Miscellaneous Launches and Payloads (updates)

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

 

CREWS FIGHT VANDENBERG AFB WILDLAND FIRE - UPDATE

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Due to predicted expansion of the fire through the course of the day, we are limiting access on Vandenberg South Base to emergency personnel only.
 
Please refer to www.vandenberg.af.mil for the latest updates.

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/949127/crews-fight-vandenberg-afb-wildland-fire-update

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base zero percent contained

 

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LOMPOC, Calif. — The wildfire that prompted a delay of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket scheduled to blast out of Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 3-East (SLC-3E) Sept. 18 has yet to be contained.

 

What was as 500-acre fire Sunday morning has since grown to nearly 5,000 acres and continues to burn at what is being describing as a “slow to moderate speed.”

 

According to an update by the 30th Space Wing, as of 7:30 a.m. PDT (14:30 GMT) Monday, the fire was zero percent contained and had expanded to 4,528 acres. It continues to move toward the southern base boundary and Sudden Ranch area.

 

The red area represents the area the fire is being fought. Image Credit: CalFire / Google Maps
 

 

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The planned Sunday launch of the Atlas V rocket with the WorldView-4 satellite, which is now targeting Sept. 26 pending the extinguishing of the fire, was not postponed because of any immediate threats to launch facilities, but to allow for firefighting personnel to continue fighting the blaze instead of having to clear out for a launch.

 

“Our procedures require stand-by firefighting crews for every launch to ensure [the] safety of our personnel and facility protection,” Col. Paul Nosek, Emergency Operations Center commander, said on Sunday. “We’ve delayed the launch in order to concentrate our resources on the situation at hand.”

 

As the fire worsened, however, base restrictions were put in place.

 

“Effective immediately and until further notice, only mission-essential personnel, as designated by their commander, will be granted access to South Base,” a Sunday evening update stated. There is no restriction for North Base activities.

 

However, an update at 5:10 p.m. PDT Monday (00:10 GMT Tuesday) stated that due to predicted expansion of the fire through the course of the day, access on South Base was limited to emergency personnel only.

 

In a report by Spaceflight Now, two workers were injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment. The 30th Medical Group is also monitoring the air quality at North Base. As of 5:20 p.m. PDT Monday (00:20 GMT Tuesday), the air quality was measured as normal, but sampling will continue throughout the night.

 

According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, the fire near the base’s facilities present unique challenges. For example, a “mystery tank” near SLC-6, where Delta IV rockets are launched, was spotted by firefighters and they wanted to know if it was flammable.

 

It turned out to be a water tank, however, the fact the blaze is only a half-mile to a mile from SLC-6 and the other launch pads – SpaceX’s SLC-4E and ULA’s SLC-3E – means potentially dealing with highly flammable materials present around the a launch site.

 

To make matters worse, according to the Tribune, firefighters are warning about possible unexploded ordnance leftover from when the base was a training facility during World War II and the Korean War.

 

So far, no buildings have been harmed by the blaze and resources are being put into place to protect facilities from the advancing fire. In addition to the Atlas V and its payload at SLC-6, at SLC-4E, SpaceX has a Falcon 9 rocket with 10 Iridium communication satellites.

 

As of Monday morning, teams were using a helicopter to map fire lines and evaluate the progress of the blaze in order to better place fire fighting resources. So far only small electrical outages have occurred on the South Base due to downed power lines. Buildings that lost electricity were placed on generator power until until commercial power can be restored.

 

The blaze started Sept. 17 in a remote area in a canyon between Arguello and Santa Ynez Ridge Roads. Dry vegetation as well as warm weather are fueling the fire.

 

Nearly 800 Vandenberg, U.S. Forestry Service, CalFire, and Santa Barbara County firefighters are on hand to battle the blaze.

 

“Vandenberg AFB fire fighter and security forces are assessing possible causes,” the 30th Space Wing update Monday morning. “However, at this time, the cause of the fire is unknown.”

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/ula/wildfire-at-vandenberg-air-force-base-zero-percent-contained/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

VANDENBERG AFB WILDLAND FIRE - UPDATE

 

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --

As of 7:30 a.m., the Canyon Fire has burned 10,542 acres. The fire is now 18 percent contained and 633 firefighters from Vandenberg AFB, U.S. Forestry, Cal Fire, and Santa Barbara County Fire are combatting the blaze.

 

The fire was very active yesterday, growing by approximately 6,000 acres. Most of the growth was to the west and the north. However, fire teams made strong progress along the south and east portions of the fire.

 

Despite the progress made yesterday, the fire remains significant and unpredictable. For safety reasons and to prevent any interference with the fire response, South Base access continues to be limited to emergency personnel only.

 

30th Security Forces have established road blocks along West Ocean Avenue to minimize traffic congestion and to facilitate fire response forces entering and leaving South Base. Base officials are asking personnel to remain clear of West Ocean Avenue between Vandenberg’s North and South base.

 

Today fire crews will continue to build direct and indirect containment lines. Direct lines are constructed along the active fire perimeter when fire intensity is low. Indirect lines are constructed ahead of the active fire perimeter. Fire managers are utilizing crews with hand tools and bulldozers to construct containment lines on the base property.

 

A team of Resource Advisors are supporting the fire response by locating and identify natural and cultural resources threatened by the fire. Some of these resources include cultural sites related to the Chumash people, wildlife habitats, and watershed concerns.

 

More information to follow as the situation develops, and the current situation is subject to change.

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/949707/vandenberg-afb-wildland-fire-update

 

Updated: Wildfire at Vandenberg Air Force Base continues to rage

 

Flames burn behind the Atlas 5 rocket pad Monday. Credit: Santa Barbara County Fire Dept.

 

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Firefighters on the ground and in the air have been battling for days to gain control of the fire, which was 18 percent contained Tuesday morning and had consumed 10,542 acres, up from 6 percent contained and 6,000 acres late Monday.

 

An unknown cause sparked the fire around 5:20 p.m. Saturday in a remote canyon on South Base. It led officials to cancel Sunday morning’s Atlas 5 launch to deliver the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellite into space for DigitalGlobe so that fire crews could remain in place.

 

South Base is home to several active launch pads — Space Launch Complex 3-East where the Atlas 5 currently stands, Space Launch Complex 4 where 10 Iridium mobile communications satellites are being prepped for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch and Space Launch Complex 6 where United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rockets are flown.

 

There’s also SLC-8 at the foot of SLC-6 that has been used for Orbital ATK’s small Minotaur boosters.

 

ULA technicians secured the Atlas 5 and WorldView 4 following Sunday’s launch postponement, which came at the request of the Air Force leadership. The gantry doors were sealed to cocoon the rocket within its protective mobile service tower.

 

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The Iridium satellites were shipped to Vandenberg from their Arizona factory to be readied for launch, but that flight is on hold due to the Falcon 9 rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral earlier this month.

 

The fire has been classed a “high priority” fight by Vandenberg, U.S. Forestry Service, CalFire and Santa Barbara County firefighters due to the assets on South Base.

 

But the fire moved towards the southern base boundary and the Sudden Ranch area on Monday morning. By the afternoon, officials said it was expanding in all directions.

 

Difficult terrain made direct fights against the flames a challenge.

 

Infrared mapping flight conducted early Monday shows the state of the fire then.

 

Infrared mapping flight conducted late Monday shows the growth of the fire. SLC-3, -4, -6 and -8 can be seen from top to bottom.

 

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The fire has severed power to several facilities on South Base, requiring generator power to kick in.

 

Two injuries were reported in the efforts on Sunday evening. They were transported to a local hospital in Lompoc for treatment, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Dept.

 

Hundreds of personnel are fighting the fire on the ground with air support from tanker aircraft and helicopters. Reinforcements are expected on Tuesday.

