Launch News Eutelsat 70B, Zenit-3SL, December 3, 2012

[Cosmic Penguin]

Welcome to the third launch mission in 2012 of Sea Launch! The Odyssey launch platform and the Sea Launch Commander control ship has now reached the final launch position on the equator at 154 degrees west. The 200+ crew are now busy preparing the rocket for launch, doing launch rehearsals and 12 hours back-to-back conferences, as well as having a Thanksgiving dinner and other 5-star banquets and snipping photos of helicopters and dolphins. :rofl:

(more on the day-by-day activities of the crew since leaving Long Beach on Kirk Pysher's blog!)

This launch will lift the newest communication satellite for the European telecom operator Eutelsat, Eutelsat 70B, towards its slot in geosynchronous orbit to provide communication across Europe, Asia and Africa.

Launch location:

Odyssey Launch Platform, located at 0°N, 154°W

Launch dates and times:

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

Time Zone
|

Local / UTC-10 ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Los Angeles / PST ​

|

Moscow / UTC+4/ ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

|

10:43:55​

|

20:43:55​

|

12:43:55​

|

00:43:55​

on: ​

|

Dec. 3, 2012​

|

Dec. 3, 2012​

|

Dec. 3, 2012​

|

Dec. 4, 2012​

{colsp=5}

[highlight][eventTimer]2012-12-03 20:43:55?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Eutelsat 70B Launch[/highlight]

​

[/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

• Sea Launch Video Streams: http://www.sea-launch.com/current_index_webcast.html - coverage will begin at 20:28 UTC / 12:28 PST

PAYLOAD

Eutelsat 70B communication satellite:

Spacecraft Overview

Eutelsat selected EADS Astrium in June 2010 to build the Eutelsat W5A communications satellite. The 5000 kg satellite will feature 48 Ku-band transponders and will be based on the Eurostar-3000 bus.

After launch in late 2010 it will be operating from 70.5 degrees east and will be fitted with four fixed beams covering Europe, Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia including Australia. W5A will replace the smaller W5 satellite (launched on the very first Delta IV rocket from the Cape just over 10 years ago!) currently at the 70.5-degree slot.

In December 2011 Eutelsat announced, that their satellite assets will be renamed under a unified brand name effective from March 2012. This satellite will become Eutelsat 70B.

The EUTELSAT-70B satellite is based on the Astrium Eurostar E-3000 platform with a designed in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15 years. The EUTELSAT-70B spacecraft will carry 48- Ku-band transponders. The satellite will replace the EUTELSAT 70A craft and more than double Eutelsat's resources at its 70.5° East longitude location. Each of the satellite's four high-performance fixed beams will be focused over a distinct zone: Europe, Africa, Central Asia and South-East Asia reaching as far as Australia. Through a high degree of on-board connectivity, clients will be able to use the beams either for regional coverage or to interconnect continents. This will support high-growth services that include secure government communications in Central Asia through hubs located in the region or in Europe, business networks between South-East Asia and Africa, and direct connectivity between Europe and Australia.

EUTELSAT 70B is the 29th Eurostar E3000 delivered, the 7th for Eutelsat, the 3rd to be launched by Sea Launch.

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

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|70.5° East

Coverage:​

|Europe, Africa, Central Asia, South-East Asia, Australia

ApA at separation:​

|35636 km

PeA at separation:​

|1380 km

Inc at separation:​

|0°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Eutelsat 70B​

Customer:​

|

• Eutelsat
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• EADS Astrium
  

Platform:​

|

• Eurostar E3000

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 5250 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions:​

|

• 30 x 7 x 8 m

Power at end-of-life:​

|

• 12 kW

Primary Payload:​

|

• 48 Ku-band transponders

Coverage area:​

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

Life time:​

|

• 15+ years

|

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

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

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

Zenit-3SL / Blok DM-SL​

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:​

| ~6 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-SL
• 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/log2012.html#rate:

For Zenit-3SL,

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Zenit 3SL/DMSL   30    33    .91  .89      9    1/30/07  1999-

Eutelsat 70B Ascent Profile

[TABLE="head"]Orbit #|Orbit Nature|Perigee h, km|Apogee H, km|Inclination
1|2nd stage separation|-2112|191|0°
2|Parking orbit|180|1553|0°
3|GEO-transfer|1376|35749|0°
4|Target GTO|1380|35636|0°
[/TABLE]

Intelsat 21 Ascent Timeline

[TABLE="head"]Event|Time UTC|Comment
Lift-off|20:43:55|
1st Stage Separation|20:46:25|
Payload fairing Separation|20:47:42|
2nd/upper Stage Separation|20:52:26|
1st Burn Ignition|20:52:36|
1st Burn Shutdown|20:57:56|1st Burn's Duration 00:05:20
2nd Burn Ignition|21:33:56|
2nd Burn Shutdown|21:40:12|1st Burn's Duration 00:06:16
Spacecraft Separation|21:50:02|
[/TABLE]

Photos of preparations of 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://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/eutelsat-w5a.htm
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/EUTELSAT-70B.html
http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/EUTELSAT-70B-coverage.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eutelsat_communications/
http://kirkpysher.blogspot.com

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Links to more photos:

http://www.sea-launch.com/current_launch_eutelsat-70b.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eutelsat_communications/

http://kirkpysher.blogspot.com

 

[orb]

The launch is scheduled in 2 hours and a half.

NASASpaceflight: Sea Launch Zenit 3SL preparing to launch Eutelsat 70B

Orbiter-Forum: Calendar event for the launch

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

About half an hour before the start of the webcast. All is nominal:

https://twitter.com/ELUS_COO

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
The LP is now evacuated and being remotely controlled from the ACS in preps for LV fueling.

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
MD has authorized the Rocket Segment to proceed with loading propellants.

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
Zenit 2S is being loaded with liquid oxygen at this time in support of @Eutelsat_SA 70B mission.

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
Final weather briefing for launch completed all criteria are GO for launch of @Eutelsat_SA 70B

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
@Eutlesat_SA 70B mission 1 hour readiness confirmed by Mission Director Dr. Valery Aliev

Kirk Pysher ‏@ELUS_COO
Systems are nominal, ILV being loaded with LOx , working no issues in support of @Eutelsat_SA 70B

 

[orb]

Live now:
http://www.ustream.tv/SeaLaunch

 

[MaverickSawyer]

2 min, 30 sec.

---------- Post added at 13:44 ---------- Previous post was at 13:41 ----------

LIFTOFF

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

There used to be the "Sea Launch Jazz" that was played before the start of the live broadcast in the pre-bankrupt days. Now that has disappeared - and replaced by some really lovely songs during this coast phase! :thumbup: That's what I call a rocket launch with a taste.

 

[orb]

Replay of the launch:

Now that has disappeared - and replaced by some really lovely songs during this coast phase! :thumbup: That's what I call a rocket launch with a taste.

Looks like they play whole album of Corinne Bailey Rae.

 

[orb]

Spacecraft separation confirmed.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Three launch photos: