LIVE: Sea Launch - Eutelsat 3B - May 26, 2014 (2110UTC)

[anik]

Launch Coverage Sponsored by ATK:



Sea Launch and Eutelsat Sign New Agreement for Launch Services
http://www.sea-launch.com/news-q11367-Sea_Launch_and_Eutelsat_Sign_New_Agreement_for_Launch_Services.aspx

Bern, Switzerland, June 18, 2013 - Sea Launch AG and Eutelsat today announced the finalization of an agreement to launch the EUTELSAT 3B spacecraft in April 2014 utilizing the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL launch system and launching from the ocean-based Odyssey launch platform.

Currently under construction by Astrium, an EADS company, EUTELSAT 3B is based upon the Eurostar-3000 platform. Operating in C, Ku and Ka-bands, the satellite has been designed with high levels of operational flexibility to serve video, data, Internet and telecom customers across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South America. It will operate from Eutelsat’s orbital slot located at 3 degrees East longitude in geostationary Earth orbit and have a separated launch mass of more than six metric tonnes.

“This agreement represents a significant expression of customer confidence in Sea Launch program, both in our capability demonstrated to date as well as in our future " said Sergey Gugkaev, chief executive officer of Sea Launch, Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch, added, “We are very pleased with the confidence and trust placed in us by Eutelsat, and look forward to building upon the successful launches of Eutelsat spacecraft in 2011 and 2012.”

Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, added: “We look forward to working once again with the Sea Launch teams on the EUTELSAT 3B mission following the successful launches of EUTELSAT 70B in 2012 and EUTELSAT 7 West A in 2011. This new contract increases the flexibility we need to pursue our in-orbit expansion plan of six new satellites by end 2015 that will diversify our overall resources, increase our operational flexibility and further raise in-orbit security.”

[anik]

http://www.sea-launch.com/

Zenit Quarterly Production Review will be conducted by Energia Logistics LLC for Zenit # 37 & 38 on August 13 & 14th at the Yuzhnoye/Yuzhmash facilities in Dnepropetrovsk, followed by Hardware Acceptance of the Block-DM-SL # 36 & 37 at RSC Energia Moscow facilities on August 15th.

[anik]

http://www.sea-launch.com

A Zenit Quarterly Production Review was completed by Energia Logistics LLC for Zenit # 37 & 38 on August 13 & 14th at the Yuzhnoye/Yuzhmash facilities in Dnepropetrovsk. Two Block-DM-SL's (# 36 & 37) were accepted at RSC Energia Moscow facilities on August 15th.

[anik]

Sea Launch on Track for April 2014 Launch
http://www.sea-launch.com/news-q11377-Sea_Launch_on_Track_for_April_2014_Launch.aspx

BERN, Switzerland, January 7, 2014 – Sea Launch AG, through Energia Logistics Ltd., has conducted a Hardware Acceptance Review of the Zenit-2S launch vehicle to be utilized in support of the EUTELSAT 3B mission.  A team of specialists from the Chief System Engineer’s Office at Energia Logistics Ltd., together with specialists from RSC Energia, reviewed all of the acceptance data for the Zenit-2S #SL 37 vehicle and found that all required acceptance test values were within specification.
 
The Ocean Force sea-based transport vessel carrying the Zenit-2S launch vehicle designated for EUTELSAT 3B departed the port at Oktyabrsky, Ukraine on December 23rd , 2013 and is scheduled to arrive pier-side at Sea Launch’s Home Port facility in Long Beach, California on February 16th, 2014.  The mission’s Block DM-SL upper stages and an undesignated mission’s upper stage provided by RSC Energia will also be included in the shipment to Home Port.  The Payload Accommodations, provided by Boeing Commercial Space Company, is scheduled to arrive on February 12th. The EUTELSAT 3B satellite is planned for launch in April 2014.

Built by Astrium, and based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 3B will have a launch mass of approximately 5,967 kilograms (13,155 lbs.) and electrical power of 12 kW. It is expected to arrive at the Sea Launch facility in mid-February in preparation for the start of standalone and combined spacecraft operations.

Sea Trials Underway!
http://www.sea-launch.com/missions-q11384-Sea_Trials.aspx

As Sea Launch prepares for the upcoming launch of the EUTELSAT 3B satellite in April, the Sea Launch vessels have departed Home Port within the Port of Long Beach harbor for three days of operational sea trials. The Launch Platform Odyssey and the Sea Launch Commander departed on January 21, 2014 and are scheduled to return on January 24, 2014.

Participating marine segment personnel from Energia Logistics United States (ELUS) and Barber Moss Ship Management have a number of objectives designed to verify that all vital marine systems, launch platform ground support equipment and integrated systems are performing per established parameters.  Additional activities include the training and certification of existing and new personnel, the testing of various equipment and procedures and complete Dynamic Positioning and Class re-certifications.

The team anticipates fair weather as we they head 50 nautical miles West off the coast of southern California.  The uniquely purposed vessels will be conducting practice operations in the waters between Long Beach and Santa Catalina Island south to San Clemente Island. In one verification procedure, the Sea Launch vessels will "park" parallel to each other and "link" the two vessels by performing a link-bridge operation connecting the two vessels by a "bridge" so that personnel can transfer back and forth in performance of their tasks.

The sea trials will end with the Sea Launch Commander returning to Long Beach harbor by Friday evening and the Launch Platform Odyssey to return by Saturday afternoon. Then the fun begins… Sea Launch will officially begin the EUTELSAT 3B launch campaign beginning in mid-February!

