NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
SpaceX Vehicles and Missions => SpaceX Falcon Missions Section => Topic started by: gongora on 02/06/2019 03:38 pm
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DISCUSSION thread for SAOCOM 1B
NSF Threads for SAOCOM 1B : Discussion (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.0) / Party (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=42585.0)
Successful launch August 30, 2020 at 7:18:56 pm EDT (23:19 UTC) from SLC-40 to SSO on Falcon 9 (booster 1059.4). This was an unusual East Coast launch to polar orbit. RTLS landing was successful. The fairing was new, and was recovered after landing in the ocean.
SAOCOM 1B at times has had other proposed CONAE satellites co-manifested, but it looks like all of those have been canceled (SAOCOM-CS) or delayed (SARE). SpaceX may now be offering rideshare space on this flight. Spaceflight Industries is listing a flight matching this one as a rideshare.
Rideshares:
Capella Space has a small SAR sat (<100kg) named Sequoia on the flight (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2026017#msg2026017).
PlanetiQ GNOMES-1 (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2036124#msg2036124) radio occultation satellite (40kg)
Tyvak 0172
SAOCOM 1A was launched October 7/8 (EDT/UTC), 2018. More information can be found in the SAOCOM 1A Discussion (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44715.0) and Updates (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46471.0) threads.
Other SpaceX resources on NASASpaceflight:
SpaceX News Articles (Recent) (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/spacex/) / SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews) (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21862.0)
SpaceX Dragon Articles (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/dragon/) / SpaceX Missions Section (with Launch Manifest and info on past and future missions) (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=55.0)
L2 SpaceX Section (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=60.0)
[SpaceX] SPACEX SIGNS ARGENTINA'S SPACE AGENCY FOR TWO FALCON 9 LAUNCHES (http://www.spacex.com/press/2012/12/19/spacex-signs-argentinas-space-agency-two-falcon-9-launches)
Pair of SAOCOM Earth Observation Satellites to Launch between 2012 & 2013
Hawthorne, California – April 16, 2009 – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has signed an agreement with CONAE, Argentina's National Commission on Space Activity, for two launches aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 medium-to-heavy lift vehicle. The flights will send the SAOCOM 1A and 1B Earth observation satellites into sun-synchronous orbits, where they will provide imagery for natural resources monitoring, as well as emergency and disaster management.
The identical SAOCOM satellites each carry an L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument. Among other civil applications, the main purpose of the constellation is the measurement of the soil moisture over the Pampa Húmeda in Argentina. The two SAOCOM satellites will join four X-band SAR COSMO-SkyMed satellites from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), creating the Italian-Argentine System of Satellites for Emergency Management (SIASGE) constellation. The first three of the ASI satellites were launched in 2007 and 2008 with the fourth expected to fly in 2010.
“SpaceX is excited to be CONAE's launch service provider for the SAOCOM 1A and 1B missions,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. “The Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been designed to the highest level of reliability and performance; we look forward to helping ensure the success of the SAOCOM satellites.”
The inaugural flight of Falcon 9 is scheduled for this year, with the first Dragon spacecraft scheduled to fly on a subsequent launch, both from SpaceX's launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
About CONAE
CONAE (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, or in English, National Space Activities Commission) is Argentina's civilian agency in charge of national space activities. They have launched three satellites to date, and have numerous joint space efforts with Argentine industry and academia, as well as governmental space agencies around the world, including NASA, CSA, AEB/INPE (Brazil), ASI, CNES, ESA and agencies of several other nations.
SAOCOM 1A/1B on Gunter's Space Page (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/saocom-1.htm)
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1093152766015479808
The Commissioner for Science and Technology of Castilla y León of Spain, Juan Casado, visited the CONAE in Córdoba with his provincial par Walter Robledo, and retinue. They appreciated the integration of the radar antenna of the SAOCOM 1B satellite in the LIE Laboratory and other facilities.
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Saocom 1B is coming: Argentina will launch its second radar satellite in December (https://www.perfil.com/noticias/ciencia/se-viene-el-saocom-1b-argentina-lanzara-en-diciembre-su-segundo-satelite-con-radar.phtml)
[Google translation from Spanish]
"We estimate that near the middle of the year we will begin the trial campaign of the entire satellite and that we will be leaving for the United States during the first fortnight of December. We have to confirm the launch date with SpaceX", Raúl Kulichevsky, executive and technical director of the National Space Activities Commission (CONAE), told PERFIL.
If they intend to ship it in the first half of December then it wouldn't actually launch in December. At least we know they still intend to launch it around the end of the year.
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If they intend to ship it in the first half of December then it wouldn't actually launch in December.
Stephen Clark agrees and lists it as Early 2020 TBD.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1126954679580143616
[Translated by Bing] SAOCOM 1B WITH ELECTRONICS IN THE BODY. Impressive view of the central electronics boxes manufactured by @invapargentina. With the electronics distributed in the SAR radar antenna integrated by @vengsaok constitute the brain of the radar of THE SAOCOM 1b of THE CONAE.
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1131663140909932545
The # SAOCOM 1B SAR radar antenna is finished! Today we present it in the Integration and Testing Laboratory of the Teófilo Tabanera Space Center in Córdoba. Another achievement of @ CONAE_Oficial @ vengsaok @ CNEA_Arg and companies and institutions providing the national space sector
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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a credit/loan arrangement that includes ~$91M for "the last phase of the SAOCOM mission."
https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/idb-approves-us360mn-financing-for-road-networks-and-satellite-technology-in-argentina
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Also, I believe this indicates SAOCOM 1B's SAR antenna
has passed TVAC testing.
Edit: Per gongora, seems more likely that it was a successful deployment test.
The SAR radar antenna was opened in conditions similar to those that will occur when it is in orbit. In space it will open only once and forever. On Earth: The maneuver was completely successful!
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148417034222526465
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148041744719785988
# SAOCOM1B WE PREPARE FOR A KEY Maneuver. For this the mechanical equipment of VENG and CNEA aligned the required tables, with the satellite already verticalized. The radar antenna is integrated into the service platform. All ready for the next test. Tomorrow we will tell you!
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
That was July 7, the antenna deployment test was successfully performed on July 8th.
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Clarification of launch month from the August 12 update of the SFN Launch Schedule (https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/):
January 2020
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I found a few sites showing a press release about Argentina getting a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, and several of them mention a March 2020 launch date for SAOCOM 1B
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148041744719785988
# SAOCOM1B WE PREPARE FOR A KEY Maneuver. For this the mechanical equipment of VENG and CNEA aligned the required tables, with the satellite already verticalized. The radar antenna is integrated into the service platform. All ready for the next test. Tomorrow we will tell you!
that is one impressive array...
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I found a few sites showing a press release about Argentina getting a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, and several of them mention a March 2020 launch date for SAOCOM 1B
I've heard March 2020 from people working on SAOCOM 1B too.
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
I think those have been delayed, but if you run across any current information please let us know.
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
I think those have been delayed, but if you run across any current information please let us know.
Will do! :)
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They've done electrical testing on the SAR array and installed the thermal blankets. Next steps are SAR array stow/deploy test, solar panel install, vibration and acoustic testing.
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/integracion-electrica-y-mantas-termicas-del-satelite-saocom-1b-completadas
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Moved forward to February.
I wonder if it's because the seal pupping season starts in March and SpaceX doesn't have JRTI on the west coast so they really need to be able to land on LZ-4.
Raúl Kulichevsky of Argentina’s CONAE space agency says their SAOCOM-1B Earth obs satellite will launch next February on a Falcon 9. (SAOCOM-1A also launched on a Falcon 9 last October.) #WSBW
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1172448572777697287
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It is a light payload, only going to sun-synchronous orbit. Sounds like a good candidate for RTLS.
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It is a light payload, only going to sun-synchronous orbit. Sounds like a good candidate for RTLS.
The previous flight was RTLS.
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In 2020 CONAE´s budget Saocom launch is set for 2020 1st quarter
http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2019/09/presupuesto-2020-de-3748-millones-para.html#more (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2019/09/presupuesto-2020-de-3748-millones-para.html#more)
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Also in the same page SARE is said to have been shelved for the last 4 years but will be budgeted a small amount next year to restart it. Thus it will not ride along SAOCOM 1b
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Josefina Peres, Alternate Chief of SAOCOM Project yesterday gave this presentation, where the launch campaign is stated as Jan2020/Feb2020 with the launch window Feb2020/Mar2020.
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Notice that the slide in the above post says "Cape Canaveral." That is not an error. The launch site for this mission has been changed to the Cape.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1182025275573510146
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Notice that the slide in the above post says "Cape Canaveral." That is not an error. The launch site for this mission has been changed to the Cape.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1182025275573510146
The only reason I HATE this is I was planning to go to Vandy and see that launch.
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https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/1182029721623842819
For those asking for a visual of what a southward, doglegged polar launch trajectory out of Cape Canaveral will look like, here you go.
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Small heads up re: the last date of an East Coast (near) polar launch. Still more than half a century :)
That said, NASA apparently last used this corridor in 1965-66 to orbit TIROS satellites using Thor-Delta rockets.
More information here. TIROS 9 and 10 flew on Delta-C on 22 January 1965 and 2 July 1965, respectively. ESSA 1 also flew on Delta-C on 3 February 1966.
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/thorflew.html
"Remarkably, Delta boosted the TIROS 9 and 10 and ESSA 1 weathersats into near sun synchronous orbits - from Cape Canaveral, Florida! The flight paths doglegged south, crossing Cuba and Panama before the third stage fired over the equator just northwest of South America to complete the insertion. (Delta would not fly from Vandenberg AFB until 1966.)"
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Small heads up re: the last date of an East Coast (near) polar launch. Still more than half a century :)
That said, NASA apparently last used this corridor in 1965-66 to orbit TIROS satellites using Thor-Delta rockets.
More information here. TIROS 9 and 10 flew on Delta-C on 22 January 1965 and 2 July 1965, respectively. ESSA 1 also flew on Delta-C on 3 February 1966.
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/thorflew.html
"Remarkably, Delta boosted the TIROS 9 and 10 and ESSA 1 weathersats into near sun synchronous orbits - from Cape Canaveral, Florida! The flight paths doglegged south, crossing Cuba and Panama before the third stage fired over the equator just northwest of South America to complete the insertion. (Delta would not fly from Vandenberg AFB until 1966.)"
Hmm, it looks like that last launch from CC to the polar orbit was in 1969.
So 50 not 60 years ago.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESSA-9
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what was the reason for changing the launch site?
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what was the reason for changing the launch site?
Probably because now they don't have to de-mothball and re-mothball SLC4E, move the whole crew there and back, etc.
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what was the reason for changing the launch site?
Probably because now they don't have to de-mothball and re-mothball SLC4E, move the whole crew there and back, etc.
Also something about wildfires shutting down SLC4E for a while in california.
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what was the reason for changing the launch site?
Probably because now they don't have to de-mothball and re-mothball SLC4E, move the whole crew there and back, etc.
The fairing catchers are at the east coast. Might have something to do with the decision.
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It is probably the case that SpaceX doesn't want to have to battle the seal pup issue if they can avoid it. They wouldn't need the drone ships assuming they were going to do RTLS, so I don't think that is the issue.
The dog-leg trajectory is quite a delta V penalty. Maybe the payload is light enough that it doesn't matter. Or maybe this forces a switch to drone ship landing...might be complicated with Cuba in the way.
This doesn't portend well for future Vandenberg launches. The manifest was rather thin to begin with. And they didn't even bother to retrofit the pad to be Falcon Heavy-capable. Too bad for us west-coast launch fans.
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Is SpaceX gonna do all polar-orbit missions from the Cape starting with SAOCOM 1B?
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Is SpaceX gonna do all polar-orbit missions from the Cape starting with SAOCOM 1B?
As many as they can. (not all payloads are this light) It could also be a demonstration one-off to prove they can.
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Is SpaceX gonna do all polar-orbit missions from the Cape starting with SAOCOM 1B?
As many as they can. (not all payloads are this light) It could also be a demonstration one-off to prove they can.
If the payload is too heavy for F9 to do a dog-leg, it still may be cheaper for SpaceX overall to launch on Falcon Heavy from Florida than to maintain a launch presence in Vandenberg. Up to SpaceX whether they want to charge the customer more or just eat the cost difference themselves!
Positioning of the ASDS could be a problem though. If you go south after passing Fort Lauderdale on the initial coast-hugging trajectory, for a total of 1200km from the launch site (which was the distance for STP-2), you end up roughly between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, having overflown Cuba. Depends how much of the dogleg is performed by the boosters and centre core, and how much by the second stage! If the centre core stays on the same azimuth and goes 1200km it's landing somewhere between Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti. (Have to allow a little for rotation of the Earth while the core is in the air.)
Perhaps I begin to see why the drone ship was positioned so far out for STP-2.
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Raul's SpaceX map shows downrange distance of 807-860km for expended boosters so if the second stage did the dogleg and the trajectory was right on the west corner of the Bahamas, it would leave just enough room for a failed boost-back burn. With the grid fins and RCS, it could probably still do a bit of maneuvering, to further push out to sea (and Cuba's territorial waters).
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I polar corridor FH flight will be very tricky, where would they recover the FH core? They go pretty far down-range. A drone ship parked right off the coast of Cuba? :-) No, I’m not sure it is practical to use FH for this.
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Are there many single heavy polar loads on the horizon, anyway? Iridium was so heavy because they sized the packages just right for F9 ASDS, same for Starlink. If there are significant savings in launching from the east coast, any large rideshare can be split into more launches.
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I polar corridor FH flight will be very tricky, where would they recover the FH core? They go pretty far down-range. A drone ship parked right off the coast of Cuba? :-) No, I’m not sure it is practical to use FH for this.
Maybe right off Gitmo ;)
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Discussion of FH landing really should move to another thread, this is a mission thread for a Falcon 9 launched payload.
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Spaceflight Industries shows a flight on their list of available rideshares that sounds a whole lot like this one.
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SAOCOM 1B is ready for launch campaign (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/el-satelite-saocom-1b-esta-listo-para-iniciar-campana-de-lanzamiento)
Between November 27th, 28th and 29th, CONAE and INVAP completed the testing of the unfolding and folding mechanism of the SAOCOM 1B SAR antennas, completing the testing program. Only needs to verify its software and to perform the last propulsion subsystems checks, to be readied for transport to its Florida launch site. The schedule calls to have the satellite and support equipment packed and ready for transport before New Year.
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SFN Launch Schedule (https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/) update of December 12 for SAOCOM-1B: March 2020.
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This seems to be the first confirmation I've seen of rideshare payloads on the flight.
[Space News] Capella Space to launch seven radar satellites in 2020 as it prepares for commercial operations (https://spacenews.com/capella-space-to-launch-seven-radar-satellites-in-2020-as-it-prepares-for-commercial-operations/)
WASHINGTON — Space-based radar imagery provider Capella Space will launch seven satellites and start commercial operations in 2020, the company announced Dec. 16.
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The first satellite, to be named Sequoia, will launch from Cape Canaveral in March into a polar sun-synchronous orbit on a SpaceX rocket.
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The new satellite design, at under 100 kilograms, is larger than the original 40 kilogram design.
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Is SpaceX gonna do all polar-orbit missions from the Cape starting with SAOCOM 1B?
As many as they can. (not all payloads are this light) It could also be a demonstration one-off to prove they can.
Staff, Fairing and ASDS support makes sense to use CC. By the end of 2020 if Starlink is really flying every 2 weeks then they may prefer the availability in VAFB for such launches.
It will be a great show for south Florida. I’m really excited for this one.
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Re: SAOCOM-1B launch time of day
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/s/saocom
Orbit: Sun-synchronous near-circular orbit (frozen dawn/dusk orbit), altitude = 619.6 km, inclination = 97.86º, period = 97.1 minutes, repeat cycle of 16 days (8 days for the constellation), LTAN (Local Time on Ascending Node) at 6:00 hours.
SAOCOM-1A was launched during local (Vandenberg) dusk and the Falcon 9 produced a spectacular visual display. Weather allowing, the folks along the south Florida coast and in Cuba should also experience this. There hasn't been such a launch of these circumstances in decades; some heads-up for the locals would be in order as the launch date approaches!
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Re: SAOCOM-1B launch time of day
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/s/saocom
Orbit: Sun-synchronous near-circular orbit (frozen dawn/dusk orbit), altitude = 619.6 km, inclination = 97.86º, period = 97.1 minutes, repeat cycle of 16 days (8 days for the constellation), LTAN (Local Time on Ascending Node) at 6:00 hours.
SAOCOM-1A was launched during local (Vandenberg) dusk and the Falcon 9 produced a spectacular visual display. Weather allowing, the folks along the south Florida coast and in Cuba should also experience this. There hasn't been such a launch of these circumstances in decades; some heads-up for the locals would be in order as the launch date approaches!
When is the exact launch time based on the SAOCOM link?
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Yeah, I don't think that link is talking about launch time of day, it's talking about the local time of day of the sun-synchronous orbit (https://www.google.com/search?q=local+time+of+day+of+the+sun-synchronous+orbit), once it gets there.
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It should launch at a similar time to SAOCOM-1A, which launched south to match the "dusk" part of the dawn/dusk orbit.
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https://spacenews.com/radio-occultation-ams-2020/
PlanetIQ is preparing to launch its first small radio occultation satellite into polar orbit in March on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The firm’s second satellite is scheduled to travel in July into dawn-to-dusk orbit on India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
From a business standpoint, PlanetIQ is doing well after raising $18.7 million and winning contracts from NOAA and the U.S. Air Force, said Michael McCarthy, PlanetIQ chief revenue officer.
