SpaceX F9 : Galileo L12 : KSC LC-39A : 27/28 April 2024 (00:34 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Discussion thread for Galileo L12 (FM25 & FM27) mission.

Launch 28 April at 00:34 UTC (27 April 8:34 pm EDT), from KSC LC-39A on Falcon 9 (B1060-20).  Booster was expended at sea.


Cross-post:

Planned launches:
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)

2021
Early - Galileo-FOC FM23, Galileo-FOC FM24 - Soyuz ST-B/Fregat-MT - Kourou ELS
H1 - OneWeb (x30) (TBD)  Galileo-FOC FM23, Galileo-FOC FM24 - Ariane 62 (FM1) [inaugural flight] - Kourou ELA-4

Changes on June 3rd

Cross-post:

Europe's #Ariane6 heavy-lift rocket's debut slips to late 2021; Covid-19 is only part of the reason.
https://bit.ly/3csCd52

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1268566155737862146

How do we know that a Galileo pair will take the premier flight? Would this still be true as the premier flight is delayed to late 2021?

Before the OneWeb bankruptcy, the maiden flight of Ariane 6, a Ariane 62, was to carry 30 OneWeb satellites to orbit in the first half of 2021.  The status of the flight is unknown.

Also, the maiden flight of Ariane 6 was delayed.

Now, this is the maiden flight of Ariane 6.  EDIT July 25: MAYBE

[Jester]

I suggest a change in the topic title as it is not known that the First Ariane 6 will be a 6.2 (it was a 6.4 some time ago)
Also the the payload is not confirmed and most likely not FM25/26

[Star One]

I suggest a change in the topic title as it is not known that the First Ariane 6 will be a 6.2 (it was a 6.4 some time ago)
Also the the payload is not confirmed and most likely not FM25/26

Considering recent developments I’d of thought you couldn’t discount it still being a payload for One Web.

[Bean Kenobi]

I suggest a change in the topic title as it is not known that the First Ariane 6 will be a 6.2 (it was a 6.4 some time ago)
Also the the payload is not confirmed and most likely not FM25/26

I think this has gone the other way round. A Galileo Ariane 62 flight has been planned for a while. With the OneWeb bankruptcy, the original Ariane 6 maiden flight (Ariane 64 with OneWeb) is now uncertain and the first A6 flight could be this one.

Maiden flight of Ariane 6 has always been an Ariane 62, even before Oneweb contract was signed.

[Star One]

I suggest a change in the topic title as it is not known that the First Ariane 6 will be a 6.2 (it was a 6.4 some time ago)
Also the the payload is not confirmed and most likely not FM25/26

I think this has gone the other way round. A Galileo Ariane 62 flight has been planned for a while. With the OneWeb bankruptcy, the original Ariane 6 maiden flight (Ariane 64 with OneWeb) is now uncertain and the first A6 flight could be this one.

This is pointless speculation as it could just as easily not be at this stage.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-posts; my bold:

https://ria.ru/20210314/galileo-1601117286.html
Google translate:

MOSCOW, March 14 - RIA Novosti. The launch of two European navigation satellites Galileo is planned to be launched in the first quarter of 2022 with the Russian Soyuz-ST launch vehicle instead of the European Ariane 6, a source in the rocket and space industry told RIA Novosti.
In September 2017, a contract was signed to launch four Galileo vehicles with two Ariane 6 launch vehicles between late 2020 and mid 2021. The treaty provided for the use of Soyuz missiles as a fallback. Later, due to the delay in the first launch of the Ariane 6, which is now slated for the second quarter of 2022, one of the two Galileo launches has been postponed to Soyuz and is currently slated for September 2021.
"The second launch of two Galileo satellites from the Guiana Space Center (Kouru Cosmodrome - Ed.) Has now also been transferred from the Ariane 6 rocket to Soyuz-ST and is planned, tentatively, in March 2022," the source said.

Soyuz ST-B/Fregat-MT's are presently reserved (reserved with RKTs Progress as build as needed) as the backup launcher for Galileo through this 2023 flight:
TBD - Galileo-FOC FM29, Galileo-FOC FM30 - Ariane 62 - Kourou ELA-4

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post; my bold; mid-2022:

https://insidegnss.com/galileo-update-esas-paul-verhoef-outlines-top-priorities/  [June 22]

After the November/December launch, Verhoef said, “We will do two more launches relatively quickly, one after the other, at intervals of about six or seven months. At that point we will have six new satellites in orbit. That’s two extra in every orbital plane. And then the remaining three launches, six more satellites, will come after that, to complete the batch-three series.”

