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SpaceX Falcon 9 : SAOCOM 1B : Cape Canaveral : August 30, 2020 (23:19 UTC)
by
gongora
on 06 Feb, 2019 15:38
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DISCUSSION thread for SAOCOM 1B
NSF Threads for SAOCOM 1B : Discussion /
PartySuccessful launch August 30, 2020 at 7:18:56 pm EDT (23:19 UTC) from SLC-40 to SSO on Falcon 9 (booster 1059.4). This was an unusual East Coast launch to polar orbit. RTLS landing was successful. The fairing was new, and was recovered after landing in the ocean.SAOCOM 1B at times has had other proposed CONAE satellites co-manifested, but it looks like all of those have been canceled (SAOCOM-CS) or delayed (SARE). SpaceX may now be offering rideshare space on this flight. Spaceflight Industries is listing a flight matching this one as a rideshare.
Rideshares:
Capella Space has a small SAR sat (<100kg) named Sequoia on the flight.PlanetiQ GNOMES-1 radio occultation satellite (40kg)
Tyvak 0172
SAOCOM 1A was launched October 7/8 (EDT/UTC), 2018. More information can be found in the SAOCOM 1A
Discussion and
Updates threads.
Other SpaceX resources on NASASpaceflight: SpaceX News Articles (Recent) /
SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews) SpaceX Dragon Articles /
SpaceX Missions Section (with Launch Manifest and info on past and future missions) L2 SpaceX Section
[SpaceX] SPACEX SIGNS ARGENTINA'S SPACE AGENCY FOR TWO FALCON 9 LAUNCHESPair of SAOCOM Earth Observation Satellites to Launch between 2012 & 2013
Hawthorne, California – April 16, 2009 – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has signed an agreement with CONAE, Argentina's National Commission on Space Activity, for two launches aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 medium-to-heavy lift vehicle. The flights will send the SAOCOM 1A and 1B Earth observation satellites into sun-synchronous orbits, where they will provide imagery for natural resources monitoring, as well as emergency and disaster management.
The identical SAOCOM satellites each carry an L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument. Among other civil applications, the main purpose of the constellation is the measurement of the soil moisture over the Pampa Húmeda in Argentina. The two SAOCOM satellites will join four X-band SAR COSMO-SkyMed satellites from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), creating the Italian-Argentine System of Satellites for Emergency Management (SIASGE) constellation. The first three of the ASI satellites were launched in 2007 and 2008 with the fourth expected to fly in 2010.
“SpaceX is excited to be CONAE's launch service provider for the SAOCOM 1A and 1B missions,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. “The Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been designed to the highest level of reliability and performance; we look forward to helping ensure the success of the SAOCOM satellites.”
The inaugural flight of Falcon 9 is scheduled for this year, with the first Dragon spacecraft scheduled to fly on a subsequent launch, both from SpaceX's launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
About CONAE
CONAE (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, or in English, National Space Activities Commission) is Argentina's civilian agency in charge of national space activities. They have launched three satellites to date, and have numerous joint space efforts with Argentine industry and academia, as well as governmental space agencies around the world, including NASA, CSA, AEB/INPE (Brazil), ASI, CNES, ESA and agencies of several other nations.
SAOCOM 1A/1B on Gunter's Space Page
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#1
by
gongora
on 08 Feb, 2019 20:59
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1093152766015479808The Commissioner for Science and Technology of Castilla y León of Spain, Juan Casado, visited the CONAE in Córdoba with his provincial par Walter Robledo, and retinue. They appreciated the integration of the radar antenna of the SAOCOM 1B satellite in the LIE Laboratory and other facilities.
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#2
by
gongora
on 17 Mar, 2019 13:08
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Saocom 1B is coming: Argentina will launch its second radar satellite in December[Google translation from Spanish]
"We estimate that near the middle of the year we will begin the trial campaign of the entire satellite and that we will be leaving for the United States during the first fortnight of December. We have to confirm the launch date with SpaceX", Raúl Kulichevsky, executive and technical director of the National Space Activities Commission (CONAE), told PERFIL.
If they intend to ship it in the first half of December then it wouldn't actually launch in December. At least we know they still intend to launch it around the end of the year.
