Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Iridium F9 / OneWeb F19 : VSFB SLC-4E : 20 May 2023 (13:16 UTC)  (Read 40765 times)

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Discussion Thread for Iridium 9 / OneWeb rideshare mission.

NSF Threads for Iridium/OneWeb rideshare : Discussion

OneWeb Constellation Discussion

See the Iridium NEXT Flight 1 Discussion Thread for more information and links to other Iridium Next threads and articles.

16 OneWeb satellites (including JoeySat test satellite), 5 Iridium satellites.

Successful launch May 20, 2023 at 6:16am PDT (13:16 UTC).  Successful landing on OCISLY.



https://investor.iridium.com/2022-09-08-Iridium-Announces-Ninth-SpaceX-Launch

Quote
Iridium Announces Ninth SpaceX Launch

MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) today announced that it has reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch up to five of the company's remaining ground spare satellites from the Iridium® NEXT program, on its Falcon 9 rocket.  Known as Iridium-9, the launch is planned to take place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in mid-2023.  Earlier this year, Iridium celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first launch in Iridium's history, which also took place from Vandenberg on May 5, 1997. That first ever launch also carried five Iridium satellites to orbit on a Delta II rocket.

Iridium-9 will be Iridium's second rideshare with SpaceX.  Previously, SpaceX conducted eight Iridium launches between January 2017 and January 2019.  These launches delivered 75 satellites to LEO as part of the Iridium NEXT campaign, replacing the company's original satellite constellation. Since completion of the launch campaign in 2019, Iridium has 66 operational satellites, nine on-orbit spares and six additional spares on the ground.  Up to five of those six ground spares are planned for launch as part of Iridium-9.  All satellites in the upgraded Iridium constellation were built by Thales Alenia Space and carry the Aireon® hosted payload, which provides truly global, real-time surveillance of aircraft around the world.

"We have always said that when the right opportunity presented itself, we would launch many, if not all, of our remaining ground spares, and just such an opportunity came about," said Iridium CEO Matt Desch.  "Our constellation is incredibly healthy; however, the spare satellites have no utility to us on the ground.  We built extra satellites as an insurance policy, and with SpaceX's stellar track record, we look forward to another successful launch, which will position us even better to replicate the longevity of our first constellation."

Since the completion of the upgraded Iridium network in early 2019, Iridium's customer base grew by more than 730,000 subscribers in just three years and has more than 1.8 million today.  With that subscriber growth came several new Iridium products and services, including the Iridium Certus® specialty broadband platform, Iridium's Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, Iridium Global Line of Sight® service for uncrewed and autonomous systems, and over 150 new Iridium narrowband and specialty broadband products brought to market by our partner ecosystem.

Iridium remains the only commercial satellite constellation with truly global coverage, offering weather-resilient L-band service from pole-to-pole.  The constellation is divided into six polar orbiting planes that each include 11 operational crosslinked satellites.  The satellites from Iridium-9 will be launched into a parking orbit, and after initial testing will be drifted to their assigned spare orbits.



Other SpaceX resources on NASASpaceflight:
   SpaceX News Articles (Recent)
   SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews)
   SpaceX Dragon Articles
   SpaceX Missions Section (with Launch Manifest and info on past and future missions)

   L2 SpaceX Section
« Last Edit: 05/24/2023 01:48 am by gongora »

Online scr00chy

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #1 on: 09/08/2022 01:30 pm »
I wonder who the co-passenger is. Starlink? Some yet-to-be-announced payload from another customer?

Online ZachS09

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #2 on: 09/08/2022 01:42 pm »
I wonder who the co-passenger is. Starlink? Some yet-to-be-announced payload from another customer?

I don't think it'll be Starlink. Can't say why, though.
« Last Edit: 09/08/2022 01:42 pm by ZachS09 »
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #3 on: 09/10/2022 06:28 am »
I don't think it'll be Starlink. Can't say why, though.

The Iridium satellites are in orbits inclined at 86.4°, compared to 53.0°, 53.2°, 70° and 97.6° for Starlink. The smallest inclination change from 86.4° to 97.6° (or alpha = 11.2°) would have a delta-V penalty of 2*vo*sin(alpha/2) = 2*7.8*sin(11.2/2) = 1.5 km/s! I think that's reason enough why these satellites won't fly with Starlink.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink
« Last Edit: 09/10/2022 06:31 am by Steven Pietrobon »
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline GWR64

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #4 on: 09/11/2022 09:07 am »
I don't think it'll be Starlink. Can't say why, though.

The Iridium satellites are in orbits inclined at 86.4°, compared to 53.0°, 53.2°, 70° and 97.6° for Starlink. The smallest inclination change from 86.4° to 97.6° (or alpha = 11.2°) would have a delta-V penalty of 2*vo*sin(alpha/2) = 2*7.8*sin(11.2/2) = 1.5 km/s! I think that's reason enough why these satellites won't fly with Starlink.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink

certainly not Starlink
But would be the launch of a satellite with a mass <2500 kg in a low SSO possible?

