Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 2 (June 25, 2017) : UPDATES  (Read 116456 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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SNOC Report: Received telemetry from all 10 #IridiumNEXT satellites. #NEXTevolution #Iridium-2

https://twitter.com/iridiumcomm/status/879114071160885251

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Was expecting to see those titanium fins glow red hot :/
https://twitter.com/migueldelagza/status/879103519151710208

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They should on high velocity missions to Geostationary Transfer Orbit
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/879104704583581696

Offline CyclerPilot

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Boring.  Wake me up when they land 2 in 2 days on Mars.  (J/K).
Congratz spaceX and all involved!  These will never get boring.  I'm so excited for the future of space flight.

Offline Lars-J

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Congratulations to all, but especially SpaceX and Iridium.  :)

Looks like the steamroller is here already.  8)

Offline gregpet

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Congrats SpaceX!

2 successful launches in ~48 hours
11 new geosynchronous satellites deployed
4 new grid fins!
2 first stage boosters returned
(maybe some reusable fairings!?!)

"Companies get disrupted because it's too painful to change before it's necessary, and too late when it is"
-Aaron Levie (Box)

Offline cscott

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Congratulations SpaceX. Watched this live over cellular data from Fenway park with my family.  Game ended just seconds before liftoff.  My four-year-old son now wants me to print him a JRTI to go with his OCISLY model, so he can land two at once (!).

Offline chad1011

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Another awesome launch!  Congrats to everyone involved.  Can't wait for the next one.

Offline WindnWar

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Congrats to all the fine people that made this launch and the one on Friday possible, a long but exciting weekend!

Congrats to NSF for the excellent coverage as always. I was able to watch the launch but had to leave before the deploy and watched it when i got back. Very smooth.

What an amazing landing. Titanium for the win!

On to the next launch. :)

Offline sunbingfa

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Congratulations! What a week! Great work, All people at SpaceX!

Offline punder

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Well I'm exhausted.   :D

Congrats SpaceX and Iridium!

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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SpaceX has posted a couple of launch photos.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Always good to see a happy customer:

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Yes, all sats healthy and talking.  It was a great day!
https://twitter.com/iridiumboss/status/879165656788115458

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Very happy camper.
https://twitter.com/iridiumboss/status/879167108839428096

Offline mgeagon

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Congratulations to the SpaceX Vandenburg team, SpaceX and Iridium for an exceptional launch. After the launch was moved to the left four days back in May, it does not appear that any hiccups occurred in the cadence, despite numerous delays for various reasons on the east coast. Very well done!

Online Chris Bergin

Want to share one of these! Via Sam Sun (WheelStop) collection in L2 (his plane - collection starts here https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43206.msg1695182#msg1695182 ).

Falcon 9 rising through the clouds/fog.
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Offline SmallKing

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10 objects Found by NORAD which means S2 was reentry successfully
42803/2017-039A: 610 x 625 km x 86.67 deg.
......
« Last Edit: 06/26/2017 01:23 pm by SmallKing »
Some are bound for happiness, some are bound to glory, some are bound to live with less, who can tell your story?

Offline Ronpur50

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Two launches in 48 hours.  I am amazed.  And very happy!  Especially since I saw one of them in person!  But, my first thought is, hurry up and do another one!!

Online Chris Bergin

Space babies (c) Katy during her Arianespace commentary - all report in healthy:

Second Set of Iridium® NEXT Satellites Arrive in Orbit and Provide Telemetry

MCLEAN, Va. – June 26, 2017 - Iridium Communications announced today that the second set of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites, launched yesterday by SpaceX, are functioning nominally and have begun the testing and validation process. This batch of 10 satellites was launched out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, increasing the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 20.

“We are thrilled with yesterday’s success. These new satellites are functioning well, and we are pressing forward with the testing process,” said Scott Smith, chief operating officer at Iridium. “Since the last launch, the team at our Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) has been anxiously awaiting this new batch of satellites.  There is a lot of work to do, and we are up for the challenge.”

Now, and for approximately the next 45 days, these newly launched satellites will undergo a series of testing and validation procedures, ensuring they are ready for integration with the operational constellation.  Once testing is completed, Iridium will also hand over control of Aireon’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast hosted payload, to the team at Aireon’s Hosted Payload Operations Center (HPOC), also in Leesburg, Va.

For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.IridiumNEXT.com.
« Last Edit: 06/27/2017 12:58 pm by jacqmans »
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Offline Flying Beaver

Want to share one of these! Via Sam Sun (WheelStop) collection in L2 (his plane - collection starts here https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43206.msg1695182#msg1695182 ).

Falcon 9 rising through the clouds/fog.

Are we sure that photo is legit? Doesn't seem, from what my friends who were there tell me, that there was that much cloud cover.

No cloud/fog cover eh?

Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Offline mkent

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I'll use this one-post opportunity to offer my belated congratulations to SpaceX on a very successful flight...

...and also to note a milestone, since I haven't seen it noted anywhere else.

With this flight the Falcon 9 now has more successful flights (36) to its credit than the Delta IV (35).  I don't know if anyone but Elon Musk would have predicted that ten years ago.

Congratulations to SpaceX on that milestone as well.

Offline jacqmans

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Successful launch of the next 10 Iridium® NEXT satellites!

26.06.2017

Second batch of 10 satellites built by Thales Alenia Space ready to join the constellation

Cannes, June 26th, 2017 – The second batch of Iridium® NEXT satellites built by Thales Alenia Space has been successfully launched by SpaceX from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After the perfect commissioning of the first 10 satellites launched in January, eight of which are now interconnected and operating in full compatibility with the initial Block One Constellation, with two being maneuvered to an adjacent plane, this milestone marks a new step for the fantastic Iridium® NEXT adventure.
 
 Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor for the Iridium® NEXT program, in charge of engineering, integration, operations and in-orbit validation of the 81 satellites and the overall system. The first 10 satellites showed that Iridium® NEXT is perfectly compatible with the existing system. The satellites are integrated in series by Thales Alenia Space’s subcontractor Orbital ATK, at its Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Arizona while Thales Alenia Space teams are both supervising the global integration process and supporting its customer Iridium for the Launch and Early Operations (LEOP) and In Orbit Tests at the Leesburg control center.
 
“In addition to being a real feat of technological prowess, Iridium® NEXT also provides global coverage and doesn’t require local ground infrastructure due to how the satellites can communicate with one another, so it can provide vital assistance under certain circumstances (people lost in isolated areas, natural disasters, conflicts, etc.) And that’s why all of us feel so proud to have contributed to this program!” declared Denis Allard, Iridium® NEXT program Director for Thales Alenia Space. He added: “In addition to this second launch, the production of 26 other satellites has now been completed. We have also started integration of the 57th satellite. Everything is on track to meet our objective, namely to launch all 75 Iridium® NEXT orbital satellites by mid-2018”.
 
The Iridium NEXT® constellation will offer global connectivity thanks to 66 interconnected satellites at an altitude of 780 km, along with nine spares in parking orbits and six more spare satellites on the ground. This international system provides unrivaled capability for communications on the move (individuals, land vehicles, aircraft, ships), and ensures full global coverage, including the oceans.

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/successful-launch-next-10-iridiumr-next-satellites
Jacques :-)

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