PlanetIQ plans to fill out its constellation quickly, launching 18 to 20 radio occultation satellites between mid-2020 and mid-2022.
PlanetiQ GNOMES-1, 40kg. 0011-EX-CN-2019 WK2XIU
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Volga-Dnepr filed for the flight to deliver SAOCOM 1B from Bariloche to Titusville between 2/21/20 and 3/1/20
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https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/05/spacex-wins-contract-to-launch-nasas-pace-earth-science-mission/
The first polar orbit launch from Florida since 1960 is scheduled for late March, when Argentina’s SAOCOM 1B radar observation payload will take off from Cape Canaveral, not from Vandenberg as originally planned.
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SAOCOM 1B (we presume) has an RTLS landing 0202-EX-ST-2020 (https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=98148&RequestTimeout=1000)
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So eh double dogleg?
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So eh double dogleg?
That's a really good question.
Don't suppose they can have the returning first stage fly over Cocoa Beach, Port Canaveral, and CCAFS.
Shouldn't it be low cost, in terms of additional thrust required, to do that as part of the entry burn by tilting towards the coast?
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So eh double dogleg?
Maybe not, if S1 flies the first part of the leg and S2 then does the rest. No idea where in the S1/S2 profile the trajectory change would come, myself.
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I think most (if not all) of dogleg is done by the S2. You really want to leave the atmosphere as fast as possible. Once you did that, you can add velocity much more efficiently and in pretty much any direction.
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I think most (if not all) of dogleg is done by the S2. You really want to leave the atmosphere as fast as possible. Once you did that, you can add velocity much more efficiently and in pretty much any direction.
Just scooting past West Palm Beach is ~14 degrees east of south.
(That's going to shut down air traffic from at least West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Airlines are going to complain.)
Is it possible for the second stage to turn through that plus the ~7 degrees to the SSO inclination?
Twenty or so degrees doesn't sound excessive.
The vector math isn't that complex, but the answer isn't intuitively obvious.
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Ok, I thought it was the first stage doing the dogleg. The quote from the commanding officer was:
Monteith did not detail the precise trajectory, but said it involved “a little jog shortly off the pad” to turn south once offshore, “and then we’d skirt Miami.”
The rocket’s first stage would drop safely before reaching Cuba, he said. The second stage would be so high up by the time it flew over the island that no special permissions would be required.
Source: https://eu.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/12/31/southbound-cape-rockets-may-fly-new-path-toward-poles/975027001/
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https://twitter.com/CasaRosada/status/1229559514271232006
This Friday the Argentine observation satellite Saocom1B leaves for Cape Canaveral.
Its putting into orbit will be key to boost agricultural production, manage environmental emergencies and provide navigation data.
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SAOCOM 1B begins its journey to space (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/saocom-1b-comienza-su-viaje-al-espacio)
The transfer will begin with the departure of the satellite from the INVAP / CEATSA facilities, in San Carlos de Bariloche, in a truck convoy that will transport about 42 tons of equipment to the airport. There they will be loaded on the Antonov AN 124 aircraft, which will take off from Argentine soil on Saturday 22 at dawn, bound for the SpaceX company facilities in Cape Canaveral, for preparations for the launch, scheduled for March 30.
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SAOCOM 1B begins its journey to space (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/saocom-1b-comienza-su-viaje-al-espacio)
The transfer will begin with the departure of the satellite from the INVAP / CEATSA facilities, in San Carlos de Bariloche, in a truck convoy that will transport about 42 tons of equipment to the airport. There they will be loaded on the Antonov AN 124 aircraft, which will take off from Argentine soil on Saturday 22 at dawn, bound for the SpaceX company facilities in Cape Canaveral, for preparations for the launch, scheduled for March 30.
Ben confirms March 30th and says it will likely occur around sunset EDT. It'll also be a RTLS booster landing profile.
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html
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That sound you just heard was every aspiring launch photographer on the east coast making travel plans. Launch, polar orbit dogleg, and booster RTLS, all at sunset? Yes please!
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Photographers probably wish everything launched into dawn/dusk orbits :)
This appears to be SAOCOM 1B's ride heading down to Argentina.
https://www.flightradar24.com/VDA2351/23ec64f6
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1230545145021575170
This is how the Antonov AN 124 plane arrived this morning at Bariloche airport to transport the #SAOCOM1B
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zBqAOggLH/?igshid=k095crkj1oen
From the Instagram post: plane departs Feb 22th, launches on 30th March.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zBqAOggLH/?igshid=k095crkj1oen
From the Instagram post: plane departs Feb 23th, launches on 30th March.
23rd or 22nd?
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https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zBqAOggLH/?igshid=k095crkj1oen
From the Instagram post: plane departs Feb 23th, launches on 30th March.
23rd or 22nd?
Fat fingers, small phone. 22th it is.
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https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1230951167649370112
So we loaded the #SAOCOM1B on the Antonov AN124 plane
The procedure was performed in two phases. The two ends of the plane are opened, the satellite is loaded from the front and, from the rear, the solar panels and the support equipment.
👋👋✈️💪🛰🇦🇷
#ArgentinaUnida#HaciaElFuturo
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https://twitter.com/casarosada/status/1230999531199893504
The Saocom1B satellite began the path for its launch into orbit. Science and technology are pillars to put Argentina on its feet.
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Launch time is 23:21 UTC (7:21 p.m. EDT) on March 30.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
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In the air now, arrives at the Cape this evening https://flightaware.com/live/flight/RA82046
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Interesting... I'm actually going to have my family with me for spring break and already planned for the KSC visitor center that day! I realize there's still a fairly good chance of a launch date slip this far out, but I may have to see if we can hang out until sunset before heading back to Orlando.
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Launch time is 23:21 UTC (7:21 p.m. EDT) on March 30.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
It should be 00:21 UTC on March 31
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Launch time is 23:21 UTC (7:21 p.m. EDT) on March 30.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
It should be 00:21 UTC on March 31
I believe the time is correct (March 30, 23:21 UTC). This is after USA switches to DST, so Florida is UTC+4 instead of UTC+5.
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Ah, you're right. My bad!
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SFN now has the launch time as 7:21 pm EDT = 23:21 UTC on March 30, about 20 minutes before sunset.
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HAWTHORNE, Calif. – February 26, 2020. Media accreditation is now open for SpaceX’s SAOCOM 1B mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch is targeted for no earlier than March 30.
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SpaceNews has a story with some info about this launch: https://spacenews.com/spacex-planning-major-increase-in-florida-launch-activity/
A small section related to this launch"
The new trajectory does raise some issues regarding sonic booms along the Florida coast. A March 2019 report by Blue Ridge Research and Consulting, included as an appendix to the environmental assessment, said that cities along the coast including Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Port Saint Lucie could hear sonic booms roughly comparable to thunder and unlikely to cause damage.
However, the report said a “narrow focus boom region” of less than eight square kilometers could form north of Vero Beach where the overpressure from the sonic boom would exceed two pounds per square foot, including an area of about 0.025 square kilometers with a peak overpressure of 4.6 pounds per square foot. That would create a “low probability of structure damage (to glass, plaster, roofs, and ceilings) for well-maintained structures,” the report notes, adding that the specific location of the peak overpressure would depend on the flight trajectory and atmospheric conditions.
The first use of that polar trajectory is expected in about a month, when a Falcon 9 launches Argentina’s SAOCOM 1B radar imaging satellite from SLC-40 on March 30. Another Falcon 9 launched the SAOCOM 1A satellite into polar orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in October 2018.
And see this trajectory... (image below) :o :o :o Hugging the coastline real close, with the first stage landing between Cuba and Bahamas. 8)
A LOT of flights will likely be affected unless this launches in the middle of the night. And how much of the area below will be cleared of boats?
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That figure isn't specifically for the SAOCOM-1B flight. This flight has a permit filed for RTLS landing.
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SpaceNews has a story with some info about this launch: https://spacenews.com/spacex-planning-major-increase-in-florida-launch-activity/
<snip>
Launch criteria could be modified to preclude launches during weather conditions that could produce the potentially damaging sonic boom during ascent.
It may already BE so, ISTR.
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This launch, if "promoted" well, could be viewed by millions of Floridians and tourists.
Also, given flight detouring to adjacent airspaces from the Cape to Miami, this could also be the most viewed launch by people aloft in history.
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I have been REALLY curious about this sun synchronous launch trajectory from the Cape.
Thanks, Lars-J!
A crude measurement of that image, with the assumption that the center of the map projection is an undistorted point, says that the inclination is about -69 degrees.
Sun synchronous orbits are generally -81 to -82 degrees, which are the southbound equator crossing (descending node) angles that are commonly read as 98 to 99 degree inclinations.
That requires a 12 to 13 degree turn from the second stage.
IXPE is making a >28 degree turn to get to an equatorial orbit from the Cape, so more than double this.
Looking real closely, the dogleg appears to be that the Falcon 9 will head offshore, and immediately turn to this heading.
It may do this in reverse for the landing.
What are the odds of getting EVERY airplane out of that airspace?
It's going to be like the wayward boat problem in three dimensions over a much greater distance.
Plus (almost) all boaters know they are near Cape Canaveral and alert for launches heading east or north-east with short exclusion zones.
Will every VFR pilot around Miami be alert to the launch?
It's not that so many people may be in the air when this launches, as much as there might be one too many people in the air. ;)
It might be interesting to find the "narrow focus boom region” of less than eight square kilometers could form north of Vero Beach where the overpressure from the sonic boom would exceed two pounds per square foot, including an area of about 0.025 square kilometers with a peak overpressure of 4.6 pounds per square foot.
"0.025 square kilometers" is ~160 meters square. Pretty small.
"4.6 pounds per square foot" is ~0.2% of sea level air pressure. Unsure how significant that would be. It might be up to 40 pounds on ones' front if it came in square.
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What are the odds of getting EVERY airplane out of that airspace?
It's going to be like the wayward boat problem in three dimensions over a much greater distance.
Plus (almost) all boaters know they are near Cape Canaveral and alert for launches heading east or north-east with short exclusion zones.
Will every VFR pilot around Miami be alert to the launch?
It's not that so many people may be in the air when this launches, as much as there might be one too many people in the air. ;)
Isn't the boat exclusion zone only in the area immediately offshore from the Cape? Outside of that they let rockets fly over boats.
F9 will be pretty high for almost all of that trajectory. Do they have to clear the planes under it?
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This launch, if "promoted" well, could be viewed by millions of Floridians and tourists.
Even more so since Spring Break will still be going pretty strong.
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Also, the more people informed, the less of a UFO flap. (And therefore, a more pleasant IFO event.)
IFO = Indentified Flying Object
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El satélite argentino tiene fecha de lanzamiento (https://noticiasnqn.com.ar/actualidad/el-satlite-argentino-tiene-fecha-de-lanzamiento.htm)
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This launch, if "promoted" well, could be viewed by millions of Floridians and tourists.
Also, given flight detouring to adjacent airspaces from the Cape to Miami, this could also be the most viewed launch by people aloft in history.
It is wrong that I'm hoping for a *slight* delay so that it will happen during the night airshows at Sun n' Fun? Bummer that it's not going to be a RTLS, though.
https://www.flysnf.org/ (https://www.flysnf.org/)
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It is wrong that I'm hoping for a *slight* delay so that it will happen during the night airshows at Sun n' Fun? Bummer that it's not going to be a RTLS, though.
I thought it is planned to be RTLS.
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It is wrong that I'm hoping for a *slight* delay so that it will happen during the night airshows at Sun n' Fun? Bummer that it's not going to be a RTLS, though.
I thought it is planned to be RTLS.
Yep, it is.
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That's what I thought, I was confused by this image from the post above by Lars shows a landing site SSE of Florida, that's not for this mission but a generic plan for barge landings. My bad.
RTFM, JAFO.
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That's what I thought, I was confused by this image from the post above by Lars shows a landing site SSE of Florida, that's not for this mission but a generic plan for barge landings.
Combining the western and eastern ASDS ground tracks from the Draft Environmental Assessment, and interpolating (in red) also leaves me confused. F9 ASDS MECO is typically no more than 100km downrange adjacent Vero Beach, and FH core MECO perhaps 150km downrange adjacent Port St Lucie. So if S2 has already separated, what is the point of the booster plane change in the western ASDS trajectory at around 250km downrange? Would it not just be a waste of propellant?
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That's what I thought, I was confused by this image from the post above by Lars shows a landing site SSE of Florida, that's not for this mission but a generic plan for barge landings.
Combining the western and eastern ASDS ground tracks from the Draft Environmental Assessment, and interpolating (in red) also leaves me confused. F9 ASDS MECO is typically no more than 100km downrange adjacent Vero Beach, and FH core MECO perhaps 150km downrange adjacent Port St Lucie. So if S2 has already separated, what is the point of the booster plane change in the western ASDS trajectory at around 250km downrange? Would it not just be a waste of propellant?
When would the fairing separate?
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That's what I thought, I was confused by this image from the post above by Lars shows a landing site SSE of Florida, that's not for this mission but a generic plan for barge landings.
Combining the western and eastern ASDS ground tracks from the Draft Environmental Assessment, and interpolating (in red) also leaves me confused. F9 ASDS MECO is typically no more than 100km downrange adjacent Vero Beach, and FH core MECO perhaps 150km downrange adjacent Port St Lucie. So if S2 has already separated, what is the point of the booster plane change in the western ASDS trajectory at around 250km downrange? Would it not just be a waste of propellant?
Is that the vehicle ground track, or the IIP ground track? For overflight purposes, only the IIP trace matters, and the IIP is much further downrange than the vehicle. So the booster could do the azimuth change before MECO, shaping the IIP track far downrange.
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Is that the vehicle ground track, or the IIP ground track? For overflight purposes, only the IIP trace matters, and the IIP is much further downrange than the vehicle. So the booster could do the azimuth change before MECO, shaping the IIP track far downrange.
I'm using the sonic boom contour maps from the draft EA (attached), and the drone ship location and flight path are clearly marked.
When would the fairing separate?
Taking the recent Starlink 1.0-F3 launch as an example, around 190km downrange adjacent Jupiter Inlet. So, if S2 were to perform the same 30°+ plane change as indicated for the western ground track booster, it would occur at an altitude of around 110 km, and a velocity of around 2,400 m/s, just after fairing separation. The cost of a 30° dogleg at this velocity would be around 1,200 m/s, and with about 1g of acceleration available from the second stage at this point, it would take around 120 seconds to perform with a full 90° yaw. This plus additional gravity losses would take a sizeable chunk out of the payload, perhaps halving it. I can't help but think I'm missing something.
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There's been some talk about the drone ship being located somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. Have there been unofficial reports of a drone ship landing instead of an RTLS landing?
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There's been some talk about the drone ship being located somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. Have there been unofficial reports of a drone ship landing instead of an RTLS landing?
There is a filing for a RTLS for this mission
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Combining the western and eastern ASDS ground tracks from the Draft Environmental Assessment, and interpolating (in red) also leaves me confused. F9 ASDS MECO is typically no more than 100km downrange adjacent Vero Beach, and FH core MECO perhaps 150km downrange adjacent Port St Lucie. So if S2 has already separated, what is the point of the booster plane change in the western ASDS trajectory at around 250km downrange? Would it not just be a waste of propellant?
Not a rocket scientist, but I suspect the issue is in your interpolation.
By my intuition a launch that would land in the western area would not follow the red path. I think it would launch more easterly, heading further out to sea and perform most of the turn using the first stage while it's still relatively slow. The first stage would be further out to sea and heading south-by-west towards the western landing area at MECO. More of a big sweeping curve, with most of the curve in the north, rather than straight lines connected by a sector of a circle.
You probably want to have an actual rocket scientist optimist the entire trajectory rather than piecing together trajectories optimized for different things.
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Not a rocket scientist, but I suspect the issue is in your interpolation.
By my intuition a launch that would land in the western area would not follow the red path. I think it would launch more easterly, heading further out to sea and perform most of the turn using the first stage while it's still relatively slow. The first stage would be further out to sea and heading south-by-west towards the western landing area at MECO. More of a big sweeping curve, with most of the curve in the north, rather than straight lines connected by a sector of a circle.
You probably want to have an actual rocket scientist optimist the entire trajectory rather than piecing together trajectories optimized for different things.
I agree with your intuition. I've simulated some of this, and by conducting the plane change at lower (booster) velocities, it is much less expensive, especially if the plane change is combined over a large proportion of the boost phase. The point I was trying to make was that the draft EA and other proposed ground tracks show the plane change being performed entirely by the second stage, and that this would probably not be the most efficient solution for a retrograde polar insertion. SAOCOM is going to 615 km × 634 km, at 97.90°, so I'll be very interested to see the actual profile adopted.
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Not a rocket scientist, but I suspect the issue is in your interpolation.
By my intuition a launch that would land in the western area would not follow the red path. I think it would launch more easterly, heading further out to sea and perform most of the turn using the first stage while it's still relatively slow. The first stage would be further out to sea and heading south-by-west towards the western landing area at MECO. More of a big sweeping curve, with most of the curve in the north, rather than straight lines connected by a sector of a circle.
You probably want to have an actual rocket scientist optimist the entire trajectory rather than piecing together trajectories optimized for different things.