 

Extremely dry vegetation and warm temperatures are fueling the fire. It began in an area that had not burned in nearly 40 years, making the drought-stricken area ripe for the blaze.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/09/20/uncontrolled-wildfire-at-vandenberg-air-force-base-continues-to-rage/

 

 

They are holding it, but it's real close to 2 pads.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

just in...

 

Containment of Vandenberg wildfire begins as hundreds of firefighters battle

 

A CalFire S-2T makes a Phos-Chek drop on the Vandenberg fire. Credit: Santa Barbara County Fire Dept.

 

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United Launch Alliance technicians were allowed to return to the Atlas 5 pad Tuesday as firefighters continued to wage air and ground campaigns against the wildfire burning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

 

“Been granted access to our pad for at least the next several hours,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

 

Workers were forced to evacuate the pad as the fire spread and intensified on Vandenberg’s South Base, home to the Atlas 5 and other pads used by Falcon 9 and Delta 4 rockets.

 

As of mid-day Tuesday, the fire had consumed over 10,000 acres and was only 20 percent contained. It had doubled in size in a 24-hour period.

Flames advancing westward to the ocean were noted around the eastern and northern perimeters of Space Launch Complex 6, once the Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory and space shuttle pad and now used by ULA’s Delta 4 program. No rockets are there at the present time.

 

At Space Launch Complex 4, the former dual-pad Titan site now occupied by the SpaceX Falcon 9, the fire was nearing but had not reached the immediate area.

 

“SpaceX has taken the necessary precautions to protect SLC-4 and its assets,” a company spokesman said in a statement.

 

Ten Iridium mobile communications satellites are housed in the pad’s hangar that SpaceX constructed at the complex. The craft are awaiting a single launch together aboard a Falcon 9.

 

The northern-most pad on South Base is SLC-3, where the Atlas 5 rocket and its WorldView 4 commercial Earth-imagery satellite are standing inside the protective gantry. They were about seven hours away from liftoff on Sunday when Air Force officials requested the launch be scrubbed to allow firefighters to remain in place south of the pad to combat the blaze that began Saturday night.

 

Some 633 firefighters from Vandenberg Air Force Base, U.S. Forestry, CalFire and Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. are working the fire, officials said.

Tuesday’s objective was to continue building direct and indirect containment lines. Direct lines are made along the active fire perimeter when fire intensity is low. Indirect lines are constructed ahead of the active fire perimeter.

 

Crews were using hand tools and bulldozers to construct the containment lines.

 

Meanwhile, a team of Resource Advisors are supporting by locating and identify natural and Chumash cultural areas threatened by the fire.

 

And train travel along the coastal railway that runs through the base has been stopped because of the fire. Union Pacific is inspecting the line for any damage or problems.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/09/21/containment-of-vandenberg-wildfire-begins-as-hundreds-of-firefighters-battle-flames/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

Wow...that is a mess

[Draggendrop Veteran]

VANDENBERG AFB WILDLAND FIRE - UPDATE

 

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --

As of 7:00 a.m., the Canyon Fire has burned 12,353 acres. The fire is now 50 percent contained and 1,056 firefighters from Vandenberg AFB, U.S. Forestry, Cal Fire, and Santa Barbara County Fire are combating the blaze.

 

Crews saw very little growth in the fire overnight, due in part to the heavy marine layer and calm winds. This allowed ground teams to further bolster containment lines along base boundaries and around key launch support facilities. Firefighting aircraft are expected to return to the area this morning to battle the blaze ahead of anticipated increases in wind speed, which could gust as high as 30mph later in the week.

 

More information to follow as the situation develops.

 

For updates please check the Vandenberg AFB website at www.vandenberg.af.mil.

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/951253/vandenberg-afb-wildland-fire-update

 

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Sept. 25/26  PSLV • ScatSat 1
Launch time: 0342 GMT on 26th (11:42 p.m. EDT on 25th)
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), flying in the core alone (CA) configuration on the PSLV-C35 mission, will launch India’s India’s ScatSat 1 spacecraft designed to aid tropical cyclone forecasting. A collection of smaller secondary payloads from India, the United States and Algeria will also be aboard the launch. Delayed from July, early August and late August. [Sept. 21]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

India's PSLV-C35 With SCATSAT-1 Set for Launch Monday, September 26

 

SCATSAT-1 spacecraft integrated with PSLV-C35 with two halves of the heat shield seen. Credit: ISRO.

