SpaceX F9 : Transporter 2 : CCSFS SLC-40 : 30 June 2021 (19:31 UTC)

[Jansen]

STA application for Transporter-2

0677-EX-ST-2021

Operation Start Date:   06/17/2021
Operation End Date:   12/17/2021

This application uses information from previous grant 1705-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1573 from Cape Canaveral FL at LC-40 CCAFS or LC-39A KSC, and the experimental recovery following the Falcon 9 launch. Includes sub-orbital first stage, and orbital second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only. All operations are pre-coordinated with the Launch Range. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://spaceflight.com/mission-sxrs-5/

MISSION: SXRS-5
By Hilary Meyerson
MAY 11, 2021

We are in the final preparations for our SXRS-5 mission, called Transporter-2 by SpaceX, and wanted to share our latest assets about the upcoming launch. You can read the press release and discover our customers’ missions, as well as check out the infographic, a video of the deployment scenario, and the mission patch below — all which showcase how unique this mission is.

As an overview, we’ll be launching 36 customer payloads, including six microsatellites, 29 cubesats and one hosted payload to Sun Synchronous orbit no earlier than June 2021. We’re especially excited about this mission as it will be the first time we will fly two different orbital transportation vehicles (OTVs) and it’s the launch of the industry’s first-ever electric propulsion vehicle, Sherpa-LTE1. You may recall an earlier mission, SXRS-3, flew in January of 2021 and was the debut of Spaceflight’s first next-gen OTV, Sherpa-FX1.

The video below is a quick overview of the highlights of this mission.

https://spaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SXRS5_V4.mov.mp4

Sherpa-LTE1 features an electric propulsion system from Apollo Fusion. After all payloads are deployed for this mission, our team will test some maneuvers of the Sherpa-LTE1 in preparation for a future mission. Our sights are already looking ahead: Spaceflight’s Sherpa-LTC, which features chemical propulsion from Benchmark Space Systems, will fly on another SpaceX mission later this year.

Stay tuned for photos of our customer payload integration campaign from our facilities in Auburn WA, a deeper technical dive on the Sherpa-NG program, and details on how to watch this important mission.

[Jansen]

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210511005295/en/Spaceflight-Inc.-Readies-36-Customer-Spacecraft-and-Two-OTVs-for-Launch-on-SpaceX’s-Transporter-2-Mission

Spaceflight is managing the launch for 14 organizations’ spacecraft from seven countries, including:

Aerospacelab’s Arthur
Astrocast's IoT Nanosatellites
HawkEye 360 Inc.’s HawkEye Cluster 3
In-Space Missions Limited’s Faraday Phoenix
Kleos Space’s Polar Vigilance Mission cluster of four satellites
Loft Orbital’s YAM-2
Lynk Global Inc.’s Shannon
NearSpace Launch Inc.’s TagSat-2
OQ Technology’s TIGER-2 5G IoT
Orbit Fab’s Tanker-001 Tenzing
Orbital Sidekick Inc.’s Aurora
Spire Global’s LEMUR-2
Swarm Technologies’ SpaceBEES
An undisclosed spacecraft
“This mission represents a significant milestone for Spaceflight’s next-gen OTV program and doubles down on our commitment to offer the most solutions to meet our customer’s needs for reaching unique orbital destinations,” said Tony Frego, mission director for Spaceflight’s SXRS-5 mission. “We knew we needed to utilize two Sherpa OTVs to support the customer demand and saw a unique opportunity to fly Sherpa-LTE for the first time. After all customer deployments are complete, we’ll run a series of maneuver tests with the electric propulsion OTV, which will provide valuable insights before Sherpa-LTC, our chemical propulsion OTV, launches later this year.”

Spaceflight’s first next-gen OTV, Sherpa-FX1, debuted in January and successfully deployed 15 spacecraft from SpaceX’s Transporter-1 launch. The Transporter-2 mission will feature another Sherpa-FX (Sherpa-FX2), as well as debut Sherpa-LTE (Sherpa-LTE1), which features electric propulsion from Apollo Fusion. Spaceflight’s Sherpa-LTC, which features chemical propulsion from Benchmark Space Systems, will fly on another SpaceX mission later this year.

[scr00chy]

Stable Road, which is trying to close its merger with Momentus, says that the FAA yesterday denied the space company's license request to launch its Vigoride payload on a SpaceX mission in June https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001781162/000121390021025530/ea140644-8k_stableroad.htm

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1392151454849380362

[gongora]

On May 10, 2021, Momentus received a letter from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) denying Momentus’ application for a payload review based on the FAA’s finding that its launch would jeopardize U.S. national security. According to the letter, during an interagency consultation, the FAA was informed that the launch of Momentus’ payload poses national security concerns associated with Momentus’ current corporate structure. The letter further states that the FAA understands that Momentus is undergoing a process that may resolve the national security concerns, and that the FAA can reconsider a payload application when that process has been completed. The payload review relates to Momentus’ planned mission in June 2021 on a SpaceX rocket. As a result, Parent expects that Momentus will not be able to fly its inaugural mission as planned on the June 2021 launch and will be required to remanifest Vigoride 1 and Vigoride 2 to a later launch.

