SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Thaicom 6 - DISCUSSION THREAD

[MP99]

Only 3016 kg. I thought it was higher.

Anyway orbit is going to 295x90,000x22.5

90,000 kilometers at apogee? Is this correct? AIUI SES-8 went to Super Synchronous Orbit but Thaicom-6 was going to a standard GSO. If it's going up to 90,000 kilometers, is it going to a Super Synchronous Orbit too?

There is that discrepancy in the press kit. They write GTO and then give these data, which is SSTO.

A super synchronous transfer orbit is used as a type of geosynchronous transfer orbit, so no discrepancy. 

Atlas Centaurs sent satellites to supersync orbits with apogees as high as 130,000 km during the 1990s, so this is nothing new, although 90,000 km is higher than most.

I assume that there's nothing necessary in the design of the sat to cope with 90k km apogee vs lower?

Does the sat's manoeuvring to GEO expose it to any less or more time / severity in the Van Allen belts than typical GTOs from other providers?

cheers, Martin

[Comga]

You've gone a little too far with the Kremlinology this time chaps.

No Kremlinology.  Just wondering why the sub-optimum angle.
That's a great image.  What is the source?
How far up the first stage will the foward attach points for the legs be? 
Is it a fair assumption that there will be some new mechanical features for the SpX-3 launch (and/or subsequent vehicles) that is not present on this one?

PS  I just notices the two guys on the lower right.  They give a great sense of scale.
PPS Three guys!  Anyone we know?

[pospa]

That's a great image.  What is the source?

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/008/prelaunch/
... and third guy at the engine section

[Norm38]

Three guys.  There's another standing just to the left of the center 1D nozzle.

[kevin-rf]

PS  I just notices the two guys on the lower right.  They give a great sense of scale.
PPS Three guys!  Anyone we know?

You missed the one on the left, looks like he is attaching some legs

[Comga]

A composite for comparison:
Attach features would be between where the P and A are in the current first stage SpaceX logo.

edit: Thanks pospa!  Lots of great images over there on SpaceFlightNow!

[edkyle99]

I assume that there's nothing necessary in the design of the sat to cope with 90k km apogee vs lower?

Does the sat's manoeuvring to GEO expose it to any less or more time / severity in the Van Allen belts than typical GTOs from other providers?

cheers, Martin

They have to make sure about the batteries, sun angles, communications, and tracking, which all differ from the old standard transfer orbits.  A super-synchronous orbit like this has a longer orbital period, which changes the ground track and so on.  They also have to consider lunar perturbations, since these orbits can go nearly 1/3rd of the way to the Moon.  I don't think that Van Allen Belt transits are a substantially different concern.

 - Ed Kyle 

[aero]

Three guys.  There's another standing just to the left of the center 1D nozzle.

And as was noted on the launch update thread, (since removed as not an update) none of them are wearing hard hats. A probable violation of safety requirements. But only PADRAT knows for sure.

[sojourner]

Anyone got a link to the NASA webcams mentioned in the update thread?

[zlynn1990]

Any information regarding first stage recovery? Will they fire the engine a bit at max q now that they know the lower bound from SES-8?

[edkyle99]

Three guys.  There's another standing just to the left of the center 1D nozzle.

And as was noted on the launch update thread, (since removed as not an update) none of them are wearing hard hats. A probable violation of safety requirements. But only PADRAT knows for sure.

Plenty of on-pad work is done without hard hats.  Here's an example.

 - Ed Kyle

[Chris Bergin]

Anyone got a link to the NASA webcams mentioned in the update thread?

You gain bonus points for not asking in the Update thread!

Here's what's called the EELV portal, which is what Mr Huggy will have been using:
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/

[MP99]

I assume that there's nothing necessary in the design of the sat to cope with 90k km apogee vs lower?

Does the sat's manoeuvring to GEO expose it to any less or more time / severity in the Van Allen belts than typical GTOs from other providers?

They have to make sure about the batteries, sun angles, communications, and tracking, which all differ from the old standard transfer orbits.  A super-synchronous orbit like this has a longer orbital period, which changes the ground track and so on.  They also have to consider lunar perturbations, since these orbits can go nearly 1/3rd of the way to the Moon.  I don't think that Van Allen Belt transits are a substantially different concern.

Many thanks.

Cheers, Martin

[mrhuggy]

Anyone got a link to the NASA webcams mentioned in the update thread?

You gain bonus points for not asking in the Update thread!

Here's what's called the EELV portal, which is what Mr Huggy will have been using:
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/

Actually i'm using the NSF-MCC which is for L2, I think. It's a great tool with loads of streams and webcams from all over the world made by Jester. Good reason to get a L2 sub.

[A12]

Anyone got a link to the NASA webcams mentioned in the update thread?

You gain bonus points for not asking in the Update thread!

Here's what's called the EELV portal, which is what Mr Huggy will have been using:
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/

Actually i'm using the NSF-MCC which is for L2, I think. It's a great tool with loads of streams and webcams from all over the world made by Jester. Good reason to get a L2 sub.

I am one of those L2 subscribers: could you kindly point me to this tool ?

[ChrisC]

Ohhh, I didn't even think to check the EELV portal!  I didn't know that was active for SpaceX launches.  Awesome.

Thanks also for the NSF MCC reminder.  See L2 for link.

EDIT:  A12, check the L2 thread that is covering this launch, I just posted it there, anticpating your question

[macpacheco]

Any information regarding first stage recovery? Will they fire the engine a bit at max q now that they know the lower bound from SES-8?

See:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=32449.msg1143385#msg1143385

Considering the payload is lighter than SES-8 and the required deltaV also lower, this suggests higher fuel reserves (on top of Elon Musk's statement F9R performed better than expected on SES-8 mission) so I conclude they could do it if they wanted. But the burning question still is: Will they do it ? It doesn't make any sense to pass up the opportunity.

Edit... My point is, I can't think of any resource limitation that would prevent them from trying at least a short re-entry burn. I'm not saying leave stage 2 with zero performance reserve, but something in between.

[Jason Davies]

Ohhh, I didn't even think to check the EELV portal!  I didn't know that was active for SpaceX launches.  Awesome.

Me too! Thanks to Huggy for the reminder!

[mrhuggy]

Ohhh, I didn't even think to check the EELV portal!  I didn't know that was active for SpaceX launches.  Awesome.

Thanks also for the NSF MCC reminder.  See L2 for link.

EDIT:  A12, check the L2 thread that is covering this launch, I just posted it there, anticpating your question

It isn't covering the launches as such, no pictures of the Falcon. It is however showing weather information.

[kevin-rf]

And as was noted on the launch update thread, (since removed as not an update) none of them are wearing hard hats. A probable violation of safety requirements. But only PADRAT knows for sure.

But notice, they are all wearing a fall harness. I would give them bonus points for that.