SpaceX F9 : Sentinel-6A Michael Freilich : Vand. : Nov. 21, 2020 (17:17 UTC)

[Jansen]

There is some change on one of the new engines that they would like to see fly before Crew-1.  GPS III-4 booster has at least one engine with that change and they'd like to see it fly first.  Flight of Sentinel 6 not required before Crew-1, although if it does fly first they'll gladly review the data from that flight.

 

[Jansen]

NASA LAUNCH SERVICES II MOD 143: Adds a mission unique service (MUS) to provide European Space Agency (ESA) Public Affairs Office (PAO) escorts, escorts for access to the lightning monitoring system, and console changes in the Launch and Landing Control (LLC) building in support of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (MF) mission.

I suspect the delays are due to this, but possibly also due to the engine checkouts that were running a bit behind.

[gongora]

NASA LAUNCH SERVICES II MOD 143: Adds a mission unique service (MUS) to provide European Space Agency (ESA) Public Affairs Office (PAO) escorts, escorts for access to the lightning monitoring system, and console changes in the Launch and Landing Control (LLC) building in support of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (MF) mission.

I suspect the delays are due to this, but possibly also due to the engine checkouts that were running a bit behind.

I wouldn't expect that contract modification to have any effect on the launch date.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/kathylueders/status/1322315937568169985

Update: @NASA and @SpaceX currently are reviewing the Nov. 10 date for the launch of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich pending ongoing analysis of data from engines. We are looking at dates after the launch of Crew-1 on Nov. 14, which is still on track. (1/2)

https://twitter.com/kathylueders/status/1322315939350806529

We will have more on Sentinel-6 after the teams complete data review on the West Coast. More to come. (2/2)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

NASA Kennedy Follow
KSC-20201022-PH-MNP01_0003
Airbus Defence and Space technicians position the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft for fueling inside SpaceX’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California on Oct. 22, 2020. The mission is an international collaboration and will be the first of two satellites launched to continue observing changes in Earth’s sea levels for at least the next decade. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is scheduled to launch from VAFB atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management.
Photo credit: USAF 30th Space Wing/Mike Peterson

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/50560764866/

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772868526698496

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772983635140609

[mn]

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772868526698496

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772983635140609

Is tweet 2/3 referring to this mission or to Crew 1?

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772868526698496

https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772983635140609

Is tweet 2/3 referring to this mission or to Crew 1?

This mission

[jacqmans]

https://twitter.com/AschbacherJosef/status/1323882456886448128?s=20

[jacqmans]

Airbus Defence and Space technicians position the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft for fueling inside SpaceX’s Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California on Oct. 22, 2020. The mission is an international collaboration and will be the first of two satellites launched to continue observing changes in Earth’s sea levels for at least the next decade. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is scheduled to launch from VAFB atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management.

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1324058103445217280

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/50569929502/

KSC-20201103-PH-RNB01_0009
Inside SpaceX's Payload Processing Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite is being encapsulated in the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing on Nov. 3, 2020. Sentinel-6 is scheduled to launch on Nov. 21, 2020, at 12:17 p.m. EST (9:17 a.m. PST), atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

[jacqmans]

[jacqmans]

[Raul]

On Friday, second replacement engine arrived to VAFB SLC-4 for replacement of another booster engine (engine number one), as reason of launch date delay.

Picture of the encapsulated satellite from https://sentinel6.blog, showing the logo, with the frames removed.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Photos from NASA Kennedy

[Raul]

From sentinel6.blog

DAY FIFTY-ONE
NOVEMBER 10, 2020

Today the team powered up the spacecraft and proved all was well after encapsulation.
The launcher had replaced the second engine and was starting testing.
Preparations were underway for the rehearsals of the satellite on on Thursday and the launcher on Friday.
We ARE getting closer!

[jacqmans]

[zubenelgenubi]

My bold; Static Fire?

From sentinel6.blog

<snip>
Preparations were underway for the rehearsals of the satellite on on Thursday and the launcher on Friday [November 13].
<snip>

EDIT: No, not yet.

[jacqmans]

November 13, 2020
MEDIA ADVISORY M20-125

NASA TV to Air Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Launch, Prelaunch Activities

NASA is targeting 12:17 p.m. EST (9:17 a.m. PST) Saturday, Nov. 21, for the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, the first of two identical satellites to head into Earth orbit five years apart to continue sea level observations for at least the next decade.

Live launch coverage will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST (8:45 a.m. PST), on NASA Television and the agency’s website, with prelaunch and science briefings the day before on Nov. 20.

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will head into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages the agency's contribution to the mission.

