Falcon 9 / Thaicom-6 commsat (mission thread)


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Thaicom-6 is an Orbital Sciences commsat for Thailand, and will be Falcon 9's second launch to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Thaicom-6: NET December 12 (change due to SES-8 slip)

http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/Thaicom6/

The Thaicom 6 Satellite design is based on Orbital's highly successful, flight-proven, GeoStar-2 ? satellite platform, and will be manufactured and tested at Orbital's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dulles, VA.

Thaicom 6 will be located at 78.5 degrees East Longitude, and carry a hybrid Ku- and C-band payload that will generate approximately 3.7 kilowatts of payload power. The Ku-band payload will be comprised of eight active transponders providing services to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The C-band payload will feature 12 active C-band transponders providing services via a regional beam to Southeast Asia, and six active C-band transponders providing services via a south Africa beam to southern Africa and Madagascar.

Performance:

C-band

C1 Repeater: 12 active C-band transponders

C2 Repeater: 6 active C-band transponders

Payload Power: 3.7kW

Ku-band

Repeater: 8 active Ku-band transponders

Antenna: 2.5m x 2.7m single offset super-elliptical deployable reflector antenna

Stabilization: 3-axis stabilized; zero momentum

Launch Mass: 3,325 kg (7,330 lb.)

Mission Life: ? 15 years

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  • 1 month later...

Well, just over 2,5 weeks from now. Would be a good test for turnaround time by SpaceX!

 

I mean, if they mean business and want to produce 40 cores per year and launch them they are going to have to work quick :)

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Yup. Upcoming in the next few months-

Thaicom_6

Start of F9R-1 (Grasshopper 2) tests

Dragon 2 parachute test

ISS CRS-3 w/landing test

Dragon 2 pad abort test

Raptor methane engine tests at NASA Stennis

ORBCOMM 1

ORBCOMM 2

Dragon 2 MAX-Q abort test

Falcon Heavy maiden flight

ISS CRS-4

.

Probably good that they're up to 3,800+ people now.

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www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/12/04/spacex-launch-successful/3866655/

>

Musk said SpaceX might try to recover that rocket's (note: Thaicom-6) first stage from the ocean, depending in part on data collected during the SES-8 mission.

>

Thaicom-6's launch will probably slip to the first week of January, partly due to the SES-8 launch delay and KSC doing range work the week before and (if needed) after Christmas.

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I just wonder if they found a way to stabilize the 1st stage when trying to soft land into the ocean without landing legs. We know they need the legs to balance the rocket and prevent it from spinning and cutting the fuel flow to the engine.

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They did some stage maneuvering with SES-8 after separation. We also know they were doing work on tank baffles when the N2 tanks failed at McGregor and that they think the rotation was from aero forces on the tank at lower altitudes.

Legs may not be necessary. Perhaps they've found a rotation fix, including aero changes to the tank & baffles to keep the fuel from centrifuging, and are ready to try them out.

Whatever, I'm going to need popcorn & beer for this one :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

No public confirmation of this from KSC yet, but it is looking accurate. If so, it looks like New Years fireworks. Break out the popcorn!

http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/joe_science/spacex-satellite-launch-set-for-dec/article_b31d65b4-6822-11e3-9f40-001a4bcf887a.html

>

SpaceX's next Falcon 9 rocket flight, launching a Thai communications satellite into orbit, is now set for Dec. 31, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force's Eastern Range launch support team.

The window for the launch from SpaceX's complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., would begin at 4:57 p.m. CST.

>

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Man that would suck... thats 3 minutes to midnight for me! My GF would _not_ be cool if I bailed out a couple of minutes before midnight to watch a rocket launch :D

 

Take her with you! Night time rocket launches are awesome to watch!

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You can say that again, especially in person! I'be seen 4 night launches at KSC and it's freaking AWESOME!!

Youu can actually feel the low frequency pressure waves vibrating your innards several miles away, then there's the plume itself. On a clear night you can see it well past stage separation.

Wow...just flat out WOW!

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Launch window now a few minutes earlier.

Falcon 9 v1.1 / Thaicom-6

Satellite: http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/Thaicom6/

FRR: flight readiness review

LRR: launch readiness review

WDR: wet dress rehearsal

Hot Fire: engines test (3-4 sec)

Dec. 23: FRR, passed

Dec. 27: WDR + Hot Fire

Jan. 2: LRR

Launch: Jan. 3 2014

Window: 1750-1917 Local (KSC)

Backup: Jan. 4 2014, with a window of 1751-1917 Local

Orbit: super-synchronous transfer orbit

Webcast: should start ~30 min before the launch window opens

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

http://new.livestream.com/spacex

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They have to do some work on the cargo fairing. The date is to undecided as Orbital is launching Antares-Cygnus from Wallops and both need to use the Bermuda ground station. Target date is the 6th if no conflicts.

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