While it could make GSO if a performance shortfall occurs, overcoming a performance shortfall will consume Xenon and reduce the operational lifetime of the satellite. SEP is not free.
I think when people talk about the cost of SEP, they also add in the opportunity cost of lost revenues because of the time it takes to reach the correct orbit. They also talk about concerns about spending much longer passing through the Van Allen belts.
Quote from: faramund on 02/22/2014 06:12 amI think when people talk about the cost of SEP, they also add in the opportunity cost of lost revenues because of the time it takes to reach the correct orbit. They also talk about concerns about spending much longer passing through the Van Allen belts.I guess that is why at least some designs use both. Chemical propulsion for getting from GTO to GSO or at least near and SEP for station keeping. So even with some underperformance they at least should get ouf of much of the Van Allen Belt fast.
(Both the SES-8 and Thaicom-6 missions did apparently reserve some propellant for restart tests)
Quote from: Lars_J on 02/21/2014 05:07 am (Both the SES-8 and Thaicom-6 missions did apparently reserve some propellant for restart tests)Has this been documented somewhere properly?
The two satellites, SES-9 and SES-10, both weigh about 5,300 kilograms and carry a mix of electric and chemical propellant systems. The question is, what tradeoffs is SES making to be able to fit their launches on the Falcon 9?<snip>For SES-10, built by Airbus Defence and Space, only the chemical propulsion system will be used for its Falcon-9 launch set for 2016. To compensate for the Falcon-9’s limits, the satellite will carry larger-than-usual chemical propellant tanks and make an extra couple of orbit-raising burns, meaning the time to final position will not be that much longer than with chemical propellant only.
Tweet from Peter B. de SeldingQuoteSES: We expect SES-10 satellite, w/ 27 incremental xponders + replacement of AMC-3/-4 over LatAm, to launch in October on SpaceX Falcon 9.
SES: We expect SES-10 satellite, w/ 27 incremental xponders + replacement of AMC-3/-4 over LatAm, to launch in October on SpaceX Falcon 9.
SpaceX signs first customer for launch of a reused rocketSES-10 Launching to Orbit on SpaceX's Flight-Proven Falcon 9 Rocket
Has anybody confirmed which core is being used for this flight?
SES’ satellite will launch on a first-stage booster that landed in April after delivering supplies to the International Space Station. That was the first rocket to land on a floating droneship.