Falcon 9 pitches down range to deliver Intelsat Galaxy 31 & 32 to orbit
A fond farewell to Falcon 9 B1051 on its 14th and final mission 🫡
Liftoff of Falcon 9 and the Intelsat G-31/G-32 mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 11:06 a.m. EST this morning
Recovery ship Bob is 963km (520 nm) downrange to recover the fairing from the Galaxy 31-32 mission today.B1051 is going to buy the farm, sadly.
14th and final mission. Thank you B1051 👋 You will be missed!G-31/G-32 lifted off this morning at 11:06 ET from SLC-40.📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ
One last ride 💔B1051 takes its final flight, launching Galaxy 31 & 32.📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ
That’s me with my hands up! Always excited when a rocket leaves the planet.
Intelsat Announces Successful Launch of Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 SatellitesBy INTELSAT CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONSNovember 12, 2022Ensures reliable service to 100 million television viewersMCLEAN, Va. – Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading provider of inflight connectivity, announced the successful launch of Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32, geosynchronous communications satellites that will ensure service continuity to Intelsat’s North American media customers.The Maxar-manufactured Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 satellites launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:06 a.m. EST.“Today’s successful launch is part of our Galaxy fleet refresh plan and is a clear demonstration of Intelsat’s commitment to our media customers,” said Intelsat CEO Dave Wajsgras. “The Galaxy fleet is the most reliable and efficient media content distribution system in North America, and our customers can continue to count on it for years to come.”Galaxy 31 separated from the vehicle at 11:46 a.m. EST, and Intelsat confirmed its signal acquisition at 11:59 a.m. EST. Galaxy 32 separated from the vehicle at 11:41 a.m. EST, and Intelsat confirmed its signal acquisition at 11:50 a.m. EST.Galaxy 31 will replace Galaxy 23 at 121 degrees west and will begin service in early 2023. The satellite will provide distribution services to cable headends throughout the United States.Galaxy 32 will replace the C-band payload of Galaxy 17 at 91 degrees west in early 2023. This satellite will provide service continuity for Intelsat’s media customers with high-performance distribution to viewers in North America.Today’s launch continues Intelsat’s Galaxy fleet refresh plan that started with Galaxy 30 in 2020 and carries the second set of a total of seven new Intelsat satellites launching in the next six months.
The Maxar-manufactured Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 satellites launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 (photo courtesy of SpaceX)
Left: me watching B1051 fly for the first time, captured by @ryanchylinski.Right: me watching B1051 fly for the last time, captured by @johnkrausphotos.It never gets old.
Quote from: LouScheffer on 11/12/2022 12:16 pmAny idea why this is launching at 11:00 local time? Normally, comstats are launched from the Cape late in the evening. Since they head east, this means the parking orbit, GTO burn, and coast to separation, all happen during the night, and then the satellite emerges into light. This gets light to the solar panels, and power, as soon as possible and through the whole first GTO orbit.The famous "solar panels need sunlight, that's why they launch during the night" rule doesn't always work, sometimes there are other constraints to launch satellites to GTO at other times that are rarely talked about.
Any idea why this is launching at 11:00 local time? Normally, comstats are launched from the Cape late in the evening. Since they head east, this means the parking orbit, GTO burn, and coast to separation, all happen during the night, and then the satellite emerges into light. This gets light to the solar panels, and power, as soon as possible and through the whole first GTO orbit.
Quote from: Alexphysics on 11/12/2022 12:45 pmQuote from: LouScheffer on 11/12/2022 12:16 pmAny idea why this is launching at 11:00 local time? Normally, comstats are launched from the Cape late in the evening. Since they head east, this means the parking orbit, GTO burn, and coast to separation, all happen during the night, and then the satellite emerges into light. This gets light to the solar panels, and power, as soon as possible and through the whole first GTO orbit.The famous "solar panels need sunlight, that's why they launch during the night" rule doesn't always work, sometimes there are other constraints to launch satellites to GTO at other times that are rarely talked about. This makes perfect sense - I'm sure they had their reasons for the launch time they picked. I was wondering what those "other constraints" were for this mission. After all, the vast majority of GTO launches pick a night-time slot.
Quick GIF of B1051 launching from SLC-40 earlier this morning
