Nicholas Kang
Tutorial Publisher
SpaceX is now targeting launch of the GovSat-1 satellite to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Wednesday, January 31, at 4:25 p.m. EST, or 21:25 UTC. The satellite will deploy approximately 32 minutes after launch.
Falcon 9’s first stage for the GovSat-1 mission previously supported the NROL-76 mission from LC-39A in May 2017. SpaceX will not attempt to recover Falcon 9’s first stage after launch.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLXS3-yO0M"]GOVSAT-1 PRE LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH CEO PATRICK BIEWER - YouTube[/ame]
|
Launch date:
|
January 31, 2018
Window open:
|
4:25 p.m. EST/2125 UTC
Window close:
|
6:46 p.m. EST/2346 UTC
Launch site:
|
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
{colsp=2}
[highlight]L[eventtimer]2018-01-31 21:25:00;%c%%ddd%/%hh%:%mm%:%ss%[/eventtimer][/highlight]
Mission Patch
Launch coverage:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScYUA51-POQ"]GovSat-1 Launch - YouTube[/ame]
Payload:
SES 16 / GovSat is a communications satellite operated by LuxGovSat, a joint venture between commercial satellite operator SES and the Government of Luxembourg to create a satellite for military/government and institutional applications. The satellite was built by Virginia-based Orbital ATK using the company’s GEOStar-3 satellite platform that debuted earlier in 2018 on the Al Yah 3 mission, making SES 16 only the second satellite to employ this particular platform.
SES 16, operated by LuxGovSat S.A., will “provide secure, reliable and accessible satellite communication services for governments, addressing connectivity demands for defence and institutional security applications,” according to parent company SES. The ~4-metric-ton satellite hosts a multi-mission payload comprising a secure X-Band payload for government use and a military Ka-Band payload for data-intensive services. One novelty for SES 16 is the existence of a special port on the satellite that can welcome a hosted payload arriving via docking in orbit.
Specifications
Type / Application:|
- Communication
Operator:|
- SES
- LuxGovSat
Contractors:|
- Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)
Equipment:|
- X-band and military Ka-band transponders
Configuration:|
Dimensions:|
- ?
Propulsion:|
- IHI BT-4
- 4 x XR-5 Hall Current Thrusters
Power:|
- 2 deployable solar arrays
- batteries
Lifetime:|
- 15 years (Fueled for >16 years)
Mass:|
- ~4000 kg
Orbit:|
- GEO
Launch Vehicle:
Falcon 9 FT represents an evolved version of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket incorporating a number of performance enhancements to enable the launch vehicle to lift heavy satellites to Geostationary Transfer Orbit while preserving the option of re-using the first stage. Operated by Space Exploration Technologies, the rocket represents the third evolutionary stage of the Falcon 9. The Falcon 9 Full Thrust (FT) vehicle is also known as ‘Falcon 9 Upgrade,’ ‘Enhanced Falcon 9,’ ‘Full Performance Falcon 9’ and ‘Falcon v1.2.’
The Falcon 9 FT launch vehicle is based on the Falcon 9 v1.1 (F9R) which in turn built on the original Falcon 9, retrospectively known as the v1.0 version of the rocket. Falcon 9 v1.0 was inaugurated in 2010 and flew successfully five times until 2013 when it was succeeded by the v1.1 version of the launcher. Falcon 9 v1.1 is retired after 15 missions, one of which was a failure. The v1.1 version itself was subject to a stepwise evolution, notably the implementation of reusability technologies on its first stage. These systems, among other changes, are standard on the Falcon 9 FT that premieres in late 2015 and is likely the final version of Falcon 9 with the maximum possible performance.
The Falcon 9 Full Thrust launch vehicle retains the overall design of the previous Falcon 9 rockets as a two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle. Its first stage includes all systems necessary for an operational re-use of stages while the second stage is operated as an expendable rocket stage.
Falcon 9 FT stands 70 meters tall, is 3.66 meters in diameter and has a launch mass of 549,054 Kilograms. Both stages use sub-cooled Liquid Oxygen and chilled Rocket Propellant 1 as propellants consumed by Merlin 1D engines, nine of which are installed on the first stage while the second stage hosts a single Merlin 1D engine optimized for operation in vacuum.
SpaceX lists the payload capability of the Falcon 9 FT as 22,800 Kilograms to Low Earth Orbit and 8,300kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit – these figures are for the fully expendable configuration of the vehicle. Leaving sufficient propellant margin for the return of the first stage to the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship for later re-use cuts the payload mass to GTO to around 5,500 Kilograms.
To achieve an operational re-usability of Falcon 9 first stages, all Falcon 9 FT rockets are outfitted with a reaction control system, four grid fins for steering and four deployable landing legs. Dropping the second stage off on its way to orbit, the first stage goes through a series of complex propulsive maneuvers before guiding itself through the atmosphere towards a target landing site for a soft touchdown under the power of one of its Merlin engines to be re-used on a future flight.
Specifications
Height:|
- 70m
Diameter:|
- 3.66m
Launch Mass:|
- 549,054kg
Stages:|
- 2
Boosters:|
- None
Mass to LEO:|
- 22,800 kg
Mass to GTO:|
- 8,300 kg
Mass to Mars:|
- 4,020 kg
Launch Cost:|
- $62M
L-1 Weather forecast for LC-40, CCAFS, Florida 30th January 2018 (Launch Window)
Time
|
Temps
|
Pressure
|
Relative Humidity
|
Visibility
|
Solar Activity
|
Wind
|
Weather
Launch Window (4:25 p.m. - 6:46 p.m. EST)
|
Launch Window (4:25 p.m. - 6:46 p.m. EST)
60°F
|
30.30 inHg
|
60%
|
7 miles
|
Low
|
360° @ 25 P30 (200')
|
Partly Cloudy
Launch day overall probability of violating weather constraints: 60%
Primary concern(s): Liftoff Winds
24-hour delay overall probability of violating weather constraints 10%
Primary concern(s): Thick Cloud Layer Rule
Next forecast will be issued: 30 January 2018
Links:
Last edited:
