Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : O3b mPower 3/4 : CCSFS SLC-40 : 28 April 2023 (22:12 UTC) (Read 44448 times)

zubenelgenubi · « **on:** 01/05/2023 12:09 pm »

Discussion thread for launch of O3B mPOWER satellites 3 and 4.

NSF Threads for O3B mPower flight 2: Discussion
O3B mPOWER program
See mPOWER Flight 1 thread for more information and links

Launch of a second pair of satellites on April 28, 2023, at 22:12 UTC (6:12 pm EDT), on Falcon 9 from Canaveral SLC-40 to an equatorial MEO transfer orbit. The first stage is B1078-2. Successful first stage landing aboard Just Read the Instructions.

The operational orbit will be 8000km equatorial.

O3b mPower satellites

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #1 on:** 01/05/2023 02:57 pm »

Cross-posts
Manufacture contract:

Quote from: jacqmans on 09/12/2017 10:50 am

Boeing to Design and Build Seven Medium Earth Orbit Satellites for SES

The satellites will carry Boeing’s most-advanced digital payload applicable to all orbits

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sept. 11, 2017 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] will design and build seven super-powered medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites for SES, delivering efficient high-performance data communications services to users around the world.

The O3b mPOWER satellites will include Boeing’s most-advanced digital payload technology and will be built using electronics from the flight-proven 702 satellite platform customized to support the unique MEO environment.

“With this new technology and design, Boeing is able to build satellites faster and more cost-effectively while still providing the high performance our customers have come to expect from Boeing digital satellites,” said Paul Rusnock, chairman and CEO, Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc. “This latest digital payload design has an unprecedented level of technology integration, built-in test capability and is modular and scalable for all orbits.”

“The SES O3b mPOWER system opens a new era of connectivity, fundamentally transforming the role and capabilities of satellites,” said Karim Michel Sabbagh, president and CEO at SES. “O3b mPOWER is a unique system with exponentially more power, performance and flexibility, which sets the technology at the highest level, offering a visionaryroadmap for next generation technology.”

The satellites are designed to be launched up to four at a time in a stacked configuration, depending on the selected launch vehicle.

Starting in the 1990s, Boeing has built 12 satellites for SES. The latest, SES-15, was launched earlier this year.

For more information on Defense, Space & Security, visit www.boeing.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130014#Closed

Launch contract:

Quote from: almightycat on 09/09/2019 09:50 am

https://twitter.com/steviecSES/status/1170982381068722176
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/o3b-21.htm
Quote from: Steve Collar tweet
It’s early for champagne but when in Paris! This morning @SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell and I signed the deal to launch #O3bmPOWER We are connecting people and changing lives and the mPOWER ecosystem is developing fast! Great to have such a strong partner in SpaceX #SES #WSBW

Launch date is 2021 as of 2017.

Quote from: gongora on 01/08/2020 02:42 pm

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1214813721991819264
Quote
.@SES_Satellites @SES_Government insists no decision yet, but co.'s pitch to military suggests it'll add inclined orbit to O3b/mPower network for Arctic coverage. It already has @FCC OK for this.http://bit.ly/2urlhvn

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 05/05/2022 07:09 am

Now NET Q3; 1/2, 3/4, 5/6:

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1522109586051850240
Quote from: Peter B de Selding tweet
.@SpaceX launch of 11 @SES_Satellites O3b mPower MEO-orbit sats slips & reshuffles to 5 launches, not 4. Was: 2 launches, each 3 sats, in Q2 2022, another 3-sat late 2022 & final 2 sats 2024. Now: 3 launches, each w/ 2 sats, in Q3, then 3-sat launch Q4 & final 2 sats in 2024. [May 5]

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #2 on:** 01/08/2023 04:21 am »

Cross-post:

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/20/2022 12:14 am

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

Spacecraft arrived at the Cape on December 3 for a launch then scheduled on December 13. Successfully launched on December 16.

GWR64 · « **Reply #3 on:** 01/09/2023 05:04 pm »

launch end of February,
Morgan Brennan talks with SES CEO Steve Collar.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hNnLsOXVMeDNzUyrfKruT?si=BwN7t2UqQfOXdEi4DDhvCA&nd=1

after 3 minutes

[January 5]

gongora · « **Reply #4 on:** 01/09/2023 05:13 pm »

Quote from: GWR64 on 01/09/2023 05:04 pm

launch end of February,
Morgan Brennan talks with SES CEO Steve Collar.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hNnLsOXVMeDNzUyrfKruT?si=BwN7t2UqQfOXdEi4DDhvCA&nd=1

after 3 minutes

end of February, end of March, before the half year is up for the next 3

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #5 on:** 01/18/2023 08:41 pm »

Ben Cooper (Updated January 18th)

Quote

And a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the next pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on late February.

https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #6 on:** 01/25/2023 08:02 pm »

Observation:
If one of the mPower satellites launched last December is indeed suffering from a technical issue or issues (see launch thread starting here), this launch and the following mPower launches could be delayed for investigation and remediation.

Will this launch be delayed?

Edit January 28/further observation:
The final Falcon 9 OneWeb cluster launch could replace the mPower pair launch (late February, SLC-40), if necessary.

Edit Jan 31: The OneWeb launch is now NET March.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/04/2023 08:01 pm »

Assuming a late February launch, what first stage will be used?

I make another assumption: 1052.8 is now held back for re-conversion to a side booster for the Falcon Heavy launch in late March.

1060.16 is presumably undergoing SpaceX's "deep-dive examination."

1076.3 is assigned to Starlink 6-1, but we currently don't know when that launch will be.

Available Florida first stages and previous recovery dates:
1058.16 Dec 17, 2022
1067.10 Jan 26
1069.6 Feb 2 (maybe)
1073.7 ~~NET~~ Feb 7 UTC 5 (maybe)

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/08/2023 11:04 pm »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 01/25/2023 08:02 pm

Observation:
If one of the mPower satellites launched last December is indeed suffering from a technical issue or issues (see launch thread starting here), this launch and the following mPower launches could be delayed for investigation and remediation.

Cross-post:

Quote from: GWR64 on 02/08/2023 05:38 pm

So finally there are meaningful TLE from the 2nd satellite. Everything fine, [both satellites' orbits rising].

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/10/2023 01:26 am »

The next important news should be delivery. This launch could still precede Crew-6 to orbit.

realnouns · « **Reply #10 on:** 02/10/2023 01:43 pm »

The only unassigned FCC apps that are remotely possible for this launch are the following, with issues noted. All other FCC apps have been spoken for (Starlink, ISS, SLC-4E, & Inmarsat 6 which also has FAA approval so has to be 0003-EX-ST-2023:

Quote

0131-EX-ST-2023 Mission 1860 (RTLS Option)

Can MEO be RTLS? Previous O3b 1/2 launched 1.6 degrees SE w ASDS 669km downrange

Quote

0136-EX-ST-2023 Mission 1860 (ASDS Option) 76.6 degrees SE, 550km

The droneship option for Mission 1860 seems more like a Polar Orbit

Quote

0157-EX-ST-2023 Mission 1589 2.5 degrees SE, 670km

Has been discussed to be a C-band launch. Seems more suited for SES-18/SES-19. Either way, OSD not until Mar 2 (ie. NET), so wouldn't proceed Crew 6 unless trip to ISS is delayed

If it turns out none of these are for O3b 3/4, we're looking at NET 2nd half of March (~6 weeks = 5 weeks average for Commercial Launch from FCC Receipt Date to Operation Start Date, and average minimum 1 week from OSD to Launch Date)

I know Ben Cooper has had the following up for a while, and he's usually spot on, but I just don't see how it's possible.

Quote

And a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the next pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on late February.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #11 on:** 02/10/2023 04:58 pm »

Perhaps this pair is destined for inclined (70 deg) MEO?

crandles57 · « **Reply #12 on:** 02/12/2023 10:27 am »

Quote from: realnouns on 02/10/2023 01:43 pm

I know Ben Cooper has had the following up for a while, and he's usually spot on, but I just don't see how it's possible.
Quote
And a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the next pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on late February.