---

SpaceNews article: https://spacenews.com/spacex-to-launch-five-spare-iridium-satellites/

Quote
...In its second quarter earnings release July 26, Iridium announced it signed a contract for the launch of five satellites for $35 million but did not disclose the launch provider. ...
(SpaceX)
« Last Edit: 09/11/2022 12:53 pm by GWR64 »

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Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #6 on: 09/13/2022 07:01 am »
OneWeb satellites are actually in 87.9° 1200 km orbits, compared to Iridium at 86.4° 780 km. That requires a delta-V change of only 285 m/s.

https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/oneweb

Delta-V calculator by Steven S. Pietrobon. 22 Jun 2019.
Enter negative perigee height to exit program.
Enter negative height for geosynchronous altitude.

Enter initial perigee height (km): 780
Enter initial apogee height (km): 780
Enter required inclination change (deg): 1.5
Enter required perigee height (km): 1200
Enter required apogee height (km): 1200

Burn at   780.0 km: theta1 =  0.00 deg, dv1 =  105.6 m/s
Burn at  1200.0 km: theta2 =  1.50 deg, dv2 =  215.3 m/s
dv =  320.9 m/s

Burn at   780.0 km: theta1 =  0.71 deg, dv1 =  140.8 m/s
Burn at  1200.0 km: theta2 =  0.79 deg, dv2 =  143.8 m/s
dv =  284.6 m/s
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline GWR64

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #7 on: 09/24/2022 07:04 pm »
Since my idea with OneWeb is unlikely due to date and launch location reasons and was rejected,
I have a new one.  ;)

SARah 2+3 
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44263.0
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/sarah-p.htm
the orbit is given there: 500 km 88.2 deg,  mass: 3.6 t + dispenser

The launch orbit of the previous Iridium Next missions was: 625 km, 86.66 deg
Iridium also agreed to an elliptical orbit at flight #6.
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35275.0

Although this date does not fit either, but another postponement at SARah would not be a big surprise.
« Last Edit: 09/24/2022 07:35 pm by GWR64 »

Offline Josh_from_Canada

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #8 on: 12/08/2022 09:02 pm »
In an interview between OneWeb and Spaceflight Now, it was stated that OneWeb has a rideshare launch with Iridium

Launches Seen: Atlas V OA-7, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-4, Falcon 9 CRS-28,

Offline vaporcobra

Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 rideshare : mid-2023
« Reply #9 on: 12/09/2022 12:37 am »
In an interview between OneWeb and Spaceflight Now, it was stated that OneWeb has a rideshare launch with Iridium

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0eqVKSamZo

Looks like the remaining 32 OneWeb sats and 5 Iridium NEXT spares would narrowly fit in a standard Falcon fairing. Roughly a 10-ton payload, mass is no issue.
« Last Edit: 12/09/2022 12:37 am by vaporcobra »

Offline Bean Kenobi

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #10 on: 12/09/2022 01:18 pm »
In an interview between OneWeb and Spaceflight Now, it was stated that OneWeb has a rideshare launch with Iridium

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0eqVKSamZo

Looks like the remaining 32 OneWeb sats and 5 Iridium NEXT spares would narrowly fit in a standard Falcon fairing. Roughly a 10-ton payload, mass is no issue.

Only 28 satellites are missing to complete Gen 1.

Quote
OneWeb has launched 464 satellites of a planned first-generation constellation of 648 spacecraft using 13 Russian Soyuz rockets purchased through Arianespace, the French launch services provider, and one flight on an Indian GLSV Mk.3 rocket.

Source : https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/12/07/oneweb-readies-for-15th-launch-and-first-with-spacex/

648 Gen 1 satellites
- 464 (Oneweb 1 > 14, Soyuz and 1st LVM 3, see quote)
- 40 (Oneweb 15, Falcon 9 Dec 8th, 2022)
- 40 (next Falcon 9)
- 36 (next LVM 3)
- 40 (next+1 Falcon 9)
= 28 Gen 1 satellites remaining for Iridium rideshare
« Last Edit: 12/09/2022 01:19 pm by Bean Kenobi »

Offline Rondaz

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #11 on: 12/09/2022 02:28 pm »
OneWeb has not only booked three dedicated Falcon 9 missions, but has now added another flight to the multi-launch deal -- a rideshare mission with Iridium satellites set to fly next year.

These four launches, plus one more launch on India's GSLV, will complete the Gen1 network.

https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/1600964416228544520

Offline Zed_Noir

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #12 on: 12/09/2022 02:33 pm »
In an interview between OneWeb and Spaceflight Now, it was stated that OneWeb has a rideshare launch with Iridium

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0eqVKSamZo

Looks like the remaining 32 OneWeb sats and 5 Iridium NEXT spares would narrowly fit in a standard Falcon fairing. Roughly a 10-ton payload, mass is no issue.

Only 28 satellites are missing to complete Gen 1.

Quote
OneWeb has launched 464 satellites of a planned first-generation constellation of 648 spacecraft using 13 Russian Soyuz rockets purchased through Arianespace, the French launch services provider, and one flight on an Indian GLSV Mk.3 rocket.