 

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India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its thirty-seventh flight (PSLV-C35), will launch the 377 kg SCATSAT-1 for ocean and weather related studies and seven co-passenger satellites into polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Co-passenger satellites are from Algeria, Canada and USA as well as two satellites from Indian Universities/ Academic Institute.

 

SCATSAT-1 will be placed into a 720 km Polar SSO whereas; the two Universities/ Academic Institute Satellites and the five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit. This is the first mission of PSLV in which it will be launching its payloads into two different orbits.

 

PSLV-C35 will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. It will be the fifteenth flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors).

 

The PSLV-C35 is scheduled to be launched on Monday morning at 9:12 hrs (IST) on September 26, 2016 from SDSC SHAR , Sriharikota.

http://spaceref.com/asia/india/indias-pslv-c35-with-scatsat-1-set-for-launch-monday-september-26.html

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

VANDENBERG AFB BEGINS RECOVERY EFFORTS

 

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
Vandenberg AFB begins cleanup and recovery efforts in order to return the base to normal operations after the Canyon Fire that began on Sept. 17.
 
Currently the Canyon Fire is at 100 percent containment. It has consumed more than 12,500 acres. At its peak the fire had 1,052 fire fighters from more than 50 agencies and multiple aircraft in a battle to save life, property, and national defense facilities.
 
 According to Lt. Col. Ryan Novotny, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, crews have restored electricity to the more than 150 facilities that lost power due to a swift moving fire through the base cantonment area on Sept. 22. At this time, the fire is controlled and fire teams are accomplishing mop-up actions. Civil engineers have returned natural gas supplies to housing and dormitories that had supplies turned off on Sept. 22 in effort to minimize the fire danger.
 
Vandenberg airmen will be sweeping, and in some areas scrubbing, air delivered fire retardant from buildings, pathways and sidewalks. Although the retardant is safe,  it may cause minor skin irritation if contacted.
 
The 30th SW Commander has rescinded 6-Ring Standby and normal work schedules will resume Monday, Sept. 26, at 6 a.m. Additionally on Monday, South Vandenberg will reopen to normal access. Honda Ridge Road on South Base will remain closed until further notice.
Outdoor recreational activities are still restricted on South Vandenberg.
 
Long-term recovery efforts are in the planning stages and Vandenberg officials are confident that the installation will soon be postured to resume launch operations.

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/954918/vandenberg-afb-begins-recovery-efforts

 

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Fires Will Keep Atlas V Rocket, WorldView-4 Craft At Vandenberg AFB Longer

 

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An Atlas V rocket and its WorldView-4 satellite will hang around a bit longer due to the wildland fires burning at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

 

The launch tentatively planned for Monday won’t depart until early October, United Launch Alliance officials said. 

 

ULA representatives are working with the Western Range staff at Vandenberg and DigitalGlobe to identify a new launch date. 

 

“The launch vehicle and spacecraft are secure and the team is continuing to monitor the fire and mitigate risk to the vehicle and spacecraft,” ULA officials said.

 

Liftoff on Sept. 16 was first foiled by a faulty valve that caused “ice balls” to form on umbilical equipment at Space Launch Complex-3. 

 

Technicians replaced the valve and the team aimed for a Sept. 18 blastoff. 

 

However, a fire sparked at 5:20 p.m. Saturday on South Base and led to another scrub.

 

The blaze, dubbed the Canyon Fire, has charred more than 12,000 acres but was 90-percent contained as Thursday. Another fire started Thursday on North Base, prompting some evacuations. 

 

All ULA employees are safe and accounted for, officials said, adding that ULA facilities have not been damaged by the fire.