I agree with your intuition. I've simulated some of this, and by conducting the plane change at lower (booster) velocities, it is much less expensive, especially if the plane change is combined over a large proportion of the boost phase. The point I was trying to make was that the draft EA and other proposed ground tracks show the plane change being performed entirely by the second stage, and that this would probably not be the most efficient solution for a retrograde polar insertion. SAOCOM is going to 615 km × 634 km, at 97.90°, so I'll be very interested to see the actual profile adopted.
If your simulations suggest the western ASDS spot in the document simply wouldn't happen, then the easiest and most likely explanation would probably be a mistake in the document. These documents aren't perfect. Maybe that area is really just for fairing recovery.
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Not a rocket scientist, but I suspect the issue is in your interpolation.
By my intuition a launch that would land in the western area would not follow the red path. I think it would launch more easterly, heading further out to sea and perform most of the turn using the first stage while it's still relatively slow. The first stage would be further out to sea and heading south-by-west towards the western landing area at MECO. More of a big sweeping curve, with most of the curve in the north, rather than straight lines connected by a sector of a circle.
You probably want to have an actual rocket scientist optimist the entire trajectory rather than piecing together trajectories optimized for different things.
I agree with your intuition. I've simulated some of this, and by conducting the plane change at lower (booster) velocities, it is much less expensive, especially if the plane change is combined over a large proportion of the boost phase. The point I was trying to make was that the draft EA and other proposed ground tracks show the plane change being performed entirely by the second stage, and that this would probably not be the most efficient solution for a retrograde polar insertion. SAOCOM is going to 615 km × 634 km, at 97.90°, so I'll be very interested to see the actual profile adopted.
If your simulations suggest the western ASDS spot in the document simply wouldn't happen, then the easiest and most likely explanation would probably be a mistake in the document. These documents aren't perfect. Maybe that area is really just for fairing recovery.
Has this discussion evolved to being about any future SSO F9/FH launches from the Cape?
SAOCOM 1B has been stated to be RTLS
The trace on gongora's original post from Space News has to be the IIP, which pretty much ends at the ASDS location for "land forward" down-range recoveries with no boostback burn. But that's not relevant to this mission.
If an RTLS flight included plane change in the first stage flight the boostback burn would have to include the complexity of keeping the IIP off-shore. Could that be relevant to this mission?
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Not a rocket scientist, but I suspect the issue is in your interpolation.
By my intuition a launch that would land in the western area would not follow the red path. I think it would launch more easterly, heading further out to sea and perform most of the turn using the first stage while it's still relatively slow. The first stage would be further out to sea and heading south-by-west towards the western landing area at MECO. More of a big sweeping curve, with most of the curve in the north, rather than straight lines connected by a sector of a circle.
You probably want to have an actual rocket scientist optimist the entire trajectory rather than piecing together trajectories optimized for different things.
I agree with your intuition. I've simulated some of this, and by conducting the plane change at lower (booster) velocities, it is much less expensive, especially if the plane change is combined over a large proportion of the boost phase. The point I was trying to make was that the draft EA and other proposed ground tracks show the plane change being performed entirely by the second stage, and that this would probably not be the most efficient solution for a retrograde polar insertion. SAOCOM is going to 615 km × 634 km, at 97.90°, so I'll be very interested to see the actual profile adopted.
If your simulations suggest the western ASDS spot in the document simply wouldn't happen, then the easiest and most likely explanation would probably be a mistake in the document. These documents aren't perfect. Maybe that area is really just for fairing recovery.
Has this discussion evolved to being about any future SSO F9/FH launches from the Cape?
SAOCOM 1B has been stated to be RTLS
The trace on gongora's original post from Space News has to be the IIP, which pretty much ends at the ASDS location for "land forward" down-range recoveries with no boostback burn. But that's not relevant to this mission.
If an RTLS flight included plane change in the first stage flight the boostback burn would have to include the complexity of keeping the IIP off-shore. Could that be relevant to this mission?
I don’t see how a boost-phase dog-leg makes much sense - even if you start out heading further east. Why? Because the failure of a boost-back burn (even a partial one) could put the impact point in a very populated area.
No, I think any dog-leg maneuver would be left entirely to the upper stage.
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I don’t see how a boost-phase dog-leg makes much sense - even if you start out heading further east. Why? Because the failure of a boost-back burn (even a partial one) could put the impact point in a very populated area.
No, I think any dog-leg maneuver would be left entirely to the upper stage.
Here are a couple of suggested SAOCOM-1B ground tracks to a -97.90° inclination. In both cases the failure of a boostback burn would send the booster towards the ocean, certainly not over Florida, and moving too slowly to reach Bermuda. By tracking further east, the total plane change requirement is greater, but it is performed at lower velocities and yaw, so it may well be less expensive. However, SAOCOM-1B is a very light payload, so there is plenty of ΔV available for this mission, and the second stage probably could perform all of the 1,200 or so m/s of plane change required.
Perhaps this discussion belongs in a different thread, because where I suspect a boost-phase dogleg might make more sense is a polar mission with a much heavier payload and an ASDS landing (Starlink?). Here the physics may well favour minimising (or even eliminating) the second stage plane change requirement.
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I don’t see how a boost-phase dog-leg makes much sense - even if you start out heading further east. Why? Because the failure of a boost-back burn (even a partial one) could put the impact point in a very populated area.
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Should we expect to see the plane change start at the very beginning of the S2 burn, and might the S2 actually overfly parts of Florida, even as its IIP stays at sea, always south of the penninsula?
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Should we expect to see the plane change start at the very beginning of the S2 burn.
Once you are free of constraints, such as Miami and the atmosphere, it's best to spread any needed inclination change over the entirety of all remaining burns. You do not want to "First correct the plane, then go for orbital velocity".
For small angles the components sin(Θ) and cos(Θ) are approximately Θ and 1-Θ^2. For small angles you get some sideways acceleration for almost no loss of downrange acceleration, so if Θ=0 at any point you're leaving performance on the table.
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Should we expect to see the plane change start at the very beginning of the S2 burn.
Once you are free of constraints, such as Miami and the atmosphere, it's best to spread any needed inclination change over the entirety of all remaining burns. You do not want to "First correct the plane, then go for orbital velocity".
For small angles the components sin(Θ) and cos(Θ) are approximately Θ and 1-Θ^2. For small angles you get some sideways acceleration for almost no loss of downrange acceleration, so if Θ=0 at any point you're leaving performance on the table.
cos(Θ) ~ 1-0.5Θ^2, right? Though the quadratic nature of the cosine error still holds. (Even doubly so! :) )
But I'd have thought that as soon as you are free of constraints you would want to yaw as quickly as possible to stop accelerating out of plane, plus that small Θ to compensate for the earlier acceleration. I'm unclear what the resulting ground track would look like, and it still seems possible to me that it might involve overflight of Miami.
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Once you are free of constraints, such as Miami and the atmosphere, it's best to spread any needed inclination change over the entirety of all remaining burns. You do not want to "First correct the plane, then go for orbital velocity".
For small angles the components sin(Θ) and cos(Θ) are approximately Θ and 1-Θ^2. For small angles you get some sideways acceleration for almost no loss of downrange acceleration, so if Θ=0 at any point you're leaving performance on the table.
It's true that for small yaw angles, the loss is small, but the cost of plane change at any point is also proportional to velocity.
E.g. if you are travelling at a constant 100m/s a 30° plane change only requires the addition of 100 x sin(30°) = 50m/s horizontally.
At 1000m/s it requires 500m/s, and at 7,800m/s it requires 3,900m/s.
Now try dividing it into three 10° step changes. At 100m/s 10° requires 17.4m/s, at 1000m/s it's 174m/s and at 7,800m/s it's 1,354m/s. That's a total of about 1,546m/s, much more than if the plane change was all at 100m/s, but much less than if it was all at orbital velocity (like IXPE's massive 28.5° plane change over the equator).
Of course these are rather coarse approximations, just to make a point. But if I was to properly integrate the plane changes in a simulation this trend would still be apparent. In the same way that an aircraft at 80 knots requires only 12° of bank for a two minute turn, a jet at 400 knots requires 48° of bank for the same turn rate. And if you are still in the atmosphere, even with a rocket, you could use aerodynamic forces generated by some yaw to assist your turn. In short, the faster you are going, the more expensive is the plane change.
Edit: added suggested ASDS ground tracks.
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A lesson from the past:
Thor 283 and Able Star stage AB006 launched from LC 17B with Transit 3A and GRAB 2/SolRad 2/Greb 2 on November 20, 1960 on a southbound trajectory toward a high inclination orbit. Things went awry when the main engine shut down early at T+151 seconds, only a few seconds short of its planned cutoff time. The second stage presumably separated and fired, but Range Safety sent a destruct command at T+325 seconds.
This was one of several early high inclination Cape Canaveral launches with ground tracks that crossed the eastern tip of Cuba. The practice created an international embarrassment during this launch. Debris from the second stage fell on eastern Cuba, with one fragment reportedly falling on a farm near Holguin and killing a cow. Castro called it part of a U.S. plot against Cuba. Protesters paraded six cows in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, paying tribute to the cow as a "victim of an imperialist rocket". The U.S. Government paid Cuba $2 million compensation for the incident, after demanding return of pieces of the then-secret rocket. There's an unconfirmed story that after the incident crews painted a cow on the LC 17 blockhouse wall next to the usual Thor images.
This wasn't even a sun synchronous launch attempt. There were at least five sun sync launches from the Cape, including Delta's 28, 32, 36, 37, and 67 with TIROS 9, 10, ESSA 1, 2, 9, during 1965-69. The Delta vehicles would perform three or so dog-legs during their ascent and would overfly Cuba and Panama. The biggest dog-leg - 33 degrees to the right - would be during the first stage burn, starting about 80 seconds after liftoff after initially flying on a 115 deg azimuth from the Cape.
- Ed Kyle
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E.g. if you are travelling at a constant 100m/s a 30° plane change only requires the addition of 100 x sin(30°) = 50m/s horizontally.
At 1000m/s it requires 500m/s, and at 7,800m/s it requires 3,900m/s.
Now try dividing it into three 10° step changes. At 100m/s 10° requires 17.4m/s, at 1000m/s it's 174m/s and at 7,800m/s it's 1,354m/s. That's a total of about 1,546m/s, much more than if the plane change was all at 100m/s, but much less than if it was all at orbital velocity (like IXPE's massive 28.5° plane change over the equator).
Between the first and second of your corrections you go from 100m/s 20 degrees out of plane to 1000m/s 20 degrees out of plane. This means you are accelerating at 20 degrees away from the target plane. This is accelerating in the wrong direction. Don't do that.
A non-optimal but much better alternative is to accelerate in the target plane. Then the traverse component of velocity will remain 33.3m/s.
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For this discussion, we have to keep separate the concepts of ground track and Instantaneous Impact Point.
Satellites fly over Miami and every other city all the time, but they don't have IIPs when in orbit.
Similarly, the eastern of OneSpeed's sonic boom areas seems to be the IIP for the first stage if no burns occur after staging.
The stage is still far north, east of Vero Beach at that time.
For an RTLS, the IIP will "pull back" during the boostback burn, back down the path it took off the coast, possibly to the point of the dogleg maneuver.
My guess is that the landing burn will move the first stage laterally by the same amount it traversed before the turn to the SSE.
If the rocket did initiate the plane change before staging, the path would go closer to land, but the IIP, particularly for the second stage, would gently curve around Florida.
It wouldn't necessarily be a problem if the second stage overflew Miami, so long as it was high with it's IIP far to the south.
It would just be more complex to have the boostback burn make the first stage IIP complete a "figure 8", sweeping out to sea before pulling back to just offshore of the Cape.
It's physically possible.
Not that we have any evidence for that being the plan for the SAOCOM 1B launch.
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For an RTLS, the IIP will "pull back" during the boostback burn, back down the path it took off the coast, possibly to the point of the dogleg maneuver.
My guess is that the landing burn will move the first stage laterally by the same amount it traversed before the turn to the SSE.
No, the landing burn (and braking burn) is almost entirely vertical, and it happens close to the ground. The landing burn cannot provide any dog leg horizontal shift.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the outbound trajectory (under constant thrust) is the same as the inbound (mostly gliding). They are very different. The boost-back burn sets the direction back to the landing site, in a straight line. (When viewed from above) The remaining burns do not alter the ballistic impact point by any significant margin.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200311/c310133b1ace93b2e80be484089948c7.jpg)
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Here is a screengrab from the SpaceX CRS-20 Mission Control Audio webcast (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Iif96DchxXo) at stage separation. My best estimate is that the IIP (terminus of the blue arc) is 380 km downrange from the launch site. That sort of range would put SAOCOM 1B's IIP well south of Miami (and a bit south of Biscayne Bay) at stage separation.
What I'd love to see is the ground track plot for such an RTLS mission which runs down the coast 20 km offshore until stage separation when the upper stage then takes up the necessary course for its desired orbit. Might it come inland even a bit north of West Palm Beach?
Edit: Stripped leading www from YouTube link to suppress embedding.
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Any info on fairing recovery for the SAOCOM-1B mission?
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Any info on fairing recovery for the SAOCOM-1B mission?
Hmmm... good question
If I had to guess I would say yes, but that would put Ms. tree and Ms. Chief in very interesting positions.....
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Cross-post re: early Merlin 1D shut down on the first stage, Starlink v1.0 Flight 5 today; possibility of launch delay:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1240262636547100672
Elon: Yeah. There was also an early engine shutdown on ascent, but it didn’t affect orbit insertion. Shows value of having 9 engines! Thorough investigation needed before next mission.
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SAOCOM-1B Launch Hazard Areas (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1IDaH4FjeWQAh4d2rDf8QD99A1ELP-W1W&ll=26.108059640134528%2C-78.9433361003264&z=7) based on issued NOTMAR, valid for Mar 30 23:18 UTC, alternatively Mar 31.
LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Stage2 dogleg maneuver to polar orbit azimuth. Possible fairing recovery in southern (orange) area.
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LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Curious... how can the boostback failure impact zone be so far off from the ground track?
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SAOCOM-1B Launch Hazard Areas (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1IDaH4FjeWQAh4d2rDf8QD99A1ELP-W1W&ll=26.108059640134528%2C-78.9433361003264&z=7) based on issued NOTMAR, valid for Mar 30 23:18 UTC, alternatively Mar 31.
LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Stage2 dogleg maneuver to polar orbit azimuth. Possible fairing recovery in southern (orange) area.
Thanks Raul, for this and all the SpaceX related maps you generate. You rock!
Hazard Area B (red) makes sense, with the latitudes of its southern boundary a bit south of Biscayne bay, as I described above.
You generated the launch groundtrack yourself, extrapolating from the hazard area coordinates, right? It would represent the groundtrack of the fairings, not S2, as S2's IIP would be in Hazard Area C at the moment of fairing separation, but its trajectory will continue to bend much farther to the west. Also, the initial bend should start farther south -- roughly offshore Vero Beach instead of Melbourne -- so that the F9's IIP is in Hazard Area B a MECO.
(But here I am, all talk and no numbers, as I've not calculated just how fast S2's ground track should bend. Sorry!)
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LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Curious... how can the boostback failure impact zone be so far off from the ground track?
Stage separation would be before the dogleg. S1 continues straight; S2 takes a hard right.
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LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Curious... how can the boostback failure impact zone be so far off from the ground track?
Perhaps like this?
Edit: take 2.
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LZ1 landing for the booster. Extra drop area (red) in case of boostback failure.
Curious... how can the boostback failure impact zone be so far off from the ground track?
Perhaps like this?
That looks about right. Probably the yellow trajectory will end up more to the west if this is really going to an SSO. But the early trajectory seems to fit the hazard zones
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Country is in full quarantine mode. International trips (specially to the US) are simply forbidden. People can not leave their houses unless medical or food related jobs (with certificate). All non-essencial activities (even public offices) are closed down. Police is patrolling the streets for compliance and traffic is reduced to certificate-carrying essential trips.
Government is funneling every single resource to prepare for the worst. All military factories have been converted to medical supplies, and the military personnel is deploying all the campaign hospitals through the country. Launching a satellite is probably priority infinity at this moment.
I seriously doubt they can launch on time. Things like review meetings and the satellite control stations are probably considered non-critical. And I'm pretty sure if any person or equipment was left behind, they will not be able to transport it.
BTW, all this happens while the country was about to declare a default on all debts, and was running a primary deficit (i.e. even before paying interests). So to say that money is tight, is quite an understatement. I'm pretty sure SACOMO-1B will fly, eventually. But boy are we going into a crisis of herculean proportions.
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While this launch may slip for many reasons, SAOCOM satellites are - among other - used for disaster monitoring. This is critical infrastructure.
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An indefinite launch delay has been confirmed per NSF L2. Reason is travel restrictions for the payload's customer and international partners.
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While this launch may slip for many reasons, SAOCOM satellites are - among other - used for disaster monitoring. This is critical infrastructure.
You can't use it for a pandemic, and it is the second satellite of the series. And LEOP would take months, anyways. And poor countries like Argentina have different definitions of critical infrastructure. Delaying it a couple of months is not really critical.
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An indefinite launch delay has been confirmed per NSF L2. Reason is travel restrictions for the payload's customer and international partners.
https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1242444040206987269
Air Force's 45th Space Wing commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess says SpaceX has gone "indefinite" for its SAOCOM 1B mission that was slated for late March. "We were told yesterday that SpaceX is going indefinite on the SAOCOM" launch.
