SpaceX: Thaicom-6

[Dr Mordrid]

Second launch to geosynchronous orbit & qualifying flight for USAF & NRO missions


Falcon 9 v1.1 / Thaicom-6

Satellite: http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpa...ions/Thaicom6/

FRR: flight readiness review
LRR: launch readiness review
WDR: wet dress rehearsal
Hot Fire: engines test (3-4 sec)

Dec. 23: FRR, passed
Dec. 27: WDR + Hot Fire
Jan. 2: LRR

Launch: Jan. 3 2014
Window: 1750-1917 Local (KSC)
Backup: Jan. 4 2014, with a window of 1751-1917 Local

Orbit: super-synchronous transfer orbit

Webcast: should start ~30 before the launch window opens.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

http://new.livestream.com/spacex

[Evildead666]

Awesome

Can't wait to see the hot fire vid.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup, me too - and they're on track for a Dragon mission to ISS around Feb. 22. That one is likely to include another attempt at landing the first stage.

[Dr Mordrid]

WDR and hotfire performed. Still going over the data, but it's looking good for a Friday launch.

[Dr Mordrid]

Launch was delayed to Monday Jan 6 because of a fairing issue and the weather. Orbitals Cygnus launch was bit by the weather gods too. F9's launch window runs from 1707-1908 Local (KSC). LiveStream webcast should start about 30 minutes before launch.



Press kit: http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/f...6_presskit.pdf

Events

Vehicle is powered on
Commence loading liquid oxygen (LOX)
Commence loading RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene)
LOX and RP-1 loading complete
Falcon 9 terminal count autosequence started
SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
Range Control Officer (USAF) verifies range is go for launch
Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks. Turn on pad deck and Niagara water
Pressurize propellant tanks
Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
Falcon 9 liftoff
Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) 1st stage engine shutdown/main engine cutoff (MECO)
1st and 2nd stages separation
2nd stage engine start
Fairing separation
2nd stage engine cutoff-1 (SECO-1)
2nd stage engine restart
2nd stage engine cutoff-2 (SECO-2)
THAICOM 6 satellite deployed

NOTAM: (notice to airmen, emphasis mine - they may attempt to land the 1st stage at sea)

A0007/14 [...] - QWMLW EROP X0240
THE FOLLOWING AIRSPACE IN USE FOR A MISSILE LAUNCH/SPLASH DOWN. DURING THESE
TIMES KZMA ARTCC/OAC, KZNY ARTCC/OAC AND TJZS ARTCC/OAC WILL NOT APPROVE IFR
FLIGHT WITHIN 45NM OF THE AFFECTED OCEANIC STATIONARY AIRSPACE RESERVATIONS WEST
OF 5000W AND 50NM EAST OF 5000W OR WITHIN AFFECTED WARNING AREA AIRSPACE.
1401061906 -1401062006 W497A WEST OF 8000W. SFC-FL050.
1401062006 - 1401062206 W497A SFC-FL180.
1401062136 - 1401070036 R2933,R2934, SFC-UNL.
1401062206 - 1401070036 THAT PORTION OF W497A/B DEFINED BY,
1. FROM 2846N 8037W TO 2848N 8025W TO 2822N 7700W TO 2813N 7700W
2804N 7703W TO 2828N 8041W TO BEGINNING. SURFACE TO UNLIMITED.
2. FROM 2807N 7400W TO 2813N 7236W TO 2740N 7001W TO 2728N 6929W TO
2712N 6929W TO 2708N 7001W TO 2723N 7257W TO 2743N 7400W TO BEGININNG.
END PART 1 OF 6 PARTS. 06 JAN 19:06 2014 UNTIL 07 JAN 00:36 2014. CREATED: 03
JAN 20:04 2014

[Dr Mordrid]

Tanked up.

Targeting a super-synchronous transfer orbit of 295 km x 90,000 km with a 22.5° orbital inclination. The Thaicom-6 satellites internal propulsion will circularize this into geostationary orbit slot over SE Asia.

[Elie]

Right now the live feed is showing nothing with music in the background.

http://new.livestream.com/spacex/Thaicom6

And we're live!! T-00:15:20 minutes

[Dr Mordrid]

@SpaceX: Falcon 9 has successfully deployed THAICOM 6 into its target orbit

Next up: Dragon CRS-3 to ISS, still on for Feb. 22

[Dr Mordrid]

Full launch webcast (~50 min)

Presser

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida – Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully launched the THAICOM 6 satellite for leading Asian satellite operator THAICOM. Falcon 9 delivered THAICOM 6 to its targeted 295 x 90,000 km geosynchronous transfer orbit at 22.5 degrees inclination. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle performed as expected, meeting 100% of mission objectives.

Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at 5:06 PM Eastern Time. Approximately 184 seconds into flight, Falcon 9’s second-stage Merlin vacuum engine ignited to begin a five minute, 35 second burn that delivered the THAICOM 6 satellite into its parking orbit. Eighteen minutes after injection into the parking orbit, the second stage engine relit for just over one minute to carry the THAICOM 6 satellite to its final geostationary transfer orbit. The restart of the Falcon 9 second stage is a requirement for all geostationary transfer missions.

“Today’s successful launch of the THAICOM 6 satellite marks the eighth successful flight in a row for Falcon 9,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX. “SpaceX greatly appreciates THAICOM’s support throughout this campaign and we look forward to a busy launch schedule in 2014.”

The THAICOM 6 mission marks Falcon 9’s second flight to a geosynchronous transfer orbit and begins a regular cadence of launches planned for SpaceX in 2014. SpaceX has nearly 50 launches on manifest, of which over 60% are for commercial customers.

This launch also marks the third of three qualification flights needed to certify the Falcon 9 to fly missions under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Once Falcon 9 is certified, SpaceX will be eligible to compete to launch national security satellites for the U.S. Air Force.

[Umfriend]

So is this a rocket where 1 or more stages land vertically and, if so, did it work?

[Dr Mordrid]

Not this flight, all they did was some high altititude maneuvering of the lower stage as if they were going to. This flight took the payload to 90,000 km so they needed max performance.

The next flight, a Dragon cargo mission to ISS, is planned to "land" the lower stage at sea in a more comprehensive test. Between then and now will be some F9R-1 (aks Grass-hopper 2/GH2) test flights at McGregor, Texas and SpacePort America, New Mexico to refine the procedure and flight profile. Meanwhile SpaceX, NASA, the FAA and KSC are figuring out where the landing pad will be.

They are very close, and very nearly landed a first stage at sea last September save for some aerodynamic roll that starved the engines of fuel, They got down to about 10-15 meters. Changes to mitigate the roll have been put in place.

The DragonRider crew spacecraft and upper stage are next, in that order. DragonRiders' engines are also its abort engines and they are due for a pad abort test this summer.