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#3
by
PM3
on 22 Mar, 2019 14:18
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#4
by
gongora
on 10 May, 2019 21:10
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1126954679580143616[Translated by Bing] SAOCOM 1B WITH ELECTRONICS IN THE BODY. Impressive view of the central electronics boxes manufactured by @invapargentina. With the electronics distributed in the SAR radar antenna integrated by @vengsaok constitute the brain of the radar of THE SAOCOM 1b of THE CONAE.
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#5
by
gongora
on 23 May, 2019 20:57
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https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1131663140909932545The # SAOCOM 1B SAR radar antenna is finished! Today we present it in the Integration and Testing Laboratory of the Teófilo Tabanera Space Center in Córdoba. Another achievement of @ CONAE_Oficial @ vengsaok @ CNEA_Arg and companies and institutions providing the national space sector
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#6
by
vaporcobra
on 01 Aug, 2019 02:51
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#7
by
vaporcobra
on 01 Aug, 2019 02:54
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Also, I believe this indicates SAOCOM 1B's SAR antenna
has passed TVAC testing.Edit: Per gongora, seems more likely that it was a successful deployment test.
The SAR radar antenna was opened in conditions similar to those that will occur when it is in orbit. In space it will open only once and forever. On Earth: The maneuver was completely successful!
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148417034222526465
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#8
by
gongora
on 01 Aug, 2019 03:05
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148041744719785988# SAOCOM1B WE PREPARE FOR A KEY Maneuver. For this the mechanical equipment of VENG and CNEA aligned the required tables, with the satellite already verticalized. The radar antenna is integrated into the service platform. All ready for the next test. Tomorrow we will tell you!
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#9
by
baldusi
on 01 Aug, 2019 12:14
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
That was July 7, the antenna deployment test was successfully performed on July 8th.
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#10
by
zubenelgenubi
on 12 Aug, 2019 20:00
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Clarification of launch month from the August 12 update of the
SFN Launch Schedule:
January 2020
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#11
by
gongora
on 12 Aug, 2019 20:45
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I found a few sites showing a press release about Argentina getting a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, and several of them mention a March 2020 launch date for SAOCOM 1B
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#12
by
gongora
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:19
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
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#13
by
TripleSeven
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:31
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I'm not sure that was TVAC testing, I think it was just deployment with the panels supported (kinda like when you see pictures of other satellites testing deployment with a balloon attached to the antenna, but this looks like they're supported from the bottom.) This tweet from the previous day shows it before the test. It doesn't look like a vacuum chamber.
https://twitter.com/CONAE_Oficial/status/1148041744719785988
# SAOCOM1B WE PREPARE FOR A KEY Maneuver. For this the mechanical equipment of VENG and CNEA aligned the required tables, with the satellite already verticalized. The radar antenna is integrated into the service platform. All ready for the next test. Tomorrow we will tell you!
that is one impressive array...
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#14
by
KTigress
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:32
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I found a few sites showing a press release about Argentina getting a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, and several of them mention a March 2020 launch date for SAOCOM 1B
I've heard March 2020 from people working on SAOCOM 1B too.
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#15
by
KTigress
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:36
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (
http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
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#16
by
gongora
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:43
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
I think those have been delayed, but if you run across any current information please let us know.
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#17
by
KTigress
on 01 Sep, 2019 17:49
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from website: In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Referencing some really old articles, apparently, it could be the Argentinian satellite constellation SARE-1B. But I haven't heard anything about it in years, so it's just a guess. (http://argentinaenelespacio.blogspot.com/2014/03/mision-satelital-sare-1b.html)
I think those have been delayed, but if you run across any current information please let us know.
Will do!
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#18
by
gongora
on 06 Sep, 2019 15:09
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#19
by
scr00chy
on 13 Sep, 2019 10:48
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Moved forward to February.
I wonder if it's because the seal pupping season starts in March and SpaceX doesn't have JRTI on the west coast so they really need to be able to land on LZ-4.
Raúl Kulichevsky of Argentina’s CONAE space agency says their SAOCOM-1B Earth obs satellite will launch next February on a Falcon 9. (SAOCOM-1A also launched on a Falcon 9 last October.) #WSBW
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1172448572777697287
