Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : RCM (RADARSAT Constellation) : Vandenberg : NET March 2019 (Read 27708 times)

IanThePineapple · « **Reply #20 on:** 12/19/2017 02:08 pm »

Quote from: gongora on 12/19/2017 02:04 pm

Tweet from Peter B. de Selding:
Quote
Maxar @sslmda CEO Howard L. Lance to CNBC: All 3 Canadian govt Radarsat Constellation Mission sats (~ 475kg each) to launch on single previously flown @spacex Falcon 9 in 2018.

Wow, if they're that light and flying on a Block 4, it'll likely RTLS

gongora · « **Reply #21 on:** 12/19/2017 02:12 pm »

Quote from: IanThePineapple on 12/19/2017 02:08 pm

Quote from: gongora on 12/19/2017 02:04 pm
Tweet from Peter B. de Selding:
Quote
Maxar @sslmda CEO Howard L. Lance to CNBC: All 3 Canadian govt Radarsat Constellation Mission sats (~ 475kg each) to launch on single previously flown @spacex Falcon 9 in 2018.

Wow, if they're that light and flying on a Block 4, it'll likely RTLS

Not likely to be Block 4 in the second half of 2018.

gongora · « **Reply #22 on:** 01/18/2018 02:54 am »

This video shows the custom RUAG dispenser for the mission.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #23 on:** 01/18/2018 06:59 am »

Screen grabs. The dispenser firsts tilts the satellites and then separates them. Ruag have had 100% success with their adaptors.

gongora · « **Reply #24 on:** 01/23/2018 01:21 am »

Tweet from MDA_SatSystems:

Quote

#MDA was delighted to host @SherryRomanado, @Gabriel_SMarie, and @MarjBoutinSweet at our #Montreal facility on 19-Jan to show off the @csa_asc #RADARSAT Constellation Mission satellites being built.

rocket-chris · « **Reply #25 on:** 01/23/2018 07:39 pm »

I'm wondering a bit about the mass of the sats which is in some sources as well as in this Thread specified with ~475kg.

At the CSA website the "Total mass at launch" is given with 1602kg. And the sats are based on the Canadian SmallSat Bus which has a mass of 760kg only for the bus...

1602kg per sat would give around 4800kg for all three which make a F9 launch more logical than an F9 launch with a payload weight less than 1500kg in total.

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/pdf/eng/publications/radarsat-constellation-eng.pdf

https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/r/rcm

sewebster · « **Reply #26 on:** 01/23/2018 07:59 pm »

Quote from: rocket-chris on 01/23/2018 07:39 pm

I'm wondering a bit about the mass of the sats which is in some sources as well as in this Thread specified with ~475kg.

At the CSA website the "Total mass at launch" is given with 1602kg. And the sats are based on the Canadian SmallSat Bus which has a mass of 760kg only for the bus...

1602kg per sat would give around 4800kg for all three which make a F9 launch more logical than an F9 launch with a payload weight less than 1500kg in total.

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/pdf/eng/publications/radarsat-constellation-eng.pdf

https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/r/rcm

It looks to me like the mass of each satellite is around 1400 kg. This is just based on web searches and trying to interpret various presentations etc. There is one very old CBC article that seems to suggest 1200 kg/sat more definitively (i.e., vs total launch mass for all three: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/mda-awarded-contract-to-design-satellite-fleet-1.721135). Most sources just list a mass without mentioning per sat or not... but generally they are comparing Radarsat 1, 2, and now RCM... seems most logical to me to compare the individual satellites, but hard to say really, because when comparing something like revisit time, they will often say daily, but that is for the constellation...

sewebster · « **Reply #27 on:** 01/24/2018 06:36 am »

https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/r/rcm

Just read this link more thoroughly, originally posted by rocket-chris. It seems rather specific that the mass is 1400 kg/spacecraft and also specifies the bus mass and payload mass separately, both of which mass more than the 475 kg figure that has also been mentioned. Search for "mass" on the page.

gongora · « **Reply #28 on:** 03/06/2018 05:57 pm »

I hope that 3t includes the container...

Tweet from RUAGSpace:

Quote

Over 3 metric tons rolled away from our #Linköping facility,
carrying the heaviest piece of hardware ever developed there. Container held a major structure for a dispenser that will launch three spacecrafts simultaneously this year. Safe travels to sunny @California #HeavyLoad

(I'm guessing this is for RCM)

sewebster · « **Reply #29 on:** 03/06/2018 09:43 pm »

Quote from: gongora on 03/06/2018 05:57 pm

(I'm guessing this is for RCM)

It says "RCM Dispenser" on the container, so I think you are correct!