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/EXOLAUNCH/status/1392217177290387461

The 10 cases contain 10 #CarboNIX shock-free separation systems for our customers’ #microsats, ready to be shipped to the launch site for our next Falcon 9 mission! Stay tuned!

[gongora]

https://spaceflight.com/mission-sxrs-5/

[scr00chy]

I wonder if Momentus dropping out will mean we'll see SpaceX adding polar Starlinks again.

[ZachS09]

I wonder if Momentus dropping out will mean we'll see SpaceX adding polar Starlinks again.

My opinion is most likely.

[gongora]

I wonder if any Momentus customers can switch this late.

https://twitter.com/EXOLAUNCH/status/1392442780908130311

Exolaunch offers last-minute launch opportunities to SSO on #Falcon9. Please get in touch for all information at: [email protected]

[gongora]

Mission  Overview:Capella  6  will  be  launched  in  May  2021,  on  a  53deg  orbit  at  analtitude between 550km and 600km.  For the purpose of this document, the worst case alti-tude in terms of lifetime of 600 km will be used for C-6.  Capella 5 will be launched in June2021, on a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude between 500km and 550km.  For the purposeof this document, the worst case altitude in terms of lifetime of 550 km will be used for C-5.

[gongora]

Spaceflight has a third port, which seems to contain YAM-2.  Their count seems to be off by one to me, looks like it should be 7 microsats?  Maybe they didn't add in YAM-2.

This post has a lot of info on the payloads.  One of the previously known payloads isn't listed (PAINANI II).
https://spaceflight.com/whos-onboard-sxrs-5-spacex-transporter-2/

(The big flat satellite on top of the SHERPA in this render from the previous Spaceflight post should be Lynk-06 "Shannon")

[zubenelgenubi]

Belated cross-post re: Transporter-2 launch scheduling:

There are still up-to-date sources saying June-July:
https://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=6764705.

We're assuming NET late June because of the other three scheduled Falcon 9 launches in June?
***

Belated cross-post re: RTLS of same:

STA application for Transporter-2
0677-EX-ST-2021

Operation Start Date:   06/17/2021
Operation End Date:   12/17/2021

This application uses information from previous grant 1705-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1573 from Cape Canaveral FL at LC-40 CCAFS or LC-39A KSC, and the experimental recovery following the Falcon 9 launch. Includes sub-orbital first stage, and orbital second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only. All operations are pre-coordinated with the Launch Range. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

Hmmm.  Hopefully this gets amended to add some more information.

What kind of info would you like?

ASDS location

I’m thinking it might be RTLS.

North 28 29 11, West 80 32 51 is the location usually listed for LZ-1 RTLS and appears on this application.
Not only on RTLS applications, but sometimes is the only transmitter listed for RTLS.

[gongora]

On October 30, 2020, Spire had provided its immediate launch schedule through 2Q 2021. Due to contract commitments and scheduling issues, Spire has an additional two (2) satellites that will be launched in June 2021 and are currently scheduled to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-1 launch. Of the 6 satellites to be launched in June 2021, five (5) of the satellites will be U.S. licensed LEMUR satellites and one (1) of the satellites will be Luxembourg licensed MINAS   satellite.

[Bean Kenobi]

On October 30, 2020, Spire had provided its immediate launch schedule through 2Q 2021. Due to contract commitments and scheduling issues, Spire has an additional two (2) satellites that will be launched in June 2021 and are currently scheduled to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-1 launch. Of the 6 satellites to be launched in June 2021, five (5) of the satellites will be U.S. licensed LEMUR satellites and one (1) of the satellites will be Luxembourg licensed MINAS   satellite.

Not true : Transporter-1 was in January and launched 8 LEMURs.

[gongora]

It's a typo, get over it.

[gongora]

In a presentation by satellite manufacturer Nanoavionics they said Transporter 2 is currently targeting late June.

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated May 20, now lists Transporter-2 launching in late June, and still from SLC-40.  "Moved up from July."

[Jansen]

STA application for Transporter-2

0677-EX-ST-2021

Operation Start Date:   06/17/2021
Operation End Date:   12/17/2021

This application uses information from previous grant 1705-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1573 from Cape Canaveral FL at LC-40 CCAFS or LC-39A KSC, and the experimental recovery following the Falcon 9 launch. Includes sub-orbital first stage, and orbital second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only. All operations are pre-coordinated with the Launch Range. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

Granted
https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=274361

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc/status/1397935887581855747

We've completed the integration of Apollo Fusion EP system onto #SherpaLTE1. Want to know more about this mission? #SXRS5 #Transporter2 https://bit.ly/3oxGfRp