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is named in honor of the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division, who was instrumental in advancing space-based ocean measurements. It follows the most recent U.S.-European sea level observation satellite, Jason-3, which launched in 2016, and is currently providing high-precision and timely observations of the topography of the global ocean.

The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission, consisting of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B satellites, is being jointly developed by ESA (European Space Agency), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the European Commission and support from France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).

The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s oceans, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich's twin, Sentinel-6B, is scheduled to launch in 2025.

NASA's contributions to the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission are three science instruments for each of the two satellites: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer, the Global Navigation Satellite System – Radio Occultation, and the Laser Retroreflector Array. NASA is also contributing launch services, ground systems supporting operation of the NASA science instruments, the science data processors for two of these instruments, and support for the U.S. members of the international Ocean Surface Topography Science Team.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all media participation in news conferences will be remote. A phone bridge will be provided for each briefing.

The deadline for media to apply for accreditation for this launch has passed, but more information about media accreditation is available by contacting [email protected].

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times eastern):

Friday, Nov. 20

3:30 p.m. – Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Science Briefing with the following participants:

·      Karen St. Germain, director, NASA Earth Science Division

·      Craig Donlon, project scientist, ESA

·      Remko Scharroo, project scientist, EUMETSAT

·      Josh Willis, project scientist, JPL

·      Deirdre Byrne, oceanographer, NOAA

·      Luanne Thompson, oceanographer, University of Washington

Media who would like to ask questions during the science briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 2:30 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. PST) on Nov. 20, to Rexana Vizza at [email protected] or by calling 818-393-1931. Valid media credentials are required. Questions may also be asked via social media with the hashtag #SeeingTheSeas.

5:00 p.m. – Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Prelaunch News Conference with the following participants:

·      Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

·      Johann-Dietrich Wörner, director-general, ESA (prerecorded remarks)

·      Pierrik Vuilleumier, project manager, ESA

·      Tim Dunn, NASA launch director, Launch Services Program, Kennedy

·      Parag Vaze, project manager, JPL

·      Julianna Scheiman, program manager for NASA Launch Services, SpaceX

·      Col. Anthony Mastalir, Commander, 30th Space Wing and Western Launch and Test Range, VAFB

·      Capt. John Ott, weather officer, 30th Space Wing, VAFB

Media who would like to ask questions during the prelaunch briefing must provide their name and affiliation by 4:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. PST) Friday, Nov. 20, to Rexana Vizza at [email protected] or by calling 818-393-1931. Valid media credentials are required. Questions may also be asked via social media with the hashtag #SeeingTheSeas

7:30 p.m. – NASA TV live prelaunch coverage begins with NASA Edge show

This will air on NASA TV, as well as on the NASA Edge Facebook page and Youtube channel.

Saturday, Nov. 21

11:45 a.m. – NASA TV live launch coverage begins

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor’s countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.

Other Media Activities

Interview Requests

Members of the media looking for interviews on the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launch should submit a media request at http://bit.ly/s6mf-media-request. JPL also is supporting a newsroom in Lompoc, California, where members of the media in the launch area may request in-person interviews (compliant with coronavirus safety restrictions) the day before launch and on launch day. Please note in the media request form if an in-person interview is desired. The Lompoc newsroom also will have space for reporters to file stories after launch (compliant with coronavirus safety restrictions). For more information on the newsroom or interviews, please call 818-354-5011.

Virtual NASA Social

As we finalize launch preparations, we are excited to invite the public to join our virtual NASA Social ( https://fb.me/e/1bC2vFNls). Stay up to date on the latest mission activities; interact with NASA, NOAA, ESA and EUMETSAT team members in real-time; and watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will boost Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich into orbit for its journey #SeeingTheSeas

Virtual Launch Passport

Print, fold, and get ready to fill your virtual launch passport. Stamps will be emailed following launches to all registrants (who submit an email registration via Eventbrite). Passports available now:

https://go.nasa.gov/364lPIt

Watch and Engage on Social Media

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #SeeingTheSeas and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @NASA_JPL, @NASASocial, @ESA, @ESA_EO, @EU_Commission, @NOAA, @CNES, @Eumetsat, @CopernicusEU, @defis_eu  @SpaceX, @NASA_LSP, @NASA360, 30thSpaceWing

Facebook: NASA, NASA JPL, NASA Earth, NASA LSP, 30thSpaceWing

Instagram: NASA, NASAJPL, NASAEarth, Vandenberg_AFB

For more information, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/sentinel-6

https://www.esa.int/Sentinel-6

https://edefis.eu/CopernicusFactsheets

NASA’s Sentinel-6 press kit:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/sentinel-6/