Author Topic: SpaceX FH : Viasat-3 Americas (R): KSC LC-39A : 30 Apr/1 May 2023 (00:26 UTC)  (Read 202755 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Discussion Thread for ViaSat-3 mission.

NSF Threads for ViaSat-3 : Discussion
NSF Articles for ViaSat-3 :

Viasat-3.1 aunched successfully on April 30, 2023, at 8:26 pm EDT (May 1 00:26 UTC), on a Falcon Heavy from LC-39A to GEO.  Center and two side first stages were expended (center booster 1068-1; side boosters 1052-8 and 1053-3).  Fairings were recovered.

Rideshare Passengers:
  Aurora 4A small GEO sat from Astranis
  G-Space 1 (aka Nusantara-H1-A) 16U Cubesat for Gravity Space, will be used to bring into use a filing from Indonesia


Having previously lost the ViaSat-2 launch to Ariane 5 in 2016, due to FH delays, SpaceX has now won one of the 3 ViaSat-3 launches (with one each to ULA & ArianeSpace).

ViaSat Thread



Viasat, SpaceX Enter Contract for a Future ViaSat-3 Satellite Launch
Quote
CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc., (Nasdaq: VSAT), a global communications company, announced today it selected SpaceX to launch one of its ViaSat-3 satellite missions. The Viasat mission is scheduled to launch in the 2020 - 2022 timeframe from the Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission will launch aboard a Falcon Heavy.

Viasat chose the SpaceX Falcon Heavy for its ability to fly a near direct-injection mission, inserting a ViaSat-3 satellite extremely close to geostationary orbit—as a result, the spacecraft can begin in-orbit testing (IOT) quickly after launch, rather than spending weeks or months performing orbit raising maneuvers. This is expected to enable Viasat to turn on its ultra-high-speed broadband service much quicker after launch than is possible with other launch vehicles.

"Viasat sought a ViaSat-3 launch partner that understood our unique mission requirements: to safely and quickly bring a ViaSat-3 spacecraft into orbit, to further our goal of delivering terabits of data from space to meet growing global broadband demand," said Dave Ryan, president, Space Systems at Viasat. "We selected SpaceX as they continue to demonstrate their commitment to advancing space technologies. Their proven technology is both powerful and efficient enough to thrust a ViaSat-3 spacecraft close to geostationary orbit."

"There are exciting opportunities for Falcon Heavy in the market, particularly for customers like Viasat that need direct-injection extremely close to geostationary orbit," said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. "We look forward to delivering ViaSat-3 to orbit and helping bring Viasat's latest technology into service."

The ViaSat-3 class of Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility for a satellite platform. The first two satellites will focus on the Americas and on Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), respectively, with the third satellite planned for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, completing Viasat's global service coverage. Each ViaSat-3 class satellite is expected to deliver more than 1-Terabit per second of network capacity, and to leverage high levels of flexibility to dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located.

Selection of Falcon Heavy for one of the ViaSat-3 launches is the next step in implementing Viasat's integrated launch strategy for its ViaSat-3 satellite program, which is designed to ensure the on-time launch of its spacecraft through launch vehicle diversity and a systemic, integrated approach to launch planning. Viasat will announce specific ViaSat-3 mission assignments for each of its contracted launch vehicles at a later date.

edit: I'm just going to call the orbit GEO in the manifest table, sounds close enough



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: 07/12/2023 09:45 pm by gongora »

Offline PM3

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Quote
2021-2022 on Falcon Heavy from LC-39A to GEO.

Viasat, SpaceX Enter Contract for a Future ViaSat-3 Satellite Launch
Quote
CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc., (Nasdaq: VSAT), a global communications company, announced today it selected SpaceX to launch one of its ViaSat-3 satellite missions. The Viasat mission is scheduled to launch in the 2020 - 2022 timeframe from the Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission will launch aboard a Falcon Heavy.

Is there an update on the 2020-2022 timespan? Post #1 and thread title say 2021-2022.
« Last Edit: 02/26/2019 01:17 am by PM3 »
"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Offline gongora

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Is there an update on the 2020-2022 timespan? Post #1 and thread title say 2021-2022.