According to current plans, if the new Ariane 6 is ready, the big launcher will take the last six satellites into orbit. “There will be an Ariane 6 maiden flight, and then we will be its first normal ‘paying’ customer, so to speak,” Verhoef said.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post; article dated August 16 Moscow Standard Time; my bold:

https://ria.ru/20210815/sputniki-1745780989.html
Google translate:

"To the two launches of Soyuz from the Kourou cosmodrome, two Galileo spacecraft in each, planned respectively in November 2021 and April 2022, another launch of two Galileos on Soyuz in September 2022 is added," the source said.
According to him, this is due to the fact that the Ariane 6 rocket, which was planned to be used to launch Galileo satellites, will fly no earlier than the end of next year.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-posts:
The next Kourou Galileo pair launch becomes VS28, launching in March.

Per Russians working on this launch it’s slipping to February 20 (making it F14), on the other hand F15 also from Kourou will move up to March.

But the Soyuz VS28 launch is for Galileo.
https://www.ohb.de/en/news/2021/partying-until-dawn-ohb-celebrates-successful-liftoff-for-galileo-satellites

The FM 25 & 26 satellites are already in the starting blocks and are scheduled for launching between March and April. [dated Dec 5]

The Russian source does not specify the payloads as I understand it.

Galileo was planned for April, this launch will be brought forward a bit, according to the source at Novkos.
OHB on October 8
https://www.ohb.de/en/news/2021/here-we-go-again-next-launch-for-ohb-galileo-satellites

The next launch is just around the corner

FM 23&24 will be probably launched at the end of the year. And the next satellites are already in the starting blocks: FM 25&26 have since completed their acceptance review, thus demonstrating their functionality. Now they are awaiting their journey to Kourou, which will presumably be in April 2022.

Now OHB write March to April, a little more cautiously than the NovKos source.

Followed by further confirmation and clarification:

SFN Launch Schedule has been updated (bolds mine):

Late March | Soyuz • Galileo 29 & 30

Launch time: TBD
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designed VS28, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry two Galileo full operational capability satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation. The Soyuz-2.1b (Soyuz ST-B) rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. [Dec. 14]

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
Update January 28

April 5/6 • Soyuz • Galileo 29 & 30
Launch time: 0031:51 GMT on 6th (8:31:51 p.m. EDT on 5th)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

[Josh_from_Canada]

A launch on April 6th at 00:31 UTC puts the satellites in orbital plane C

[zubenelgenubi]

Confirmation:

https://www.dlr.de/rd/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4926/8178_read-47362/

Der nächste Flug einer Sojus ist zum folgenden Termin geplant:
Nr    Version        Flug       Startdatum               Nutzlast(en)      Bemerkung

28   Sojus STB   VS28    6. April 2022     Galileo FOC FM25 ·  FM26

Angaben ohne Gewähr, Änderungen jederzeit möglich. Aktualisiert:  11. Februar 2022

[Rondaz]

Russian rocket to launch Galileo satellites on April 6.

Russian rocket to launch European navigation satellites Galileo on April 6.

08:59 17.02.2022

MOSCOW, February 17 - RIA Novosti. On April 6, 2022, the Soyuz-ST-B rocket will launch two European Galileo navigation satellites from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana into orbit, Roscosmos reports on Thursday.

"Work has started at the Soyuz launch complex in the Guiana Space Center ( French Guiana ) as part of the 28th launch campaign. Launch of the Soyuz-ST-B launch vehicle with the Fregat-MT upper stage and two Galileo FOC spacecraft M10 is scheduled for April 6, 2022 (April 5 local time),” the message reads.

This will be the second launch of the Galileo spacecraft, "transplanted" from the Ariane 6 rocket to the Soyuz due to the unavailability of the European carrier.

In September 2017, a contract was signed to launch four Galileo spacecraft with two Ariane 6 rockets, with Soyuz rockets as a fallback option. Due to the delay in the first launch of Ariane 6, both launches were rescheduled to Soyuz.

