can churn out up to five satellites per month.

"Our teams, not only in California, but also in Arizona and in Northern Virginia, have maintained a steady and impressive pace when it comes to pre-and-post launch operations," Desch said in a statement. "We're setting a new industry standard for satellite deployment, in terms of both time and efficiency. On our end, all systems are go for our coming predawn launch."

SpaceX engineers will switch on the Falcon 9's avionics and computers in the final hours of the countdown, and a poll of the launch team set for 4:24 a.m. PDT (7:24 a.m. EDT; 1124 GMT).

Filling of the Falcon 9 with super-chilled, densified RP-1 fuel should begin around three minutes later, according to SpaceX's launch press kit. Cryogenic liquid oxygen is scheduled to be pumped aboard beginning at 5:02 a.m. PDT (8:02 a.m. EDT; 1202 GMT).

The rocket's cold propellants will be flowed through the first stage engines beginning at about T-minus 7 minutes, chilling the propulsion system's plumbing in preparation for ignition. In the final minute of the countdown, the Falcon 9's propellant tanks will be pressurized for flight, and the rocket's flight computer will begin automated preflight health checks.

The on-board computer will send the command to ignite the Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D main engines at T-minus 3 seconds, and hold-down clamps will release the rocket when the countdown clock hits zero.

The liquid-fueled rocket will head south from Vandenberg over the Pacific Ocean, passing the speed of sound within about a minute and climbing into the stratosphere before dropping its first stage at T+plus 2 minutes, 27 seconds.

The booster will pulse cold gas nitrogen thrusters to re-orient to fly tail first, then reignite a subset of its Merlin engines for a controlled descent toward a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean downrange from Vandenberg. The Falcon 9's first stage will aim for touchdown on the barge around seven-and-a-half minutes into the mission.

Meanwhile, the Falcon 9's upper stage will fire a single Merlin engine two times to inject the Iridium Next satellites into a circular 388-mile-high (625-kilometer) orbit inclined 86 degrees to the equator.

Separation of the 10 satellites will begin at T+plus 57 minutes, 6 seconds. One spacecraft is programmed to deploy from the Falcon 9's upper stage approximately every 90 seconds.

Once clear of the rocket, the satellites will extend power-generating solar arrays and begin maneuvers to raise their orbits to reach the rest of the Iridium fleet 485 miles (780 kilometers) above Earth.

Monday's flight is the first of two planned by SpaceX this week.

Crews at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are readying another Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff Wednesday evening with a geostationary communications satellite for SES and EchoStar. That flight was slated to take off Saturday, but SpaceX delayed the launch to resolve a technical issue on the rocket.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/10/08/timeline-for-falcon-9s-third-launch-of-iridium-satellites/

Timeline for Falcon 9's third launch of Iridium satellites
October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with the third set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium's voice and data relay fleet.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Monday at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT; 1237 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Data source: SpaceX

Спойлер

T-0:00:00: Liftoff


After the rocket's nine Merlin 1D engines pass an automated health check, the Falcon 9 is released from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

T+0:01:10: Max-Q


The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure. The first stage's nine Merlin 1D engines produce about 1.7 million pounds of thrust.

T+0:02:23: MECO


The Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.

T+0:02:27: Stage 1 Separation


The Falcon 9's first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.

T+0:02:36: Stage 2 Ignition


The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for an approximately 6-and-a-half-minute burn to inject the Iridium Next satellites into a parking orbit.

T+0:03:09: 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+0:05:41: Stage 1 Entry Burn


A subset of the first stage's Merlin 1D engines ignite for an entry burn to slow down for landing. A final landing burn will occur just before touchdown.

T+0:07:23: Stage 1 Landing


The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster touches down on SpaceX's drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

T+0:09:01: SECO 1


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine turns off after placing the Iridium satellites in a temporary parking orbit, beginning at 43-minute coast in space.

T+0:52:02: Stage 2 Restart


The Falcon 9's second stage engine ignites again for a 3-second burn to circularize its orbit.

T+0:52:05: SECO 2


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine shuts down after reaching a target orbit about 388 miles (625 kilometers) high with an inclination of 86 degrees.

T+0:57:06: Begin Iridium Deployments


The 1,896-pound (860-kilogram) Iridium Next satellites begin deploying from their two-tier dispenser on the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, separating at intervals of approximately every 90 seconds.

T+1:12:06: End Iridium Deployments


The last of the 10 Iridium Next satellites will separate from the rocket.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/10/08/photos-spacex-preps-falcon-9-rocket-for-launch-from-vandenberg/

Photos: SpaceX preps Falcon 9 rocket for launch from Vandenberg
October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX aims to launch a Falcon 9 rocket Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 new satellites for Iridium's tracking and message relay constellation in low Earth orbit.

Спойлер

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket is set to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4-East at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT; 1237 GMT) Monday.

Read our full story for details.


Credit: SpaceX


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News


Credit: SpaceX

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10/09/2017 13:38

T-minus 2 hours. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg remains set for 5:37:24 a.m. PDT (8:37:24 a.m. EDT; 1237:24 GMT).

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надо уметь выбирать место для съёмки  

daniel‏ @DMOberhaus  12h

Setting up remote cameras for the SpaceX/Iridium launch tomorrow

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 9 мин. назад

Launching from Vandenberg's SLC-4E, #Falcon9 has an instantaneous launch opportunity at 12:37:24 UTC / 5:37 PDT.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 6 мин. назад

#Falcon9 rolled out to the pad on Sunday & entered countdown ops in the evening hours to get ready for Terminal Count.


6 мин. назад

The early portion of the count is dedicated to #Falcon9 power-up & detailed testing as well as pad close out operations.


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At this point, a repetition of link checks and Autonomous Flight Termination System verification should be in progress to set up for tanking

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10/09/2017 13:54

Several major steps are coming up in the next hour, including the start of fueling of the rocket's two stages with RP-1 kerosene.

The SpaceX launch conductor will poll the Falcon 9 team at 4:24 a.m. PDT for a "go" to begin fueling the rocket. RP-1 kerosene should begin flowing into the vehicle at 4:27 a.m. PDT, followed by liquid oxygen at 5:02 a.m. PDT.

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Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 8 сек. назад

No problems reported in Falcon 9 countdown in California. Launch set for 5:37am PDT (8:37am EDT; 1237 GMT). Watch: https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/10/09/falcon-9-iridium-3-mission-status-center/ ...

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10/09/2017 14:04

Some statistics on today's launch:

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• 42nd launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
• 47th launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006
• 6th Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 22nd launch of the upgraded Falcon 9
• 4th upgraded Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 3rd launch for Iridium by SpaceX
• 25th overall launch with Iridium satellites
• 5th launch of Thales Alenia Space payloads on Falcon 9
• 15th Falcon 9 night launch
• 14th Falcon 9 launch of 2017
• 6th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2017
• 22nd attempt to land a Falcon 9 first stage
  

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

Built by Thales Alenia & integrated by Orbital ATK, each #IridiumNEXT satellite weighs 860kg & covers a 4,700km ground footprint.