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Official notice from CONAE:
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/se-pospone-el-lanzamiento-del-satelite-saocom-1b (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/se-pospone-el-lanzamiento-del-satelite-saocom-1b)
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0798-EX-ST-2020 (https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=100355&RequestTimeout=1000)
Prelaunch testing and launch support for the upcoming SAOCOM-1B launch. Operation Start Date: 07/07/2020
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0798-EX-ST-2020 (https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=100355&RequestTimeout=1000)
Prelaunch testing and launch support for the upcoming SAOCOM-1B launch. Operation Start Date: 07/07/2020
For the record, the above linked permit application extends the dates of the existing pre-launch testing STA 2346-EX-ST-2019 (https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=97043&RequestTimeout=1000) which expires on 2020 July 7. The pre-launch testing can occur at any time, so July 7 is not a NET for the testing or the launch. Sorry if this was not a confusion, but I have seen it confused elsewhere.
edit: fixed the year in the file number.
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What news, if any, is there about the resumption of this launch campaign?
I read that the Argentine countrywide quarantine was lifted May 10, with greater Buenos Aires still quarantined to June 7.
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What news, if any, is there about the resumption of this launch campaign?
I read that the Argentine countrywide quarantine was lifted May 10, with greater Buenos Aires still quarantined to June 7.
I've just read a comment on Instagram by CONAE's official account, that they're expecting to launch in Q4, so NET October. It's not the best source, but sounds about right to me, as the launch ops rehearsal should start at least ~1 month before the launch, and we* haven't heard anything yet, so surely not July.
[* Edit to clarify: "we" the thermal support team for LEOP.]
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They have some sort of presentation tomorrow, maybe they'll say more.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1268682435157471234
SAOCOM Webinar: Argentine Satellites for Productive Development. 🗓 Friday: 06/05 - Alarm clock 18 hours.
Invited by @mincytcordoba
We present about the SAOCOM Mission developed by CONAE together with national companies and organizations.
Via YouTube Live Mincyt-cba https://bit.ly/2zYrd1R
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They have some sort of presentation tomorrow, maybe they'll say more.
SAOCOM Webinar: Argentine Satellites for Productive Development. 🗓 Friday: 06/05 - Alarm clock 18 hours.
Invited by @mincytcordoba
We present about the SAOCOM Mission developed by CONAE together with national companies and organizations.
Via YouTube Live Mincyt-cba https://bit.ly/2zYrd1R
Yes, I'll attend if I can! I'm sure they'll talk about the launch date or give time for questions.
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If any of our Spanish speaking members has time maybe they could take a look and see if there is anything interesting in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWyWGjnfLTU
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If any of our Spanish speaking members has time maybe they could take a look and see if there is anything interesting in here:
The most interesting part (in my opinion) is that they hinted they're planning to continue working on SAOCOM 2A/B (approx. 1:25:00 in the video). There had been some speculation that they would stop at SAOCOM 1B.
No mention of the launch date. At one point in the video, they talked a bit about the launch, but they only said they had to postpone it. Many people asked in the live chat, but they only answered questions about the scientific applications.
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Any news about the launch campaign?
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html
FALCON 9
Other upcoming launches include: a Falcon 9 will launch the SAOCOM 1B Earth observation satellite for Argentina, the first polar-orbit mission from the Cape since 1960 on late July at the earliest, around sunset EDT. The first stage will land back at the Cape about eight minutes after launch.
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Any news about the launch campaign?
Not much. The satellite is ready to go, but the operations for launch readiness and LEOP afterwards still need people moving. Much of Argentina is still in lockdown, so we depend on special permits to travel or waiting until the situation changes.
There is a possibility of somehow getting people to the US to launch the satellite, and then do the LEOP remotely (i.e. from home) but... with the terrible internet we have in Argentina, I wouldn't say it's a safe option :P
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Brief update: I had a meeting today with CONAE, and the launch is still NET end of July.
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Cross-post:
We went back to the stringent quarantine level. No personnel will be allowed to travel at least for a month.
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Cross-post:
We went back to the stringent quarantine level. No personnel will be allowed to travel at least for a month.
At the moment, the previous NET holds. They will issue permits for the people involved in LEOP operations but will keep travelling to the minimum (only strictly necessary staff). Of course, it's a complex situation, and it could change at any time.
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News in Spanish from Federico Kukso, science journalist.
First tweet:
Now we are going to take advantage of the launch window from July 25 to 30.
Second tweet:
Schedule: SAOCOM 1B will launch on Saturday, July 25 at 8:19 p.m. Argentine time.
https://twitter.com/fedkukso/status/1278798563909283845
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Schedule: SAOCOM 1B will launch on Saturday, July 25 at 8:19 p.m. Argentine time.
Argentina Standard Time is GMT-3. That puts the launch at 23:19 UTC / 19:19 EDT (local time at the Cape).
Sunset times for 25 July:
* Cape Canaveral: 20:16
* Vero Beach: 20:14
* West Palm Beach: 20:11
* Miami: 20:10
This polar launch should put on quite a show, but I do wish it were scheduled an hour later.
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https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/el-satelite-saocom-1b-tiene-nueva-campana-de-lanzamiento
The Argentinian team supporting the launch will leave for Florida on Friday night. They have all been tested for COVID-19, and will be quarantined until July 12 and tested again before starting the launch campaign. Launch window is July 25-30.
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[quote trimmed - gongora]
No, Argentina uses GMT-3, so (currently) we have just one hour difference with Florida. It's because Buenos Aires is on the east coast, and all the territory follows the same time zone.
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[quote trimmed - gongora]
No, Argentina uses GMT-3, so (currently) we have just one hour difference with Florida. It's because Buenos Aires is on the east coast, and all the territory follows the same time zone.
My apologies. You would obviously know better than I.
I confused Argentina with Chile, even though I should know better.
I looked up Buenos Aires current time and it gave me the same time as Los Angeles.
I must have had some finger trouble.
Apologies for any confusion.
Carl
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Facebook CONAE (oficial) 7 hrs ·
SAOCOM 1 B satellite has new launch campaign
It is planned to be placed in orbit at the end of July 2020 through SpaceX's Falcon 9 launcher from Cape Canaveral. Argentine engineers traveling to the United States will comply with strict quarantine until Sunday July 12th and, to enter Spacex facilities, they must have performed two PCR Test PCRs with negative results.
As part of the team travels a safety and hygiene responsible exclusively for monitoring the implementation of the protocol implemented for this mission, and the care of the members of the team and their health. On Monday, 29 and Tuesday, June 30, they were tested by PCR for COVID-19 and the results were negative. Argentine engineers travel with health insurance, personal protective equipment (EPP) COVID-19 and a protocol of preventive measures.
See the full information on CONAE Web: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/el-satelite-saocom-1b-tiene-nueva-campana-de-lanzamiento?fbclid=IwAR2oFLwFyh3MvHPUtbMzsnEQdRQHlqIz7c8BoodG1NQkrSZSkJR3bme_5UM
#ArgentinaUnida
#HaciaElFuturo
Casa Rosada
Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de la Nación
CNEA Argentina
INVAP
Veng SA
Universidad Nacional de La Plata | UNLP-GEMA
Spacesur
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https://twitter.com/invapargentina/status/1279180603435384838
We proudly bid farewell to part of the team embarking on the journey to launch the #SAOCOM1B @CONAE_Oficial Let's go Team! Let's go Argentina! @ciencia_ar
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Today, the team in the US started working at SpaceX's facilities, and those in Argentina completed one of the last rehearsals for the launch. Everything's still on track for the 25th :D
The team from CONAE and INVAP has completed the quarantine, and all the COVID-19 tests came back negative. From the US, Juan Ignacio Casais tells us how they are getting ready for their first day working on #SAOCOM1B at SpaceX's facilities.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1282658650256023553
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A new Temporary Flight Restriction (discussed here (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48217.msg2106985#msg2106985)) implies SpaceX is targeting a Sunday, July 19 launch of ANASIS-II.
Is six days long enough to turn around the pad at SLC-40?
Might one or the other of these launches be shifted to LC-39A?
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A new Temporary Flight Restriction (discussed here (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48217.msg2106985#msg2106985)) implies SpaceX is targeting a Sunday, July 19 launch of ANASIS-II.
Is six days long enough to turn around the pad at SLC-40?
Might one or the other of these launches be shifted to LC-39A?
SAOCOM is likely being pushed a little. Ben Cooper's site (http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html) now shows late July/early August launch date instead of the original July 25.
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1283796925507153921
Today at 7pm, invited by @planetarioba SAOCOM professionals will participate in the virtual talk "SAOCOM Satellites: Observe the Earth from Space"
Satellite antenna Free activity, without registration, follow x Planetario BA Youtube and Facebook live https://youtube.com/channel/UCe2NlfG7HtbcC_o1fb5W_cQ
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I still don't have confirmation of the new target date, but yes, it will probably get delayed by two or three days.
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1284638492425945091
Find out how the professionals participating in the observation satellite launch campaign are preparing #SAOCOM1B , scheduled for the end of July.
I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
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I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
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I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
Seems like it. At least that's what I interpret from that.
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I wouldn't assume that means static fire.
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I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
As far as I know, yes, this is the case. We'll use this test as the last rehearsal before the launch.
PS: I was surprised, too. I thought they stopped doing static fires with the payload attached after AMOS-6.
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So a couple questions, have we heard anything about the NET date? (I’m going to be In Orlando for a week) What pad will this be from, considering ANASIS just launched from SLC-40 and Starlink is sitting delayed at 39a?
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I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
As far as I know, yes, this is the case. We'll use this test as the last rehearsal before the launch.
PS: I was surprised, too. I thought they stopped doing static fires with the payload attached after AMOS-6.
They did, but it has technically always been up to the customer to have the payload on or not. NASA allowed the DM-1 Dragon to be on the booster for the static fire. Several (all? I haven't been keeping track) of the Starlink static fires have had the Starlinks on top.
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I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
As far as I know, yes, this is the case. We'll use this test as the last rehearsal before the launch.
PS: I was surprised, too. I thought they stopped doing static fires with the payload attached after AMOS-6.
They did, but it has technically always been up to the customer to have the payload on or not. NASA allowed the DM-1 Dragon to be on the booster for the static fire. Several (all? I haven't been keeping track) of the Starlink static fires have had the Starlinks on top.
DM 1 and 2 were left on the vehicle because it contained an escape system. Starlink is SpaceX owned...it was their choice to leave it intact for the static firing.
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What was the reason for changing launch locations from VAFB to KSC?
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What was the reason for changing launch locations from VAFB to KSC?
1st off prove they can do it, since the Range approved Launching certain SSO & polar trajectories with a Dogleg again from the Eastern Range.
2nd keep the launch team & personal at same location because it's pretty much 1 team now.
3rd it's a little easier for foreign nationals to travel KSC VS VAFB & CCAFS/CCSFS
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What was the reason for changing launch locations from VAFB to KSC?
1st off prove they can do it, since the Range approved Launching certain SSO & polar trajectories with a Dogleg again from the Eastern Range.
2nd keep the launch team & personal at same location because it's pretty much 1 team now.
3rd it's a little easier for foreign nationals to travel KSC VS VAFB & CCAFS/CCSFS
Although your 2nd and 3rd points are true, they changed the launch site more than a year ago. So, I think it may have to do with the 1st point.
EDIT: I've just realised they're not launching regularly from California anymore. It makes more sense now. My bad!
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According to Next Spaceflight, booster 1059.4 is going to be used for this flight. It's going to be the first time the booster is used for the fourth time for an orbital flight for an external customer.
Previous missions:
December 2019 - CRS-19
March 2020 - CRS-20
June 2020 - Starlink-9 (V1.0 L8)
We don't know the exact launch date yet, but it should at least be very close to breaking the booster turnaround record set during ANASIS-II mission (51d 02h 08m).
Source: https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
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SAOCOM 1B is pushed to late August
* the launch of the SAOCOM 1B had to be rescheduled towards the end of August , due to the additional time that the company SpaceX required for the launch vehicle's set-up .*
Also it says
*This additional time implies an approach to other launches planned from that Base , for which the United States Air Force , in charge of the authorizations for space mission launches from Cape Canaveral, ordered this reprogramming*
https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/lanzamiento-del-satelite-saocom-1b
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SAOCOM 1B is pushed to late August
* the launch of the SAOCOM 1B had to be rescheduled towards the end of August , due to the additional time that the company SpaceX required for the launch vehicle's set-up .*
...
Is the Spanish "puesta a punto" (fine tuning?) consistent with saying they need more time to finish refurbishing B1059, which made its third flight back on 13 June (Starlink v1.0 L8)?
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Press release; Google translated
Launch of the SAOCOM 1B satellite, Saturday July 25, 2020
SpaceX , the launcher's supplier company, informed CONAE today that due to decisions by the United States Air Force, which coordinates that activity from Cape Canaveral Base, the launch into orbit of the second SAOCOM Mission satellite has been rescheduled for end of August.
The National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE), an agency of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, reports that the Argentine observation satellite SAOCOM 1B is in optimal conditions and ready to be launched, after successfully completing all the tests carried out by the team of 18 CONAE and INVAP professionals who traveled to the United States.
However, the launch of SAOCOM 1B had to be rescheduled towards the end of August, due to the additional time required by the SpaceX company for the launch vehicle to be tuned. This additional time implies an approach to other launches planned from that Base, for which the United States Air Force, in charge of the authorizations for space mission launches from Cape Canaveral, ordered this reprogramming.
Finally, it is worth noting the commitment and dedication of Argentine engineers to conclude the satellite launch campaign that will complete the SAOCOM constellation.
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SAOCOM 1B is pushed to late August
* the launch of the SAOCOM 1B had to be rescheduled towards the end of August , due to the additional time that the company SpaceX required for the launch vehicle's set-up .*
...
Is the Spanish "puesta a punto" (fine tuning?) consistent with saying they need more time to finish refurbishing B1059, which made its third flight back on 13 June (Starlink v1.0 L8)?
No. USAF (USSF Range) made the official request to reschedule for other vehicles on the ETR a very likely has nothing to do with refurbishing as the launcher is supposedly already integrated on its dollies. It is more likely to do with checks and/or replacements consistent with the Starlink and ANASIS-II F9 S2 issues (Starlink implied).ANASIS-II's second stage was swapped so a juggling of stages occurred. We have no clue if they are checking this rocket or swapped stages and so on.
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The press release actually can be summarized as follows:
SpaceX took a bit longer setting up the launcher. This pushed the launch date close to other missions. USAF thus requested this launch to be pushed towards the end on August.
This is the summary. I can only comment on the general tone. I don't have any internal information, just a native speaker (as in Argentinean used to read government press releases) I'm giving an accurately translated summary.
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The FCC communications permits for launch and landing run through September 23. SpaceX filed today for extensions of those permits.
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
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I could imagine this flying on B1060.2 and B1059.4 being used for Starlink v1-11 instead.
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As "late August" approaches, is interest brewing to view this evening twilit launch spectacular down the length of the Florida Atlantic coast?
(See up-thread for previous discussion pre-pandemic quarantine (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2034432#msg2034432).)
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I could imagine this flying on B1060.2 and B1059.4 being used for Starlink v1-11 instead.
I was thinking they'd save B1060.2 for the SiriusXM SXM-7 mission. Given the "pitching rotation" they have going with the boosters and an external customer, that makes the most sense.
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SAOCOM 1B, Argentine industry in space (https://www.cba24n.com.ar/amp/tecnologia/saocom-1b--industria-argentina-en-el-espacio_a5f3533564820286d85b442e8), dated August 13
Finally, [Gabriel Absi ,Manager of INVAP's Space Projects Area] explained the reason why they had to postpone the [SAOCOM 1B launch] date from the end of July to the end of August: "There is a North American [USA] satellite [NROL-44] that has priority over the rest because it is used for the security of the United States and that is why they postponed us a month, We don't have a specific date yet but we have a launch scheduled for the end of August."
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Cross-post:
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ (August 17 update)
Aug. 27 • Falcon 9 • SAOCOM 1B
Launch time: 2319 GMT (7:19 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
***
EDIT August 18: After this USA morning's successful Starlink launch, this is the next Falcon 9 orbital launch, nine days from today, from the same launch complex!
And less than two days after the previous launch from Cape Canaveral!
Scheduled:
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)
2020
August 26 - NROL-44: Orion 10 (Mentor 8 ) (TBD) - Delta IV-H [D-385] - Canaveral SLC-37B - 06:16-10:25
Late August 27 - SAOCOM-1B, Capella 2 (Sequoia), GNOMES-1 - Falcon 9-092 (B1059.4 L) - Canaveral SLC-40 - 23:19
Changes on August 8th
Changes on August 17th
Also, a reminder from up-thread about the upcoming Static Fire--if the information is still correct, then Static Fire will be on August 22.
I followed the story on the web: https://bit.ly/EquiposSAOCOM
The article has some good info
Five days before launch, the Argentine and SpaceX engineers will conduct a second procedural test, which this time will include the launcher and the satellite.
Are they saying they're going to do the static fire with payload attached?
As far as I know, yes, this is the case. We'll use this test as the last rehearsal before the launch.
PS: I was surprised, too. I thought they stopped doing static fires with the payload attached after AMOS-6.
They did, but it has technically always been up to the customer to have the payload on or not. NASA allowed the DM-1 Dragon to be on the booster for the static fire. Several (all? I haven't been keeping track) of the Starlink static fires have had the Starlinks on top.
DM 1 and 2 were left on the vehicle because it contained an escape system. Starlink is SpaceX owned...it was their choice to leave it intact for the static firing.
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*The SAOCOM 1B satellite is already in the cap of the Falcon 9 launcher! We proudly display our flag, our professionals and the launch badge, with the SAOCOM constellation.*
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1295867900134400008
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https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/saocom-1b-comienzan-las-pruebas-conjuntas-con-spacex
"[During the static fire] we will do a test of the whole system. If the results are satisfactory, it means that SAOCOM 1B is ready to go to orbit", [Ordoñez] informed. Then, the satellite will be moved to a hangar, a few meters away from the launch pad. There, it will be turned on again, already in the fairing, to make sure there haven't been any issues during the transfer, and it will be integrated with the Falcon 9 rocket.
Is it usual to detach and reattach the payload to the rocket after the static fire? Otherwise, this article may have some mistakes, or SAOCOM won't be attached to the Falcon 9 for the static fire after all ???
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https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/saocom-1b-comienzan-las-pruebas-conjuntas-con-spacex
"[During the static fire] we will do a test of the whole system. If the results are satisfactory, it means that SAOCOM 1B is ready to go to orbit", [Ordoñez] informed. Then, the satellite will be moved to a hangar, a few meters away from the launch pad. There, it will be turned on again, already in the fairing, to make sure there haven't been any issues during the transfer, and it will be integrated with the Falcon 9 rocket.
Is it usual to detach and reattach the payload to the rocket after the static fire? Otherwise, this article may have some mistakes, or SAOCOM won't be attached to the Falcon 9 for the static fire after all ???
Fully normal. Unless the customer explicitly requests it, SpaceX has performed all commercial launch static fires without the payload installed since Amos-6, where the payload would have been saved if SpaceX had done so. They decided the risk wasn't worth trimming ~24 hours from the launch flow after that.
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It doesn't explictly says that the joint test simulating the launch is either during static fire or with the payload on top of the rocket. I think it's more likely the simulated launch test will be done with the payload somewhere else inside the fairing. Once the test is complete then they roll it out to the hangar and install it onto the rocket. That's what I get from the article as Spanish native speaker. Now, translations would obviously lose some of that meaning.
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The launch is included in the new NOTMARs.
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm07332020.pdf
ATLANTIC OCEAN - FLORIDA - CAPE CANAVERAL
Eastern Range OP# X5665 FALCON 9 SAOCOM-1B will be conducting hazardous operations surface to unlimited within portions of Warning Areas
W497A, W497B, W465D, and the following Hazard Areas:
A: From 2836 36.77N 8035 43.86W
TO 2839N 8030W
TO 2808N 8011W
TO 2803N 8025W
TO 2824 37.67N 8035 19.75W to beginning
B: From 2626N 7931W
TO 2636N 7906W
TO 2521N 7832W
TO 2510N 7859W to beginning
C: From 2414N 7939W
TO 2421N 7907W
TO 2328N 7855W
TO 2319N 7927W to beginning
Hazard periods for primary launch day and backup launch day;
Primary launch day: 27 AUG 20/2309Z thru 28 AUG 20/0019Z (7:07 pm thru 8:19 pm local). Preferred T-0 is 2314Z (7:14 pm local).
Backup launch day: 28 AUG 20/2309Z thru 29 AUG 20/0019Z (7:07 pm thru 8:19 pm local). Preferred T-0 is 2314Z (7:14 pm local).
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It doesn't explictly says that the joint test simulating the launch is either during static fire or with the payload on top of the rocket. I think it's more likely the simulated launch test will be done with the payload somewhere else inside the fairing. Once the test is complete then they roll it out to the hangar and install it onto the rocket. That's what I get from the article as Spanish native speaker. Now, translations would obviously lose some of that meaning.
True, I just know he’s talking about the static fire because I’m working on this satellite. However, as I don’t work at CONAE (I work for one of the subcontractors), it’s hard to get all the details about the tests. So most of the time I know as much or as little as you all do!
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
Is this the first customer payload to go on a 4th booster flight?
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
Is this the first customer payload to go on a 4th booster flight?
Yes, it will be the first! (If you don't count the IFA for Crew Dragon haha)
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
Is this the first customer payload to go on a 4th booster flight?
Yes, I will be the first! (If you don't count the IFA for Crew Dragon haha)
Well, I hope the payload is not you personally :D
Unless there's something I really missed about this launch...
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
Is this the first customer payload to go on a 4th booster flight?
Yes, I will be the first! (If you don't count the IFA for Crew Dragon haha)
Well, I hope the payload is not you personally :D
Unless there's something I really missed about this launch...
LOL! Typo! TBH, who wouldn't prefer being in space right now xD
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Perhaps something to keep an eye on as the static fire is usually 1-2 days before launch.
Storm 13 _currently_ heading towards Florida with ETA on August 24. Of course predictions that many days out are difficult, for example the last storm just dissipated instead of hitting the Carribean as predicted.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/090937.shtml?cone#contents
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I'm super excited about this launch of a couple of reasons.
Launching south will be a great track.
And to see a RTLS booster after this long will be really refreshing.
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Previously Next Spaceflight stated that this mission is going to be launched using booster 1059.4, but now it shows "Unknown Vehicle" again, so there may be an assignment shift. I wonder if it's somehow related to the mission delays.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/90
Next Spaceflight is showing 1059.4 for this flight again, so apparently no assignment changes then.
Well, I was betting that they might use a less used booster like the 1058 in its third launch (it would have been a record 38 days between two launches after July 20th last launch, but why not?) and might keep the 1059 for the next starlink launch (now scheduled for the end of this month as today fresh news)...
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Small update on #13:
Projected to rise to hurricane level before passing Florida on August 24 and 25.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents
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Small update on #13:
Projected to rise to hurricane level before passing Florida on August 24 and 25.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents
Could this impact the launch itself or is it a concern just for the static fire?
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Could this impact the launch itself or is it a concern just for the static fire?
Storms can speed up, slow down (just remember how the Bahamas were hit last year as the hurricane stopped moving and stayed overhead for 2 days) or disperse quite quickly (#12 this year), so it could impact launch day as well. It is currently imo in a stage to keep an eye on it.
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Small update on #13:
Projected to rise to hurricane level before passing Florida on August 24 and 25.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents)
Don't use that graph!
It's not the one that forecasts where the winds will be.
It shows the predicted probable paths of the center of the storm.
Try this "Time of Arrival" graph, or the wind speed forecasts.
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@Comga Yes, the center.. as the graph states it at the top. And the impact can be, also stated in the graph, outside the marked area.
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Finally, the last test/rehearsal for SAOCOM-1B before launch won't be simultaneous to the static fire, so it will probably be a "regular" SF (no payload attached).
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https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1297313254755241987
The SAOCOM 1B satellite passed the latest test and is ready to launch. On Friday the 21st we carried out a test to check its correct operation and communications with Argentina. It was a success! Do you want to know everything that happened? We tell you here 👉bit.ly/SAOCOM1BListo
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Finally, the last test/rehearsal for SAOCOM-1B before launch won't be simultaneous to the static fire, so it will probably be a "regular" SF (no payload attached).
Transfer of the Falcon 9 to the pad and Static Fire should be next.
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The post from CONAE gave the launch time as 8:24pm in Argentina, which is 7:24pm at the launch site.
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https://twitter.com/Raul74Cz/status/1297923202019143680
#SAOCOM-1B LHAs for Aug 27 23:14 UTC, altern.Aug 28. LZ1 landing for B1059.4. Drop area (red) in case of boostback failure. Possible fairing recovery in southern (orange) area. Dogleg maneuver to polar orbit azimuth. S2 debris reentry west of Easter Island.http://bit.do/LHA11
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Drop area (red) in case of boostback failure. Possible fairing recovery in southern (orange) area. Dogleg maneuver to polar orbit azimuth. S2 debris reentry west of Easter Island
Yeesh. Seems like it'll be a high lofted launch. Compared to the starlink launches at least. (Look at the Fairing recovery area) Do we have an archive of other RTLS launches?
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Weather forecast is 80% GO for August 27 and 70% GO for August 28.
https://www.patrick.af.mil/Portals/14/Weather/Falcon%209%20SAOCOM-1B%20L-3%20Forecast%2027%20Aug%20Launch.pdf?ver=2020-08-24-115153-933
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https://www.capellaspace.com/announcing-our-sequoia-launch-i-cant-believe-its-not-optical/
We’re partnering with Rocket Lab, a launch provider and space systems company, to launch Sequoia, the first publicly available satellite in our planned constellation.
Sequoia was supposed to launch with SAOCOM, but I'm guessing it was moved to Electron due to the long COVID-related delay?
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https://www.capellaspace.com/announcing-our-sequoia-launch-i-cant-believe-its-not-optical/
We’re partnering with Rocket Lab, a launch provider and space systems company, to launch Sequoia, the first publicly available satellite in our planned constellation.
Sequoia was supposed to launch with SAOCOM, but I'm guessing it was moved to Electron due to the long COVID-related delay?
Seems plausible... only to be delayed anyway by the Rocketlab failure and return-to-flight period, and ending up with basically the same launch date after all. Such is the world of spaceflight...
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Is the launch expected to be right at the beginning of the window? Sunset will be around 23:45 UTC, and a twilight launch could be really spectacular with burns up and down the coast.
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They usually target the middle of the window. This flight is most likely moving back at least one day with the DIVH slip.
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https://twitter.com/Raul74Cz/status/1297923202019143680
Im still amazed that this launch trajectory was approved... this will be an amazing flight to watch for all. The long exposure shots will show some pretty unique dog-legging.
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They usually target the middle of the window. This flight is most likely moving back at least one day with the DIVH slip.
Yes, SAOCOM's launch was conditional on NROL-44 launching first. I hope it's moving just one day, but we'll have to wait for confirmation of the new date.
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They usually target the middle of the window. This flight is most likely moving back at least one day with the DIVH slip.
Yes, SAOCOM's launch was conditional on NROL-44 launching first. I hope it's moving just one day, but we'll have to wait for confirmation of the new date.
Yes, if the launch track is to be believed (from the tweet above), the SAOCOM trajectory will take it very close to (if not over) SLC-37B. So it makes sense that they want to let NROL-44 fly first.
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They usually target the middle of the window. This flight is most likely moving back at least one day with the DIVH slip.
Yes, SAOCOM's launch was conditional on NROL-44 launching first. I hope it's moving just one day, but we'll have to wait for confirmation of the new date.
Yes, if the launch track is to be believed (from the tweet above), the SAOCOM trajectory will take it very close to (if not over) SLC-37B. So it makes sense that they want to let NROL-44 fly first.
That’s a great point. I thought it was an issue because there would be two launches in less than 24 hours. But that makes a lot of sense!
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https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1298263260853018625
Google translate:
The satellite launch date #SAOCOM1B It has happened for Friday 8/28, at 8:20 pm; the second day of the window of opportunity previously announced and anticipated by SpaceX. The rescheduling is due to a delay from a previous release.
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Weather for August 28 is still 70% GO.
https://www.patrick.af.mil/Portals/14/Weather/Falcon%209%20SAOCOM-1B%20L-3%20Forecast%2028%20Aug%20Launch.pdf?ver=2020-08-25-101829-530
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@Elthiryel I literally checked that site 8 minutes ago and still saw the forecast for the 27th.
CONAE tweeted the 28th date
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1298263260853018625
[Google translate] The satellite launch date #SAOCOM1B It has happened for Friday 8/28, at 8:20 pm; the second day of the window of opportunity previously announced and anticipated by SpaceX. The rescheduling is due to a delay from a previous release.
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Any idea why there is no longer a backup window on the forecast ? Starlink-L11 taking priority?
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Any idea why there is no longer a backup window on the forecast? Starlink-L11 taking priority?
If SAOCOM is delayed again, we'll have to wait a couple more days for a launch window. The 29th doesn't have the optimal conditions for orbit insertion.
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I am considering the Kennedy Visitor Center parking and a movie deal for viewing the SAOCOM launch. Would that be a good location for this launch and stage landing?
KSC / Cape launching viewing is discussed here:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44657.0
(FYI, I've answered your question there, and your post may get moved there.)
Don't miss the very first link in that thread:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html
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L-2 launch weather forecast has dropped to 60% GO
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Kudos to whoever added the launch time to the thread title. It is now easy to see if there is a schedule change and I'm able to copy and paste the text from the title directly into my calendar 'new event' field and it does all the date and time conversion to local automatically. I hope this becomes standard procedure.
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A probably useless but cool detail Raul Kulichevsky, director of the CONAE, mentioned in an interview today: the exact launch time will be 23:19:53 UTC 8)
The interview, in case someone is interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvTKY_Su3zA
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https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1298786958643261441
The #SOACOM1B mission has begun for the Fleet. Ms. Tree is set for the southern landing zone but Ms. Chief has not designated yet. With Starlink stepping right will both gals go south for a double catch attempt? Tune in! #SpaceXFleet
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Finally, the last test/rehearsal for SAOCOM-1B before launch won't be simultaneous to the static fire, so it will probably be a "regular" SF (no payload attached).
Transfer of the Falcon 9 to the pad and Static Fire should be next.
Noting as of now: We're less than 43 hours from launch and there is no outward sign reported of an impending Static Fire, with or without payload.
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ULA scrubbed today, retry morrow, which will delay this launch and likely the Starlink launch on the 30th.
Considering the fleet will have to be at see longer, they should bill ULA for their "When it absolutely, positively has to get into space safely and on time" delays
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NROL-44 delayed to August 28:
Scrub!
twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1298853251648040961
"Launch Director Lou Mangieri has announced that we will not continue with the #DeltaIVHeavy rocket countdown operations today for #NROL44. Another launch attempt will be possible in 24 hours."
SAOCOM-1B would be delayed to August 30, same time of day:
[Re: launch on August 28] Any idea why there is no longer a backup window on the forecast? Starlink-L11 taking priority?
If SAOCOM is delayed again, we'll have to wait a couple more days for a launch window. The 29th doesn't have the optimal conditions for orbit insertion.
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https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1298945922886504448
Good Morning! Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief departed from Cape Canaveral late last night and are heading south towards the SAOCOM-1B fairing recovery zone.
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NROL-44 delayed to August 28:
Scrub!
twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1298853251648040961
"Launch Director Lou Mangieri has announced that we will not continue with the #DeltaIVHeavy rocket countdown operations today for #NROL44. Another launch attempt will be possible in 24 hours."
SAOCOM-1B would be delayed to August 30, same time of day:
[Re: launch on August 28] Any idea why there is no longer a backup window on the forecast? Starlink-L11 taking priority?
If SAOCOM is delayed again, we'll have to wait a couple more days for a launch window. The 29th doesn't have the optimal conditions for orbit insertion.
In theory there doesn’t have to be a further delay:
https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/1298885863615721472
16 hours is stated minimum the @45thSpaceWing requires to reconfigure between a #ULA & #SpaceX rocket. Current separation time between #NROL44 & #SAOCOM1B — if #DeltaIVHeavy launches at the top of its window Friday morning — is just over 17 hours 11 minutes. Will it happen...?
But I agree it seems very likely that the range will require a further pushback.
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Now confirmed:
https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1298976384723718144
Google translate:
Due to the postponement of a previous release the #SAOCOM1B reschedules to the next date within the window of opportunity announced for late August. The new date will be communicated shortly. The satellite and equipment are ready to launch.
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The NGA has issued a new notice for this launch for August 30 and 31.
270852Z AUG 20
NAVAREA IV 800/20(11,26,27).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
STRAITS OF FLORIDA.
OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
302309Z TO 310019Z AUG, ALTERNATE
312309Z TO 010019Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-36-37N 080-35-44W, 28-39-00N 080-30-00W,
28-08-00N 080-11-00W, 28-03-00N 080-25-00W,
28-24-38N 080-35-20W.
B. 26-26-00N 079-31-00W, 26-36-00N 079-06-00W,
25-21-00N 078-32-00W, 25-10-00N 078-59-00W.
C. 24-14-00N 079-39-00W, 24-21-00N 079-07-00W,
23-28-00N 078-55-00W, 23-19-00N 079-27-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 791/20.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 010119Z SEP 20.
Referenced:
251854Z AUG 20
NAVAREA IV 791/20(11,26,27).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
STRAITS OF FLORIDA.
OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
282309Z TO 290019Z AUG IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-36-37N 080-35-44W, 28-39-00N 080-30-00W,
28-08-00N 080-11-00W, 28-03-00N 080-25-00W,
28-24-38N 080-35-20W.
B. 26-26-00N 079-31-00W, 26-36-00N 079-06-00W,
25-21-00N 078-32-00W, 25-10-00N 078-59-00W.
C. 24-14-00N 079-39-00W, 24-21-00N 079-07-00W,
23-28-00N 078-55-00W, 23-19-00N 079-27-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 776/20.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 290119Z AUG 20.
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https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1298982449129480192
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L-3 weather forecast for August 30 is up.
40% GO for both the primary and the backup launch date.
https://www.patrick.af.mil/Portals/14/Weather/Falcon%209%20SAOCOM-1B%20L-3%20Forecast%2030%20Aug%20Launch.pdf?ver=2020-08-27-102249-420
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https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1299081639398699010
Mystery and Mischief have arrived at the southern LZ for #SAOCOM1B. It is expected they will make the catch attempt and then run north to the Starlink LZ, most likely dropping off their halves along the way. For now it appears SAOCOM will stay ahead of SL in the launch order.