I suspect the "Late February" on various sources like sfn launch schedule, Launch photography ... comes from
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hNnLsOXVMeDNzUyrfKruT
dated 5 Jan at ~3 minutes - 3 min 25.

Perhaps there have been delays since then but no public announcements thereof so everyone is just leaving that "Late February" in place because they have nothing better to show?

Or do we know of more recent confirmation that it is still planned for late Feb?

crandles57 · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/12/2023 01:39 pm »

Quote from: crandles57 on 02/12/2023 01:38 pm

Ben Coopers Launch photography (12th Feb update) has pad 40 doing I6-f2 on 17/18 then a starlink launch then O3b mPower in late Feb.
5 day gaps now possible: 18th 23rd 28th ?

Quote
The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Inmarsat 6 F2 satellite from pad 40 on February 17 at 10:58 p.m. EST. A Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch a Starlink batch on late February TBD. A Falcon 9 from pad 39A will launch four astronauts to the ISS on Crew-6 on February 26 at 2:07 a.m. EST (Saturn V Center tickets on sale here). And a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the next pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on late February.

Seems likely Starlink launch after I6-f2 would be 6-1. O3b likely slipping to March?

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #14 on:** 02/17/2023 01:15 am »

Mention of the mPower launch has been removed; Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, updated February 16:

Quote

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Inmarsat 6 F2 satellite from pad 40 on February 17 at 10:59 p.m. EST. A Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch a Starlink batch on February 23. A Falcon 9 from pad 39A will launch four astronauts to the ISS on Crew-6 on February 26 at 2:07 a.m. EST. And a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the next batch of OneWeb satellites for SES on early March.

NET March

Alexphysics · « **Reply #15 on:** 02/17/2023 01:34 am »

I see no one is noticing how the phrase says next batch of OneWeb sats for SES. Clearly a typo but unclear on what side. It's either a batch of OneWeb satellites, or the O3b mPOWER satellites for SES. Can't be both at once.

realnouns · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/17/2023 03:49 am »

Quote from: Alexphysics on 02/17/2023 01:34 am

I see no one is noticing how the phrase says next batch of OneWeb sats for SES. Clearly a typo but unclear on what side. It's either a batch of OneWeb satellites, or the O3b mPOWER satellites for SES. Can't be both at once.

Yeah, saw that. It seems like he updated to OneWeb and forgot to change the company. Like I've said before, no FCC for O3b, I don't know how they're not 6 weeks out, minimum.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/27/2023 06:16 am »

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1630102713814974464

Quote

.@SES_Satellites: O3b mPower deployment schedule slips slightly. 2nd & 3rd pairs to launch on two @SpaceX Falcon 9s in Q2 (was Q1), with initial commercial service 'late Q3.' 4th pair to launch later this year, final 3 sats in 2024.

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #18 on:** 03/15/2023 06:10 am »

Looks like this mission will be next from SLC-40 after Intelsat 40e:

Ben Cooper (Updated March 15th)

Quote

And a Falcon 9 will launch the second pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from pad 40 on April TBD.

https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #19 on:** 03/26/2023 04:26 pm »

Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 03/15/2023 06:10 am

Looks like this mission will be next from SLC-40 after Intelsat 40e:

Ben Cooper (Updated March 15th)
Quote
And a Falcon 9 will launch the second pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from pad 40 on April TBD.

https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html

Cross-post:

Quote from: realnouns on 03/02/2023 08:44 pm

Quote from: gongora on 03/02/2023 02:16 am
0488-EX-ST-2023

Mission 1825 from LC-40 at CCAFS or LC-39A at KSC
NET mid-April [April 11], launching east
ASDS North 28 16 3 West 73 32 26

Uses Information from [the first] O3b mPower [launch]...maybe finally a lead on when [the second] mPower will launch.