SpaceX F9 : O3b mPOWER 1/2 : CCSFS SLC-40 : 16 December 2022 (22:48 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Timing of the following mPower launches:
NSF SpaceX launches second mission from Florida within two days, December 17:

SES says the plan is to launch four more satellites on two different launches during the first quarter of 2023. That is expected to be followed by two more satellites launched later in 2023. A final three satellites are expected to launch in 2024, completing the network.

Why the satellites' processing was quicker than usual:
SFN First O3b mPOWER broadband satellites set for liftoff after quick launch campaign, December 15:

The two O3b mPOWER spacecraft arrived at Cape Canaveral on Dec. 3 after a cross-country flight from Boeing’s commercial satellite manufacturing plant in El Segundo, California. Boeing engineers in California connected the two satellites together into their launch configuration at the factory, accomplishing a task more typically done at the launch site in the final weeks before liftoff.

The satellites rode a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo plane from California to the Florida spaceport. Boeing also loaded xenon gas into the satellites’ propulsion systems before the departed the factory near Los Angeles International Airport, a company official told Spaceflight Now. <snip>

The design of the satellites allowed Boeing to slash the time required to ready the O3b mPOWER spacecraft for launch. Instead of mating the satellites and fueling them at Cape Canaveral, Boeing only needed to complete final functional testing on the satellites before encapsulating them inside the Falcon 9 rocket’s nose cone.

And, when these two satellites should enter service, same source:

The O3b mPOWER satellites should reach their circular 5,000-mile-high perch around April, according to SES.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1605508409528295429

Arrival! Falcon 9 B1067 has returned back to Port Canaveral atop ASOG droneship

nsf.live/spacecoast

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1605517455228641281

Bob was towing and also carrying a single fairing half.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1605553717884776449

The fleet has arrived with B1067 after a successful mPower mission. One booster and one fairing half have arrived so far today. Tune in to @NASASpaceflight Spacecoast Live to see what else arrives as a cold front moves in.

nsf.live/spacecoast

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/tweetsiphotos/status/1605967237948456963

SpaceX booster B1067 was recently flipped horizontally in preparation for it to be refurbished and reflown for future flights.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kristinaverner/status/1605947633985519617

B1067 gets laid down for transport to processing. #SlowMo #SpaceX @PortCanaveral

[GWR64]

Does anyone have updated information on the satellites?
At Celestrak (or similar websites) there are 3 objects, for 2022-174A (O3B MPOWER-A F1) there are 17 day old TLEs.
For 2022-174B (O3B MPOWER-A F2) and 2022-174C (FALCON 9 R/B) there are current TLEs, the orbits are almost identical and still have the same altitude as after the launch.
Due to natural drift, objects B and C now have a argument of perigee ~243 deg.. If one of them is a satellite, the energy requirements to reach a ~8000 km orbit with 0° incl. would be significantly increased.
Something is wrong.   

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174

O3B MPOWER-A F1         
1 54755U 22174A   22356.18260191  .00000047  00000+0  00000+0 0  9997
2 54755   9.6319 253.0871 1859317 195.2651 337.7567  7.25479946   387
O3B MPOWER-A F2         
1 54756U 22174B   23007.88684914  .00000049  00000+0  00000+0 0  9994
2 54756   9.6126 228.9957 1870761 242.7255  97.0308  7.26306060  1594
FALCON 9 R/B           
1 54757U 22174C   23007.88687058  .00000052  00000+0  19909-2 0  9992
2 54757   9.6168 229.0352 1869406 242.6934  97.0750  7.26306223  1580

[mn]

Does anyone have updated information on the satellites?
At Celestrak (or similar websites) there are 3 objects, for 2022-174A (O3B MPOWER-A F1) there are 17 day old TLEs.
For 2022-174B (O3B MPOWER-A F2) and 2022-174C (FALCON 9 R/B) there are current TLEs, the orbits are almost identical and still have the same altitude as after the launch.
Due to natural drift, objects B and C now have a argument of perigee ~243 deg.. If one of them is a satellite, the energy requirements to reach a ~8000 km orbit with 0° incl. would be significantly increased.
Something is wrong.   

