Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon-9 - Thaicom-8 - May 27, 2016 - UPDATES (Read 225195 times)

atsf90east · « **Reply #300 on:** 05/28/2016 01:26 am »

The view from Launch Complex 39 was spectacular, bright, and LOUD!!!!! At 3.4 miles away I felt this launch as much as I heard it :-)

AS-503 · « **Reply #301 on:** 05/28/2016 01:26 am »

To add to Elon's tweet about the landing gear struts.
The Apollo Lunar Module also used crush-able honey comb struts in the landing legs.
After all...it only has to work (compress) once. Thus, max simple and light weight.

EngrDavid · « **Reply #302 on:** 05/28/2016 01:54 am »

Congrats SpaceX, range for another beautiful launch. Congrats Thaicom.
Woke up at 5 to watch the launch half expecting another scrub due to unfavourable weather but was pleasantly surprised when I launch YouTube. What a beautiful launch and landing. And thanks SpaceX for always throwing in something new for us fans to talk about until the next launch.

Darga · « **Reply #303 on:** 05/28/2016 02:01 am »

First stage landing (sped up) https://www.instagram.com/p/BF7sxM9QES7/?hl=en

Orbiter · « **Reply #304 on:** 05/28/2016 02:09 am »

I sincerely hope that video is released at normal speed. Simply amazing.

RocketGoBoom · « **Reply #305 on:** 05/28/2016 02:16 am »

Quote from: Darga on 05/28/2016 02:01 am

First stage landing (sped up) https://www.instagram.com/p/BF7sxM9QES7/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/BF7wQGkF8ZJ/?taken-by=spacex

This makes landing bingo so much easier to grade !!!

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #306 on:** 05/28/2016 02:25 am »

Here's the landing video on YouTube.

NovaSilisko · « **Reply #307 on:** 05/28/2016 02:27 am »

Quote from: Orbiter on 05/28/2016 02:09 am

I sincerely hope that video is released at normal speed. Simply amazing.

If that was an off-the-shelf GoPro like SpaceX seems fond of using, once they recover the stage they should be able to provide that (or a similar view) in glorious 1080p HD. Right now, they're probably working from a low-resolution downlinked copy.

Elmar Moelzer · « **Reply #308 on:** 05/28/2016 02:32 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 05/28/2016 02:25 am

Here's the landing video on YouTube.

Wished they had this video in real time.

yg1968 · « **Reply #309 on:** 05/28/2016 02:38 am »

Youtube has an option to reduce the speed to 0.25 which looks much better.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #310 on:** 05/28/2016 04:05 am »

Belated congratulations SpaceX on another amazing mission - really sorry I had to miss this live but thanks as always NSF for the fab coverage.

Landing really is routine now and expected, although slightly concerned about getting this one back to port. I hope the storm gets out if the way! SpaceX now have a fantastic amount of data about first stage recovery under a range of conditions. So they must be able to work out now what the limits are. Now on to exploring re-use; the future is almost upon us

Dante80 · « **Reply #311 on:** 05/28/2016 04:08 am »

The first SpaceX launch I saw live was CRS-7. After that, I swore to never watch a live launch again. It seems to be working so far...XD

Many congrats to SpaceX, Thaicom, Orbital ATK, USAF and all other parties engaged for another successful campaign. Let's make this as boring and routine as possible!

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #312 on:** 05/28/2016 04:21 am »

Congrats to SpaceX again on another perfect launch and deployment. And that landing thing, too. Missed it live since I had to attended a graduation ceremony for a friend's son, so congrats to Zach, too!

TheFallen · « **Reply #313 on:** 05/28/2016 04:23 am »

Congrats, SpaceX! So at what point does Mr. Musk decide to donate one or two of these flown boosters to museums?

Smithsonian aside, a Falcon 9 would look great standing upright next to Endeavour at the California Science Center in 2019... One can dream.

