SpaceX is targeting Friday, April 1 for a Falcon 9 launch of Transporter-4 to a sun-synchronous orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens at 12:24 p.m. ET, or 16:24 UTC. Falcon 9 will fly on a southern trajectory along Florida’s eastern coast and may be visible from the ground.Falcon 9’s first stage booster previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.Transporter-4 is SpaceX’s fourth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission. On this flight are 40 spacecraft, including CubeSats, microsats, picosats, non-deploying hosted payloads, and an orbital transfer vehicle carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later time.
[Space News] Satellogic signs multi-launch contract with SpaceXQuoteSatellogic plans to conduct its next four launches with SpaceX, starting in June. Additional launches will take place in December and in March and June of 2022. All will be rideshare missions going to sun-synchronous orbits, with at least four satellites on the June launch....“We are looking into deploying more mid-inclination satellites over the next 12–18 months, but we have not yet decided exactly when those launches are going to be.”
Satellogic plans to conduct its next four launches with SpaceX, starting in June. Additional launches will take place in December and in March and June of 2022. All will be rideshare missions going to sun-synchronous orbits, with at least four satellites on the June launch....“We are looking into deploying more mid-inclination satellites over the next 12–18 months, but we have not yet decided exactly when those launches are going to be.”
Mission DetailsTransporter 4Transporter 4 is a dedicated rideshare mission by SpaceX. SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program provides small satellite operators with regularly scheduled, dedicated Falcon 9 rideshare missions to SSO for ESPA class payloads for as low as $1 million per mission, which includes up to 200 kg of payload mass.Sun-Synchronous OrbitLocationSLC-4E, Vandenberg AFB, California, USA
Hydrosat’s inaugural mission, called VanZyl-1, is scheduled to be mounted on a Loft Orbital satellite and launched in early 2022 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
We have secured launch services from Alba Orbital to Fly KILI-1 to LEO March 2022 on SPACE X’s Falcon spacecraft.
Prepare for lift-off! 🚀 We’re launching our BlueWalker 3 test satellite with @SpaceX. The mission is expected to depart Cape Canaveral, Florida, in March 2022. #ASTSpaceMobile #5G #space bwnews.pr/3iTdufu
VanZyl-1 payload possibly on board this mission.QuoteHydrosat’s inaugural mission, called VanZyl-1, is scheduled to be mounted on a Loft Orbital satellite and launched in early 2022 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Got a cubesat that's ready to fly? If so, we've got space on a March '22 mission if you're ready to go. DM us today! #launchwithus
This is an Air Force/Space Force SMC sponsored CubeSat demonstration mission calledRapid Revisit Optical Cloud Imager (RROCI) for the purpose of collecting cloud imagery andtheater weather imagery in support of the Air Force’s Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR)Weather System (EWS) OT-1a prototype program. This demonstration mission assists inaddressing the continuity of satellite data and the Space-Based Environmental Monitoring(SBEM) gaps.The RROCI mission is a 12U CubeSat mission with team members from Atmospheric andSpace Technology Research Associates, Pumpkin Space, Science and TechnologyCorporation, and Lockheed Martin. The RROCI spacecraft is designed to approach thecomplex challenges of large scale, global observations of weather imagery. RROCI is ademonstration mission that will provide the initial capability characterization of a suite ofcameras, lenses, and filters to support a future constellation mission. The measurementstaken from the RROCI spacecraft will be compared against currently orbiting weatherinstrument satellites, such as VIIRS and MODIS.The RROCI mission is slated for launch in March 2022, with frequency licensing requiredno later than January 1, 2022. The baseline operational plan will be a year of on-orbitoperational lifetime after deployment from a rideshare rocket, nominally inserted into a500-600km circular orbit in a morning/afternoon Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Afterconclusion of the nominal operations, the RROCI satellite will be de-orbited passing downto 300km altitude through its lifetime.
