Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 with Inmarsat 5 F4 - May 15, 2017

[Nicholas Kang]

Mission Press Kit is available here.

SpaceX is targeting launch of Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 from historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 51-minute launch window opens on Monday, May 15, at 7:20 p.m. EDT, or 23:20 UTC. A backup launch window opens on Tuesday, May 16, at 7:20 p.m. EDT, or 23:20 UTC. SpaceX will not attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage after launch due to mission requirements.

Launch Webcast:

(No technical webcast is available as of now.)

Gallery:

1st Stage Static Fire:

Payload Fairing Encapsulation:

[ame="https://twitter.com/InmarsatGlobal/status/862994761405386753"]Inmarsat on Twitter: "@Boeing & Inmarsat satellite teams say goodbye to #I5F4 as it’s encapsulated into the payload fairing in prep for @SpaceX launch on 15 May 🚀 https://t.co/9lebcPNBBP"[/ame]

L-1 Weather Forecast:

Weather is 80% go for launch day.

And we have roll out of F9!

[ame="https://twitter.com/m_ladovaz/status/863740942796193792"]Massimiliano Ladovaz on Twitter: "#I5F4 rolling to the pad @InmarsatGlobal https://t.co/uPCG6zxP56"[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/InmarsatGlobal/status/863862321684328448"]Inmarsat on Twitter: "#I5F4 has been loaded into a @SpaceX Falcon 9 & rolled out to LC-39A. Countdown to launch tomorrow begins! https://t.co/anREKRefKG https://t.co/3G0lmPqTqW"[/ame]

Good luck, SpaceX! :thumbup:

 

[Kyle]

Falcon 9 is vertical on the pad this AM.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Barge, shore, or throwaway?

 

[DaveS]

Barge, shore, or throwaway?

Expendable due to the heavy mass of the payload. If you look at the photos, you'll notice the lack of landing legs on the first stage (they're all black, so they stand out against the all white stage).

 

[Andy44]

It's weird to see rockets being rolled up to LC-39 horizontally, Soyuz-style.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Expendable due to the heavy mass of the payload. If you look at the photos, you'll notice the lack of landing legs on the first stage (they're all black, so they stand out against the all white stage).

And no grid fins.

---------- Post added at 08:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:59 PM ----------

Anybody know if they are attempting fairing recovery?

 

[Kyle]

Good launch, nominal orbit!

 

[Notebook]

Inmarsat, the UK's biggest space company, has boosted its global broadband network with the launch of a fourth high-frequency satellite.
The I-5 F4, which will service the voice, video and data needs of remote and on-the-move customers, was taken into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket.
It is the first time the London company has used the American launch provider.
The rocket and its payload lifted away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 19:21 local time (00:21 BST, Tuesday).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39929168