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174

O3B MPOWER-A F1         
1 54755U 22174A   22356.18260191  .00000047  00000+0  00000+0 0  9997
2 54755   9.6319 253.0871 1859317 195.2651 337.7567  7.25479946   387
O3B MPOWER-A F2         
1 54756U 22174B   23007.88684914  .00000049  00000+0  00000+0 0  9994
2 54756   9.6126 228.9957 1870761 242.7255  97.0308  7.26306060  1594
FALCON 9 R/B           
1 54757U 22174C   23007.88687058  .00000052  00000+0  19909-2 0  9992
2 54757   9.6168 229.0352 1869406 242.6934  97.0750  7.26306223  1580

Object 174A now has current data and seems to be on the move. No apparent change for 174B and 174C

[mn]

Does anyone have updated information on the satellites?
At Celestrak (or similar websites) there are 3 objects, for 2022-174A (O3B MPOWER-A F1) there are 17 day old TLEs.
For 2022-174B (O3B MPOWER-A F2) and 2022-174C (FALCON 9 R/B) there are current TLEs, the orbits are almost identical and still have the same altitude as after the launch.
Due to natural drift, objects B and C now have a argument of perigee ~243 deg.. If one of them is a satellite, the energy requirements to reach a ~8000 km orbit with 0° incl. would be significantly increased.
Something is wrong.   

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174

O3B MPOWER-A F1         
1 54755U 22174A   22356.18260191  .00000047  00000+0  00000+0 0  9997
2 54755   9.6319 253.0871 1859317 195.2651 337.7567  7.25479946   387
O3B MPOWER-A F2         
1 54756U 22174B   23007.88684914  .00000049  00000+0  00000+0 0  9994
2 54756   9.6126 228.9957 1870761 242.7255  97.0308  7.26306060  1594
FALCON 9 R/B           
1 54757U 22174C   23007.88687058  .00000052  00000+0  19909-2 0  9992
2 54757   9.6168 229.0352 1869406 242.6934  97.0750  7.26306223  1580

Object 174A now has current data and seems to be on the move. No apparent change for 174B and 174C

If something was wrong I would expect to see more about this in other sources (Jonathan McDowell)? The silence is deafening.

Perhaps this is normal for electric propulsion orbit raising?

[eeergo]

Does anyone have updated information on the satellites?
At Celestrak (or similar websites) there are 3 objects, for 2022-174A (O3B MPOWER-A F1) there are 17 day old TLEs.
For 2022-174B (O3B MPOWER-A F2) and 2022-174C (FALCON 9 R/B) there are current TLEs, the orbits are almost identical and still have the same altitude as after the launch.
Due to natural drift, objects B and C now have a argument of perigee ~243 deg.. If one of them is a satellite, the energy requirements to reach a ~8000 km orbit with 0° incl. would be significantly increased.
Something is wrong.   

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174

O3B MPOWER-A F1         
1 54755U 22174A   22356.18260191  .00000047  00000+0  00000+0 0  9997
2 54755   9.6319 253.0871 1859317 195.2651 337.7567  7.25479946   387
O3B MPOWER-A F2         
1 54756U 22174B   23007.88684914  .00000049  00000+0  00000+0 0  9994
2 54756   9.6126 228.9957 1870761 242.7255  97.0308  7.26306060  1594
FALCON 9 R/B           
1 54757U 22174C   23007.88687058  .00000052  00000+0  19909-2 0  9992
2 54757   9.6168 229.0352 1869406 242.6934  97.0750  7.26306223  1580

Object 174A now has current data and seems to be on the move. No apparent change for 174B and 174C

If something was wrong I would expect to see more about this in other sources (Jonathan McDowell)? The silence is deafening.

Perhaps this is normal for electric propulsion orbit raising?

FWIW Jonathan (and perhaps other such figures with him) is in a conference and has advised he won't be following events as closely around these dates.

[GWR64]

Does anyone have updated information on the satellites?
At Celestrak (or similar websites) there are 3 objects, for 2022-174A (O3B MPOWER-A F1) there are 17 day old TLEs.
For 2022-174B (O3B MPOWER-A F2) and 2022-174C (FALCON 9 R/B) there are current TLEs, the orbits are almost identical and still have the same altitude as after the launch.
Due to natural drift, objects B and C now have a argument of perigee ~243 deg.. If one of them is a satellite, the energy requirements to reach a ~8000 km orbit with 0° incl. would be significantly increased.
Something is wrong.   

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174

O3B MPOWER-A F1         
1 54755U 22174A   22356.18260191  .00000047  00000+0  00000+0 0  9997
2 54755   9.6319 253.0871 1859317 195.2651 337.7567  7.25479946   387
O3B MPOWER-A F2         
1 54756U 22174B   23007.88684914  .00000049  00000+0  00000+0 0  9994
2 54756   9.6126 228.9957 1870761 242.7255  97.0308  7.26306060  1594
FALCON 9 R/B           
1 54757U 22174C   23007.88687058  .00000052  00000+0  19909-2 0  9992
2 54757   9.6168 229.0352 1869406 242.6934  97.0750  7.26306223  1580

Object 174A now has current data and seems to be on the move. No apparent change for 174B and 174C

If something was wrong I would expect to see more about this in other sources (Jonathan McDowell)? The silence is deafening.

Perhaps this is normal for electric propulsion orbit raising?

Probably  the rules, which for satellites with chemical propulsion apply, do not apply to electric ones.
But why is the second satellite not rising?
The TLE assignment for object A was lost when the satellite began maneuvering.
The orbit data of objects B and C went up and down violently in late December. ( screenshots source Celestrak )

Object B and C at N2YO.com, still close together: https://www.n2yo.com/?s=54756|54757
That doesn't seem logical to me, even if the satellite hadn't maneuvered yet.

[gongora]

The sat that started orbit raising is at 4000km perigee and 7 degree inclination.  The other still isn't moving.

[GWR64]

The sat that started orbit raising is at 4000km perigee and 7 degree inclination.  The other still isn't moving.

Objects B and C practically stick together and don't move any further apart.
The orbit data differ minimally, otherwise I would say that's just one object.
Something is strange.

[mn]

The sat that started orbit raising is at 4000km perigee and 7 degree inclination.  The other still isn't moving.

Objects B and C practically stick together and don't move any further apart.
The orbit data differ minimally, otherwise I would say that's just one object.
Something is strange.

The data in these charts is a little different for the two objects:
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/graph-orbit-data.php?CATNR=54756
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/graph-orbit-data.php?CATNR=54757

But I have no idea how to interpret that data so I can't judge if that is a real difference or just noise.

Both charts have an area of large fluctuations that stand out significantly from the rest of the chart, any idea why?

[mn]

If the 3rd object 174C is the F9 2nd stage, was it expected to remain in this orbit? Or was it expected to deorbit (or move to some out of the way orbit)?

[GewoonLukas_]

If the 3rd object 174C is the F9 2nd stage, was it expected to remain in this orbit? Or was it expected to deorbit (or move to some out of the way orbit)?

Yes, the 2nd stage was expected to remain in orbit. The satellites got deployed into a 2800km x 7000km, which basically used up all the fuel. So just like with Geostationary Transfer Orbit or Direct-To-Geostationary-Orbit launches there wasn't enough fuel left to perform the de-orbit burn.

[GWR64]

More than 7 weeks after the launch, the objects 2022-174B and -174C still in paired flight around the earth.
The orbits currently differ only minimally in terms of inclination.
You have to zoom the N2YO.com live projection map far to separate the objects.
I don't understand that. 
The links again:
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2022-174
https://www.n2yo.com/?s=54756|54757

[GWR64]

So finally there are meaningful TLE from the 2nd satellite. Everything fine, rises.
I don't know how and why the Falcon 9 second stage was recorded twice. That couldn't be right.
screenshot Celestrak: