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SpaceX Falcon 9 : Formosat-5 : SLC-4E Vandenberg : Aug 24, 2017 : DISCUSSION by Chris Bergin on 14 Jun, 2010 00:13
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DISCUSSION thread for Formosat-5 mission.
NSF Threads for Formosat-5 : Discussion / Updates / L2 Coverage July-August / ASDS / Party
NSF Articles for Formosat-5:
SpaceX to static fire Formosat-5 Falcon 9, aims for another ASDS landing
Falcon 9 successfully launches Taiwan’s Formosat-5
Successful launch on August 24 at 1151 PDT/1851 UTC on Falcon 9 (core 1038) from SLC-4E at Vandenberg. Successful ASDS landing.
FCC Permit mission number: 1344
Other SpaceX resources on NASASpaceflight:
SpaceX News Articles (Recent) / SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews)
SpaceX Dragon Articles / SpaceX Missions Section (with Launch Manifest and info on past and future missions)
L2 SpaceX Section
SPACEX AND THE NATIONAL SPACE ORGANIZATION (NSPO) SIGN CONTRACT TO LAUNCH EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE
Hawthorne, CA – June 14 2010 – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and the National Space Organization (NSPO) have signed contract for the launch of NSPO’s Earth Observation Satellite, Formosat-5. Formosat-5 will be used to continue the image data service for civilian users and may also carry instruments to conduct space research and scientific experiments.
NSPO, the civilian space agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan), is involved in the development of space exploration, satellite construction and development as well as related research, technologies and infrastructure, including the FORMOSAT series of Earth observation satellites. With Formosat-5, NSPO aims to build up capabilities for independent development of spacecraft and payload instruments.
“The launch of Formosat-5 will build on the successful launch and operation of the FORMOSAT satellites, “ said Dr. H.P. Chang, Formosat-5 Program Manager of NSPO. “SpaceX’s approach to launch services is very well-aligned with our goals and objectives for the program—we are very pleased to partner with them on this launch.”
"With over 40 flights now on manifest, SpaceX is positioned to deliver launch services across the increasingly varied needs of our commercial and government customers,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX. “We are pleased to be the launch services provider of choice for the FORMOSAT-5 mission and look forward to supporting NSPO on this launch."
Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 from SpaceX’s launch site on Omelek Island at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific, about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.
About SpaceX
SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient launch capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination. Starting in 2010, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will provide Earth-to-LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply to the International Space Station.
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#1 by wjbarnett on 14 Jun, 2010 00:28
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Doesn't state if Falcon 1 or 9
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#2 by SpacexULA on 14 Jun, 2010 00:31
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Chris did you have a source for the Falcon 1 bit or did you just assume it from the Kwajalein launch location?
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#3 by Chris-A on 14 Jun, 2010 01:05
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Did a quick Google and found this, (see pdf page 8/9) http://www.nspo.org.tw/2008c/download/othernews/NSPO-RFP-0508_0000.pdf
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#4 by SpacexULA on 14 Jun, 2010 01:16
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1.4. FORMOSAT-5 Satellite Characteristics
The FORMOSAT-5 satellite is expected to have the following characteristics:
Mission Orbit: 720 km circular, sun synchronous
Parking Orbit: 720 km circular, 98.28 degree inclination
Satellite Lift-off (Wet) Weight: no more than 525 kg
Mission Life: 5 years minimum
Sounds like Falcon 1e, good call Chris -
#5 by Chris Bergin on 14 Jun, 2010 03:16
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Chris did you have a source for the Falcon 1 bit or did you just assume it from the Kwajalein launch location?
It was an assumption
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#6 by zaitcev on 14 Jun, 2010 05:13
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"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
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#7 by tigerade on 14 Jun, 2010 05:23
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40 flights now on the Manifest, huh? It shows 26 upcoming flights on the website and 6 past missions. What are the other eight missions?
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#8 by neilh on 14 Jun, 2010 06:14
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40 flights now on the Manifest, huh? It shows 26 upcoming flights on the website and 6 past missions. What are the other eight missions?
I wonder if there's a number of new Falcon 9 contracts that they're waiting to finalize so that they can announce them all at once for publicity reasons. -
#9 by simonth on 14 Jun, 2010 06:43
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40 flights now on the Manifest, huh? It shows 26 upcoming flights on the website and 6 past missions. What are the other eight missions?
I wonder if there's a number of new Falcon 9 contracts that they're waiting to finalize so that they can announce them all at once for publicity reasons.
I believe they count every single CRS flight double, one time for ISS resupply and then as a reflown Dragonlab mission, although they only bothered to put two Dragonlab missions on the manifest.
