O3b FM13, O3b FM14, O3b FM15, O3b FM16 – Soyuz-ST-B/Fregat-MT (VS18 ) – Kourou ELS – 09.03.2018

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 4 мин. назад

Fregat has begun the re-orientation for the burn, propellant settling is next. #Soyuz

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 1 мин. назад

Good Fregat ignition confirmed. The #O3b F4 mission is targeting a circular injection orbit 7,830 Kilometers in altitude, inclined 0.04 degrees. #Soyuz

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 50 сек. назад

Fregat has concluded its third burn and should now be in its desired equatorial orbit (to be confirmed through tracking). Three minutes to the separation of the first two #O3b satellites.

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03/09/2018 22:12 O3b FM14 and FM15 separation Stephen Clark

Two of the four 1,543-pound (700-kilogram) O3b satellites should have deployed from their dispenser mounted on the forward end of the Fregat upper stage. Confirmation of a good separation is expected shortly.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

SEPARATION! The first two #O3b satellites were sent off by loaded springs, being pushed off into opposite directions to avoid re-contact. Next up for Fregat will be a very brief fourth burn to dispatch the second pair of satellites at a drift relative to the first two.

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03/09/2018 22:16 Stephen Clark

Launch controllers have confirmed deployment of the first two O3b satellites through telemetry received from the Fregat upper stage.

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03/09/2018 22:18 Stephen Clark

The 17-second restart of the Fregat main engine is expected at 1926 GMT (2:26 p.m. EST), followed by separation of the two other O3b satellites at 1932 GMT (2:32 p.m. EST).

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Peter B. de Selding‏ @pbdes 2 мин. назад

Health signals confirmed from 1st two @SES_Networks O3b satellites separated from @ArianeGroup @Arianespace @roscosmos Soyuz rocket. Awaiting separation-then-confirmation of the other 2.

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03/10/2018 01:31 Stephen Clark

SES confirms that signals from the first two O3b satellites have been acquired by ground controllers, confirming their status after today's launch.

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 3 мин. назад

...and there it is! The second pair of #O3b Medium Earth Orbit satellites has been released by #Soyuz #VS18. We are now awaiting acquisition confirmation from SES.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

Fregat will finish its mission by maneuvering into a 7,673-Kilometer disposal orbit, 0.08° followed by passivation by the T+5 hour mark to close out the #VS18 mission. #Soyuz #O3b

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03/10/2018 01:42 Stephen Clark

Telemetry acquisition from the second pair of O3b satellites has been confirmed.