Launch News Intelsat 18, Zenit-3SLB, October 5/6, 2011

[Cosmic Penguin]

After a relatively quiet period for the Zenit launch vehicle for the past few years (with 0 launches in 2010), it seems that there is a renaissance of the "rocket to the zenith of the sky" in Baikonur, with 4 launches scheduled for 2011. Of more importance is the restart of Sea Launch's Land Launch operation, after the bankrupt of the original Sea Launch co-operation halted commercial launches from Baikonur for close to two years. Now, it is finally back for launching a new communication satellite for the world-famous Intelsat cooperation.

Launch location:

Baikonur Launch pad no. 45/1 45°56'35.87"N, 63°39'10.83"E

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=5}Launch times

Time Zone
|

Baikonur / UTC+6 ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EDT ​

|

Los Angeles / PDT/ ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

|

03:00:00​

|

21:00:00​

|

17:00:00​

|

14:00:00​

on: ​

|

Oct. 6, 2011​

|

Oct. 5, 2011​

|

Oct. 5, 2011​

|

Oct. 5, 2011​

{colsp=5}

[highlight][eventTimer]2011-10-05 21:00:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Intelsat 18 Launch[/highlight]

{colsp=5}[highlight][eventTimer]2011-10-06 03:34:38?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Intelsat 18 Spacecraft Separation[/highlight]​

[/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

• TsENKI Video Stream: http://www.tsenki.com/en/broadcast/

PAYLOAD

Intelsat 18 communication satellite:

Spacecraft Overview

Intelsat 18 is one of ten STAR GEO communications satellites ordered by Intelsat. The spacecraft will carry a hybrid C- and Ku-band payload and will be located at an orbital slot at 180 degrees East Longitude. The satellite's C-band payload will serve Eastern Asia, the Pacific and the Western United States and its Ku-band payload will serve French Polynesia, Eastern Australia and the United States.

Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the satellite will provide capability to enable enhanced DTH coverage and network services capabilities via Ku-band and C-band platforms. Once operational in November, it will replace Intelsat 701 at 180oE and is expected to have a useful life of nearly 17 years.

“Intelsat 18 will provide the infrastructure for customers to deliver media content directly to homes throughout the Pacific Ocean region, as well as broadband services directly to government and commercial users,” said Intelsat CEO David McGlade. “Intelsat’s strategy aligns our fleet investments to support our customer’s growth needs. The Intelsat 18 payload includes a Ku-band beam designed to the requirements of Office des Postes et Communications (OPT) of French Polynesia. The customer will use this beam to provide new broadband, expanded domestic DTH service and improve its infrastrastructure across French Polynesia, with the ability to serve the South Pacific.”

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter|Value

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|180° East

Coverage:​

|Pacific Region (Pacific Islands, North America West Coast, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand)

ApA at separation:​

|35786.0 km

PeA at separation:​

|5517.6 km

Inc at separation:​

|19.50°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Intelsat 18​

Customer:​

|

• Intelsat Ltd.
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Orbital Science Corporation
  

Platform:​

|

• Star-2 Bus 2.4

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 3200 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized, with a zero momentum system

Dimensions:​

|

• ?

Power at end-of-life:​

|

• 6.8 kW

C-band Payload:​

|

• Repeater: 24 active transponders with two groups of 16-for-12 redundant TWTA's
• Antenna: 2.5 m x 2.7 m single shell super-elliptical deployable reflector; 1.45 m deck-mounted antenna

Ku-Band Payload:​

|

• Repeater: 12 active transponders with two groups of 8-for-6 TWTA's
• Antenna: 2.7x2.5 m single shell deployable reflector

Propulsion:​

|

• Propulsion: Liquid bi-propellant transfer orbit system; Monopropellant (hydrazine) on-orbit system

Power System:​

|

• Solar Arrays: Four panels per array, UTJ Gallium Arsenide cells
• Batteries: Two >4840 W-Hr capacity Li-Ion batteries

Coverage area:​

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

Life time:​

|

• 15+ years

|

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Characteristics

|[table="head"]{colsp=2}

Zenit-3SLB / Blok DM-SLB​

Prime contractor:​

|

• Yuzhmash (A.M. Makarov Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant) - Ukraine
  

GRAU Index:​

|

• 11K77

Height:​

| 58.7 m with upper stage and payload fairing

Diameter:​

| max 4.1 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 473 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| ~3.75 tonnes at GTO

1st stage:​

|

• 1 X RD-171 engine
• Empty 33.9 tonnes
• Propellants 318.8 tonnes (RG-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust in vacuum 7 908 kN
• Thrust at sea level 7 259 kN

2nd stage:​

|

• 1 X RD-120 engine + 1 X RD-8 vernier engine
• Empty 9.3 tonnes
• Propellants 80.6 tonnes (RG-1 Kerosene and LOX)
• Thrust in vacuum 834 + 78 kN

