Say goodbye to Orbcomm..... http://www.orbcomm.com/Collateral/Documents/English-US/OG2%20Prototype.pdfQuoteOG2 Prototype Hardware Functionality Verified Prior to DeorbitFort Lee, NJ, October 11, 2012 – ORBCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC), a global satellite data communications company focused on two-way Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, today announced that the single prototype of its second generation of satellites (OG2), launched as a secondary mission payload on the Cargo Re-Supply Services (CRS-1) mission of October 7, 2012, verified various functionality checkouts prior to its deorbit. The OG2 prototype was deployed into a lower orbit as the result of a pre-imposed safety check required by NASA. The safety check was designed to protect the International Space Station and its crew. Had ORBCOMM been the primary payload on this mission, as planned for the upcoming launches, we believe the OG2 prototype would have reached the desired orbit.Notwithstanding the shortened life of the OG2 prototype, the OG2 program engineering teams from ORBCOMM, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Boeing made significant strides in testing various hardware components. After telemetry and command capability was established, several critical system verifications were performed. The solar array and communications payload antenna deployments were successful, along with verifying the performance of various components of both the OG2 satellite bus and the communications payload. The OG2 satellite bus systems including power, attitude control, thermal and data handling were also tested to verify proper operation. The unique communications payload, which incorporates a highly reprogrammable software radio with common hardware for both gateway and subscriber messaging, also functioned as expected. These verification successes achieved from the single prototype satellite validate that the innovative OG2 satellite technology operates as designed before launching the full constellation of OG2 satellites. With this verification data, ORBCOMM can focus on completing and launching the OG2 satellites as the primary mission payloads on two planned Falcon 9 launches, the first in mid-2013 and the second in 2014, directly into their operational orbit. “We appreciate the complexity and work that SpaceX put into this launch,” stated Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM’s CEO. “SpaceX has been a supportive partner, and we are highly confident in their team and technology.”The Company has filed a notice of claim under its launch insurance policy for a total loss of the OG2 prototype. The maximum amount covered by the policy is $10 million, which would largely offset the expected cost of the OG2 prototype and associated launch services and launch insurance.
OG2 Prototype Hardware Functionality Verified Prior to DeorbitFort Lee, NJ, October 11, 2012 – ORBCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC), a global satellite data communications company focused on two-way Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, today announced that the single prototype of its second generation of satellites (OG2), launched as a secondary mission payload on the Cargo Re-Supply Services (CRS-1) mission of October 7, 2012, verified various functionality checkouts prior to its deorbit. The OG2 prototype was deployed into a lower orbit as the result of a pre-imposed safety check required by NASA. The safety check was designed to protect the International Space Station and its crew. Had ORBCOMM been the primary payload on this mission, as planned for the upcoming launches, we believe the OG2 prototype would have reached the desired orbit.Notwithstanding the shortened life of the OG2 prototype, the OG2 program engineering teams from ORBCOMM, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Boeing made significant strides in testing various hardware components. After telemetry and command capability was established, several critical system verifications were performed. The solar array and communications payload antenna deployments were successful, along with verifying the performance of various components of both the OG2 satellite bus and the communications payload. The OG2 satellite bus systems including power, attitude control, thermal and data handling were also tested to verify proper operation. The unique communications payload, which incorporates a highly reprogrammable software radio with common hardware for both gateway and subscriber messaging, also functioned as expected. These verification successes achieved from the single prototype satellite validate that the innovative OG2 satellite technology operates as designed before launching the full constellation of OG2 satellites. With this verification data, ORBCOMM can focus on completing and launching the OG2 satellites as the primary mission payloads on two planned Falcon 9 launches, the first in mid-2013 and the second in 2014, directly into their operational orbit. “We appreciate the complexity and work that SpaceX put into this launch,” stated Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM’s CEO. “SpaceX has been a supportive partner, and we are highly confident in their team and technology.”The Company has filed a notice of claim under its launch insurance policy for a total loss of the OG2 prototype. The maximum amount covered by the policy is $10 million, which would largely offset the expected cost of the OG2 prototype and associated launch services and launch insurance.
[quote author=Galactic Penguin SST "Deorbit" normally means an active measure, but I suspect they just mean 'reentry' (the other pieces of debris from the launch are alsoreentering in the next day or two). I've asked for a clarification, we'll see if they reply
Quote from: Robotbeat on 10/11/2012 07:02 pmSounds like an awesome deal for orbcomm since they can get the launch and Satellite paid for by insurance, while still getting the testing data that they need out of it. Of course this is at the expense of higher insurance costs for future secondaries on Spacex flights.Filing a claim does not necessarily equate to getting full payment of said claim.Stating that value was provided by the launch has the goodwill effect of building the relationship with SpaceX, but probably will have the additional effect of lowering the claim payment amount.IMHO.
Sounds like an awesome deal for orbcomm since they can get the launch and Satellite paid for by insurance, while still getting the testing data that they need out of it. Of course this is at the expense of higher insurance costs for future secondaries on Spacex flights.
SpaceX video on capture and hatch opening: ...Interesting to see Dragon's free drift attitude rate when viewed at 8x realtime speed.
Quote from: Joffan on 10/11/2012 07:47 pmQuote from: ugordan on 10/11/2012 04:08 pmSpaceX video on capture and hatch opening: ...Interesting to see Dragon's free drift attitude rate when viewed at 8x realtime speed.I don't think that's free drift, or mostly not - just the progression around the orbit changing the sun/shadow direction.The motion between 0:25 and 0:32 is most definitely Dragon free drift (both translation and rotation, since the camera is fixed to the ISS body). The motion between 0:32 and 0:37 is motion induced by the arm during capture.
Quote from: ugordan on 10/11/2012 04:08 pmSpaceX video on capture and hatch opening: ...Interesting to see Dragon's free drift attitude rate when viewed at 8x realtime speed.I don't think that's free drift, or mostly not - just the progression around the orbit changing the sun/shadow direction.
Filing a claim does not necessarily equate to getting full payment of said claim.Stating that value was provided by the launch has the goodwill effect of building the relationship with SpaceX, but probably will have the additional effect of lowering the claim payment amount.IMHO.
Any chance Dragon will come back down sooner than expected?
Quote from: krytek on 10/12/2012 02:15 pmAny chance Dragon will come back down sooner than expected?I would expect they will keep to the set schedule, just in case any contingency "late load" items turn up for return...
...prior to future flights...
Quote...prior to future flights...Does this mean CRS-2 is off until the investigation is concluded and NASA okays the fix (which might be "do nothing", but has to be approved by a committee)?
Quote from: zt on 10/12/2012 07:58 pmQuote...prior to future flights...Does this mean CRS-2 is off until the investigation is concluded and NASA okays the fix (which might be "do nothing", but has to be approved by a committee)?What committee?