Sofia, Bulgaria / Berlin, Germany – October 04, 2021 – EnduroSat, provider of software-defined NanoSats and Space Services for business and academia, and Exolaunch, the industry-leading provider of launch, integration, deployment and mission management services for small satellites, today announced the signing of launch agreements for sending two EnduroSat NanoSats into orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The 6U XL SharedSat nanosatellites, built by EnduroSat for its customers, will be launched via Exolaunch in H1 2022 as part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program.The SharedSats are 6U XL NanoSats with several multi-purpose payloads on a single bus. By simplifying access to space services through shared missions for a range of commercial, exploration and science customers, EnduroSat aims to lower significantly the entry barrier of operations in orbit.The two SharedSats are part of the commercial EnduroSat’s Missions. They foresee integration, validation, and testing, launch and operations of the satellite and hosted payloads. Direct access to the payload data will be made available in the cloud through EnduroSat’s Digital Mission Control. The software-centric NanoSat architecture allows for multiple payloads to operate together reliably on a single platform with access to on-demand processing, power and pointing capability.“We are really pleased to have signed a launch agreement with Exolaunch, as it is another step in our mission to provide easy access to space. The Shared Satellite Service goal is to help drive innovation at the final frontier for visionary entrepreneurs, scientists, and technologists. At EnduroSat, we are eager to see the innovations, that our customers will accomplish in space and are happy to support them every step of the way,” said EnduroSat’s Founder & CEO Raycho Raychev.Exolaunch will ensure comprehensive rideshare mission management, satellite integration and deployment services for both EnduroSat missions. The launches are arranged by Exolaunch under its Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX.“We’re proud to support EnduroSat with a variety of launch options and flexible mission management to address all their ongoing launch needs for the Shared Satellite Service program. Exolaunch has acquired outstanding flight heritage with Falcon 9 after signing a multi-launch agreement with SpaceX and is pleased to become a trusted launch partner for EnduroSat,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, VP of Launch Services at Exolaunch. “It’s our common vision to make space accessible for everyone and we are honored to contribute to EnduroSat’s mission.”For both missions Exolaunch will use its proprietary deployment technologies - the EXOpod, a next-gen cubesat deployer with half a decade and 100+ of released satellites flight heritage, to flawlessly deploy the EnduroSat’s satellites into their target sun-synchronous orbit above 500 km and the EXOport, a flexible multi-satellite adapter designed to optimally accommodate several satellites on a single Falcon 9 port.The new launch agreements mark the expansion of EnduroSat’s Shared Satellite Service and pave the way to the continued cooperation between the companies on future launches.
https://fcc.report/ELS/Atmospheric-Space-Technology-Research-Associates-LLC/0790-EX-CN-2021Quote...The RROCI mission is slated for launch in March 2022, with frequency licensing requiredno later than January 1, 2022. The baseline operational plan will be a year of on-orbitoperational lifetime after deployment from a rideshare rocket, nominally inserted into a500-600km circular orbit in a morning/afternoon Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Afterconclusion of the nominal operations, the RROCI satellite will be de-orbited passing downto 300km altitude through its lifetime.
...The RROCI mission is slated for launch in March 2022, with frequency licensing requiredno later than January 1, 2022. The baseline operational plan will be a year of on-orbitoperational lifetime after deployment from a rideshare rocket, nominally inserted into a500-600km circular orbit in a morning/afternoon Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Afterconclusion of the nominal operations, the RROCI satellite will be de-orbited passing downto 300km altitude through its lifetime.
Albania’s first satellite dubbed Albania 1 will be sent into orbit in March 2022. The launch date of Albania 2 is set for June next year.“Albania in orbit. Incredible but real,” said Rama, who seems excited in the video.
Gunter has Bluewalker 3 mass as ~1500Kg. Is that rather heavy for a dedicated rideshare? At about what mass do you expect a satellite to fly with secondary payload rather than fly on a dedicated rideshare?
Umbra SAR 03 & 04 satellites onboard.