As a source in the rocket and space industry previously reported to RIA Novosti, another launch of two Galileos on the Soyuz should take place in September 2022. According to him, this is due to the fact that the Ariane 6 rocket, which was planned to be used to launch Galileo satellites, will not fly until the end of 2022.

https://ria.ru/20220217/sputnik-1773251393.html

[GWR64]

I think the satellites left Liege/Belgium today in an IL-76.
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/RA76952

[GWR64]

no launch!
cross posting:Soyuz-ST - Updates and Discussion

Roscosmos is now declaring that all Soyuz launches from CSG will be suspended as a result of EU sanctions and all Russian engineers working there will be retreated.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1497456827881172994?s=20&t=hNJUOdOVTNPJLzyINUUfBA

additional: (google translate)
There are 87 Russian citizens in French Guiana. We are talking about employees of NPO Lavochkin, who prepared the Fregat-MT upper stage, as well as employees of the Progress RCC (manufacturer of the Soyuz rockets) and TsENKI.
 
The issue of the departure of Russian employees is being worked out.

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1497461815634280452

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Bumping this thread up because there are now some more concrete reports of this, and the other pair of Galileo satellites once contracted to launch on Soyuz from Kourou, are going to move to a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch: https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1709849456932229147

Previous rumors in this direction only points to this being an option mulled by the European space community, especially as an offer from satellite manufacturer OHB-System.

This post will be renamed and moved once an official confirmation is released.

[TheKutKu]

https://www.wsj.com/tech/spacex-signs-deal-to-launch-key-european-satellites-c3b5fc7c


SpaceX Signs Deal to Launch Key European Satellites:

The Elon Musk-led company is set to blast as many as four of Europe’s flagship Galileo satellites into orbit next year amid delays for rival local rockets

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://www.wsj.com/tech/spacex-signs-deal-to-launch-key-european-satellites-c3b5fc7c


SpaceX Signs Deal to Launch Key European Satellites:

The Elon Musk-led company is set to blast as many as four of Europe’s flagship Galileo satellites into orbit next year amid delays for rival local rockets

The same report (also published by Reuters https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/spacex-signs-deal-launch-key-european-satellites-wsj-2023-10-23/) states that the European Commission and EU member states still has yet to give final approval of this deal. I'll move this post once this step is cleared.

[gongora]

[Threads merged.]

Hello,

This is what I saw on the French Challenges magazine. If this is not suitable for a separate thread (I really wondered where to post it), I'll ask mods to place it somewhere else.

Link:

https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/ariane-6-le-coup-de-poignard-de-l-allemand-ohb-qui-pousse-spacex_805619

Apparently OHB wants the Galileo satellites to be launched with SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets instead of Ariane 6. This is quite surprising as OHB is a minority shareholder in Arianespace.

Unfortunately, most of the article is behind a paywall. Still the basic message is clear: OHB wants Brussels to buy three Falcon 9 launches which would put 2 Galileo satellites per launch. The idea is to send the satellites to space in short term.

SpaceX Signs Deal to Launch Key European Satellites

PARIS—SpaceX has signed a deal to launch up to four of Europe’s flagship navigation satellites into orbit, reinforcing the Elon Musk-led company’s growing foothold in the region as local rivals struggle to get rockets off the ground.

With $398M from @defis_eu, @esa now fully integrated into #iris2 secure-comms constellation & development by #SpaceRise consortium; contracts to launch 4 @GalileoGNSS sats on 2 @SpaceX Falcon 9s in 2024 signed.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1709849456932229147

2343-EX-ST-2023

This STA is intended to cover pre-launch testing for a commercial payload on Missions Galileo L12 and L13. Tests involve RF shielding ground system equipment attenuation stand-alone check at the SpaceX Payload Processing Facility at CCSFS. This STA is not for flight.

NET late February

USN seeks authority to support Tracking operations for the Galileo L12 spacecrafts (GSAT0225 & GSAT0227) scheduled for launch on April 1st 2024

[GWR64]

Another FCC filing for LEOP support
SES-STA-20231222-02564
RAAN: ~123.68 deg. , fits approximately to orbit plane C

edit: permanent filing number