No updates I've seen.  It really doesn't matter until ViaSat gets around to picking the order of the flights.

Offline russianhalo117

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Is there an update on the 2020-2022 timespan? Post #1 and thread title say 2021-2022.

No updates I've seen.  It really doesn't matter until ViaSat gets around to picking the order of the flights.
I would think upon order of satellite completion followed by assigned launchers availability.

Offline PM3

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NET 2021

https://spacenews.com/viasat-orders-asia-pacific-viasat-3-from-boeing-amid-record-revenue/
Quote
In a Feb. 7 earnings call, Dankberg said the launch of the first ViaSat-3 satellite, expected to cover the Americas, will likely slip a few months to early 2021.
...
Carlsbad, California-based Viasat has three launch contracts for ViaSat-3 — one with Arianespace for an Ariane 5, one with United Launch Alliance for an Atlas 5, and one with SpaceX for a Falcon Heavy — but has not said which will launch first. Viasat is expected to launch the first ViaSat-3 to cover the Americas, followed be the second ViaSat-3 for Europe, the Middle East and Africa six months later. Dankberg said the third ViaSat-3, designated for the Asia Pacific, is expected to launch in the second half of 2022.
"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Offline Jansen

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https://spacenews.com/coronavirus-adds-to-viasat-3-delay-first-launch-still-in-2021/

Quote
The coronavirus pandemic has slowed work on the first ViaSat-3 broadband satellite, making a launch in mid-2021 unlikely, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said Aug. 7.
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Viasat is building the payloads for all three ViaSat-3 satellites in-house, and expects to ship the first payload to manufacturer Boeing later this year for integration into a 702 platform, Dankberg said. Viasat blamed earlier payload delays on an unnamed component supplier.

That satellite should still launch by the end of 2021, he said, but lacks a more specific launch date until the payload shipment.

Offline Jansen

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ViaSat Q2 2021 Earnings Call Transcript
Nov 6, 2020

Quote
We're ready to hand over the payload to Boeing and are zeroing in on one year before our first launch of the first of the three satellites.

Offline vaporcobra

Unsurprising confirmation of a "likely" slip into Q1 2022 for the first Viasat-3 launch.

http://investors.viasat.com/events/event-details/q3-2021-viasat-earnings-conference-call

Edit to add what looks like the first photos I've seen of Viasat-3 production, presumably the America and Europe satellites. Taken from their supposed "Q1 FY2021" shareholder letter in August 2020.

And a few renders.
« Last Edit: 02/05/2021 10:36 am by vaporcobra »

Offline gongora

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Do you see on those rendering where it says "Not Actual Design"?  I doubt those are even in the ballpark.

Offline StraumliBlight

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May 25th, fiscal year 2021 results:

Quote
"Subsequent to fiscal year-end, we completed payload integration for ViaSat-3 (Americas), which is undergoing final preparations for shipment to Boeing for final spacecraft integration and testing. Concurrently, the ground segment continued to progress on schedule to support an early calendar year 2022 satellite launch."

https://www.viasat.com/content/dam/us-site/corporate/documents/Viasat%20Q4_FY21_Shareholder_Letter_vFINAL.pdf

Offline Tomness

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May 25th, fiscal year 2021 results:

Quote
"Subsequent to fiscal year-end, we completed payload integration for ViaSat-3 (Americas), which is undergoing final preparations for shipment to Boeing for final spacecraft integration and testing. Concurrently, the ground segment continued to progress on schedule to support an early calendar year 2022 satellite launch."

https://www.viasat.com/content/dam/us-site/corporate/documents/Viasat%20Q4_FY21_Shareholder_Letter_vFINAL.pdf

Doubt any of these will fly on FH. With ViaSat salty with Starlink. It will go on Atlas/Vulcan, Ariane 5/6

Offline gongora

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They have a launch contract with SpaceX, as well as ULA and Arianespace.  On the earnings call they again declined to say what order they're going to use those launch providers

Offline Jansen

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Doubt any of these will fly on FH. With ViaSat salty with Starlink. It will go on Atlas/Vulcan, Ariane 5/6

I doubt they’d void a launch contract just out of spite. The penalty clauses are usually substantial.