 

The rocket's primary passenger, a commercial Earth-imaging satellite, will continue adding to the firm’s library used by government, private and international customers once it reaches orbit.

 

Since the fire started, DigitalGlobe has been using sibling satellites, including WorldView-3 which launched from the site two years ago, to capture images of South Base.

 

Those images have been provided to response teams on the ground, and reveal the fire came 2.5 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, from the launch pad, officials said.

 

The WorldView-3 satellite boasts a short-wave infrared sensor which is able to pierce through smoke and see where fires are burning on the ground. 

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/fires_keep_atlas_v_rocket_worldview_4_craft_at_vandenberg_afb_longer

 

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Launch Schedule

 

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Sept. 25/26  PSLV • ScatSat 1
Launch time: 0342 GMT on 26th (11:42 p.m. EDT on 25th)
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), flying on the PSLV-C35 mission, will launch India’s ScatSat 1 spacecraft designed to aid tropical cyclone forecasting. A collection of smaller secondary payloads from India, the United States and Algeria will also be aboard the launch. Delayed from July, early August and late August. [Sept. 21]

TBD   Atlas 5 • WorldView 4
Launch window: 1830-1845 GMT (2:30-2:45 p.m. EDT; 11:30-11:45 a.m. PDT)
Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Sept. 21]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

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India’s PSLV Rocket counts down to first Multi-Orbit Mission with eight Satellites

 

Photo: ISRO

 

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India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is set for its first multi-orbit mission on Monday, lifting a group of eight satellites into two different orbits for operators from India, the U.S., Canada and Algeria.

 

Liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Center is targeted for 3:42 UTC on Monday to mark PSLV’s fifth launch of 2016.

 

Monday’s launch will set a new record for PSLV that, to date, has not flown more than four times in a calendar year. The Indian Space Research Organization has continuously stepped up its game in recent years, establishing a steady launch pace using the PSLV and demonstrating the reliability of the larger GSLV rockets.

 

If occurring on schedule, PSLV-C35 will also mark the first time in ISRO’s history that two orbital launches were conducted in the same calendar month, coming on the heels of the successful GSLV F05 mission that lifted the INSAT-3DR weather satellite into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/indias-pslv-rocket-counts-down-to-first-multi-orbit-mission-with-eight-satellites/

 

SCATSat-1 atop PS4 Stage – Photo: ISRO

 

Photo: ISRO

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

For tonight's entertainment...

 

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Sept. 25/26  PSLV • ScatSat 1
Launch time: 0342 GMT on 26th (11:42 p.m. EDT on 25th)
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), flying on the PSLV-C35 mission, will launch India’s ScatSat 1 spacecraft designed to aid tropical cyclone forecasting. A collection of smaller secondary payloads from India, the United States and Algeria will also be aboard the launch. Delayed from July, early August and late August. [Sept. 21]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

The Launch of PSLV – C35/SCATSAT – 1 Mission - LIVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlhLews6CAI

 

PSLV- C35 Launch from Sriharikota

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_MsylwiwWM

 

// youtube video's not embedding due to site https issues tonight...click on the link for access...thanks

 

Launch analysis....

India’s PSLV Rocket counts down to first Multi-Orbit Mission

http://spaceflight101.com/indias-pslv-rocket-counts-down-to-first-multi-orbit-mission-with-eight-satellites/

 

PSLV-C35 / SCATSAT-1 Gallery

http://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c35-scatsat-1/pslv-c35-scatsat-1-gallery

 

 

[Blue-Vision]

The 'Like' button isn't working for me anymore now. Hasn't been since Saturday.  

I see it's working elsewhere. Hrmph.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

1 minute ago, Unobscured Vision said:

The 'Like' button isn't working for me anymore now. Hasn't been since Saturday.  

I liked it for ya.

 

Odd.  I saw the other thread regarding issues with "like"... but haven't had any problems liking something (using any of these... Win7/10 using Chrome 64 / Android using Chrome).  /shrug

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Just now, Unobscured Vision said:

The 'Like' button isn't working for me anymore now. Hasn't been since Saturday.  

