Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 4 : December 22/23, 2017 - UPDATES  (Read 100244 times)

Online Chris Bergin

UPDATE THREAD for Flight 4 of the Iridium NEXT missions.

Successfully launched December 22, 2017 at 5:27 p.m. PST on a reused Falcon 9 (1036.2) from SLC-4E at Vandenberg.  First stage was expended.

   Flight 4 will launch into plane 2.  One of the satellites will then drift to plane 1.

   NSF Threads for Iridium NEXT Flight 4: Discussion / Updates / L2 Coverage November-December / ASDS / Party
   NSF Articles for Iridium NEXT Flight 4: 

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/10/iridium-4-flight-proven-falcon-9-rtls-vandenberg-delayed/
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/iridium-next-4-december-launch-vandenberg/
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/12/spacex-2017-campaign-iridium-4-launch/



See the Flight 1 Discussion Thread for more information and links to other Iridium Next threads and articles.

General information for Iridium flights 1-5 & 7-8
   Payload Mass: 8600kg for 10 satellites + 1000kg for dispenser = 9600kg
   Launch orbit: 625km, 86.66 degrees
   Operational orbit: 778km, 86.4 degrees

81 Satellites will be built for Iridium NEXT, with 66 being needed for a fully operational constellation.  All of the satellites will carry ADS-B aviation tracking hosted payloads for Aireon, and 60 of the satellites will carry AIS maritime tracking hosted payloads for exactEarth.



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: 01/09/2018 03:05 am by gongora »
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Online Chris Bergin

SpaceX Opens Media Accreditation for Iridium-4 Mission

HAWTHORNE, Calif. – Nov. 20, 2017. Media accreditation is now open for SpaceX's Iridium-4 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch is targeted for no earlier than December 22.

A flight-proven Falcon 9 rocket will deliver 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO) for Iridium, a global leader in mobile voice and data satellite communications.

 
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Online Chris Bergin

Fairing not an issue for this flight...

Iridium NEXT-4 on track for December launch from Vandenberg -
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/iridium-next-4-december-launch-vandenberg/

- By Chris Gebhardt
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Offline vaporcobra

Another lovely video with Matt, some great shots from Iridium-3 and brief discussion of the history of reuse between Iridium and SpaceX.


Online FutureSpaceTourist

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T minus 10 days to Iridium-4! All systems go at this point - encapsulating payloads now and rocket processing on track. Keeping an eye on CA fires, but so far not looking like a problem (but wishing them to end for Californians).

https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/940596816470568961

Offline Raul

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Launch Four Iridium Emblem

Offline Michael Baylor

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Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting December 22 launch of Iridium-4 from Vandenberg AFB in California.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/942542372629463040

Offline gongora

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Tweet from Matt Desch:
Quote
My schedule, provided by SpaceX shows it as 5:27:23 PST...

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Just to confirm launch time is pm:

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T-4 days until #Iridium-4 takes flight! Launch is scheduled for 05:27:23 pm PST on Dec 22 (01:27:23 am UTC on Dec 23) with an instantaneous launch window.  Live webcast will begin approximately 20 minutes before launch at spacex.com/webcast #IridiumNEXT #FlightProven #FriYay

https://twitter.com/iridiumcomm/status/942830392092000256

Offline Lewis007

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Another patch

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Offline Comga

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Matt Desch confirms no booster recovery.
https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/943153072850776064


Quote
HöchstErbaulich @HochstErbaulich
Hey @IridiumBoss will the Falcon 9 core for Iridium-4 be recovered? There are rumors that the first stage has no recovery equipment installed.

Matt Desch @IridiumBoss
Replying to @HochstErbaulich
No, I understand it won't be
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline ChrisGebhardt

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Matt Desch confirms no booster recovery.
https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/943153072850776064


Quote
HöchstErbaulich @HochstErbaulich
Hey @IridiumBoss will the Falcon 9 core for Iridium-4 be recovered? There are rumors that the first stage has no recovery equipment installed.