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https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1299129564149489665
Fleet Update: After being at dead stop in the #SAOCOM1B fairing catch zone it appears the sisters did an about face to head north. It is possible we could see a shuffle of the SpaceX launch cadence this weekend. Are they heading to the #Starlink LZ instead? #SpaceXFleet
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Have there been any renderings / maps showing the expected visibility of this launch? I've been following this thread ever since this mission moved to the Eastern Range and don't recall seeing any. Obviously the first stage will be the most visible and most interesting to watch at staging. How far south will people be able to see it? Miami?
Thanks to Raul's map (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wvgFIPuOmI8da9EIB88tHo9vamo), I know that the impact zone for the first stage, if none of the RTLS activity works, is about 80 miles east of Miami. Of course that implies that, nominally, the first stage will MECO much farther north, say maybe east of Vero Beach? If it's a nominal RTLS operation, how far south should people be able to see the boostback burn?
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Have there been any renderings / maps showing the expected visibility of this launch? I've been following this thread ever since this mission moved to the Eastern Range and don't recall seeing any. Obviously the first stage will be the most visible and most interesting to watch at staging. How far south will people be able to see it? Miami?
Thanks to Raul's map (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wvgFIPuOmI8da9EIB88tHo9vamo), I know that the impact zone for the first stage, if none of the RTLS activity works, is about 80 miles east of Miami. Of course that implies that, nominally, the first stage will MECO much farther north, say maybe east of Vero Beach? If it's a nominal RTLS operation, how far south should people be able to see the boostback burn?
Flight Club has some preliminary guesses. And Declan is pretty good at this stuff in the past.
https://twitter.com/flightclubio/status/1297941734081495045
I wonder about this SAOCOM-1B landing. Usually (I think) boosters are falling short of the landing pad into the water until landing burn starts and pushes them to the pad.
In this case, it would have to "fall right" instead of "fall short" since it's arriving from the south
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https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1299337855857197058
While GO Ms. Tree continues to the #Starlink LZ, it appears GO Ms. Chief may have stayed at the southern #SAOCOM1B landing zone after all. Last ping was almost 23:00 ET last night, well after Mystery left. A double header recovery weekend is looking promising. #SpaceXFleet
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L-2 weather forecast is unchanged, still 40% for both the primary and the backup launch date.
https://www.patrick.af.mil/Portals/14/Weather/Falcon%209%20SAOCOM-1B%20L-2%20Forecast%2030%20Aug%20Launch.pdf?ver=2020-08-28-091149-127
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The launch window has been expanded to include September 1st and 2nd in addition to August 30th and 31st.
280716Z AUG 20
NAVAREA IV 805/20(11,26,27).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
STRAITS OF FLORIDA.
OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
302309Z TO 310019Z AUG, ALTERNATE
2309Z TO 0019Z COMMENCING DAILY
31 AUG TO 02 SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-36-37N 080-35-44W, 28-39-00N 080-30-00W,
28-08-00N 080-11-00W, 28-03-00N 080-25-00W,
28-24-38N 080-35-20W.
B. 26-26-00N 079-31-00W, 26-36-00N 079-06-00W,
25-21-00N 078-32-00W, 25-10-00N 078-59-00W.
C. 24-14-00N 079-39-00W, 24-21-00N 079-07-00W,
23-28-00N 078-55-00W, 23-19-00N 079-27-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 800/20.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 030119Z SEP 20.
Referenced:
270852Z AUG 20
NAVAREA IV 800/20(11,26,27).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
STRAITS OF FLORIDA.
OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
302309Z TO 310019Z AUG, ALTERNATE
312309Z TO 010019Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-36-37N 080-35-44W, 28-39-00N 080-30-00W,
28-08-00N 080-11-00W, 28-03-00N 080-25-00W,
28-24-38N 080-35-20W.
B. 26-26-00N 079-31-00W, 26-36-00N 079-06-00W,
25-21-00N 078-32-00W, 25-10-00N 078-59-00W.
C. 24-14-00N 079-39-00W, 24-21-00N 079-07-00W,
23-28-00N 078-55-00W, 23-19-00N 079-27-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 791/20.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 010119Z SEP 20.
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1299456107170033664
Pending Range availability, targeting back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from Florida on Sunday, August 30—another flight of Starlink from LC-39A at 10:12 a.m. EDT followed by the SAOCOM 1B mission from SLC-40 at 7:18 p.m. EDT
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Have there been any renderings / maps showing the expected visibility of this launch? I've been following this thread ever since this mission moved to the Eastern Range and don't recall seeing any. Obviously the first stage will be the most visible and most interesting to watch at staging. How far south will people be able to see it? Miami?
Thanks to Raul's map (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wvgFIPuOmI8da9EIB88tHo9vamo), I know that the impact zone for the first stage, if none of the RTLS activity works, is about 80 miles east of Miami. Of course that implies that, nominally, the first stage will MECO much farther north, say maybe east of Vero Beach? If it's a nominal RTLS operation, how far south should people be able to see the boostback burn?
Flight Club has some preliminary guesses. And Declan is pretty good at this stuff in the past.
Thanks! So, I took this advice and ran with it, collecting some links and guidance for others here who don't know how to use FlightClub.io (I did not):
FlightClub.io's trajectory prediction is here:
https://flightclub.io/result/3d?code=SC1B
Controls:
- mouse wheel: zoom in; actually it's "forward" in whatever direction your are pointing, which initially is straight down!
- click and drag to MOVE your view point left/right/up/down over view; initially that's N/S/E/W
- control-click and drag to change viewing AIM direction
If you get screwed up like I did several times, just reload the browser window.
There's also this, but I don't think it can be used for getting a view from the ground:
https://flightclub.io/earth?launches=1359
I did learn to change the reference frame to that best for viewing launches.
All whole bunch of simulated telemetry / parameters:
https://flightclub.io/result/2d?code=SC1B
(from a reply to this tweet: twitter.com/smvllstvrs/status/1298998491406974976 )
I dug through his twitter feed for relevant posts:
(all Twitter links here are intentionally suppressing the autoembed to keep this post compact)
View from downtown Jacksonville:
twitter.com/flightclubio/status/1298284501827633152
four Florida launch trajectories, one going way off:
twitter.com/flightclubio/status/1282702364189712386
Instantaneous Impact Points (IIPs) if the launch goes pear shaped:
twitter.com/flightclubio/status/1182056587290038273
Viewing notes after collecting all this:
- From the Cape to Vero Beach or even Port Saint Lucie, the staging event will basically appear to be straight overhead (the average Joe treats anything from 70 to 90 degrees as "straight up")
- Farther south, from West Palm Beach to Miami, you'll still get a great view. The farther south of WPB you are, the more to the "left" you will be looking for the rocket to first appear over the horizon, since the coast curves west. But at staging it will be really high up and pretty much aligned with the beach.
- If you are all the way down at the southern end of the peninsula, e.g. Miami or, you will obviously face north along the coast, but the rocket will first appear a little to the west so point yourself a little inland.
The attached screenshot shows the view looking EAST across the Florida peninsula, with the Cape at left (northern) edge and Miami at right (southern) edge, to provide general context of the trajectory, useful for the non-nerds that I will be hyping this to.
More links, guidance and corrections are appreciated! If quoting this post, please trim your quote down to just the part you are commenting on.
(Why yes, I did have something else I was going to spend the past hour doing. Darn it.)
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ULA stated minimum recycle time for next launch attempt is 7 days. NET 5 Sept.
So earliest for SAOCOM 1B would be 6 Sept.
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Here's the layout of pads at KSC and CCAFS, showing why the Starlink v1.0 L11 mission will be allowed to launch to the northeast from LC-39A, but SAOCOM-1B can't launch to the south-southeast from LC-40 as it would overfly NROL-44 at LC-37B.
Edited to add distances and bearings:
LC-40 is 3.65 km (2.25 mi) NNW (336°) of SLC-37B.
LC-39A is 9.40 km (5.85 mi) NNW (340°) of SLC-37B.
Since the issue is more about direction (and thus overflight) than distance, shifting SAOCOM-1B to LC-39A won't help.
The Google Maps imagery is a bit more than three years old as it predates LZ-2 construction and still shows active pos-AMOS-6 repair work at LC-40.
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Here's the layout of pads at KSC and CCAFS, showing why the Starlink v1.0 L11 mission will be allowed to launch to the northeast from LC-39A, but SAOCOM-1B can't launch to the south-southeast from LC-40 as it would overfly NROL-44 at LC-37B.
Edit: Fixed cardinal directions.
So the Falcon launch has to wait until the Delta-IV Heavy with the billion-dollar satellite is lauched.
This can take a while.
My opinion: a strange idea from SpaceX to launch like this
Last polar launch in Florida was from LC-17B, a different situation. 1969 Delta-E with ESSA-9.
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Currently, with single stick Delta retired, Delta launches from SLC-37B are super rare and after this one flies, only two more are scheduled, one for 2022 and one for 2024. They are really unlucky that their first polar launch from Florida coincides with a Delta launch and not only a Delta launch, but the one with significant delays.
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Here's the layout of pads at KSC and CCAFS, showing why the Starlink v1.0 L11 mission will be allowed to launch to the northeast from LC-39A, but SAOCOM-1B can't launch to the south-southeast from LC-40 as it would overfly NROL-44 at LC-37B.
Edit: Fixed cardinal directions.
So the Falcon launch has to wait until the Delta-IV Heavy with the billion-dollar satellite is lauched.
This can take a while.
My opinion: a strange idea from SpaceX to launch like this
Last polar launch in Florida was from LC-17B, a different situation. 1969 Delta-E with ESSA-9.
I guess they wanted to move all the operations to Cape Canaveral and then didn’t have many options. It’s also been really bad timing.
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Is the any chances for rebuilding for instance Launch Complex 46? This LC may cover all need for polar launches SpaceX.
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LC-46 is already taken by Blue Origin. Once ULA stops flying Delta, 37B will abandoned and this won't be a problem anymore.
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Blue Origin has leased the launch site 36 not 46. But still LC 40/39 in south direction launches will pass through lots of LSs, except 46.
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Why can't SpaceX launch tomorrow while Delta is repaired? Are they afraid that F9 will get off course and crash into Delta IV?
A car engine not used for a long time can cause problems. Delta IV is not used very often, so it must cause problems.
I was hoping to see two F9 launches in one day.
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L-1 Weather Forecast
Gesendet von meinem LM-G810 mit Tapatalk
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So will the ULA scrub bump the two SpaceX launches as well?
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Why can't SpaceX launch tomorrow while Delta is repaired? Are they afraid that F9 will get off course and crash into Delta IV?
Because if something goes wrong, it could crash down onto Delta and, more importantly, it's secret and potentially billion-dollar payload.
A car engine not used for a long time can cause problems. Delta IV is not used very often, so it must cause problems.
Delta IV is expendable. Every one is brand new.
However, the same is not true of the GSE (Ground Support Equipment).
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So will the ULA scrub bump the two SpaceX launches as well?
It shouldn't affect the Starlink launch
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So will the ULA scrub bump the two SpaceX launches as well?
It shouldn't affect the Starlink launch
I assume that while all are launched from the Cape, the Starlink pad is further away from ULA than the SOCOM pad?
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So will the ULA scrub bump the two SpaceX launches as well?
It shouldn't affect the Starlink launch
I assume that while all are launched from the Cape, the Starlink pad is further away from ULA than the SOCOM pad?
The SAOCOM pad is next to the Delta IV pad (north of it), and that mission will be heading in a southerly direction. The Starlink mission is flying from three pads away to the north.
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I am a bit confused by the ground track that would put this SpaceX launch over Delta Heavy. A track like that would put it over West Palm Beach as well as the Bahamas. I thought it was flying out to the southwest over the ocean and then turning south after it cleared the coast of Florida and Bahama. Is there a map that shows the path? Or is this just speculation.
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I am a bit confused by the ground track that would put this SpaceX launch over Delta Heavy. A track like that would put it over West Palm Beach as well as the Bahamas. I thought it was flying out to the southwest over the ocean and then turning south after it cleared the coast of Florida and Bahama. Is there a map that shows the path? Or is this just speculation.
Some undetermined number of comments above there's a track of that given the hazard areas plubished by the FAA and Eastern Range
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I am a bit confused by the ground track that would put this SpaceX launch over Delta Heavy. A track like that would put it over West Palm Beach as well as the Bahamas. I thought it was flying out to the southwest over the ocean and then turning south after it cleared the coast of Florida and Bahama. Is there a map that shows the path? Or is this just speculation.
Some undetermined number of comments above there's a track of that given the hazard areas plubished by the FAA and Eastern Range
I have been reading those comments, but I can not find any official word yet from SpaceX of a delay. And no official ground track that shows this flight path. My understanding was the dogleg happens with stage two. So stage one would not have to fly that close to the coast, which it what an over flight of ULA would do.
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Yes, the ground support equipment is what I was referring to. Not used very much, so problems can arise.
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So, what would take less time, do y'all think? Letting SAOCOM and its booster sit at SLC-40 for at least a week, waiting for ULA to get its act together and vacate their pad, or clean up 39A real fast, move the SAOCOM booster and spacecraft over, and fly it from there? Or even, since Starlink is an internal customer, pull it off the pad at 39A, quick move SAOCOM over, and get it off ASAP?
Would moving SAOCOM to 39A fix the issue? Or does the southerly trajectory make it a complete no-go to launch SAOCOM from either SLC-40 or 39A until ULA either launches, or complies with a cease-and-desist order to put its toys away and let the other kids use the playground for a while?
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The trajectory is the problem (overflight of SLC-37). So flying out of 39A doesn't really solve that problem.
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I've added distances and bearings to my post (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2125794#msg2125794) upthread with the map of the pad locations.
LC-40 is 3.65 km (2.25 mi) NNW (336°) of SLC-37B.
LC-39A is 9.40 km (5.85 mi) NNW (340°) of SLC-37B.
As noted by hartspace, the issue is not distance but one of bearings and trajectory resulting in overflight. LC-39A wouldn't be any better.
... My understanding was the dogleg happens with stage two. So stage one would not have to fly that close to the coast, which it what an over flight of ULA would do.
Here (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2123816#msg2123816) is the upthread post with Raul's tweet of his unofficial ground track estimate. (Image attached below.)
Yes, the doglegs are conducted by S2, but the initial S1 trajectory takes advantage of the "capeiness" of Cape Canaveral to get it out to sea after overflying SLC-37B and the string of other (mostly retired) pads north of the cape.
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https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1299756124212785152
Latest Eastern Range schedule still points to two Falcon 9 launches tomorrow: Starlink from 39A at 1012 ET and SAOCOM from 40 at 1918 ET. Buckle up.
So 45th issues new forecast, range schedule still has flight listed, and yet overflights aren’t permitted. What gives?!
Edit to add:
Also Ben Cooper now lists Delta IV as September but still has both SpaceX launches tomorrow.
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Emre Kelly:
Latest Eastern Range schedule still points to two Falcon 9 launches tomorrow: Starlink from 39A at 1012 ET and SAOCOM from 40 at 1918 ET. Buckle up.
So 45th issues new forecast, range schedule still has flight listed, and yet overflights aren’t permitted. What gives?!
Edit to add:
Also Ben Cooper now lists Delta IV as September but still has both SpaceX launches tomorrow.
Interesting. We also have:
https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1299726562229661697
Gavin - SpaceXFleet.com / @SpaceXFleet:
Here's the full recovery fleet update:
OCISLY droneship and GO Quest have arrived at the Starlink LZ. Ms. Tree will be arriving later today.
Ms. Chief is still at the SAOCOM-1B recovery zone for now. That mission will face further delay because of a range conflict with NROL-44.
I'd have though Ms. Chief would be steaming north if tomorrow's SAOCOM-1B launch was precluded.
Is overflight not such a big deal?
How much time would it take for the ULA team to demate the payload and truck it away?
Edit to add: Might SpaceX be planning a more easterly launch followed by an immediate S1 dogleg to avoid overflight?
(So many questions!)
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How much time would it take for the ULA team to demate the payload and truck it away?
Probably several days. And the NRO is not going to do that unless absolutely necessary.
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Now official:
https://twitter.com/gleesonjm/status/1299774807580520448
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30th for two Falcon 9 launches – a Starlink mission in the morning and the SAOCOM 1B mission in the evening
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And here is the webcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-gLOsDjE3E
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Now official:
https://twitter.com/gleesonjm/status/1299774807580520448
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30th for two Falcon 9 launches – a Starlink mission in the morning and the SAOCOM 1B mission in the evening
Inconceivable!
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https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1299800752911773696
#Falcon9 has gone vertical this afternoon for #SpaceX #SAOCOM1B launch slated as the 2nd F9 on Sun Aug 30 at 718 PM ET at pad 40 heading south ! 1st stage to land at LZ-1. So Shiny - and simply Amazing!
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A photo of the fairing via SpaceX.
Edit: And the usual wider prelaunch photo.
[FST: fixed broken 2nd image]
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https://twitter.com/erikkuna/status/1299813047209529345
Ok, here we go. Plotted NROL-44 and SAOCOM-1B together, and played through the SAOCOM-1B launch
The white dot is the point at where Falcon 9 will fall if anything goes wrong. It's never anywhere near SLC-37B.
But would radial debris from an explosion ever be an issue? 🤔🤷♂️
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Patch
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1300038419108605953
Targeting launch of SAOCOM 1B at 7:18 p.m. EDT tonight. Falcon 9 and SAOCOM 1B are vertical on SLC-40. Weather continues to be 40% favorable for liftoff
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Here's my usual fan-made press kit.
We also have an official confirmation of rideshare payloads.
