Iridium Next Flight 6 (x5), GRACE-FO 1, GRACE-FO 2 - Falcon 9 (B1043) - Vandenberg SLC-4E - 22.05.18

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/22/launch-timeline-for-falcon-9-mission-with-iridium-and-grace-follow-on/

Launch timeline for Falcon 9 mission with Iridium and GRACE-Follow On
May 22, 2018 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with five more Iridium Next communications satellite and the U.S.-German GRACE-Follow On climate research mission.

Спойлер

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Friday at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT) Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

SpaceX will not attempt to recover the first stage on Tuesday's mission.

Data source: SpaceX

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+0:01:19: 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+0:02:46: MECO


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

T+0:02:49: Stage 1 Separation


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

T+0:02:57: 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 and GRACE-Follow On satellites into a parking orbit.

T+0:03:12: 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+0:10:13: SECO 1


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine turns off after placing the Iridium and GRACE-Follow On satellites into the first of two targeted orbits at an altitude of around 304 miles (490 kilometers) and an inclination of 89 degrees.

T+0:11:33: GRACE-Follow On Separation


The twin 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) GRACE-Follow On satellites separate in opposite directions from the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage.

T+0:56:55: Stage 2 Restart


The Falcon 9's second stage engine ignites again for an 8-second burn to raise its orbit to around 372 miles (600 kilometers) in altitude and adjust its inclination to better align with the Iridium satellite constellation orbiting at an angle of 86.4 degrees to the equator.

T+0:57:03: SECO 2


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine shuts down after its brief restart.

T+1:05:48: Begin Iridium Deployments


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

T+1:12:28: End Iridium Deployments


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

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 6 мин. назад

T-1hr 10mins and COUNTING. Fueling has BEGUN with RP-1 now flowing into the Falcon 9 first stage. REMINDER: This is an instantaneous launch window. We have NO ability to hold for any reason today. A hold is a scrub.

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 4 мин. назад

Range confirms that the launch area is CLEAR and that the Range is ready to support today's launch.

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05/22/2018 21:52 Stephen Clark

The Air Force's Satellite Control Network's downrange tracking stations, used to monitor the Falcon 9's trek into orbit, is reported ready for flight.

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 3 мин. назад

This will be SpaceX's 10th flight this year - ahead of their total number of flights at this time last year... AND it will be their THIRD flight for @NASA in just the last 7 weeks (CRS-14, TESS, and this one).

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Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight 54 сек. назад

Weather report: Perfect viewing conditions. I hope I didn't jinx it!

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Updated: 05/22/2018 22:03 Stephen Clark

T-minus 45 minutes. Some statistics on today's launch:

[/li]
• 55th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
• 61st launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006
• 10th Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 12th reuse of a Falcon booster by SpaceX
• 6th launch for Iridium by SpaceX
• 28th overall launch with Iridium satellites
• 10th launch of Thales Alenia Space payloads by SpaceX
• 19th launch for NASA by SpaceX
• 4th launch of Airbus Defense and Space satellite by SpaceX
• 36th Falcon 9 day launch
• 9th Falcon 9 launch of 2018
• 10th launch by SpaceX in 2018
• 5th launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2018
  

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05/22/2018 22:10 Stephen Clark

The Air Force's Western Range has confirmed it is "go" for launch.

Прим. О5 форум шалит, оперативно не получится, большие лаги...  

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05/22/2018 22:14 Stephen Clark

Super-chilled, densified liquid oxygen is now flowing into the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Both stages of the launcher burn the same RP-1/liquid oxygen propellant mixture.

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Муззаставка

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Chris G - NSF‏ @ChrisG_NSF 2 мин. назад

T-15mins. All still going perfectly. No issues.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 1 мин. назад

And stock footage of Mr. Steven and his fancy new net.

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