Matt Desch @IridiumBoss
Replying to @HochstErbaulich
No, I understand it won't be

For context, I'm told this is due to a desire to start clearing the Block 3 booster stock in favor for Block 4s and eventual Block 5s

Offline Raul

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M1340 Iridium-4 Launch Hazard Areas based on issued NOTMAR - consistent with formerly planned droneship position.
Stage2 debris area is included - different shape than other Iridium missions, but in fact it's rectangular 500km wide now.
NOTAMs would be included later.
« Last Edit: 12/19/2017 06:50 pm by Raul »

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SpaceX spokesperson confirms online discussions (and comments by @IridiumBoss ) there will be no attempt to land the Falcon 9 first stage on Friday’s launch. “These are case by case decisions and are based on mission requirements and the needs of our manifest.”

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/943269599302127617

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The internet seems to be having a hard time accepting a booster being discarded ...

Matt Desch refutes specific suggestions made to him of something different about NEXT 4 orbits:

Quote
Hard to imagine that the data of a recovered booster isn't worth it by itself. Recovered Block 3 could be used as a FH side core as well. I'd speculate payload bound for orbit that requires a significant dogleg maneuver, lowering margin for landing too far. Just a guess ;-)
https://twitter.com/Wavelength_Brew/status/943206542110633984

Quote
Wrong guess. ;-) We are polar and need no doglegs, thank you!
https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/943212004646539265

Hmm, not sure if this is implying that there might be a different, correct guess ... ?!

Quote
There were some speculations that the one satellite that is about to drift from Plane 2 to Plane 1 could do it a bit faster with a bit of help from Falcon 9. So this is not the case, right? ;)
https://twitter.com/Elthiryel/status/943212600594231307

Quote
Interesting concept! But no.
https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/943287335432712192

Offline Targeteer

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30th Space Wing (Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.) 1 hr · Facebook

Falcon 9 Iridium-4 scheduled to launch

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Team Vandenberg is scheduled to launch the fourth Iridium mission consisting of 10 satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 here Friday, Dec. 22, at 5:27 p.m. PST.

Col. Michael S. Hough, 30th Space Wing commander, is the space launch commander.

"Team Vandenberg is excited to begin and end 2017 with Falcon 9 launches," said Hough. "We take our mission of providing assured access to space seriously and we've diligently worked with our SpaceX mission partners to ensure a safe and successful launch."

Because of the launch time, the Hawk's Nest on Hwy 1 south of Vandenberg Air Force Base's main gate will not be open.
Best quote heard during an inspection, "I was unaware that I was the only one who was aware."

Offline Lewis007

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Here's another patch (attached)
I found it on: http://spacexpatchlist.space/

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Launch weather forecast issued on L-2 is 100% GO!

Quote
T-0 Forecast: High pressure will build into the western CONUS in the wake of today’s cold frontal passage. The impact will be relatively dry northwesterly flow aloft, light surface winds with the loose pressure gradient and no marine layer clouds. Surface winds will be out of the northwest through north from 320-350 at 8-12 knots for T-0. Temperatures will range from 55-60F at T-0. Upper-level winds will be out of the northwest from 330 at 80 knots between 38,000 to 41,000 feet. And finally, the space weather indices for proton and x-ray flux are currently reading at background levels. The overall POV will be 0% with no areas of concern.

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Launch weather forecast issued on L-1 is unchanged, so still 100% GO:

Quote
T-0 Forecast: High pressure continues to build into the western CONUS in the wake of yesterday’s cold frontal passage. The impact will be relatively dry northwesterly flow aloft, light surface winds with the loose pressure gradient and no marine layer clouds. Surface winds will be out of the northwest through north from 320-350 at 8-12 knots for T-0. Temperatures will range from 55-60F at T-0. Upper-level winds will be out of the northwest from 330 at 80 knots between 38,000 to 41,000 feet. And finally, the space weather indices for proton and x-ray flux are currently reading at background levels. The overall POV will be 0% with no areas of concern.

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