The first one is GNOMES-1 for PlanetiQ, part of the 20 satellite constellation that will collect radio occultation data by measuring the effects of the atmosphere on navigation system signals.
The second one is Tyvak-0172. It's built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, but no additional details were given (additional source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/08/29/spacex-poised-for-back-to-back-launches-sunday-at-cape-canaveral/).
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version with OCR
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How many years is it since we’ve had two launches on the same day from the US, guessing you have to go back to the sixties?
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Believe it was November 11, 1966...Atlas-Agena from LC-14 and Gemini Titan 12 from LC-19.
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If your question is really "from the US" and not only from Florida, you also have April 4th, 1997 with Titan-2 (DMSP sat) from VAFB and Columbia from KSC.
EDIT : Another one : June 8th, 2007 with Delta II (COSMO 1) from VAFB and Atlantis from KSC.
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Gemini-8, March 16, 1966 Titan II and Atlas Agena . First docking, Commander was Neil Armstrong
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Gemini-8, March 16, 1966 Titan II and Atlas Agena . First docking, Commander was Neil Armstrong
Followed shortly by an unplanned swim in the Atlantic ocean.
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Gemini-8, March 16, 1966 Titan II and Atlas Agena . First docking, Commander was Neil Armstrong
Followed shortly by an unplanned swim in the Atlantic ocean.
Pacific. Gemini VIII being the only Gemini to use a contingency recovery zone, in the Sea of Japan (the closest American facility was Naha AFB), Armstrong always said, with false pride, that it held the record for landing the furthest away from its prime recovery vessel. :D
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Visual mission profile (previous launches here (https://www.elonx.net/launch-and-landing-profiles/))
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Flying over Cuba and Central American countries will the Falcon9
be high enough so some one there could not shoot it down with a anti aircraft rocket?
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Flying over Cuba and Central American countries will the Falcon9
be high enough so some one there could not shoot it down with a anti aircraft rocket?
Yes. It's not even close.
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Flying over Cuba and Central American countries will the Falcon9
be high enough so some one there could not shoot it down with a anti aircraft rocket?
That's a strange hypothetical question, but working off of Flight Club's charts (https://flightclub.io/result/2d?code=SC1B) for this launch, the upper stage will start crossing Cuba (23°N) at about T+470s, at an altitude of 520 km and velocity of 4,000 m/s. So no, it would not be vulnerable to an anti-aircraft weapon. It could be susceptible to an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), but would be a harder target than an established satellite with well know orbital parameters.
Edit: For comparison, the high and fast flying SR-71 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird) reconnaissance aircraft had a maximum speed of 983 m/s (1,910 knots) and a service ceiling of 26 km.
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https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1300150710412218368
Google translate
We are ready! #Hay equipment!
Paula Stebe, send us this photo of the group Support Buenos Aires, and Jesica Richardi Maguire that of the SAOCOM Mission Control Center, from Córdoba.
Let's go #SAOCOM1B !
#ArgentinaUnida#HaciaElFuturo
💪🚀🛰️❤️🇦🇷
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L-0 launch weather forecast, still only 40% GO
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I am a bit confused by the ground track that would put this SpaceX launch over Delta Heavy. A track like that would put it over West Palm Beach as well as the Bahamas. I thought it was flying out to the southwest over the ocean and then turning south after it cleared the coast of Florida and Bahama. Is there a map that shows the path? Or is this just speculation.
I am also confused about the launch track. Does anybody have actual information (from a complete calculation or from SpaceX) for the azimuth of the launch? Will the video enable us to determine the azimuth after the fact?
It seems obvious that for the dogleg you want the initial horizontal direction to be at roughly right angles to the eventual orbit. The earlier you start the cross track velocity component the longer the time that component builds cross track distance and the less cross track velocity needed. I know there are other constraints, and cosines, involved but it seems clear that for the optimal path that avoids West Palm Beach the initial ground path (and the path of the impact point) should be well out to sea, not in the general direction of West Palm Beach; somewhere close to east, certainly nowhere near south by east.
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I’d put launch weather chances at about 10%, maybe 20% at best.
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... Will the video enable us to determine the azimuth after the fact? ...
Do we know if a Mission Control Audio feed will be available for this launch? They display instantaneous groundtrack location and IIP location for both stages. See the one for the most recent RTLS flight, CRS-20: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iif96DchxXo
If we get one for SAOCOM 1B, you will certainly be able to figure out the launch azimuth.
It would be fantastic if someone could write some code to extract a complete groundtrack and IIP track from these videos. (Onespeed, you already do a great job extracting and crunching the tracking info from the primary webcast. Care to take on an even harder challenge?)
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Link to NSF stream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaOZJu3S64
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Here's the Starlink mission control audio, but its counting down to the SAOCOM 1B launch time.
Update. The stream has started and is showing LC-40. Not hearing anything on the audio yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mED5Dt0GhU
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Here's the Starlink mission control audio, but its counting down to the SAOCOM 1B launch time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mED5Dt0GhU
It’s live now
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T-38 minutes. The SpaceX Launch Director should be verifying go for propellant load about now.
Proceeding with propellant loading. Tracking a weather constraint.
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Via NET, still tracking a weather constraint but conditions are trending in a favorable direction.
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NSF coverage has started.
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T-35 minutes. First and second stage RP-1 and first stage LOX loading should be starting about now.
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300202797082775552
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Weather remains red.
Open channel 7 here (https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/) with windows media player for a higher res video. Kudos to Airbus_747 on twitter for mentioning it.
https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1300193713956827136
https://twitter.com/Airbus_747/status/1300195671870500864
Edit: Modified link as it somehow redirected to M&Ms.
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T-30 minutes.
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T-25 minutes.
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T-20 minute vent. Spacecraft is on internal power.
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300206731537059845
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Funky music has started!
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Livestream has started.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-gLOsDjE3E
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Weather is green!
https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1300206690009317377?s=21
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T-16 minutes. Second stage LOX loading should be starting about now.
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Livestream has started.
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T-12 minutes. Talking about polar trajectory.
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T-10 minutes. Flying new fairings.
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The fairing ships were split between launches with the intention of dunking both fairing halves and scooping them both up with one ship. Interesting.
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T-9 minutes. Fuel load is complete. Still loading LOX on both stages.
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T-8 minutes. Not working any issues.
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T-7 minutes. Engine chill should be starting now.
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T-6 minutes. SAOCOM 1B video.
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T-5 minutes.
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will SpaceX cast live the fairing catch attempt?
So proud to see a satellite from my country ride a SpaceX rocket!!!!!!!
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T-4 minutes.
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T-3 minutes. Range is go for launch.
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T-2 minutes. Stage 2 LOX closed out.
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T-1 minute. Falcon 9 is in startup.
LD go for launch.
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Liftoff!
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T+1 minute.
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300211829164175360
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T+2 minutes.
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First stage separation.
T+3 minutes.
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Fairing separation.
T+4 minutes.
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T+5 minutes. AOS South Texas.
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T+6 minutes.
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Entry burn.
T+7 minutes.
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Ground track complete hugs the coastline of Florida. Miami just had some amazing views.
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Now that is a lofted trajectory!
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Landing burn.
T+8 minutes.
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Touchdown!
T+9 minutes.
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T+10 minutes.
SECO. Good orbit insertion.
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T+12 minutes. Upcoming events.
00:14:09 SAOCOM 1B deploys
01:01:39 GNOMES-1 deploys
01:02:19 Tyvak-0172 deploys
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Ground track complete hugs the coastline of Florida. Miami just had some amazing views.
It looks like they may have actually even overflown Miami directly slightly, but given the momentum from the dogleg it also likely never had an IIP over Miami either.
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Some views.
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Separation!
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300214478248833028
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300215211891318785
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T+15 minutes. Taking a break until next Tyvak and Gnomes speration.
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Finally! This was supposed to be the Lollapalooza of launches this last 4 days. 5 launches and a hop. The last possible one finally happened...and the weather window only opened up 4 minutes before the attempt. We really need to figure out how to launch in wind...
eta: whoops...forgot the Kiwis haven't missed their shot yet. For some reason I thought all of the others had pushed windows or had aborts.
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T+20 minutes. Good solar array deploy.
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not sure if i should ask it here..what was the spinny thing at T+4:06 mark in 1st stage camera angle?
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Sunset on B1059.4.
LOS Peru expected.
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not sure if i should ask it here..what was the spinny thing at T+4:06 mark in 1st stage camera angle?
Ice or frozen oxygen. They form on the vents and break off from time to time.
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Was that a fairing half and parachute opening just to the left of the grid fin in the video at T+4:25?
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300214478248833028
That seemed like a very long landing burn. I was paranoid that something was wrong.
Incredible flight, love seeing the ground track.
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Here:
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Ground track complete hugs the coastline of Florida. Miami just had some amazing views.
Unfortunately we saw nothing here in Miami. We had 100% cloud cover.
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Was that a fairing half and parachute opening just to the left of the grid fin in the video at T+4:25?
No
At 4:25 the first stage has conducted it's boostback burn and is far from the ballistic trajectory of the fairing halves, which were pushed further downtrack by over a minute of the second stage burn.
edit: typo and added a few words
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T+30 minutes. New Zealand on the left will also be launching a rocket today.
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not sure if i should ask it here..what was the spinny thing at T+4:06 mark in 1st stage camera angle?
Ice or frozen oxygen. They form on the vents and break off from time to time.
thns...that's what i thought but seemed too symmetrical
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not sure if i should ask it here..what was the spinny thing at T+4:06 mark in 1st stage camera angle?
Ice or frozen oxygen. They form on the vents and break off from time to time.
thns...that's what i thought but seemed too symmetrical
S2 Mvac stiffener ring?
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Ground track complete hugs the coastline of Florida. Miami just had some amazing views.
It looks like they may have actually even overflown Miami directly slightly, but given the momentum from the dogleg it also likely never had an IIP over Miami either.
Good graphics of the IIP and more in this post (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2125658#msg2125658)
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not sure if i should ask it here..what was the spinny thing at T+4:06 mark in 1st stage camera angle?
Ice or frozen oxygen. They form on the vents and break off from time to time.
thns...that's what i thought but seemed too symmetrical
S2 Mvac stiffener ring?
No. It was spinning next to the S1 grid fins which deploy after boostback burn.
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T+40 minutes. Over Antarctica.
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Was that a fairing half and parachute opening just to the left of the grid fin in the video at T+4:25?
No
At 4:25 the first stage has conducted it's boostback burn and is far from the ballistic trajectory of the fairing halves, which were pushed further downtrack by over a minute of the second stage burn.
edit: typo and added a few words
I am aware of that. The fairings should be way in front of the first stage. But I've watched it several times and it sure looks to me a lot like a parafoil opening with something hanging underneath it. Amazing coincidence?
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Was that a fairing half and parachute opening just to the left of the grid fin in the video at T+4:25?
No
At 4:25 the first stage has conducted it's boostback burn and is far from the ballistic trajectory of the fairing halves, which were pushed further downtrack by over a minute of the second stage burn.
edit: typo and added a few words
I am aware of that. The fairings should be way in front of the first stage. But I've watched it several times and it sure looks to me a lot like a parafoil opening with something hanging underneath it. Amazing coincidence?
It's physically impossible for the shape you see to match the description you assign to it. It's a curve of high altitude clouds and the changing angle of the viewpoint and sunlight creating an illusion.
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T+50 minutes. Over the Indian Ocean.
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After the boostback burn, the perspective of the 1st stage camera that looks past the grid fins would be toward the departing second stage, and thus the fairings would be potentially in view. Fairly sure that is what we saw.
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Was that a fairing half and parachute opening just to the left of the grid fin in the video at T+4:25?
No
At 4:25 the first stage has conducted it's boostback burn and is far from the ballistic trajectory of the fairing halves, which were pushed further downtrack by over a minute of the second stage burn.
edit: typo and added a few words
I am aware of that. The fairings should be way in front of the first stage. But I've watched it several times and it sure looks to me a lot like a parafoil opening with something hanging underneath it. Amazing coincidence?
It is just a piece of the the very common ring of ice that forms around the grid fin attachment points and makes an appearance in pretty much every webcast.
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AOS.
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Engine and satellite views.
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One minute to GNOMES 1 separation.
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Confirmation of GNOMES 1 separation. Out of view.
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Confirmation of Tyvak-0172 separation. SpaceX did not show the actual separation, but we can see the door open on the cubesat container.
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After the boostback burn, the perspective of the 1st stage camera that looks past the grid fins would be toward the departing second stage, and thus the fairings would be potentially in view. Fairly sure that is what we saw.
Impossible. The S2 travelled how many miles downrange before the fairings deployed? The S1 boosted back how many miles and how much altitude change? The fairings fall how far and for how many minutes beyond the 4:xx mark to the lower atmosphere before the parachutes deploy.
It was clouds way down below and the alleged "parachute" was the spinning ice ring-bit.
Edit to Add: The Fairings deployed at 3m47s at 183km and would need to do some serious speed-records to get into the S1 camera view in 34 seconds.
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https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1300227370822053894
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End of webcast.
Congratulations to SpaceX, CONAE, Tyvak and PlanetiQ for the successful launch!
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I hope that brief LOS before Tvyak separation wasn’t intentional.
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After the boostback burn, the perspective of the 1st stage camera that looks past the grid fins would be toward the departing second stage, and thus the fairings would be potentially in view. Fairly sure that is what we saw.
There is in no way shape or form that you can:
1. See the deployed fairings from the booster at any point in time unless things go rrrrreally wrong
2. To even see the fairings with parafoil deployed when the booster hadn't even reentered yet
Also, shortly after boostback burn the first stage rotates to engines first and you're actually starting to look down on Earth on that shot not up and away to the second stage trajectory.
It's ice. There are half a dozen vents on the interstage from the MVac and other associated system. What would actually be weird is if we didn't see anything AT ALL coming off from there.
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I don’t know if this is the correct thread but it does pertain to this thread.
Did anybody notice the following?
Before the launch 1 (I believe it is the more northern antenna) of the 2 tracking antennas in Boca Chica was pointed what looked to be due east, toward Florida. The 2nd antenna (the more southern of the 2) was at Nader zenith.
This changed shortly before launch. The northern antenna went to Nader zenith and the southern antenna was now pointed east. At launch, the southern antenna appeared to track an object traveling south on the horizon. At about this time there was a call out for Texas acquisition of signal. The antenna appeared to track until it was west of due south. The antenna paused for a considerable amount of time then changed its orientation as if to pick up tracking and object east of due north. It now appears to be tracking an object on the horizon traveling south.
[zubenelgenubi: edited nadir to zenith. Ralph Nader is the author of "Unsafe at Any Speed."]
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I hope that brief LOS before Tvyak separation wasn’t intentional.
It was obviously intentional
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Object 2020-059A (SAOCOM 1B) in 620x603km, 97.87deg orbit
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I'm sorry it appears I need to apologize. The term I should've used with Zenith instead of Nader.
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Congrats to everyone involved - that was an interesting trajectory. :)
It passed right over the Miami coast, which at first seemed dangerous, but then I realized that the vehicle was executing a turn, so the estimated impact point was always quite a bit out to sea.
Another neat thing - seeing the 1st stage land in front of the Blue Origin launch pad infrastructure certainly makes the size of that infrastructure apparent... It is massive. :o
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Yet another cool thing about this landing - the shot of the vapor cone effect through the grid fins as the stage was slowing down from supersonic to subsonic. 8)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapor_cone
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1300265030424956928
After launching SAOCOM 1B and two rideshare payloads to orbit, Falcon 9’s first stage returns to Earth and lands at Landing Zone 1 — completing SpaceX’s first polar orbit mission from Florida
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https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1300266251390980096
There and back again. SpaceX delivers #SAOCOM 1B to orbit and returns the first stage to Earth for reuse. See more at bit.ly/2Gg7XjD @spaceteam @Rachael_Joy @AntoniaJ_11 #falcon9
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https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300217861286309889
Absolutely stunning Falcon 9 launch of SAOCOM 1B — and a first stage landing — from Cape Canaveral this evening.
This was the first polar orbit launch from the Cape launch since the 1960s, and boy was it incredible.
📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300241120530661377
Sunset liftoff of Falcon 9 and SAOCOM 1B — the first polar launch from Cape Canaveral since the 1960s.
📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300220676029263877
Falcon 9 booster landings at Cape Canaveral are always a feast for the eyes.
Captured by @johnkrausphotos for Supercluster.
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300237915172286465
Moments before tonight's touchdown at LZ-1 shot by @erikkuna for Supercluster
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300217825752121344
Streak shots capture the launch and landing of the #SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as it successfully completes the delivery of SAOCOM 1B for Argentina.
This was the booster's 4th launch and recovery
Photos by @johnkrausphotos for Supercluster
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https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1300217729216118786
SpaceX required seven years to go from its first to its 10th launch. In seven more years SpaceX has gone from its 10th launch to its 100th. This is what acceleration looks like.
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Here is the telemetry from the SAOCOM-1B mission. Some points of interest are:
1. A small amount of the dogleg manoeuvre was accomplished by the first stage, as you can see from the attached still of MECO from the Mission Control Audio video.
2. On the mission video you can see the second stage yaw manoeuvre stop at the T+03:30 (210s) mark, and this coincides with the increase in acceleration at 210s in the plot.
3. The mission profile used direct injection to a nearly circular orbit of 620 x 603km. I had mistakenly assumed the payload would be too heavy for direct injection, and assumed MECO would occur about 70km downrange. MECO was actually much closer to 40km downrange, and so I've attached my predicted and corrected ground tracks below.
