Official SES-9 Launch Thread!

Quetzal

Quetzal

New member
Good morning!

Today is LAUNCH DAY! For those keeping score at home, this will be the fourth attempt at the launch of the SES-9 communications satellite aboard the Falcon 9 by SpaceX. Here is a quick mission rundown for tonight's launch!

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Launch Window: 3/1/16:: 6:35pm-8:05pm EST
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9
Launch Provider: SpaceX
Live Steam Link (Usually starts ~20 minutes before launch)

Overview of Proposed Launch/Landing Sequence
Liftoff of SpaceX's Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust is currently scheduled for 23:35:00 UTC (6:35:00 PM EST) on March 1, the beginning of a 90-minute launch window. This mission will deliver the SES-9 communications satellite to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit for Luxembourg-based SES. Should any issues prevent a launch today, there is currently no backup date scheduled.

SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9 first stage on their Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Of Course I Still Love You, but the odds of a successful recovery are low. In order to make up for launch delays, SpaceX has modified the flight profile to allow SES-9 to reach geostationary orbit as soon as possible. This means that the usual boostback burn won't be performed, and the ASDS will be located approximately 600 km downrange of Cape Canaveral.
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The Payload
The sole passenger on this flight is SES-9, a 5,330 kg communications satellite based on the Boeing 702HP satellite bus. SES-9 will use both chemical and electrical propulsion, the former to raise its orbit after separation from the Falcon 9 upper stage and the latter to circularize its orbit and perform station-keeping throughout its 15-year lifespan. The satellite will occupy the 108.2 ° East orbital slot, where it will be co-located with SES-7 and NSS-11, providing additional coverage to Asia and the Indian Ocean.

This will be the 22nd Falcon 9 launch and the second of the v1.1 Full Thrust configuration (the first being ORBCOMM-2 in December of 2015) and SpaceX’s heaviest GTO mission to date. This is SpaceX's second launch of 2016 as they begin to ramp up their flight rate, with an eventual goal of launching "every two or three weeks."
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First Stage Landing Details
SpaceX will attempt a first stage landing on their Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship named Of Course I Still Love You, which will be located approximately 600 km East of Cape Canaveral. Approximately three minutes after liftoff, the first stage will shut down and separate from the upper stage. Because of the demanding flight profile, the first stage won't perform a boostback burn and will instead continue along a ballistic trajectory, reorienting itself for re-entry using cold-gas thrusters. After performing a reentry burn to slow down as it impacts the dense lower atmosphere, the stage will steer itself towards the drone ship using grid fins. If all goes as planned, the stage will perform a final landing burn and touchdown on the drone ship approximately 10 minutes after liftoff.

This will be SpaceX's fourth drone ship landing attempt. Past attempts occurred during the CRS-5, CRS-6, and Jason-3 missions. Note that first stage recovery is a secondary objective and has no bearing on primary mission success.
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Attempt Number Four
As mentioned above, this is the fourth attempt by SpaceX to put this payload into orbit. The first two attempts were scrubbed (postponed) due to fueling difficulties. The select fuel source for this mission is liquid oxygen (LOX) and the challenge is keeping the temperature low enough to maintain optimum performance. The most recent attempt was scrubbed due to a wayward ship paddling into the "Keep Out Zone" downrange from Cape Canaveral. This delay caused a rise in temperature in the LOX, which in turn caused a helium bubble in the fuel tank. When the rocket attempted to launch, there was not enough thrust and the ignition sequence was aborted.
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Be sure to follow this thread for updates as I find them related to this launch. :D

Disclaimer: I am respectfully asking that all comments/questions remain on topic to tonight's launch so interested members can participate. This is not a political/religious debate thread, hence the location of the thread. Thank you! :)
 
Quetzal

Quetzal

New member
Launch has been officially rescheduled for tomorrow at 6:35pm EST. Weather is a looking great and we are hoping for a smooth execution. Will update as information becomes available tomorrow.
 
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