Falcon 9 v1.1 / DSCOVR Mission (NOAA, NASA, USAF)


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DSCOVR: Deep Space Climate Observatory

Mission: early warning of solar storms. Also continuous imaging of Earth's sunlit side.

NET: January 2014 (rumor: Jan 13)

Where: KSC LC-40

Destination: Earth-Sun L1 (Lagrange point)

Distance: 1,500,000 km (930,000 miles)* out, orbiting a gravitational equilibrium point between Earth and the sun.

* greater than the diameter of the Sun itself

Earth-Sun L1

haloorbit.jpg

Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR)

Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory_spacecraf

dscovr_sc.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

Processing Status for DSCOVR Mission

Friday, December 12, 2014

Spacecraft for two upcoming missions are undergoing preflight preparations at the Astrotech payload processing facility near Kennedy Space Center.

Testing of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft is on schedule for its Jan. 23 launch. The spacecraft thrusters have been cleaned and leak tested. Today, high-pressure testing of the of the spacecraft propulsion system is under way. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9 payload fairing for DSCOVR arrived at Astrotech this week.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html

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Looks like DSCOVR's Falcon 9 first stage will also land on ASDS downrange after all, then the second stage will steer itself into the Sun after dropping DSCOVR off at L1 - 1.5 million kilometers out.

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=initial&application_seq=63562

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY

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Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:

Launch vehicle communications for NOAA Deep Space Climate Observatory. To be launched from Complex 40, Cape Canaveral AFS, for payload deployment to Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 1 (L1).

Launch vehicle sub-orbital first stage to be recovered downrange of Cape Canaveral; launch vehicle Earth-escape second stage to be disposed of in Sun. Launch approval authority is 45th Space Wing, USAF. Launch planning date is 23 JAN 2015

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