Falcon 9: SES-9 commsat rides first Enhanced F9 (mission)


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A BIG all electric propulsion commsat taking the first ride on the enhanced Falcon 9. NET Q2 2015.

Enhanced Falcon 9?

By comparison, the previous F9 would be running at 85% throttle. They're also super-chilling the propellants to make them denser, so more kilograms of the propellants in the same size tanks to better feed those hungry new engines. It's called propellant densification.

http://spacenews.com/ses-decides-to-take-the-plunge-on-enhanced-falcon-9/

SES Decides To Take the Plunge on Enhanced Falcon 9

PARIS Satellite fleet operator SES on Feb. 20 said it had agreed to be the inaugural customer aboard an enhanced version of SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, a decision that SES said followed a careful review of Falcon 9s more-powerful first stage engine block.

SES officials had said in late January that they had yet to determine whether the risk tradeoffs favored being the first to fly with the more-powerful engine or letting someone else go first and taking a several-month-long delay in having SES-9 in service.

SES Chief Executive Karim Michel Sabbagh said the company only recently finished its Falcon 9 review and recommended to the SES board of directors that they take the earlier slot. The launch is scheduled to occur by June.

But in presenting its financial results and near-term forecast on Feb. 20, Luxembourg-based SES showed how sensitive future revenue levels can be to the timing of a single satellites launch, even for a company like SES, which currently has a fleet of 54 spacecraft.

>

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  • 10 months later...

Launcher: Falcon 9 FT (Full Thrust, aka v1.2)
Spaceport: SpaceX LC-40 KSC

 

Landing: ASDS Of Course I Still Love You drone ship
Landing coordinates: 28° 16' 20" N, 73° 49' 5" W

 

Date: NET* January 23, 2016
Time: TBD

*NET = No Earlier Than

 

Payload: SES-9 geosynchronous commsat
Type: Boeing 702HP
Payload mass: 5,330 kg

 

SES has said that if this launcher lands intact they want to be SpaceX's first customer to re-fly on a Falcon 9, even if they have to do it uninsured. That could be SES-10 later this year. So much for the idea that reusability  customers will be hard to find.

 

Scheduled for launch in 2016, SES-9 will be positioned at the orbital slot of 108.2° E and provide incremental as well as replacement capacity to the well established slot over Asia, where it will be co-located with the existing satellites. The satellite will expand SES’s capability to provide DTH broadcasting and other communications services in Northeast Asia, South Asia & Indonesia, as well as maritime communications for vessels in the Indian Ocean.

 

ses9.jpg

Edited by DocM
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For some reason, I thought that SES and Orbcomm pulled a switch, and Orbcomm 2 became the first under full thrust...or was the Orbcomm 2 flight a test for densification.......where they had problems with the cryo equipment, prior to launch?...too tired, nap time...later...:)

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Now that I am "awake"....multi mix up on my part...

 

1) I could not find this thread awhile back...while tired, thought this was new thread for the launch in a few weeks....my bad

 

2) Thought that a switch had been made between Orbcomm2 and SES due to 2nd stage testing opportunity...which was done.

 

3) Thought Orbcomm2 was first flight with FT modifications, which it was.

 

4) Next launch, Jason 3 on last v1.1, which it is.

 

5) Somewhere around 23rd January, 2nd launch of F9 FT will be SES9....on manifest now.

 

6) Prior articles stated that SES would be the first customer to sign up for a "reusable core", even if they had to fly "uninsured", which apparently is still a go and will now be designated SES-10. Still true to their word....excellent news.

 

7) Never post when extremely tired. I will have to wear the dunce cap and pace the science forum hallway till this sinks in....:(

 

Later Doc....thank's for the patience.

 

 

Edited by Draggendrop
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8 hours ago, Draggendrop said:

Now that I am "awake"....multi mix up on my part...

 

1) I could not find this thread awhile back...while tired, thought this was new thread for the launch in a few weeks....my bad

 

2) Thought that a switch had been made between Orbcomm2 and SES due to 2nd stage testing opportunity...which was done.

 

3) Thought Orbcomm2 was first flight with FT modifications, which it was.

 

4) Next launch, Jason 3 on last v1.1, which it is.

 

5) Somewhere around 23rd January, 2nd launch of F9 FT will be SES9....on manifest now.

