Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 - Eutelsat 117W B & ABS 2A - SLC-40 - June - DISCUSSION  (Read 262165 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

Thought we had a thread for this one already, anyway:

S1 is at McGregor:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/04/falcon-9-booster-reuse-testing-ksc/

Resources:

SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews):
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21862.0

SpaceX News Articles (Recent):
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/spacex/

=--=

SpaceX GENERAL Forum Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=45.0 - please use this for general questions NOT specific to this mission.

SpaceX MISSIONS Forum Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=55.0 - this section is for everything specific to SpaceX missions.
« Last Edit: 05/28/2016 09:07 am by input~2 »
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Offline ZachS09

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On the SpaceX Manifest thread, it says that the launch date is May 3rd. Could SpaceX pull off two launches in five days?
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Offline Galactic Penguin SST

I don't think the satellites have been delivered to the launch site yet. Is that correct?

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Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Am I right in saying that these are the two SEP-powered spacecraft that only need to be launched into LEO?

On the SpaceX Manifest thread, it says that the launch date is May 3rd. Could SpaceX pull off two launches in five days?

I'd add at least seven days to that, minimum but stranger things have happened, assuming that the booster is already ready for delivery.
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Offline rocx

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Am I right in saying that these are the two SEP-powered spacecraft that only need to be launched into LEO?

I don't think so. Letting an SEP satellite raise itself from LEO to GEO would take a long time, and much of that time in the Van Allen belts. At a minimum the Falcon 9 would launch it to an apogee significantly above the Van Allen belts.
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Offline Chris Bergin

On the SpaceX Manifest thread, it says that the launch date is May 3rd. Could SpaceX pull off two launches in five days?

I doubt that May 3 date will hold for this one. It's simply a case where (non-CRS, because the ISSP work out VV schedules in advance) mission dates pan out one at a time. Concentration is on JCSAT-14, then we'll know about this next one.

Also pretty sure five days is not a doable turnaround on the same pad yet.
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Offline Okie_Steve

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So, give the wildly much too optimistic assumption of two building, two rockets and two complete crews form SpaceX and satellite vendors to work on them, what is the rate limiting work on the pad itself? I'm guessing the umbilicals have to be replaced and RP-1 and chilled LOX talks have to be brought back up to capacity, what else?

Offline Jim

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So, give the wildly much too optimistic assumption of two building, two rockets and two complete crews form SpaceX and satellite vendors to work on them, what is the rate limiting work on the pad itself? I'm guessing the umbilicals have to be replaced and RP-1 and chilled LOX talks have to be brought back up to capacity, what else?

One building, one erector and one pad.  Only one set of stages can fit in the SLC-40 HIF at a time.

Offline Lar

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So, give the wildly much too optimistic assumption of two building, two rockets and two complete crews form SpaceX and satellite vendors to work on them, what is the rate limiting work on the pad itself? I'm guessing the umbilicals have to be replaced and RP-1 and chilled LOX talks have to be brought back up to capacity, what else?

One building, one erector and one pad.  Only one set of stages can fit in the SLC-40 HIF at a time.
Is it pretty much impossible to do "most of the work" in the 39a HIF and then transfer? I'm thinking once they mate the second stage they''re not going to move from one HIF to another...?
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Offline GreenShrike

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Would it be practical to prep Eutelsat/ABS in LC-39A's HIF while JCSAT is tying up SLC-40?

Actually I guess CRS-8's booster will be occupying 39A for a while, but more generally, if LC-39A isn't in the middle of a launch campaign, would it be practical to use its HIF to parallel process a second F9 and/or payload, and move it over to SLC-40 once the first F9 is launched and 40's HIF is clear?

I imagine in the future with, say, 4 Dragon launches (3 cargo, 1 crew) and some number of additional NASA, AF or other gov't payloads, 39A will be fairly busy and its facilities won't be sitting idle for long stretches. And if they are idle, then SpaceX could just launch a commercial sat from 39A and not bother with transferring the vehicle to 40, so I guess this current period is an anomaly and using 39A to prep a launch for 40 wouldn't be a normal procedure.
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Offline Jim

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Is it pretty much impossible to do "most of the work" in the 39a HIF and then transfer? I'm thinking once they mate the second stage they''re not going to move from one HIF to another...?

They already  have Building AO to process stages before going to the SLC-40 HIF.  Going to 39 isn't going to provide any more advantages.