That means
- 12 CRS flights F9
- 12 Dragonlab flights F9
- 3 COTS Demo missions F9
- 5 Orbcomm flights F1e
- 6 Various (MDA, CONAE, Loral, Spacecom, Bigelow) F9
- 1 Astrium F1e
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- 39 flights
+ either they count the F1e test flight or this new one for Taiwan -
#10 by ugordan on 14 Jun, 2010 08:36
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I believe they count every single CRS flight double, one time for ISS resupply and then as a reflown Dragonlab mission
Huh? Why? They stated they have a number of new contracts waiting to be announced, some customers apparently wanted to wait after F9 launched. -
#11 by kevin-rf on 14 Jun, 2010 13:15
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That's not the way boeing does it : http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm
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#12 by HMXHMX on 14 Jun, 2010 16:53
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40 flights now on the Manifest, huh? It shows 26 upcoming flights on the website and 6 past missions. What are the other eight missions?
They may be counting Iridium NEXT missions even if not formally announced. -
#13 by simonth on 14 Jun, 2010 17:06
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I believe they count every single CRS flight double, one time for ISS resupply and then as a reflown Dragonlab mission
Huh? Why? They stated they have a number of new contracts waiting to be announced, some customers apparently wanted to wait after F9 launched.
10 more flights? Mhmm, somehow I doubt it. -
#14 by butters on 14 Jun, 2010 17:29
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"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
Maybe that's when the payload will be ready?... -
#15 by mr. mark on 15 Jun, 2010 15:04
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Looks like it's Falcon 1e...article from spacenews.com http://www.spacenews.com/contracts/taiwan-orders-spacex-falcon-launch-for-formosat-5.html
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#16 by SpacexULA on 15 Jun, 2010 17:05
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"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
Maybe that's when the payload will be ready?...
Likely somewhere between that and the Orbcomm missions will be coming 1st. Remember we still don't know how may Orbcomm satillites will be on each flight. Could be anywhere between 1 & 3 each. -
#17 by simonth on 15 Jun, 2010 17:07
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Quote from: zaitcev link=topic=21984.msg605982#msg605982
date=1276492433"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
Maybe that's when the payload will be ready?...
Likely somewhere between that and the Orbcomm missions will be coming 1st. Remember we still don't know how may Orbcomm satillites will be on each flight. Could be anywhere between 1 & 3 each.
We know from SEC filings that the contract between SpaceX and Orbcomm speaks of 5 flights. -
#18 by SpacexULA on 15 Jun, 2010 17:16
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Quote from: zaitcev link=topic=21984.msg605982#msg605982
date=1276492433"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
Maybe that's when the payload will be ready?...
Likely somewhere between that and the Orbcomm missions will be coming 1st. Remember we still don't know how may Orbcomm satillites will be on each flight. Could be anywhere between 1 & 3 each.
We know from SEC filings that the contract between SpaceX and Orbcomm speaks of 5 flights.
Thanks for the Info. So That leaves 1 maiden and 5 Orbcomm & 1 Astrium. So if the Maiden Flight goes off in February 2011 and this one is for Dec 2013, that's 32 months between the maiden flight and the Formosat flight. Or an average of 4 months between flights if these are all the flights between now and then.
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#19 by simonth on 15 Jun, 2010 17:31
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Quote from: zaitcev link=topic=21984.msg605982#msg605982
date=1276492433"Formosat-5 is slated to launch as early as December 2013 . . ." - oh boy, so much for the responsive space. I'm kinda sad it always takes so long.
Maybe that's when the payload will be ready?...
Likely somewhere between that and the Orbcomm missions will be coming 1st. Remember we still don't know how may Orbcomm satillites will be on each flight. Could be anywhere between 1 & 3 each.
We know from SEC filings that the contract between SpaceX and Orbcomm speaks of 5 flights.
Thanks for the Info. So That leaves 1 maiden and 5 Orbcomm & 1 Astrium. So if the Maiden Flight goes off in February 2011 and this one is for Dec 2013, that's 32 months between the maiden flight and the Formosat flight. Or an average of 4 months between flights if these are all the flights between now and then.
The 5 OrbComm flights were scheduled in launch periods from 2010 to 2014 http://www.faqs.org/sec-filings/100305/ORBCOMM-Inc_10-Q.A/c97356exv10w1.htm . Of course the first launch period depends on a successful maiden launch of Faclon 1e. Anyway, we can safely assume that not all of the 5 flights would be before 2013 but more like 1 Orbcomm flight every 12 months.
