DocM Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Another SS-/L-1300 based brick And yes, this would mean 2 SpaceX launches in one month. Shared access between AsiaSat (Hong Kong) and ThaiCom (Thailand) NET Aug. 25, 2014 Launch window: TBD Launcher: Falcon 9 Satellite: AsiaSat 6 / ThiaCom 7 Orbital Location: GEO 120?E http://www.asiasat.com/asiasat/contentView.php?section=215〈=0 AsiaSat 6, based on Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform, is designed to provide excellent power and wide C-band coverage over Asia, Australasia, Central Asia and the Pacific islands. This new satellite, planned to be launched in the first half of 2014, will carry 28 high-powered C-band transponders, with a design life of 15 years. It will be positioned at the 120 degrees East orbital slot, with a global beam and a regional beam to offer enhanced power and look angles for video distribution and broadband network services in the region.Comm Payload: C-bandTransponders: 28 (linearised) Bandwidth: 36 MHz Coverage: Asia, Australasia, Central Asia and Pacific Islands Islands TWTA Size: 100 watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 The KSC schedule is now showing, Launch: August 26 Window opens: 0106 Local (EDT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 AsiaSat 6 has arrived at KSC http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=1179629582 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 13, 2014 Author Share Posted August 13, 2014 Launch window is now 0050-0405 Local (Eastern) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 From AsiaSat, 14 August 2014 AsiaSat Gets Ready for Second Launch of the Month ! Final preparations are in progress for the launch of AsiaSat 6 , following AsiaSat 8?s successful liftoff on 5 August by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. AsiaSat 6 will be AsiaSat?s second Falcon 9 launch in August. With 28 transponders, manufactured by Space Systems/Loral, the satellite will be operating at the nominal orbital location of 120 degrees East longitude for a broad range of broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband services in the Asia-Pacific region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Static fire tomorrow, August 22. SpaceX still on track for an August 26 launch at 0050-0405 Local (Eastern). The only potential issue at this time is weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 Static fire successful. Checking data. One day launch slip to August 27. Nothing to do with the F9R Dev-1 issue at McGregor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 Falcon 9 / Asisat-6 Launch Operations Forecast -- Launch Window: 27 Aug 2014 / 0450 - 0805Z (0050 - 0405EDT) - Forecast: Given the great uncertainty of the tropical system, which may still be near the Spaceport through mid- week, the primary 24-hour delay concerns remain Cumulus and Anvil clouds and Liftoff Winds. Launch day probability of violating launch weather constraints: 40% Primary concern(s): Cumulus and Anvil Cloud Rules, Liftoff Winds 24-hour delay overall probability of violating weather constraints: 40% Primary concern(s): Cumulus and Anvil Cloud Rules, Liftoff Winds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 LiveStream coverage starts at 0035 August 27 http://new.livestream.com/spacex/events/3266215 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 Whats this no reason scrub talk about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Seems to be an abundance of caution. Launch Readiness Review went fine. AFICT there was a hiccup last night that turned out to be nothing, but took time & effort to clear. Elon made the call to get a fresh start. Guess: may go this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Postponed for a week or two to make sure all is well. Abundance of caution. Within this we are told what happened to F9R Dev-1: a blocked sensor port. August 26, 2014 Update on AsiaSat 6 Mission "SpaceX has decided to postpone tomorrow's flight of AsiaSat 6. We are not aware of any issue with Falcon 9, nor the interfaces with the Spacecraft, but have decided to review all potential failure modes and contingencies again. We expect to complete this process in one to two weeks. "The natural question is whether this is related to the test vehicle malfunction at our development facility in Texas last week. After a thorough review, we are confident that there is no direct link. Had the same blocked sensor port problem occurred with an operational Falcon 9, it would have been outvoted by several other sensors. That voting system was not present on the test vehicle. "What we do want to triple-check is whether even highly improbable corner case scenarios have the optimal fault detection and recovery logic. This has already been reviewed by SpaceX and multiple outside agencies, so the most likely outcome is no change. If any changes are made, we will provide as much detail as is allowed under US law." -- Elon Musk http://www.spacex.com/news/2014/08/26/update-asiasat-6-mission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingskippy Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 The systems on the F9 continue to amaze me. The amount of redundancy along with its engine out capability and soon reusability is truly state of the art. I can't even imagine what capabilities it has that they aren't telling us about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Falcon 9 uses voting systems like that for sensors (normal practice), each engines controller, the flight avionics on both stages (most birds only have avionics in the upper stage), and Dragons 18 computers. What got me about the engine out was that it was totally autonomous - everything from engine shutdown to reconfiguring the flight plan. Then Dragon got to ISS 30 minutes early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 I bet the Galileo guys are wishing they'd booked an F9. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 I bet the Galileo guys are wishing they'd booked an F9. :pYou'd never get ESA or Arianespace to say that, but Germany has contracted for Falcon 9 to launch 3 radar spysats.OTOH, France is having a stroke over SpaceX, asking NASA to stop them from dumping cheap launchers on the market - as if NASA has any say in the matter. Of course dumping means you're selling launchers below cost, but that's demonstrably not true. F9 is just carefully engineered for low costs in spite of its sophistication. Arianespace is basically in the same position as US automakers when Toyota came out with the Corolla, Celica etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUtrecht Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Actually Arianespace is in a worse position with ariane and soyuz... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 And they know it. Nothing short of a crisis can get Arianespace to think about de-bureaucratizing. Aviation Week had a good article on it a few weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 @SCLAUNCH321: Official: the SPX launch is now on the range schedule. 9/6 0050-0404 and backup 9/7 same time. The WX does NOT look good for the wkd here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 The weather, terrestrial and space, isn't looking terribly good. There's been a solar event. And Dragon CRS-4 is still on the board for the 19th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted September 4, 2014 Author Share Posted September 4, 2014 Both the primary and secondary dates have slipped 1 day. The reason seems to be the Sept. 1st M2 level solar coronal mass ejection (CME) that will hit Earth on Saturday. This would compromise telemetry, satellite links etc. Better to just let it pass. http://spaceweather.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 F9 has been rolled out, but lightning may be an issue. Typical for Florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 F9 up & getting wet. Waiting for it to clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 F9 has been rolled out, but lightning may be an issue. Typical for Florida. Indeed it is :D Elon MuskVerified account?@elonmusk Launch in ~1.5 hours if weather clears. Lightning tower struck earlier, but no effect on rocket or satellite pic.twitter.com/AWdx9LsFZt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 AsiaSat 6 | Falcon 9 Launch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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