It is the https upgrade .....lots of issues...being addressed.

 

Livestream started...embed not working as well...try this link...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlhLews6CAI

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

Half hour to "fun time".

 

My "like button" may be system dependent... 

 

 

[Blue-Vision]

Hehe cool. I'll 'Like' this post no matter what.  

[Blue-Vision]

Launch Authorized.  ScatSat is go.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

lift off...that puppy can jump...

[Blue-Vision]

Yes it can ... practically jumped off the launch pad.  

[Blue-Vision]

Following the plot almost right on-target ... they're getting really good at this in India.  

[Draggendrop Veteran]

2 minutes ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Following the plot almost right on-target ... they're getting really good at this in India.  

I am real impressed with ISRO. They keep pushing and introducing new science as they go. The last mini shuttle launch was top notch and the scram jet will be going in next after the last successful test.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

From...

India’s PSLV Rocket counts down to first Multi-Orbit Mission

http://spaceflight101.com/indias-pslv-rocket-counts-down-to-first-multi-orbit-mission-with-eight-satellites/

 

http://spaceflight101.com/pslv-c35/wp-content/uploads/sites/112/2016/01/PSLVC35-Profile-474x512.jpg

 

jpg's won't embed as well......"curses".....

 

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The fourth stage will ignite for the first time 12 and a half minutes after liftoff, following a lengthy coast after third stage burnout that enables the stack to climb to an altitude of 680 Kilometers. The PS4 burn will be four and a half minutes in duration, aiming for a circular orbit at 730 Kilometers, inclined 98.1 degrees for the release of SCATSat 17.5 minutes after launch.

 

With the upper passenger on its way, the PS4 stage begins a coast phase of 65 minutes, circling the Earth for the second burn to occur over the North Pole, aiming to lower the perigee to 689 Kilometers. After completion of the 20-second burn, the vehicle will coast for half an orbit to descend to 689 Kilometers ahead of another 20-second retrograde burn to circularize the orbit at the lower altitude.

 

If everything goes according to plan, PS4 will arrive in the 689km orbit two hours and 12 minutes after lifting off, quickly jettisoning its Dual Launch Adapter to reveal the seven secondary payloads – set for a rapid release sequence taking just 130 seconds.

 

First to leave the upper stage are the two 3U CubeSats on this flight – AlSat-1N operated by Algeria and the UK to test out a number of new technologies for SmallSat missions, and the Canadian CanX-7 which will deploy an innovative drag sail to demonstrate a passive deorbiting system.

Next up for separation are two Indian educational satellites – Pratham which carries a Total Electron Count instrument and PiSAT, outfitted with a miniaturized Earth-imaging camera.

 

Two more Algerian satellites are traveling to orbit atop PSLV – AlSat-1B representing a cooperation between the Algerian Space Agency and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. to develop a medium-resolution Earth-imaging satellite, and AlSat-2B that was built with Airbus Defence and Space and carries a variation of the NAOMI high-resolution imager.

 

The final passenger to depart the upper stage will be the first satellite in the BlackSky constellation that aims to deploy up to 60 satellites in the coming years to establish a commercial Earth-imaging architecture with unparalleled revisit rates.

http://spaceflight101.com/indias-pslv-rocket-counts-down-to-first-multi-orbit-mission-with-eight-satellites/

 

It will be about 2.5 hours till all payloads inserted...

 

Will post the video and sat health tomorrow....