Upper Stage:​

|

• GRAU Index: - 11S861
• Common Name: Block DM-SLB
• Designer: Designer: RKK Energia
• Manufacturer: "Krasmash" Krasnoyarsk Machine Building Plant
• Dimensions: Length 5.5 m, Diameter 4.1 m
• Empty Mass: 2.2 tonnes
• Propellants load: 15.095 tonnes (RP-1/LOX)

• Main Engine: 1 X RD-58M
• Thrust in vacuum 8.67 tonnes of force
• ISP 352 s

Payload Fairing:​

|

• Diameter 4.1 m
• Length 10.4 m

[/table]
[/table]


The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2011.html#rate:

For Zenit-3SLB,

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Zenit 3SLB/DMSLB  3     4    .75  .67      3(B) 4/28/08  2008-

(B) Amos-3 inserted in orbit with 1,500 km short perigee and 
  0.7 deg unplanned inclination.  Amos 3 reportedly lost two 
  to three years of 18 year design life.

Intelsat 18 Ascent Profile

[TABLE="head"]Orbit #|Orbit Nature|Perigee h, km|Apogee H, km|Inclination
1|2nd stage separation|-2414.1|410.6|51.38°
2|Parking|175.2|670.3|51.38°
3|GEO-transfer|192.6|35981.8|49.01°
4|Target GTO|5517.6|35786.0|19.50°
[/TABLE]

Intelsat 18 Ascent Timeline

[TABLE="head"]Event|Time UTC|Comment
Lift-off|21:00:00 (Oct. 5)|
1st Stage Separation|21:02:29|
Payload Fairing Separation|21:05:13|
2nd/upper Stage Separation|21:08:31|
1st Burn Ignition|21:08:40|
1st Burn Shutdown|21:12:38|1st Burn's Duration 00:03:58
2nd Burn Ignition|22:20:03|
2nd Burn Shutdown|22:25:21|2nd Burn's Duration 00:05:18
3rd Burn Ignition|03:22:25 (Oct. 6)|
3rd Burn Shutdown|03:23:48|2nd Burn's Duration 00:01:23
Spacecraft Separation|03:34:38|
[/TABLE]

Photos and videos of the preparations for the launch will come soon.

References
http://www.sea-launch.com
http://www.yuzhmash.com
http://www.yuzhnoye.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://www.intelsat.com/network/satellite/
http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/Intelsat18/

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Pictures and Videos

 

[orb]

RIA Novosti: Launch of Russian Zenit rocket with U.S. satellite postponed:

The launch of the U.S. Intelsat 18 telecommunications satellite atop a Russian Zenit-2SB carrier rocket has been postponed, the Russian Space Agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

The launch of the spacecraft from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan was scheduled for 1:00 on Wednesday Moscow time (21:00 GMT on Tuesday), but Intelsat asked that it be moved to October 6 at 1:00 Moscow time.

{...}

Here's calendar event for this launch.

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: Zenit 2SLB set to launch Intelsat-18

Spaceflight Now:

• Mission Status Center
• Land Launch rocket rolls out (PHOTO GALLERY #1)
• Land Launch rocket rolls out (PHOTO GALLERY #2)

 

[N_Molson]

On the way !

From SpaceFlight Now :

2114 GMT (5:14 p.m. EDT)

The initial phases of today's ascent have been performed successfully, mission officials report. The lower two stages of the Zenit 3SLB rocket completed their burns during through eight-and-a-half minutes of flight and the Block DM-SLB upper stage motor conducted its first firing to reach a temporary parking orbit around Earth.

The rocket will be coasting for about an hour before the upper stage reignites its main engine to raise the orbit's high point to geosynchronous altitude.

A third and final burn by the Block DM-SLB comes late tonight at 0322 GMT (11:22 p.m. EDT) to achieve the desired launch orbit for Intelsat 18.

2111 GMT (5:11 p.m. EDT)

Ignition of the Block DM-SLB upper stage has occurred, beginning a four-minute burn to inject the rocket and attached Intelsat 18 satellite into the preliminary parking orbit. All continues to go well in the mission.

2109 GMT (5:09 p.m. EDT)

The second stage of the Zenit rocket has separated, leaving the Block DM-SLB upper stage to perform its three firings over the course of the next six hours to loft Intelsat 18 into the proper orbit.

2107 GMT (5:07 p.m. EDT)

All systems are reported "nominal" in the Zenit rocket's ascent so far. The first stage finished its firing and separated to allow the second stage to ignite. Jettison of the nose cone shrouding the Intelsat 18 spacecraft is confirmed as well.

2100 GMT (5:00 p.m. EDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the Land Launch Zenit 3SLB rocket, beginning a six-and-a-half-hour trek to geosynchronous transfer orbit for deployment of the Intelsat 18 communications satellite.