Offline Jim

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Would it be practical to prep Eutelsat/ABS in LC-39A's HIF while JCSAT is tying up SLC-40?

Actually I guess CRS-8's booster will be occupying 39A for a while, but more generally, if LC-39A isn't in the middle of a launch campaign, would it be practical to use its HIF to parallel process a second F9 and/or payload, and move it over to SLC-40 once the first F9 is launched and 40's HIF is clear?

I imagine in the future with, say, 4 Dragon launches (3 cargo, 1 crew) and some number of additional NASA, AF or other gov't payloads, 39A will be fairly busy and its facilities won't be sitting idle for long stretches. And if they are idle, then SpaceX could just launch a commercial sat from 39A and not bother with transferring the vehicle to 40, so I guess this current period is an anomaly and using 39A to prep a launch for 40 wouldn't be a normal procedure.

They don't move completed vehicles between facilities.

Offline Saabstory88

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Would it be practical to prep Eutelsat/ABS in LC-39A's HIF while JCSAT is tying up SLC-40?

Actually I guess CRS-8's booster will be occupying 39A for a while, but more generally, if LC-39A isn't in the middle of a launch campaign, would it be practical to use its HIF to parallel process a second F9 and/or payload, and move it over to SLC-40 once the first F9 is launched and 40's HIF is clear?

I imagine in the future with, say, 4 Dragon launches (3 cargo, 1 crew) and some number of additional NASA, AF or other gov't payloads, 39A will be fairly busy and its facilities won't be sitting idle for long stretches. And if they are idle, then SpaceX could just launch a commercial sat from 39A and not bother with transferring the vehicle to 40, so I guess this current period is an anomaly and using 39A to prep a launch for 40 wouldn't be a normal procedure.

They don't move completed vehicles between facilities.

That makes me wonder, what kind of flight rate would have to be occurring before their current facilities would become a bottleneck?

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Corporate video:



Edit:

ABS 2A coverage and tech info

http://www.absatellite.com/satellite-fleet/?sat=abs2a

« Last Edit: 05/03/2016 08:30 pm by Ronsmytheiii »

Offline John Alan

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http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40231.msg1531465#msg1531465

My opinion... this one will go expendable... see above post I made in the Manifest thread...
I may be wrong... just my opinion...  ;)

On edit much later... I am likely wrong on this.. not as heavy as I was led to believe..
However... I still believe SpaceX will go expendable on anything above 5250kg-ish in the short term...
Just an opinion...  ;)
« Last Edit: 05/09/2016 08:29 pm by John Alan »

Offline gongora

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Tweet from Stephen Clark
Quote
Eutelsat: Launch of Eutelsat 117 West B telecom satellite on SpaceX Falcon 9 with ABS 2A co-passenger still expected before the end of June.

Offline Kabloona

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http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40231.msg1531465#msg1531465

My opinion... this one will go expendable... see above post I made in the Manifest thread...
I may be wrong... just my opinion...  ;)

On edit much later... I am likely wrong on this.. not as heavy as I was led to believe..

The manifest list by starhawk92 calls it 4200 kg, which is lighter than JCSAT-14 by 500 kg or so. Good news for the landing attempt.
« Last Edit: 05/12/2016 07:24 pm by Kabloona »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Eutelsat have had a briefing (investor's call?) this morning. Still showing Eutelsat 117WB as Q2 2016 (ie June given Thaicom 8 is next in late May):

Quote
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes 10m10 minutes ago

Here's Eutelsat launch plan. Add 115 West B, launched for LatAm. Co believes in HTS for consumer brdbnd only.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/731043082981015552

Also some launches in 2018/19 yet to be announced.
« Last Edit: 05/13/2016 09:01 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Here's a bit more specific update on launch date:

Quote
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes 21m21 minutes ago

Eutelsat says SpaceX launch of its 117W B sat (w/ ABS-2A) in mid-June. This is 2d pair of Boeing all-elect sats riding together on Falcon 9.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/731063198305140736

Offline oldAtlas_Eguy

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The exact date for a mid June launch would depend on both the Thiacom and CRS9 dates. If CRS 9 is holding to a 27 June date that would put the Eutelsat/ABS ~11 June. If CRS 9 has moved out into July then I would peg the date as ~18 June.

June looks to be a very busy month with 10 launches worldwide. And 3 of those SpaceX (maybe).

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