SpaceX Falcon 9 : SXM-7 : CC SLC-40 : December 13, 2020 (17:30 UTC)

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1339837937542975489

I believe this is the first time that a Falcon 9 has ever been lifted to the booster stand in Port Canaveral at night.

SpaceX means business with this booster. Hoping to fly it again for an eighth flight as early as January.

youtube.com/watch?v=gnt2wZ…

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1339766517823582209

In the past work stopped at dark. The spotlights on the cap make total sense now. Rapid reusibility just kicked into high gear with nights shifts in port!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Beautiful Fleetcam shot of booster on stand. So we can get these shots 24/7

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nickyx15a/status/1339690586660614145

Fantastic first flight with @Zshauladventure today to  document another seasick veteran Falcon 9 booster 🚁🚀

https://twitter.com/nickyx15a/status/1339691534116110336

When you combine a helicopter with a hyperzoom camera 🚁🔬 Another #Falcon9 quite literally living life on the edge...

[kdhilliard]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HGwUYAHPD4w

Here's the full-sized frame for that dramatic thumbnail from US Launch Report's inlet video.

[Jansen]

B1051 is horizontal on the transporter.

[Jansen]

Almost ready to roll out.

Note the new tent that was erected in the last couple of days, and the containers hiding the transporter are gone.

[Lewis007]

https://twitter.com/FarryFaz/status/1340384450706878464

[Jansen]

B1051 left on the transporter around 4:30am for refurbishment.

[gongora]

SXM-7 is nearing GEO after a series of apogee raising and then perigee/inclination adjustment burns since the launch.  18438 x 35782km, 4.18 deg. https://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Launches/Launches.php?year=2020#096

https://twitter.com/Zarya_Info/status/1341113358590853120

Sirius XM-7

Two more steps towards GEO
https://zarya.info/2020#096

[Raul]

Satellite Sirius-XM7 has already reached GEO today and slowly approaches position 120° W.L.
 
2020-096A - SIRIUSXM-7 - 2020-12-23 13:43 UTC - 35674.64/35763.94km/0.06°

[ChrisC]

Was the actual lean (in degrees) of the booster ever actually documented?  I don't see any mention of a specific value in this thread.  Obviously this would be done with the very-much-not-calibrated method of putting a protractor on the screen, or a ruler and some trig.  I imagine the NSF guys did this during the Port Canaveral arrival.  What was the resulting number?

As I recall, the Crew-1 booster came back with a 5.0-5.5 degree lean.

[Joffan]

Was the actual lean (in degrees) of the booster ever actually documented?  I don't see any mention of a specific value in this thread.  Obviously this would be done with the very-much-not-calibrated method of putting a protractor on the screen, or a ruler and some trig.  I imagine the NSF guys did this during the Port Canaveral arrival.  What was the resulting number?

As I recall, the Crew-1 booster came back with a 5.0-5.5 degree lean.

Watching the FleetCam, we had a 8-9 degree lean out on the calm port waters as it was turning to be berthed. Lots of screenshots earlier in this thread.

[gongora]

[Maxar] Your Favorite SiriusXM Channel, Brought to You From Space

Once SpaceX’s Falcon 9 dropped our satellite into a lower orbit, the satellite took approximately two weeks to reach its geosynchronous in-orbit test position. Now, it’s undergoing in-orbit testing. Next week, Maxar will be turning over control of the satellite to SiriusXM and their operator.

[RedLineTrain]

Apparently, SXM-7 is in trouble.  Oof.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1354478752730853380

[ZachS09]

My guess is that SXM 8 might have to be launched earlier if SXM 7 IS a total loss.

[gongora]

My guess is that SXM 8 might have to be launched earlier if SXM 7 IS a total loss.

Well, they might want to investigate the SXM 7 failure before launching its sister satellite.  They can keep providing service with the older satellites for a while.

[shiro]

My guess is that SXM 8 might have to be launched earlier if SXM 7 IS a total loss.

That’s true unless some additional checks on SXM-8 won’t be required 

[mn]

Some more detail here, seems like not a sudden failure today.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/sirius-xm-says-does-not-expect-satellite-radio-service-to-be-impacted-by-adverse-sxm-7

PUBLISHED: JAN 27, 2021 8:52AM EST

(RTTNews) - Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (SIRI) said that it successfully launched its SXM-7 satellite on December 13, 2020, and in-orbit testing of the satellite began on January 4, 2021.

In a regulatory filing, the company said that during in-orbit testing of SXM-7, some events occurred and caused failures of certain SXM-7 payload units.

The company added that at an evaluation of SXM-7 is underway and the full extent of the damage to SXM-7 is not yet known.

Could it be an error during testing, say someone activated part b before part a was ready? or something to that effect?

Edit: added published date.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Worth noting that issues aren’t due to the launch:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/27/sirius-xm-satellite-sxm-7-fails-built-by-maxar-and-launched-by-spacex.html

Sirius XM’s latest satellite, built by Maxar and launched by SpaceX, suffers failure in orbit
PUBLISHED WED, JAN 27 20211:24 PM EST
Michael Sheetz
@THESHEETZTWEETZ

KEY POINTS

A recently launched Sirius XM satellite suffered “failures” during in-orbit testing, the company noted in a securities filing on Wednesday, although it did not disclose the cause of the malfunction.

Maxar Technologies built the SXM-7 satellite, which SpaceX then launched in December.
A Sirius XM spokesperson told CNBC that the cause of the failure was not related to the SpaceX launch of the satellite, and noted that Sirius XM is able to communicate with and maintain control of the satellite.

“SXM-7 was intended to supplement the existing fleet of SiriusXM satellites,” Sirius XM said in a statement.