Beidou-2, Compass-M5&M6 CZ-3B Xichang September 18 2012 (1910UTC)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Per source (http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=9125&pid=219320), the first overall test of the launch has been completed by September 7. If the pad flow sticks to the usual schedule, then launch would be on September 17 (then per here, launch time would be 19:16 UTC +- 10 minutes).

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Apparently launch is now scheduled on September 18 (19 LT). Launch time would then be around 19:12 UTC.

Source: http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-9125-1-1.html

[Satori]

Launch on September 19 at 1800UTC? (http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-9125-5-1.html)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Launch on September 19 at 1800UTC? (http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-9125-5-1.html)

Indeed it looks like September 19, although I think the launch time could be off (the one hour difference would made the two MEO planes about ~110 degrees apart, which is strange for a navigation satellite system). I shall stick with my time estimate (to which Bob Christy roughly agrees - he gives 19:17 UTC +- 10 minutes) for the time being....

[input~2]

Picture of LC2 taken this morning                      

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Righhhhhhhhhttttttttt........ 

A1239/12 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY N1807E11149-N1846E11117-N1819E11041-N1740E11113 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS: SFC-UNL.ALL ACFT ARE PROHIBITED TO FLY INTO THE AREA. SFC - UNL, 18 SEP 18:50 2012 UNTIL 18 SEP 19:44 2012. CREATED: 17 SEP 02:56 2012

A1238/12 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY N2311E10709-N2330E10651-N2320E10637-N2300E10655 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS: SFC-UNL.ALL ACFT ARE PROHIBITED TO FLY INTO THE AREA. SFC - UNL, 18 SEP 18:47 2012 UNTIL 18 SEP 19:30 2012. CREATED: 17 SEP 02:54 2012

A1237/12 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY N2417E10608-N2447E10540-N2436E10527-N2406E10555 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS: SFC-UNL.ALL ACFT ARE PROHIBITED TO FLY INTO THE AREA. SFC - UNL, 18 SEP 18:47 2012 UNTIL 18 SEP 19:30 2012. CREATED: 17 SEP 02:51 2012


Launch time is ~19:00 UTC on September 18.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Per information from one of the moderators at 9ifly (who apparently has contacts within the Chinese aerospace industry), the launch time is 19:10 UTC. (which means I missed the actual launch time by just 2 minutes!  )

[input~2]

For M3/M4 in April, lift-off time was 18 minutes after NOTAM timeslot start; here this would give 18:47 + 18mn  -> 19:05UTC

[input~2]

This time no indication of the launch time from Tiandeng county official website
http://www.tiandeng.gov.cn/xdmzfhtml/xwzx/zw/201209173078.html (in Chinese)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Erm................... time to change the title: two drop zone preparation reports refers the two satellites as M5&M6. I wonder where M2 will fit: perhaps it was a never-flown back-up satellite to the engineering testing satellite M1 (launched in 2007)?

http://www.9ifly.cn/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=9125&pid=220686&fromuid=19646

[Galactic Penguin SST]

This time no indication of the launch time from Tiandeng county official website
http://www.tiandeng.gov.cn/xdmzfhtml/xwzx/zw/201209173078.html (in Chinese)

Well this "on-the-field" notice does, and confirms the 19:10 UTC launch time. 

BTW don't expect clear skies for this launch: the rain has just stopped (in fact deadly storms just ran over the region earlier this month).

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Status report....

[Satori]

T-40m - Accurate aiming; Flight data presetting and checking; Gas pipe connectors for Stage-1, Stage-2 & boosters drop-off

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Service platforms prepares for retraction at T-30 minutes.

[Satori]

At T-22m - Stage-3 Engines pre-cooling.