Offline baldusi

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Doubt any of these will fly on FH. With ViaSat salty with Starlink. It will go on Atlas/Vulcan, Ariane 5/6

I doubt they’d void a launch contract just out of spite. The penalty clauses are usually substantial.

The penalty is losing all paid in advance money. Launch contracts are very piecewise. Generally you owe just 10% of the contract after launch. Every other amount is usually paid in advance. You really don't want to  default a launch contract after integration engineering is completed. You'd lose something like 70% of the launch cost.


Offline gongora

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Reminder that satellite may or may not be manifested on a SpaceX launch, and there is a thread for the Viasat 3 program.

Online scr00chy

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Gunter's website now shows the Aurora 4A satellite launching in 2022 on Falcon Heavy. I initially thought it might be hitching a ride on USSF-44, but now I'm thinking Viasat-3 also fits? It's planned for Q1 2022 and going to "almost GEO", which fits with this:

Quote
The Aurora 4A satellite, the first of two planned by Pacific DataPort, will roar into space atop a SpaceEx Falcon Heavy rocket from the SpaceEx commercial launch facility at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Schumann said the satellite will be placed into orbit by “direct entry,” a space industry term for a direct launch to geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above the earth. The usual procedure, he said, is to lift a geosynchronous satellite to its high orbit in several stages, a procedure that can take up to four months.

By directly launching to orbit Pacific DataPort will get the satellite into operation, and service provided, much sooner, he said.

However, as gongora pointed out, it's still not confirmed which Viasat-3 sat is launching in Q1 2022 and if it's the FH launch or one of the other ones. So it's too really to say for sure, but it seems like a promising candidate. There aren't really any other direct-to-GEO SpaceX launches planned right now.

Offline StraumliBlight

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Gunter's website now shows the Aurora 4A satellite launching in 2022 on Falcon Heavy. I initially thought it might be hitching a ride on USSF-44, but now I'm thinking Viasat-3 also fits? It's planned for Q1 2022 and going to "almost GEO", which fits with this:


In Gunter's post, he's just making an assumption that a commercial satellite won't be launched with a classified military payload.
« Last Edit: 06/12/2021 08:10 pm by StraumliBlight »

Offline gongora

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I'm guessing Aurora-IV/Arcturus is on this flight in early 2022, but have no confirmation of that yet.  Hopefully Viasat will eventually announce the launch vehicle for the first Viasat 3 flight but they don't really have any obligation to do so.

Offline russianhalo117

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Gunter's website now shows the Aurora 4A satellite launching in 2022 on Falcon Heavy. I initially thought it might be hitching a ride on USSF-44, but now I'm thinking Viasat-3 also fits? It's planned for Q1 2022 and going to "almost GEO", which fits with this:


In Gunter's post, he's just making an assumption that a commercial satellite won't be launched with a classified military payload.
It will not be launching on USSF-44 as it is a secondary rideshare mission and TETRA-1 is flying as the lower
Small passenger on USSF-44 whose upper large DoD passenger is TBA. There might be room for a single deployer deck for a few small government sponsored cubesats but such opportunity application process has not been started with regards to the present payload delivery timeline. Past information for the Auora-4A (family) in the companies presentations and IR calls was that it would pursue rideshare opportunities on commercial launches. There is no indication that stance has changed.

I'm guessing Aurora-IV/Arcturus is on this flight in early 2022, but have no confirmation of that yet.  Hopefully Viasat will eventually announce the launch vehicle for the first Viasat 3 flight but they don't really have any obligation to do so.
Keep in mind for clarification and continuity's sake that Aurora-4 was cancelled and its follow on family starting with 4A is dubbed Arcturus. There are two potential commercial FH opportunities in 2022 of which the other is Inmarsat-6F2. The new Long PLF and VI are thought to be tested on commercial and intergovernmental/interagency flights ahead of NSSL phase2 flights as there will be a certification process before the latter starts using these new services and configuration.
« Last Edit: 06/12/2021 09:10 pm by russianhalo117 »

Tags: viasat-3 ussf-44 
 

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