 

Same bat time...same bat channel.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Launch Schedule

 

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TBD   Atlas 5 • WorldView 4
Launch window: 1830-1845 GMT (2:30-2:45 p.m. EDT; 11:30-11:45 a.m. PDT)
Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Sept. 21]

Oct. 4     Ariane 5 • Sky Muster 2 & GSAT 18
Launch window: 2030-2145 GMT (4:30-5:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA231, to launch the Sky Muster 2 (NBN Co 1B) and GSAT 18 communications satellites. The Sky Muster 2 satellite will provide high-speed Internet services for Australia’s National Broadband Network. GSAT 18 is a multipurpose communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. Sky Muster 2 replaced Japan’s Superbird 8 satellite on the mission after it was damaged during transport to the launch site. Delayed from July 12 and July 26. [Aug. 29]

NET Oct. 9/10   Antares • OA-5
Launch time: 0247 GMT on 10th (10:47 p.m. EDT on 9th)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch of the seventh Cygnus cargo freighter on the sixth operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as OA-5. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from May 31, June 24, July 6, Aug. 22 and September. [Sept. 21]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

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India declares success on PSLV’s most complex mission

 

The PSLV lifted off at 0342 GMT Monday (11:42 p.m. EDT Sunday). Credit: ISRO

 

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Eight satellites blasted off Monday on top of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, including an instrument to track tropical cyclones, a pathfinder for a U.S.-owned commercial Earth observation fleet, and multiple spacecraft for Algeria.

 

The 14-story launcher lifted off at 0342 GMT Monday (11:42 p.m. EDT Sunday) from the First Launch Pad the Satish Dhawan Space Center, India’s spaceport on the country’s eastern coastline.

 

The PSLV’s 37th flight carried up an Indian satellite to measure ocean winds and supply data for forecasters around the world to estimate the intensity and location of tropical cyclones, plus seven other payloads for U.S., Algerian, Canadian and Indian organizations.

 

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Canada’s CanX-7 mission, also based on a CubeSat design and partially funded by the Canadian military’s research and development office,

 

separated from the PSLV to begin a mission validating a de-orbit drag sail. Such a device could be used to remove future small satellites from orbit and avoid adding space junk to the increasingly crowded environment within a few hundred miles of Earth.

more at the link...

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/09/26/india-declares-success-on-pslvs-most-complex-mission/

 

PSLV- C35 Launch from Sriharikota

video is 54:14 min.   launch at 34:45 min

 

 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

CanX-7 Aircraft Tracking and Deorbiting Demo Satellite Launched, Contacted, and Healthy

 

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Press Release From: Space Flight Laboratory 

Posted: Monday, September 26, 2016

 

CanX-7, a 3.5kg, 10x10x34cm nanosatellite, was successfully launched on PSLV-C35 from India this morning. The satellite was contacted and found healthy during its first pass over Toronto several hours later. CanX-7 carries an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver to detect and track aircraft from low Earth orbit. The ADS-B receiver was built by the Royal Military College of Canada, and adapted for integration with CanX-7 by SFL. SFL has built and launched several ship tracking missions for various customers around the world, and the success of CanX-7 will enable SFL to expand its offerings to aircraft tracking applications.

 

The satellite also houses four square meters of deployable drag sail in four modules that will demonstrate accelerated deorbiting. The sails accelerate the orbital decay rate of the satellite by using atmospheric drag. The ballistic coefficient of the satellite is reduced by increasing drag area which results in earlier re-entry. 

 

 

 

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“This is a milestone for Canada, in launching deployable drag sail technology developed at home,” says Robert Zee, Director, SFL, “Obtaining space heritage for these drag sails will open the door to including them on future nanosatellite and microsatellite missions to comply with IADC debris mitigation guidelines. Without such technology, higher altitude satellites may not return to Earth for hundreds of years.”The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), comprised of members from international space agencies, published guidelines in 2007 on what measures were needed to mitigate a growing orbital debris problem.

 

Canada, among other space-faring nations, has effectively been enforcing the IADC’s recommended 25-year end-of-life deorbiting requirement for satellites in low Earth orbit. “The availability of SFL’s drag sail technology for future missions will ensure that those missions will proceed unfettered by regulatory requirements, and will act responsibly in the global effort to declutter Earth orbit,” says Zee.

 

Commissioning of CanX-7 will continue into October. Following this, the ADS-B aircraft tracking receiver will be tested over a six-month period. Upon completion of the ADS-B demonstration, CanX-7’s four drag sails will be deployed one at a time, while being monitored by on-board cameras. The deorbiting progress will then be observed over the course of several years.

http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=49559

 

[Blue-Vision]

Hope it works out the way they envision it. I'm somewhat iffy about drag sails, though. Air's pretty thin up there .... 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

26 minutes ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Hope it works out the way they envision it. I'm somewhat iffy about drag sails, though. Air's pretty thin up there .... 

Works the same as the drag tapes, just to slow it down and force an early re-entry. I imagine we shall soon find out if it is effective. If not...move on to design 87c or where ever we are at...

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Launch Schedule

 

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Oct. 4   Ariane 5 • Sky Muster 2 & GSAT 18
Launch window: 2030-2145 GMT (4:30-5:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA231, to launch the Sky Muster 2 (NBN Co 1B) and GSAT 18 communications satellites. The Sky Muster 2 satellite will provide high-speed Internet services for Australia’s National Broadband Network. GSAT 18 is a multipurpose communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. Sky Muster 2 replaced Japan’s Superbird 8 satellite on the mission after it was damaged during transport to the launch site. Delayed from July 12 and July 26. [Aug. 29]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

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Approval is given for Arianespace’s Ariane 5 launch with Sky Muster™ II and GSAT-18

 

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Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 flight has been authorized for liftoff on October 4 following today’s launch readiness review, which was conducted at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

 

This milestone confirmed that the heavy-lift launcher and its dual-satellite payload are flight-ready, along with the Spaceport’s infrastructure and the network of downrange tracking stations.

 

With approval granted, Ariane 5 is cleared for its October 3 rollout from the Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone. Liftoff will occur the following day during a 1-hour, 15-minute launch window that opens at 5:30 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

 

Ariane 5 will deliver a lift performance of more than 10,600 kg. on the mission to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), which is designated Flight VA231. This total includes some 9,800 kg. for its Sky Muster™ II and GSAT-18 satellite passengers, and also factors in the workhorse vehicle’s dual-payload deployment system and integration hardware.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/va231-launch-readiness-review/

 

The final payload integration process for Arianespace Flight VA231 is highlighted in this photo series. At left, GSAT-18 is installed atop Ariane 5’s core stage inside the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building. At center and right, Ariane 5’s payload fairing containing the Sky Muster™ II satellite is moved into position and then lowered over GSAT-18.

 

 

Launch Kit

VA 231 Launch Kit pdf, 10 page

 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Next up...tomorrow

 

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Oct. 4   Ariane 5 • Sky Muster 2 & GSAT 18
Launch window: 2030-2145 GMT (4:30-5:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA231, to launch the Sky Muster 2 (NBN Co 1B) and GSAT 18 communications satellites. The Sky Muster 2 satellite will provide high-speed Internet services for Australia’s National Broadband Network. GSAT 18 is a multipurpose communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. Sky Muster 2 replaced Japan’s Superbird 8 satellite on the mission after it was damaged during transport to the launch site. Delayed from July 12 and July 26. [Aug. 29]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

Ariane 5 reaches the launch zone for Arianespace’s October 4 liftoff

 

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 with its Sky Muster™ II and GSAT-18 payloads approaches the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone during today’s rollout.

 

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Riding atop a mobile launch table, Ariane 5 today completed its transfer from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building – where payload integration occurred – to the dedicated ELA-3 launch complex. With this rollout completed, the final countdown will begin for an October 4 liftoff at the start of a 1-hr., 15-min. launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

 

Tomorrow’s mission is designated Flight VA231, and it has an estimated payload performance of 10,660 kg. – a total that factors in Sky Muster™ II and GSAT-18, plus the dual-satellite dispenser system and integration hardware. Both passengers are to be deployed to geostationary transfer orbit during a 32-min. flight sequence.

more at the link...

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/va231-arianespace-launch-vehicle-rollout/

 

indepth analysis...

http://spaceflight101.com/ariane-5-va-231-rollout-2/

 

Livestream will be on...

http://www.arianespace.com/

 

and a link should be up tomorrow at...

http://spaceflightnow.com/