[pippin]

Um... Is Zenith 2S the same thing as 3SL or is 3SL a 2S plus Block DM-SL or how do I have to understand all this nomenclature?

[anik]

Um... Is Zenith 2S the same thing as 3SL or is 3SL a 2S plus Block DM-SL or how do I have to understand all this nomenclature?

Zenit-2S + DM-SL = Zenit-3SL.

[pippin]

Thanks!

[anik]

As per http://www.interfax.ru/russia/news/356069, the launch is planned on April 13th.

[anik]

Eutelsat 3B Mission Page
http://www.sea-launch.com/missions-q11373-Mission_Overview.aspx

EUTELSAT 3B Satellite Arrives at Sea Launch Home Port Site
http://www.sea-launch.com/news-q11392-EUTELSAT_3B_Satellite_Arrives_at_Sea_Launch_Home_Port_Site.aspx

BERN, Switzerland, February 19, 2014 – The spacecraft for the EUTELSAT 3B mission contracted for launch by Sea Launch has been delivered on February 19th to the “Home Port” launch complex in Long Beach, California.  Following unloading, the satellite was delivered to the clean room area of the 16-acre payload processing facility, where mission operations and integration efforts are now underway.
After standalone spacecraft operations are completed, EUTELSAT 3B will be handed over to Sea Launch’s prime contractor, Energia Logistics, Ltd., to be mated with the payload support structure and integrated with the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle before departure to the launch site in early April. The launch of the EUTELSAT 3B satellite is scheduled for mid-April.
The EUTELSAT 3B communications satellite departed from the Toulouse, France manufacturing facilities of Airbus Defence and Space on February 17th and arrived at the Long Beach Airport (LGB) on-board an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft yesterday.  It was subsequently transferred via surface roads on an oversized transport vehicle with representatives from Eutelsat, Airbus Defence and Space and Energia Logistics Ltd. on hand to receive the spacecraft.
Based on the Eurostar E3000 platform of Airbus Defence and Space, the EUTELSAT 3B satellite has been designed to operate three commercial payloads in the C, Ku and Ka bands. This tri-band configuration will deliver exceptional levels of in-orbit flexibility and coverage from Eutelsat’s expanding 3° East neighourhood. The satellite will enable Eutelsat to diversify its commercial response to Internet Service Providers, telcos, government agencies and broadcasters operating in Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. EUTELSAT 3B has a designed in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15 years.

[anik]

As per counter on Sea Launch website, the launch is planned at 23:05:00 UTC on April 15th.

[anik]

As per counter on Sea Launch website, the launch is planned at 23:05:00 UTC on April 15th.

Spaceflight Now has 22:04:55 UTC.

[Adonis1]

As per counter on Sea Launch website, the launch is planned at 23:05:00 UTC on April 15th.

Spaceflight Now has 22:04:55 UTC.

Daylight Saving Time – DST ??

[Targeteer]

From Facebook

EUTELSAT 3B Update
Sea Launch will finish combined operations today in the Payload Processing Facility. EUTELSAT 3B was encapsulated on 3/14/14. The Block-DM-SL fueling will take place tomorrow, 3/18/14 followed by Launch Rehearsal # 1 on 3/19/14.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

As per counter on Sea Launch website, the launch is planned at 23:05:00 UTC on April 15th.

Spaceflight Now has 22:04:55 UTC.

Looks like both times are incorrect..... here's the answer by SL's PAO:

Cosmic Penguin ‏@Cosmic_Penguin
@Sea_Launch What is the launch time for @Eutelsat_SA's Eutelsat 3B?

Sea Launch ‏@Sea_Launch
@Cosmic_Penguin.  Launch time for #EUTELSAT3B is 14:05 PDT 21:05 UTC, 23:05 CET 4/15/14.http://bit.ly/O4WP7W

[Targeteer]

http://www.sea-launch.com/missions-z13529-q11387-v0-Transfer_of_Integrated_Launch_Vehicle.aspx

Transfer of Integrated Launch Vehicle
Early in the morning of March 28, 2014, the Sea Launch Commander was re-positioned on the other side of the pier, directly in front of the Launch Platform Odyssey (LP) to transfer the integrated launch vehicle to the LP. The weather cooperated nicely on a windless, sunny day allowing the operation to be completed a just a couple of hours.

[Chris Bergin]

Oops:

Mission Status

EUTELSAT 3B Mission Status Update

March 31, 2014

 

During the final “dry” roll-out phase of integrated launch vehicle (ILV) processing at Home Port in support of the EUTELSAT 3B mission, a discrepancy in the nominal movement of the cable-mast and the Zenit-2S LV lateral plate occurred while installing the ILV onto the launch pad. This caused mechanical damage to the lateral plate housing located on the inter-stage truss of the LV.  Resolution of this condition will result in a delay to the planned April 15, 2014 launch date.

A decision was made to de-mate the Payload Unit and Block-DM-SL onboard the Sea Launch Commander to resolve the issue, establish the root cause and perform additional checks of the interface between the launch vehicle and ground support equipment connectors.

Once the above tasks have been completed, Sea Launch will announce an updated schedule and launch day for EUTELSAT 3B.

[anik]

I was told that there will be three week delay.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

I was told that there will be three week delay.

More precisely - new launch date is on May 4.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Oops it looks like that the rocket may need to ship back to Ukraine for repairs, in which this launch may see a several month delay. 

However there are conflicting reports that repairing on site may be possible, in which the new launch date is NET May 24.

[kq6ea]

Translation of that forum, please?