Pair of SAOCOM Earth Observation Satellites to Launch between 2012 & 2013Hawthorne, 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 CONAECONAE (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.
The 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.
[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.
[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.
The # 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
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!
# 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!
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.
from website: QuoteIn addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
In addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020
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/1148041744719785988Quote# 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!
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
Quote from: HiHatWhenItsClosed on 09/01/2019 05:15 pmfrom website: QuoteIn addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020This is the mission that seems to line up with that statement, so SAOCOM 1B may have some co-passengers again.
Quote from: gongora on 09/01/2019 05:19 pmQuote from: HiHatWhenItsClosed on 09/01/2019 05:15 pmfrom website: QuoteIn addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020This 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)
Quote from: KTigress on 09/01/2019 05:36 pmQuote from: gongora on 09/01/2019 05:19 pmQuote from: HiHatWhenItsClosed on 09/01/2019 05:15 pmfrom website: QuoteIn addition, SpaceX will also offer traditional rideshare opportunities on existing low Earth orbit missions, with the first mission targeted for March 2020This 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.
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