On April 1, 2019, we launched our first test satellite, BlueWalker 1 (“BW1”), which was used to validate our satellite to cellular architecture and was capable of managing communications delays from LEO orbit and the effects of doppler in a satellite to ground cellular environment using the 4G-LTE protocol. We are currently assembling, integrating, and testing the satellite componentry required for our BlueWalker 3 (“BW3”) test satellite. As of September 30, 2021, we have incurred approximately $56.7 million of capitalized costs (including non-recurring engineering) relating to the BW3 test satellite and expect to incur an additional $10.0 to $12.0 million (including non-recurring engineering) to bring this project to completion. The BW3 test satellite will be using SpaceX as a launch services provider. The current available launch window with SpaceX runs from March 2022 through April 2022. However, the exact timing of such launch is contingent on a number of factors, including satisfactory and timely completion of construction and testing of BW3 test satellite. We have the option to select an alternate launch window if we deliver a rebooking notice to SpaceX by December 1, 2021 and pay a rebooking fee. While we have not yet determined if we will provide such rebooking notice and select an alternate mission and launch window, at this time we believe it is likely that we may elect to do so to provide additional time for BW3 testing and final launch preparation. If we exercise the option to rebook, we plan to target a BW3 launch within months of the original launch window; however, any alternate launch window would be subject to mutual agreement and coordination with SpaceX.
SXRS-6 MISSION UPDATEBy Jodi SorensenDECEMBER 21, 2021After successfully integrating customer spacecraft, lifting, and mating Sherpa-LTC1 with the SpaceX hardware, we were informed today of a leak coming from the propulsion system onboard the Sherpa-LTC1 vehicle. We are currently evaluating the situation to assess the impact.At this time we believe there is no damage to any customer spacecraft or safety concerns, but it is a significant development. Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided not to fly the Sherpa-LTC1 on our SXRS-6 mission (SpaceX Transporter-3) targeted to launch in January.This development impacts 10 customer spacecraft integrated on Sherpa-LTC. The two Capella microsats and one Umbra microsat are unaffected as they are on separate ports. They will fly as expected on the mission.The customers who are impacted have already been contacted and plans are underway to remanifest them on a suitable launch. We sincerely apologize for the delay to their missions and the inconveniences this situation has created. Spaceflight’s top priority is to safely launch our customers’ spacecraft. Our mission management team is experienced in managing manifest changes and we are doing everything in our power to find alternative solutions for the affected customers.While this is not the outcome we were looking for, we’re actively working with our propulsion system partner, Benchmark Space Systems, to conduct a root cause analysis. We will be providing updates as new information becomes available.
Cross-post re: Transporter-3; perhaps will be delayed to Transporter-4?
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/26/2021 03:25 amSource: https://amsat-dl.org/satelliten-geplant/Satellite listed aboard Transporter-3: CZE-BDSat, along with others already listed here.Official website for BDSat is counting down to April 22, 2022 and mentions a SpaceX launch, so I'm doubtful it's actually slated for Transporter-3. But maybe Transporter-4? I've seen some hints that one might have slipped to April.EDIT: But then again, this is from 2 months ago, so who knows. Maybe there was some shuffling and they just forgot to update the countdown.QuotePlanning a launch in Q1 2022 on the SpaceX Transporter 3 mission into a 500 or 600km circular SSO
Source: https://amsat-dl.org/satelliten-geplant/Satellite listed aboard Transporter-3: CZE-BDSat, along with others already listed here.
Planning a launch in Q1 2022 on the SpaceX Transporter 3 mission into a 500 or 600km circular SSO
Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS, Frankfurt:KS1, Kleos or Company), a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company, announces the Kleos Patrol Mission (KSF2) satellites, planned to launch in January 2022, have been remanifested to launch on the SpaceX Transporter-4 mission scheduled for April 2022.Kleos is partnering with launch services provider Spaceflight Inc. to deploy its Patrol Mission (KSF2) satellites to a sun synchronous orbit. Originally scheduled for the SpaceX Transporter-3 mission in January 2022, Kleos’ Patrol Mission launch was postponed when the Spaceflight orbital transfer vehicle tasked with launching and deploying Kleos’ satellites experienced technical issues.
The first satellite is scheduled to launch early this year as a rideshare payload on an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. That will be followed by a satellite on a SpaceX dedicated rideshare mission scheduled for launch in April.Those satellites are the first in a constellation Pixxel plans to launch. Ahmed said six more satellites are planned for launch by the end of this year.