As this flight gets underway, you are watching a live streaming video feed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

We will pass along updates about the flight's progress as it becomes available throughout the evening. Release of the satellite from the rocket to finish the launch sequence is expected at 0334 GMT (11:34 p.m. EDT).

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Looks like yet another successful launch! :thumbup:

Some pictures of the launch:

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://www.intelsat.com/press/news-releases/2011/20111005-1.asp

Intelsat 18 Launch Successful; to Offer Capacity to Pacific Ocean Region

Luxembourg, 5 October 2011

Intelsat S.A., the world’s leading provider of satellite services, announced today that a Sea Launch AG-provided Land Launch Zenit-3SLB vehicle successfully launched the Intelsat 18 satellite from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. Liftoff occurred at 5 p.m. EDT (21:00 GMT), followed by signal acquisition at 11:34 p.m. EDT (03:34 GMT).

Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the satellite will provide capacity to enable enhanced DTH coverage and network services capabilities via Ku-band and C-band platforms. Once operational in November, it will replace Intelsat 701 at 180ºE and is expected to have a useful life of nearly 17 years.

“Intelsat 18 will provide the infrastructure for customers to deliver media content directly to homes throughout the Pacific Ocean region, as well as broadband services to government and commercial users,” said Intelsat CEO David McGlade. “Intelsat’s strategy aligns our fleet investments to support our customers’ growth needs. The Intelsat 18 payload includes a Ku-band beam designed to meet the requirements of Office des Postes et Telecommunications (OPT) of French Polynesia. The customer will use this beam to provide new broadband, expand its domestic DTH service and improve its infrastructure across French Polynesia, with the ability to serve the South Pacific.”

OPT currently provides services to the Pacific Ocean region on Intelsat 701.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Launch video:

How much more powerful is the light from the engine's exhaust than that from the floodlights!

 

[T.Neo]

I wonder; the boosters of Energia were designed to be reusable up to ten times. The Zenit first stage is derived from those boosters.

With the addition of some extra equipment, could the first stage still be reused? :hmm:

 

[SiberianTiger]

I wonder; the boosters of Energia were designed to be reusable up to ten times. The Zenit first stage is derived from those boosters.

With the addition of some extra equipment, could the first stage still be reused? :hmm:

Instead of hoping it would land level and firm at a random spot in the steppe, it's better to fix wings and jet engine on such stage and let it fly and land at an airfield. Like in Khrunichev's MRKS-1 development of Angara:

 

[T.Neo]

it's better to fix wings and jet engine on such stage and let it fly and land at an airfield.

Better to add another 20 tons of mass to it? :lol:

 

[SiberianTiger]

There's no way to achieve reusability other than sacrificing performance.

 

[T.Neo]

There's no way to achieve reusability other than sacrificing performance.

That is obvious. What is not obvious is which scheme for reusability is actually practical, and flyback stages in particular have several things working against them.

The problem is not necessarily how much mass, but more what makes up that mass... you would have 20 tons not just of junk bolted to the side, but all sorts of complex gizmos and gadgets and swing-wings and jet engines and guidance systems.

It would all result in a high development and unit cost, and potentially a high operational cost as well- potentially all prohibitative costs...

Maybe flyback boosters are indeed the solution, but the whole conundrum is a good deal more complex than "it's just better"... :hmm:

 

[SiberianTiger]

The problem is not necessarily how much mass, but more what makes up that mass... you would have 20 tons not just of junk bolted to the side, but all sorts of complex gizmos and gadgets and swing-wings and jet engines and guidance systems.

It would all result in a high development and unit cost, and potentially a high operational cost as well- potentially all prohibitative costs...

Maybe flyback boosters are indeed the solution, but the whole conundrum is a good deal more complex than "it's just better"... :hmm:

There are two pros, however:

1. When you launch over a land and not a sea, the boosters don't have to be "fly-back" capable, but just be able to glide to the next airfield downrange. Thus, a small amount of kerosene is only required for the final approach and landing.
2. Nearly all the gizmos, gadgets, swing-wings, jet engines and gudance systems already have their prototypes as components of large cruise missiles. The only tricky part is automatic landing system, but I don't think it's impossible after Buran.

 

[T.Neo]

After Buran... and the X-37b (ok, so the direct usefulness of either depends on who is building what, but they both do prove the concept).

When you launch over a land and not a sea, the boosters don't have to be "fly-back" capable, but just be able to glide to the next airfield downrange. Thus, a small amount of kerosene is only required for the final approach and landing.

That is true, but the recovery system costs are still there. And you would still need to ship the stage back to the launch site (though this cost might not be that high).

Nearly all the gizmos, gadgets, swing-wings, jet engines and gudance systems already have their prototypes as components of large cruise missiles.

Last time I checked, cruise missiles were not reusable. :lol:

The issue isn't techical feasibility, but economic viability.

For example, if the flyback cost truely is too high, it might be cheaper to use parachutes and airbags and just land the stage on the steppe, and then average out the cost of lost boosters over all launch costs... :shifty: