DocM Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Ramping up - launch date advanced from June to May. Other launches on the move too. Thaicom 8: Thailand, Southeast Asia, India and Africa Position: 78.5° East Satellite Bus: Orbital Sciences Transponders: 24 Ku-band Satellite Mass: 3,100 kg Launch site: LC-40 Launch orbit: GTO (geostationary transfer orbit) Launch Date: NET May 26, 2016 Launch T-0: 1740 EDT (2140 GMT) Stage Landing: ASDS Of Course I Still Love You Thaicom 8 +Gary7, Unobscured Vision, Draggendrop and 1 other 4 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Relatively light bird, so should be plenty fuel margin for the triple engine breaking slam! Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 7, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2016 I am assuming this is a dry mass though, if so, and fueled, and depending on (if any) the "extra push" for the customer....she will still be coming in hot and fast. Will assume better fuel margin, but that reentry is brutal on its own. That last landing was a control system "work of art", and as they acquire more data, the only thing they will have no control over, is Murphy's Law. I think they will only improve going forward. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 7, 2016 Author Share Posted May 7, 2016 Thaicom 8 is based in OrbitalATK's GEOStar-2 bus, which is a light to medium class commsat. Dry Mass: 800-1,500 kg Maximum Wet Mass: 3,325 kg Thaicom 8: 3,100 kg Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 7, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 7, 2016 Excellent, so lot's of fuel then......just reentry velocity for concerns.... Thanx Doc....I stand corrected with foot in mouth. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Methinks they're gonna need the larger Rocket Hangar sooner than anticipated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 8, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 8, 2016 I think they are going to need a larger "data storage and analysis center" with library cards for NASA, if this keeps up... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 8, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 8, 2016 Thaicom 8 fact sheet, pdf https://www.orbitalatk.com/space-systems/commercial-satellites/communications-satellites/docs/FS014_13_OA_3862%20Thaicom%208.pdf Rumor has it on reddit and NSF, that this core leaving McGegor, may be for Thaicom 8, not verified as of yet... NSF mention reddit mention Image link There appears to be a bit of questioning, with respect to "range closure" and 26/27th of May projection....? Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macsen Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 If SpaceX sticks this landing, one has to wonder when they'll schedule one of the recovered boosters for a second flight. Certainly, we'll transition to the point where we'll begin to expect these landings to succeed, instead of hope and pray they'll succeed. But can they land from Vandenberg? The next launch from there is the Iridium NEXT flight, currently tentative for July. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 (edited) Yes they can, there is another ASDS in the port of LA as well as a landing pad at Vandy. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 (edited) Completing the landing pad at Vandy was delayed by environmentalists. That being out of the way, they should lay the pad sometime this summer. Until then ASDS Just Follow The Instructions can catch stages. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Vandy is actually off topic here, but did they ever find out at NSF/Reddit why SpaceX erected that big tent on the landing pad there? I haven't seen any Vandy updates anymore since NSF/Helodriver were asked by SpaceX to keep his (extremely detailed) reporting and photography to L2. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 10, 2016 Author Share Posted May 10, 2016 (edited) Best bet is building an F9/FH Full Thrust compatable launch mount. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 16, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 16, 2016 Quote May 26 Falcon 9 • Thaicom 8 Launch time: 2140 GMT (5:40 p.m. EDT) Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Thaicom 8 communications satellite. Thaicom 8 will provide Ku-band broadcast and data services to Thailand, Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Moved forward from June. [May 6] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ I may have the wrong dates, but I thought range closure was from May 16th to May 27th. Can SpaceX do a static fire with the range down, I thought they required support services for the "dry run" of systems? I would assume a bit of movement in the "dates", to get in the static fire, then launch. I'm having "launch withdrawls" Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 17, 2016 Author Share Posted May 17, 2016 Times are changing. The tracking is now GPS Metric instead of C-Band radar, and the launchers have been switching to an autonomous launch termination system. The ranges are also expanding automated ops to allow multiple vehicles in the air, spurred by the fact FH boosters will be returning in groups. Vandenberg is also down, until August, and they've saId that launchers so equipped can fly while they're moving their control centers. Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 17, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 17, 2016 Thaicom 8 satellite launch set for end-May Quote Thai satellite operator Thaicom will launch its Thaicom 8 satellite by the end of this month. The company has also agreed to retroactively pay the fee to the Information and Communications Ministry for reserving orbital slots for Thaicom's satellites, The Nation reports, citing Thai ICT Minister Uttama Savanayana. The fee payment covers Thaicom's existing Thaicom 7 satellite and the upcoming Thaicom 8. Thaicom has already informed the ministry and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) about the launch schedule of the Thaicom 8 satellite, the minister added. The Thaicom 8 satellite will be launched to 78.5 degrees East, and will provide South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa with broadcasting and data services. It will have 24 Ku-band transponders. Under preliminary talks, Thaicom has agreed to pay the fee to the ministry and the amount it will pay would be established within two months, Uttama also said. Because the Thaicom 7 satellite and the upcoming Thaicom 8 do not operate under the ministry's concession, the ministry said Thaicom should pay the fee to the ministry as cost of reserving the orbital slots for them. Currently, only the Thaicom 4 (better known as iPSTAR), Thaicom 5 and Thaicom 6 satellites operate under the ministry's concession, while Thaicom 7 and the planned Thaicom 8 and 9 satellites operate under the NBTC's same single licence. The National Space Affairs Committee is currently developing the national space policy, and regulations for this fee are expected to be soon introduced. Once the committee finalizes the policy development, the NBTC will also add the satellite licence fees that a satellite licence holder will have to pay to the ministry. The concession for the Thaicom satellites will expire in 2021. This year, Thaicom will have to pay 20.5 percent of gross revenue as concession fee. Starting with 2017 and until 2021, the company will pay a higher fee or 22.5 percent of gross revenue as the concession fee. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/thaicom-8-satellite-launch-set-for-end-may--1143488 Big money in satellite operations, just to get it built, launched, approved and operational. $$$$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 Wow. Essentially a 20.5% tax this year, then 22.5% for the next 4 years after on earnings from the bird. Strongarm Governments at their finest. Not like Thaicom can say no. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 19, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 19, 2016 Not verified....but....Chris B at NSF.....Looks like static fire on 22nd May, Launch still NET 26 May link Jim K and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 20, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 20, 2016 Thaicom 8's fairings arrive at the Cape - USLaunchReport Editing is a bit rough...better idea to skip to 1 minute in. SpaceX - Thaicom 8 - Fairings Arrive 05-19-2016 video is 2:05 min. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Static fire: May 22 Launch date: May 26, 2016 Launch time: 1740 Eastern (2140 GMT) ASDS location: 28 6 53 N, 73 38 32 W Jim K 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 21, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 21, 2016 FCC Application https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=71189&RequestTimeout=1000 Google map of ASDS location, overlay of 2 prior missions as well ASDS Location Jim K 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 Elsbeth III and OCISLY have left port. flyingskippy, SteveL and Unobscured Vision 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 22, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 22, 2016 DocM 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 Static fire moved to Monday, the 23rd. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 23, 2016 Veteran Share Posted May 23, 2016 Hope all goes routine on the static fire. Then it's going to be "entertaining" seeing some of the comment's in relation to range closure. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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