Skamp_X · « **Reply #314 on:** 05/28/2016 05:08 am »

Missed it (had to work night shift

)
Congrats SpaceX, maybe soon we can remove the 'experimental landing' with just 'landing'

Your ambitions , progress and vision have restored my faith in human spaceflight.
Not there yet but looking forward to seeing falcon heavy,dragon v2 and red dragon in action.

meadows.st · « **Reply #315 on:** 05/28/2016 05:14 am »

WOW! Just... WOW! Congrats to SpaceX and thanks to NSF for the great coverage (as always).

Star One · « **Reply #316 on:** 05/28/2016 06:45 am »

Congratulations to Space X. Unfortunately the launch was too late for me in the UK to watch live this particular time.

input~2 · « **Reply #317 on:** 05/28/2016 08:16 am »

2 objects have been cataloged by USSTRATCOM

2016-031A/41552 in 350 x 90226 km x 21.22°
2016-031B/41553 in 349 x 90392 km x 21.21°

ugordan · « **Reply #318 on:** 05/28/2016 10:26 am »

Eutelsat/ABS booster rolling in, Thaicom 8 rolling out:

Two more remote camera views:

jacqmans · « **Reply #319 on:** 05/28/2016 10:39 am »

Orbital ATK-Built THAICOM 8 Commercial Satellite Successfully Launched

Company Continues Legacy of Success with Second GEOStar-2™ Spacecraft Built for Thaicom

Spacecraft Activation and In-Orbit Testing Procedures Underway

(Dulles, Virginia 27 May 2016) – Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that the THAICOM 8 commercial communications satellite, built by the company for Thaicom PLC, was successfully delivered to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is operating as planned. THAICOM 8 will support Thailand’s growing broadcast industry by providing broadcast and data services to customers in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket occurred today at 5:39 p.m. (EDT) from the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida. THAICOM 8 successfully separated from the launch vehicle approximately 32 minutes into the mission, placing it into its targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit. Orbital ATK engineers completed the satellite’s initial post-launch health check and configuration in preparation for approximately 30 days of in-orbit tests and orbit-raising procedures. Following this testing period, the satellite will be placed in its final orbital slot at 78.5 degrees east longitude. Once in-orbit testing confirms all satellite subsystems are functioning properly, operational control of THAICOM 8 will be turned over to Thaicom.

“Our initial checkout and testing processes show that the satellite is performing as expected,” said Amer Khouri, Vice President of the Commercial Satellite Business at Orbital ATK. “THAICOM 8 marks the deployment of the second satellite we have designed and built for Thaicom, one of Asia’s leading satellite operators. Once again, we produced an innovative, reliable and affordable product ahead of schedule. We continue to build on our reputation for excellence and look forward to working with Thaicom again in the future.”

THAICOM 8 was commissioned after the successful launch of the Orbital ATK-built THAICOM 6 satellite in January 2014. Orbital ATK designed, manufactured, integrated and tested THAICOM 8 at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia. The company’s Space Components Division facilities in California and Utah provided numerous subsystems, including the satellite’s solar arrays and composite components for the solar array panels and deployable structures, as well as the super elliptical reflectors to broadcast signals from space to specific locations on Earth. Executing on a proven short-cycle manufacturing process, final delivery of the satellite occurred two months ahead of the original baseline schedule.

A Ku-band satellite, THAICOM 8 carries a payload equipped with 24 active transponders to deliver broadcast and data services. At launch, the spacecraft weighed approximately 1,450 kg (3,200 pounds) and is designed to operate for more than 15 years.

The THAICOM 8 communications satellite marks Orbital ATK’s 36th GEOStar spacecraft launched for customers around the world. The company is currently producing several commercial satellites that will be delivered and launched for customers over the next several years, including the Al Yah 3, HYLAS 4 and SES-16/GovSat satellites. The company is also developing the new Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) for its recently announced commercial satellite servicing agreement with Intelsat, S.A.