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

[DaveJes1979]

I just hope they allow the public to observe the launch at a reasonable distance. 

The first RTLS mission from Vandenberg wasn't too bad, they let us go up to the Union Sugar Avenue cross-street along Ocean Avenue.  That's about 1.7 miles from the South Gate, where one can normally observe launches in the parking lot. 

The subsequent launch pushed that back to Floradale Avenue, 2.8 miles further away from Union Sugar.

[Rik ISS-fan]

Artist's view of Sentinel-6 during Falcon 9 fairing release

Wow that fairing is very oversized for this payload. It's logical because it's a light (~2mT payload).
This question came up in my mind. Would it be beneficial for SpaceX to develop a 3,7m fairing?
SpaceX has several launches in it's manifest with smaller payloads. (JASON-CS/S6; SARah's, DART, PACE, ...)

A smaller fairing should be cheaper to build (less material). But it cost new tooling and development.
For the DOD SpaceX needs to develop a longer/larger fairing, this smaller fairing could be a further diversification of Falcon9. The smaller fairing is like launching in a vehicle geometry (aerodynamics) similar to dragon (1) launches.
The key question is how good is SpaceX at recovering the fairings? If recovery is reliable, there can't be a good business-case for the smaller fairing. I think fairing recovery can improve with in air capture with helicopters.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/50409241152/

NASA Kennedy
KSC-20200926-PH-CNO01_0206
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission is an international partnership and the first launch of a constellation of two satellites that will observe changes in Earth’s sea levels for at least the next decade. Launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is targeted to lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 10, 2020. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management.
Photo credit: USAF 30th SW/Chris Okula

[scr00chy]

More photos:

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1312099494679375874

[jacqmans]

[jacqmans]

[jacqmans]

[Star One]

Video covering the mission of Sentinel-6:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Launching soon from the U.S. West Coast, the satellite will track sea levels worldwide. In a series of live question-and-answer sessions, we invite you to meet some of the scientists and engineers on the mission. See selected profiles at https://go.nasa.gov/34FxDPc

The world's latest ocean-monitoring satellite is being readied for its launch from California on Nov. 10. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft will ensure continuity of the Jason series of missions to better our understanding of our rising seas and help shape the future of sea-level studies.

Designed to collect the most accurate satellite data for our continuing measurements of global sea level and to help us understand how our oceans are responding to climate change, the spacecraft is the product of a partnership between NASA, ESA (the European Space Agency), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).


Find out more at https://www.nasa.gov/sentinel-6

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/tylerg1998/status/1315008670766379008

#NASA also says that the launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission from VAFB (NET Nov. 10), as well as the launch of CRS-21 (NET late Nov.) are still on track at this time, despite the gas generator issues noted (which caused the GPS III-4 launch abort).

[jacqmans]

N° 18–2020: Call for Media: Upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite to map Earth’s oceans
12 October 2020

Media representatives are invited to join an online press conference on Friday, 16 October, at 16:00 CEST (10:00 EDT) to discuss the November launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-6 ‘Michael Freilich’ ocean-monitoring satellite. Follow the briefing live on ESA Web TV.

Charting sea level
Sea-level rise is one of the most severe consequences of climate change. The rate at which oceans are rising has accelerated over the past 25 years, and scientists expect it to speed up in the years to come. To be able to keep a closer eye on sea level, permanent observations over the world’s oceans are needed.

Scheduled for launch on 10 November 2020 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is the first of two identical satellites to be launched sequentially to provide accurate measurements of sea-level change.

Renamed in honour of Michael H. Freilich, the former director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, the satellite will continue the legacy of the Jason series of missions and extend the records of sea level into its fourth decade. The satellite will map 95% of Earth’s ice-free ocean every 10 days and provide crucial information for operational oceanography and climate studies.

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission is a true example of international cooperation. While Sentinel-6 is one of the European Union’s family of Copernicus missions, its implementation is the result of the unique collaboration between ESA, NASA, Eumetsat and NOAA, with contribution from the French space agency CNES.

Event programme
Key speakers include:

• Thomas Zurbuchen - Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate

• Pierre Delsaux - European Commission’s Deputy Director General for Defence Industry and Space

• Josef Aschbacher - Director for Earth Observation Programmes at ESA

• Karen St. Germain - Director of NASA's Earth Science Division

• Parag Vaze - Project Manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

• Alain Ratier - Director General of Eumetsat

• Nadya Vinogradova-Shiffer - Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters

• Tim Dunn, launch director for NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Livestream information

Follow the live webstream: esawebtv.esa.int
Ask your questions by using the hashtag #SeeingTheSeas on social media during the briefing.

Media registration

Media who would like to ask questions via phone during the event must provide their name and affiliation by 15 October 01:30 CEST (19:30 EDT), to Rexana Vizza ([email protected]) of JPL's Digital News and Media Office at or by calling (+1)818-393-1931. Valid media credentials are required.

For further information, please contact ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning at [email protected] or by calling +31 71 565 6409.

[jacqmans]

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich team members from European Space Agency pose with the spacecraft during processing. Launch is scheduled for Nov. 11, 2020 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center is responsible for launch management.

[scr00chy]

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich team members from European Space Agency pose with the spacecraft during processing. Launch is scheduled for Nov. 11, 2020 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center is responsible for launch management.

This suggests a 1-day delay. Where is the text from?

[jacqmans]

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich team members from European Space Agency pose with the spacecraft during processing. Launch is scheduled for Nov. 11, 2020 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center is responsible for launch management.

This suggests a 1-day delay. Where is the text from?

https://images.nasa.gov/details-KSC-20201013-PH-ESA01_0001

[Michael Baylor]

This suggests a 1-day delay. Where is the text from?

https://images.nasa.gov/details-KSC-20201013-PH-ESA01_0001

The text on the website has been corrected to Nov. 10.

[wannamoonbase]

I wonder if SpaceX has any resources on the west coast to attempt a fairing recovery?

[ZachS09]

I wonder if SpaceX has any resources on the west coast to attempt a fairing recovery?

No. Both fairing catchers are in Cape Canaveral as well as JRTI.

The only recovery option in Vandenberg is the RTLS landings.

[wannamoonbase]

I wonder if SpaceX has any resources on the west coast to attempt a fairing recovery?

No. Both fairing catchers are in Cape Canaveral as well as JRTI.

The only recovery option in Vandenberg is the RTLS landings.

I meant for the fairing, they've been picking them out of the water pretty reliably, they may not need the nets.  1 ship with a way to pick them up and cradles to put them on.  That's what I meant.

[RocketLover0119]

I wonder if SpaceX has any resources on the west coast to attempt a fairing recovery?

NRC Quest is on the west coast still, and has been proven in the past it has the ability to scoop fairings, maybe they will use it?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1317098011886059526

SpaceX made this animation of a Falcon 9 rocket launching from California, landing back near the launchpad, and then deploying the Sentinel-6 mission – which is a satellite jointly developed by @NASA, @ESA, @eumetsat & @NOAASatellites:

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1317098582458195970

You can watch the full highlight here to see the Sentinel-6 satellite's journey so far and how it will be used: images-assets.nasa.gov/video/JPL-2020…

The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than Nov. 10.