4. The second stage throttled back quite substantially from the 360s mark until SECO.
5. There is a data glitch at 560s that can safely be ignored.
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I don’t know if this is the correct thread but it does pertain to this thread.
Did anybody notice the following?
Before the launch 1 (I believe it is the more northern antenna) of the 2 tracking antennas in Boca Chica was pointed what looked to be due east, toward Florida. The 2nd antenna (the more southern of the 2) was at Nader.
This changed shortly before launch. The northern antenna went to Nader and the southern antenna was now pointed east. At launch, the southern antenna appeared to track an object traveling south on the horizon. At about this time there was a call out for Texas acquisition of signal. The antenna appeared to track until it was west of due south. The antenna paused for a considerable amount of time then changed its orientation as if to pick up tracking and object east of due north. It now appears to be tracking an object on the horizon traveling south.
At 5:07 into the mission, mission audio announced that South Texas had acquisition.
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https://twitter.com/conae_oficial/status/1300306255148392448
Google translate:
The satelite #SAOCOM1B it is in space, making its first orbits. With its launch, Argentina completed the most important space mission in the country!
We have a great team!
#ArgentinaUnida#HaciaElFuturo
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Archived mission video:
https://youtu.be/P-gLOsDjE3E
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3 objects have been cataloged
2020-059A/46265 in 606 x 612 km x 97.88°
2020-059B/46266 in 601 x 608 km x 97.88°
2020-059C/46267 in 598 x 610 km x 97.88°
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Here is the telemetry from the SAOCOM-1B mission. Some points of interest are:
1. A small amount of the dogleg manoeuvre was accomplished by the first stage, as you can see from the attached still of MECO from the Mission Control Audio video.
2. On the mission video you can see the second stage yaw manoeuvre stop at the T+03:30 (210s) mark, and this coincides with the increase in acceleration at 210s in the plot.
3. The mission profile used direct injection to a nearly circular orbit of 620 x 603km. I had mistakenly assumed the payload would be too heavy for direct injection, and assumed MECO would occur about 70km downrange. MECO was actually much closer to 40km downrange, and so I've attached my predicted and corrected ground tracks below.
4. The second stage throttled back quite substantially from the 360s mark until SECO.
5. There is a data glitch at 560s that can safely be ignored.
What does each colour represent in the predicted/actual groundtracks?
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What does each colour represent in the predicted/actual groundtracks?
Congratulations on the launch! The red ground track and landing area is in case of a failed boostback burn of the booster. The orange ground track and landing area is for the fairing halves. The yellow line is the second stage ground track.
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What does each colour represent in the predicted/actual groundtracks?
Congratulations on the launch! The red ground track and landing area is in case of a failed boostback burn of the booster. The orange ground track and landing area is for the fairing halves. The yellow line is the second stage ground track.
Thanks!! ;D We had some free time in between passes in the Engineering Support Room and discussed the launch trajectory using your ground tracks. We don’t have this kind of plot readily available!
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https://twitter.com/nasa_nerd/status/1300414706109296642
Southbound with SAOCOM-1B 🚀
SpaceX Falcon 9 B1059.4 makes a historic step and dashes south, completing the first polar launch from Cape Canaveral since 1969.
Mission Story: nasaspaceflight.com/2020/08/spacex…
📸 A @ChrisG_NSF & @NASA_Nerd production.
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https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1300427524518875136
Ms. Chief was underway from the SAOCOM 1B LZ by 2am ET this morning.
Because of the inconsistent reporting by Ms. Chief's tracker, it will be extremely difficult for me to provide ETA updates. I will try my best...
SpaceX has not provide any updates on fairing recovery yet.
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Wow
https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1300437216167038977
A closer look at the #SpaceX Falcon 9 deploying its landing legs as it returns home to Cape Canaveral.
Captured during the SAOCOM 1B mission by @erikkuna for Supercluster.
No trees were harmed.
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Pretty interesting stuff; you can clearly see from the planned ground track and actual ground track how the booster swung out in a more easterly direction, presumably to avoid the Delta IV Heavy sitting on the pad. From @OneSpeed's excellent plot you can also get an inkling what it cost in performance as the booster and s2 'wasted' time on yaw steering. Seems clear the original trajectory would have been more optimal but the Falcon 9 had enough performance to spare that SpaceX was willing to sacrifice some margin to get the flight off now instead of waiting. I guess we can add "operational flexibility" as another (small) benefit of an 'overpowered' launch system rather than one tailored via solid augmentation to the specific mission. A lot to unpack here.
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Has there been any chatter about the sonic booms? The reentry was heard in my neighborhood 40 miles inland, which was outside any of the graphics that I'd seen posted. There were also some images showing a focused boom from the ascent being onshore. I haven't seen anything in media covering the launch so far.
Edit: Found one
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/literally-shook-our-house-residents-across-central-florida-hear-sonic-boom-after-successful-spacex-launch
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https://twitter.com/invapargentina/status/1300416936858267649?s=20
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Has anyone seen or heard any reports of sightings from the Miami area? You know, similar to the numerous reports posted from similar Vandenburg launches that go near a populated area. I have looked around, but have not seen any. Too cloudy or overcast perhaps?
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Has there been any chatter about the sonic booms? The reentry was heard in my neighborhood 40 miles inland, which was outside any of the graphics that I'd seen posted.
Aren't the graphics diagramming specific dB levels?
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1300470390213365761
Falcon 9 first stage lands at Landing Zone 1 to complete this booster’s fourth flight
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https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1300503031470010370
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https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1300525764794814467
B1059.4 can be seen still at Lz1. They have attached the cap, but the legs I can see are still down. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX
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Falcon-9 deorbit burn possibly observed last night over Pennsylvania
Repost from seesat website
From Floyd Weaver
•Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2020 00:03:10 -0400
•[http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Aug-2020/0160.html](http://www.satobs.org/seesat/Aug-2020/0160.html)
•I have not posted here for a long time but am now as I think I just got to see the deorbit burn or fuel depletion for the rocket that launched SAOCOM1B. I was not looking for it but was sitting on my front porch here in Lebanon PA USA and in the NNW I saw this light about like a airplane landing lights but an unusual area of lighted cloud around it. Soon the "headlight“ went out but the cloud continued. It was only about 10 degrees above the horizon. It moved into the west were it basically became invisible. It appeared to be a retrograde orbit. I thought of a deorbit burn but that did not hold out as I did not know how one would occur there. I checked things out and find out that this was the first sun synchronous launch from FL in decades. So I think that is what I saw and hope to see more! I attached a photo I got though it is not very good but it still gives you an idea what I saw. The lower right is where the rocket burn occurred but higher and left was more "cloud" that was moving along with it. [add] I did not note the exact time but it was somewhere around 00:50 on August 31 UTC.
Jim O adds: Falcon9 deorbit burns can be spectacular:
Observation of the SpaceX deorbit burn on October 7, 2018:
http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/misc/181007-stage2_deorbit.pdf
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Will anybody be doing a composite video(side by side of the groundtrack as it progresses and an onboard video from S2.....Also is there any more vid from the source showing the ground view of fairing sep(it cut out quickly after sep).
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Did I missed something or there were no static fire before this launch?
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Did I missed something or there were no static fire before this launch?
Correct, there was no static fire for this launch and this week Starlink launch won't have one either. Something new they're doing that they already tested with B1059.3 couple months ago.
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Some views of the Falcon 2nd stage firing seen from the Caribbean. Video description (google translate):
The Argentine satellite Saocom 1B, which took off yesterday from Cape Canaveral, in the United States, aboard a rocket from Space-X, surprised and in some cases alarmed the inhabitants of Santo Domingo and other cities in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, surprised with the sighting of a "flying object" that was documented in home videos that circulated profusely on social networks.
https://youtu.be/bpBzsuqImHg (https://youtu.be/bpBzsuqImHg)
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A dozen reports have now come in, with videos and photos, of the observation of a deorbit burn over NW Ontario 80 minutes after launch.
eg, https://youtu.be/v0kGSdG9nZU
from the poster: "This is what I saw last night @ approx 8:54pm. I posted this on a few replies on this forum already and I am honestly perplexed by this entire situation. Looking at who saw this in Ontario, it seems like other witnesses saw this exact same object. People from North Bay, Gravenhurst, and St. Catherines saw this. This draws a possible straight line between North Bay and St. Catherines - Right down the Hwy 11 S corridor. There's more description on my YouTube vid. My mind is blown. This was a very interesting experience. If anyone has an answer to what this could be, I welcome it!
"
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Finally, hi-res shots from SpaceX by Ben Cooper
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SAOCOM 1B SpaceX Coverage with Reds Rhetoric overlay
Credit: SpaceX and Reds Rhetoric
I made a side by side video stream views from just before launch to the First Stage landing. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/A_oGEw7xoMU
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https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1300661894865453056
Ms. Chief finally pinged and will be back at Port Canaveral in less than an hour. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX
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https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1300681889318133761
Ms. Chief returns to Port Canaveral with two fairing halves that she scooped from the water and they appear to be intact. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX #SAOCOM1B
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What's the estimated altitude at the time of the deorbit burn? And where was the NOTAMS impact zone?
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https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1300761426773053441
GO Ms. Chief arrived at Port Canaveral overnight with her solo fishing haul from #SAOCOM1B. This marks the first mission a catcher has scooped both fairing halves. The crane has arrived to remove them and chances are high they will go out for Starlink NET 9/3.
#SpaceXFleet
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What's the estimated altitude at the time of the deorbit burn? And where was the NOTAMS impact zone?
https://twitter.com/Raul74Cz/status/1297923202019143680?s=20
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What's the estimated altitude at the time of the deorbit burn? And where was the NOTAMS impact zone?
Deployment orbit was just over 600km circular
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https://twitter.com/considercosmos/status/1300801635225042946
title: @SpaceX falcon 9 ascends into clouds
filming location: NASA causeway
music: ambient ethereal
outlook for the future: excited and optimistic 🙏
#SpaceX #SAOCOM1B
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Has there been any chatter about the sonic booms? The reentry was heard in my neighborhood 40 miles inland, which was outside any of the graphics that I'd seen posted. There were also some images showing a focused boom from the ascent being onshore. I haven't seen anything in media covering the launch so far.
Edit: Found one
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/literally-shook-our-house-residents-across-central-florida-hear-sonic-boom-after-successful-spacex-launch (https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/literally-shook-our-house-residents-across-central-florida-hear-sonic-boom-after-successful-spacex-launch)
This is really interesting.
What is the red track in that map?
Is it the old predicted ground path, like onespeed showed, or the IIP path?
The map has an intense sidelobe far inland near Frostproof, FL.
(edit: The sound footprint comes from the Environmental Assessment page 78. It is for the return of the first stage.)
There is another map, posted on "The Talk of Titusville" that has the inland sidelobe near Basinger, some 60 km to the southeast of Frostproof.
(It comes from page 76 of the attached Environmental Impact Statement. It is for the launch.)
Are there any known observations from the ground in either of these sparely populated areas?
This post (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47380.msg2051801#msg2051801) referenced something about a 0.025 square kilometer area of intense overpressure on the barrier island near Vero Beach.
It was an unpopulated spot, but someone may have been there, too.
Any known reports?
edit: Replaced second map with clip from Environmental Impact Analysis
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https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1300815597467566080
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https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1300940007281168386
#Falcon9 still stands tall 2 days after spectacular sonic boom announced touchdown Landing Zone-1 ca 9min after historic #SpaceX #SAOCOM1B polar orbit launch Aug30 to south. And same day the 2 payload fairing halves arrived back @PortCanaveral.Landing legs still deployed it seems
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https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1300810511433576448
https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1301009025056804866
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Another epic rocket photo that looks like a painting 8)
https://twitter.com/erikkuna/status/1301136412096561154
Always love a rocket launch during that golden hour before sunset or even that twilight/blue hour right after! Here’s one of those moments from the recent #SpaceX #SAOCOM1B launch.
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How close did SAOCOM 1B come to overflying NROL-44 at SLC-37B?
SpaceX's Mission Control Audio webcast (https://youtube.com/watch?v=9mED5Dt0GhU&t=3417) shows planned trajectory, current ground location & track, and current IIP (Instantaneous Impact Point) arc of both stages. Accurate measurement is made difficult because as the image zooms out, high resolution image tiles are replaced with very low resolution ones, but at T+32s the IIP appears to pass over a distinctive landmark (the southern edge of a square of sandy trails) 410 m from SLC-40. This suggests an initial azimuth of 125° or southeast by east, which continued would have SAOCOM 1B cross the beach 2.70 km north of SLC-37B (when 1.26 km downrange from SLC-41) and would have made a Closest Point of Approach 2.06 km northeast by north of SLC-37B (when 2.94 km downrange).
Here are three screenshots from the Mission Control Audio webcast and three of Google Maps. T-0 in the webcast is at about time 57:02. Each Google Map screenshot has an extra infobox I copied from another screenshot in interest of brevity.
01: T+007s Distinctive landmark highlighted.
02: T+031s IIP about to cross landmark.
03: T+032s IIP crosses landmark as tile of high resolution imagery is lost.
04: Landmark at 28.559834, -80.573779, 410 m from the pad, bearing 125°.
05: Extending that azimuth to cross the beach 2.70 km north of SLC-37B.
06: Closest Point of Approach, 2.06 km northeast by north of SLC-37B.
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Here is the telemetry from the SAOCOM-1B mission. Some points of interest are:
1. A small amount of the dogleg manoeuvre was accomplished by the first stage, as you can see from the attached still of MECO from the Mission Control Audio video.
2. On the mission video you can see the second stage yaw manoeuvre stop at the T+03:30 (210s) mark, and this coincides with the increase in acceleration at 210s in the plot.
3. The mission profile used direct injection to a nearly circular orbit of 620 x 603km. I had mistakenly assumed the payload would be too heavy for direct injection, and assumed MECO would occur about 70km downrange. MECO was actually much closer to 40km downrange, and so I've attached my predicted and corrected ground tracks below.
4. The second stage throttled back quite substantially from the 360s mark until SECO.
5. There is a data glitch at 560s that can safely be ignored.
That updated ground track is not correct. It should not run outside the keepout zones like that. There should be a parallel line to somewhere on the ground track that runs straight through the centerline of the back side keepout zones. For the grey zones in the second image that is not the case.
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That updated ground track is not correct. It should not run outside the keepout zones like that. There should be a parallel line to somewhere on the ground track that runs straight through the centerline of the back side keepout zones. For the grey zones in the second image that is not the case.
Perhaps they changed the keepout zones after the NROL-44 abort?
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8)
https://twitter.com/launchphoto/status/1301689810483118083
Streak shot from the SAOCOM 1B launch & landing earlier this week. The clouds made for a dramatic pre-sunset show, but also made it harder to appreciate the new Cape-polar trajectory from the ground.
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https://youtu.be/lXgLyCYuYA4
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[youtube link above]
Worth noting here that THIS HAS AUDIO. I don't recall that being provided before.
I hope someone slows it back down to real time.
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That might be the most expensive single in-camera shot in history ;)
Super cool.
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[youtube link above]
Worth noting here that THIS HAS AUDIO. I don't recall that being provided before.
I hope someone slows it back down to real time.
Orbcom OG2-1 had audio of its water landing back in 2014.
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Question: MECO seems to be at 0:14 in this video but then there are some more flames around the nozzle at 0:18. Is that second stage startup? The timing seems very confusing
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I think it's MECO around 0:14 and then boostback burn startup around 0:18.
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Makes sense, thanks!
Got so used to drone ship landings that forgot about boostback :)
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I think it's MECO around 0:14 and then boostback burn startup around 0:18.
The boostback starts at 0:21, what you're seeing at 0:18 is S1 impinging on the plume coming from S2. You can see this sequence at about 19:26 in the launch stream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-gLOsDjE3E
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There was a rideshare payload with undisclosed operator on this launch:
Tyvak 0172
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/tyvak-0172.htm
And here is a candidate:
0295-EX-CN-2021
Introduction. Pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 5.54(a)(1), EchoStar Global Australia Pty Ltd
(“EchoStar Global”), a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, requests a two-year
conventional experimental license to operate a gateway earth station in Germantown, MD, for
feeder link communications with its Australian-licensed non-geostationary orbit (“NGSO”)
mobile satellite service (“MSS”) system (“EG System” or “System”). Grant of this application
will serve the public interest by facilitating testing and development of new MSS equipment and
technology that ultimately will be deployed to support mobile communications, public safety,
and other services worldwide.
Background. With its parent company’s extensive experience in the satellite industry,
EchoStar Global is in the process of designing, constructing, and launching a new NGSO MSS
system to provide narrowband data services, including machine-to-machine and Internet of
things communications, throughout the globe. Pursuant to Australian authorization and
International Telecommunication Union (“ITU”) filings for the SIRION-1 network, the EG
System is licensed to provide MSS on S-band frequencies at 2000-2020 MHz (uplink) and 2180-
2200 MHz (downlink). The System will consist of a constellation of approximately 28 satellites
in low Earth orbit, including EG-1, which was successfully launched in August 2020, and EG-3,
scheduled for launch June 2021. Additionally, EchoStar Global has acquired ownership of
Pathfinder II, launched in December 2018, for operations under the SIRION-1 ITU filings.
Tyvak 0172 is the only mystery payload in August 2020 that I could find. According to skyrocket.de, it is a 6U cubesat.
(Edit April 12: skyrocket.de today assigned EG-1 to Tyvak 0172, and EG-2 to Tyvak 0171 on Vega VV16 in September 2020.)