Source : https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/12/07/oneweb-readies-for-15th-launch-and-first-with-spacex/

648 Gen 1 satellites
- 464 (Oneweb 1 > 14, Soyuz and 1st LVM 3, see quote)
- 40 (Oneweb 15, Falcon 9 Dec 8th, 2022)
- 40 (next Falcon 9)
- 36 (next LVM 3)
- 40 (next+1 Falcon 9)
= 28 Gen 1 satellites remaining for Iridium rideshare
Maybe OneWeb might loft 4 to 6 additional Gen1 comsat as orbital spares on the rideshare mission. Instead of needing additional launches to send up ground spares or clean room storage for the spares.

Think SpaceX can put 2 more comsats on top of their OneWeb dispenser with an adapter plate.

Offline wannamoonbase

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #13 on: 12/09/2022 02:37 pm »
Maybe OneWeb might loft 4 to 6 additional Gen1 comsat as orbital spares on the rideshare mission. Instead of needing additional launches to send up ground spares or clean room storage for the spares.

Think SpaceX can put 2 more comsats on top of their OneWeb dispenser with an adapter plate.


I don't know about that, but I bet they could fit some onto a Polar Orbit Transporter mission.
Wildly optimistic prediction, Superheavy recovery on IFT-4 or IFT-5

Offline GewoonLukas_

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #14 on: 12/09/2022 04:15 pm »
Maybe OneWeb might loft 4 to 6 additional Gen1 comsat as orbital spares on the rideshare mission. Instead of needing additional launches to send up ground spares or clean room storage for the spares.

Think SpaceX can put 2 more comsats on top of their OneWeb dispenser with an adapter plate.


I don't know about that, but I bet they could fit some onto a Polar Orbit Transporter mission.

Unfortunatly a Transporter mission isn't an option for OneWeb. Transporter missions go to Sun Synchronous Orbit, which have an inclination of ~97.4°. OneWeb satellites operate in 87.9° inclination orbits. It would cost way too much fuel to get the satellites from 97.4° to 87.9°, which would result in a significantly reduced lifespan.
Lukas C. H. • Hobbyist Mission Patch Artist 🎨 • May the force be with you my friend, Ad Astra Per Aspera ✨️

Offline vaporcobra

Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #15 on: 12/09/2022 08:31 pm »
In an interview between OneWeb and Spaceflight Now, it was stated that OneWeb has a rideshare launch with Iridium

https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0eqVKSamZo

Looks like the remaining 32 OneWeb sats and 5 Iridium NEXT spares would narrowly fit in a standard Falcon fairing. Roughly a 10-ton payload, mass is no issue.

Only 28 satellites are missing to complete Gen 1.

Quote
OneWeb has launched 464 satellites of a planned first-generation constellation of 648 spacecraft using 13 Russian Soyuz rockets purchased through Arianespace, the French launch services provider, and one flight on an Indian GLSV Mk.3 rocket.

Source : https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/12/07/oneweb-readies-for-15th-launch-and-first-with-spacex/

648 Gen 1 satellites
- 464 (Oneweb 1 > 14, Soyuz and 1st LVM 3, see quote)
- 40 (Oneweb 15, Falcon 9 Dec 8th, 2022)
- 40 (next Falcon 9)
- 36 (next LVM 3)
- 40 (next+1 Falcon 9)
= 28 Gen 1 satellites remaining for Iridium rideshare

Of which two were deorbited, one failed in orbit, and one may be in the process of dying in orbit. I'm assuming that OneWeb will try to ensure it has a full 648 working satellites in orbit after its last build-out launch.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that FCC deployment milestones require ALL licensed satellites to be simultaneously working at their operational orbits to count. OneWeb obviously has years to finish its constellation, but still better to assume that it will try to end launches with a full 648 working satellites in orbit.

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : mid-2023
« Reply #16 on: 03/12/2023 01:25 pm »
Launch is scheduled for Early-May and will include 15 Gen1 OneWeb satellites, as well as 1 Gen2 prototype

Quote
The next GSLV will be the last one needed to reach global coverage (36 sats) then we will launch 16 sats early May (15 are Gen1 and 1 is an early demo for Gen2) and we will be left with 20 ground spares to be launched at a later stage .

https://twitter.com/M_Ladovaz/status/1634693353936748546
« Last Edit: 03/12/2023 01:25 pm by GewoonLukas_ »
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Re: SpaceX F9 : Iridium 9 / OneWeb : May 2023
« Reply #17 on: 04/03/2023 08:51 pm »
OneWeb satellites are on their way to Vandenberg:

Quote
The last 16 @OneWeb satellites have left the factory going to California for the next launch on Falcon9 @SpaceX

https://twitter.com/M_Ladovaz/status/1642988702992310273
« Last Edit: 04/03/2023 08:51 pm by GewoonLukas_ »
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https://twitter.com/m_ladovaz/status/1643508603519631362

Quote
Day 2: @OneWeb satellites have crossed the Mississippi River 🚀🚀🚀

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https://twitter.com/m_ladovaz/status/1643737431999496193

Quote
Day 3 : @OneWeb  the satellites journey continues . Today Texas

 

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