 

6) Prior articles stated that SES would be the first customer to sign up for a "reusable core", even if they had to fly "uninsured", which apparently is still a go and will now be designated SES-10. Still true to their word....excellent news.

 

7) Never post when extremely tired. I will have to wear the dunce cap and pace the science forum hallway till this sinks in....:(

 

Later Doc....thank's for the patience.

 

 

Your brainpower when tired is as good as most other people when fully awake and fueled up on coffee. No worries, bud. :D 

 

Now me, on the other hand .. my reasoning is suspect no matter what time of day it is. :rofl:

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Can I stop walking up and down the science wing hallway.......:)

 

You are way too hard on yourself.

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6 minutes ago, Draggendrop said:

Can I stop walking up and down the science wing hallway.......:)

 

You are way too hard on yourself.

Please rejoin the rest of the Class.

 

And we're our own worst critics, are we not? :) 

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With Jason 3 done....focus shifts here. In doing so, Doc has the payload specs listed already, a heavy bird. We have barge location...quite a distance out as well, around 660 kilometers offshore..will have to recheck this.

 

Payload delivered to the Cape on 10th of December, 2015

http://www.ses.com/6859799/news/2015/21833272

 

Satellite mission

http://www.ses.com/ses-9

 

Twitter account

https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites

 

SpaceX test fired the orbcomm booster at LC40, did some pad checks and returned booster to 39A.

 

Today, being the 19th of January and NET date of Feb. 6 for SES-9, not a whole lot of time. Payload integration in fairing, prelaunch test fire, S1 and S2 assembly and testing.

 

Have not heard any news of this stages prior testing out west, it's transport or if everything in LC40.....have some hunting to do.....

 

:)

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  • 3 weeks later...

GAME ON!!

 

No launch window, yet.

 

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ses-9-launch-targeting-february-080000051.html

 

 

Quote

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SES S.A. (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that it is targeting a 24 February 2016 launch date (with a backup date of the 25th) for its new satellite, SES-9. This date was mutually set by SES and the launch operator for SES-9, SpaceX, the Hawthorne, California based company that designs, manufactures and launches the Falcon 9 rocket and other spacecraft. SpaceX is currently completing an extended series of testing and pre-flight validation in advance of the SES-9 launch, which will take place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

 

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: 

 

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160208005441/en/

 

In order to minimise the impact of moving the launch from late last year, SpaceX is supporting a mission modification. The changed mission will reduce the time needed for SES-9 to reach its orbital slot, keeping the Operational Service Date (OSD) in the third quarter of 2016, as previously foreseen.

 

SES-9 will be positioned at 108.2 degrees East and provide both replacement and incremental capacity for a prime video neighbourhood over Asia which already serves over 22 million households with high quality broadcast solutions. The spacecraft will be co-located with SES-7 and increases SES’s global video capabilities to serve fast-growing markets in Asia, including South Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The spacecraft is also designed to deliver reliable data connectivity to homes and enterprises across Asia, and provides dedicated beams to support growing mobility communications needs across the Indian Ocean.
>

 

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This is one heavy bird at 5.3 tonne. If they are able to land S1 on OCISLY, with this mass, it will send a shock to a few launch providers. 

Myself, I would be happy even if expendable, to have a good launch and get back to business.

:)

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And it's a sure bet that they're quadruple-checking the landing legs and all associated hardware. They don't want a repeat of the Jason ASDS landing (which would have been a success otherwise). :yes: 

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Just now, DocM said:

Jason 3 was the last original  v1.1 core. The Full Thrust mod includes a new set of beefed up landing legs.

True, but they're still likely to check them. It's SpaceX. They're not gonna leave anything to chance. ;) 

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Just now, Draggendrop said:

Just prior to launch...will be time for the "good weather dance" and sacrificial consumption of "treats".

Yes indeed. Livestream feed on the 48" with the usual "stuff that's bad for ya" and our customary "what the hell is that?!" :D 

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3 minutes ago, Unobscured Vision said:

And the murder of meat products on the grill-shaped apparatus. Can't do a SpaceX launch without murdering cows. :D 

Just not the SpaceX cows...they are a different "breed"...:D

 

For maximum viewing effect, X2 multiplier reading glasses.

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