Nehkara · « **Reply #30 on:** 03/06/2018 10:02 pm »

Looks like it's 1400 kg per spacecraft plus the dispenser. I'm guessing that means this mission will lift probably between 6200 and 8200 kg (depending on how much of that 3 metric tons is the payload adapter).

Freddedonna · « **Reply #31 on:** 05/10/2018 11:23 am »

Pretty cool video posted by the CSA about the Radarsat integration process, filmed inside the MDA factory :

eriblo · « **Reply #32 on:** 06/08/2018 12:50 pm »

Attended a presentation by Daniel De Lisle (CSA) on June 6 where he stated that the current "focus date" for launch is November 7th, one week into the contracted one month launch period. Should be able to at least say NET November.

gongora · « **Reply #33 on:** 06/22/2018 04:56 pm »

This news report says late November.

https://globalnews.ca/video/4290161/spacex-launches-canadian-surveillance-satellites

I'm not really believing that all of the SpaceX Vandenberg payloads saying they'll launch this year are actually going to launch this year. It will be interesting to see if SpaceX can step up their West Coast launch rate.

vaporcobra · « **Reply #34 on:** 09/13/2018 10:04 pm »

From the WSBW Earth Observation segment:

Quote

At #WSBW Earth observation track, Wayne Hoyle of MDA says the Radarsat Constellation Mission spacecraft should be ready to ship to the launch site at the end of this month; working with SpaceX to set a launch date.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1040146506286870529

SwissCheese · « **Reply #35 on:** 10/16/2018 02:59 pm »

Just got news that RCM mission has now been officially delayed to February.

There's also a new blog post on the Canadian Space Agency website about the mission status:

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/blog/2018/10/16/radarsat-constellation-a-major-milestone-reached.asp?utm_source=website&utm_medium=banner-txt&utm_campaign=rcm&utm_content=major-milestone&utm_term=home-page

edit/gongora: linked blog has "Launch window: Week of February 18, 2019"

Billium · « **Reply #36 on:** 11/13/2018 01:00 pm »

Here is a CBC article about the mission. It’s actually pretty good. No insurance was one interesting bit of information.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/satellite-constellation-radarsat-space-agency-canada-falcon-spacex-1.4895428

SolSystem · « **Reply #37 on:** 12/22/2018 07:56 pm »

So I spoke with Michel Doyon, Manager, Flight Operations at the Canadian Space Agency today and the RCM flight is going to be delayed again. How long I don't know. He said RCM was supposed to use the NASA CRS-16 mission booster (B1050) which had the grid fin issue and "softly" landed in the water.

Discussions between MDA, who contracted for the launch, and SpaceX are ongoing. Has anyone heard anything on a possible new launch date? Also which booster might it use? A previously flown own or new? I understand from other threads here that the B1050 booster is not likely to fly again??

Thanks

Alexphysics · « **Reply #38 on:** 12/22/2018 08:09 pm »

Quote from: SolSystem on 12/22/2018 07:56 pm

So I spoke with Michel Doyon, Manager, Flight Operations at the Canadian Space Agency today and the RCM flight is going to be delayed again. How long I don't know. He said RCM was supposed to use the NASA CRS-16 mission booster (B1050) which had the grid fin issue and "softly" landed in the water.

Discussions between MDA, who contracted for the launch, and SpaceX are ongoing. Has anyone heard anything on a possible new launch date? Also which booster might it use? A previously flown own or new? I understand from other threads here that the B1050 booster is not likely to fly again??

Thanks

That's weird because they have B1052 and B1053 out there and could use it :/

They could always fly B1046 for a fourth time

SolSystem · « **Reply #39 on:** 12/22/2018 08:26 pm »

Quote from: Alexphysics on 12/22/2018 08:09 pm

Quote from: SolSystem on 12/22/2018 07:56 pm
So I spoke with Michel Doyon, Manager, Flight Operations at the Canadian Space Agency today and the RCM flight is going to be delayed again. How long I don't know. He said RCM was supposed to use the NASA CRS-16 mission booster (B1050) which had the grid fin issue and "softly" landed in the water.

Discussions between MDA, who contracted for the launch, and SpaceX are ongoing. Has anyone heard anything on a possible new launch date? Also which booster might it use? A previously flown own or new? I understand from other threads here that the B1050 booster is not likely to fly again??

Thanks

That's weird because they have B1052 and B1053 out there and could use it :/

They could always fly B1046 for a fourth time

Maybe it's a cost issue. They were getting a good deal on the proven booster.