Spaceflight, Inc. (“Spaceflight”) hereby seeks to update its application (“Application”) for STA referenced above by making the following changes:First, at the request of Spaceflight’s customer, Lynk Global (“Lynk”), Spaceflight requests to substitute Lynk’s Lynk Tower 1 spacecraft for its Lynk-07 spacecraft (aka Lynk Tower 2). Lynk Tower 1 (aka Lynk-05) had been scheduled to be deployed on Spaceflight’s as part of Spaceflight’s Sherpa LTC-1 mission. However, due to problems experienced with the propulsion system for the Sherpa LTC-1 vehicle, that mission was cancelled.1. The substitution is being made at Lynk’s request, as Lynk Tower 1 is earlier than Lynk Tower 2 in its planned to sequence of spacecraft deployment. These Lynk spacecraft are technically identical at least in terms of all characteristics that are relevant to Spaceflight’s deployment mission and the change does not affect any of Spaceflight’s analyses presented to the Commission in terms of recontact or mitigation against orbital debris.Second, Spaceflight requests to substitute the SPiN-1 satellite for the Heron Mk II (“Heron”) satellite that has been shown on Spaceflight’s Sherpa FX-5 manifest. Spaceflight has been informed by its Heron customer (the University of Toronto) that it will not be able to secure licensing in time for the FX-5 launch. Spin-1 was to have been deployed as part of Spaceflight’s cancelled Sherpa LTC-1 mission. Spaceflight has been working with all of its Sherpa LTC-1 customers to remanifest them on other suitable launches. The removal of the Heron spacecraft from the Sherpa FX-5 vehicle gives Spaceflight the opportunity to do so for Spaceflight’s SPiN-1.Like Heron, SPiN-1 is a Cubesat. SPiN-1 is a 1U CubeSat with a mass of ~1.3 kg whereas Heron is a 3U CubeSat with a mass of ~3.2 kg. To adjust for the reduced volume of the SPiN-1, Spaceflight will employ a non-deployed spacer and add fully demiseable ballast so that the total mass in that dispenser slot is ~3.2...Agile MicroSat (AMS) cubesat MIT USA 1 Y NLynk Tower 1 microsatellite Lynk Global USA 1 N NHawk ‐6A,‐6B,‐6C microsatellite Hawkeye 360, Inc USA 3 Y NCNCE cubesat Missile Defense Agency USA 2 N NSPiN‐1 (MA61C) cubesat Space Products andInnovation UG Germany 1 N NTROOP‐4 hosted payload NearSpace Launch USA 1 N N does not separate
Our latest ION Satellite Carrier (ION SCV005) was shipped safely off from D-Orbit’s headquarters in Como, Italy 📦The journey towards its next launch to #space has just begun 🚀Stay tuned!
Preparing our initial satellite for shipment. It was integrated into the EXOPod flight canister/dispenser @EXOLAUNCH in Berlin, & a first motion release was performed. Follow the journey as we reinvent mobile global comms - http://omnispace.com @Thales_Alenia_S #global5G
Is this on Transporter-4? It's a 12Uhttps://twitter.com/omnispace/status/1498666021141590016QuotePreparing our initial satellite for shipment. It was integrated into the EXOPod flight canister/dispenser @EXOLAUNCH in Berlin, & a first motion release was performed. Follow the journey as we reinvent mobile global comms - http://omnispace.com @Thales_Alenia_S #global5G
Viswanathan said the company is taking delivery of the two satellites late this year, with launch in the first quarter of 2022. Exolaunch will arrange for the launches of those satellites as rideshares on SpaceX Falcon 9 launches.
Confirmation from Launch Photography Launch Viewing Guide, updated February 24, that Transporter-4 launches in April.
Polar Starlink? Start date is about 1 month early for Transporter-4.Quote from: gongora on 02/16/2022 03:09 am0310-EX-ST-2022 NET late March [NET March 23]QuoteThis application uses information from previous grant 1845-EX-ST-2021. There is a Stage 1/Stage 2 frequency swap to mitigate interference. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1690 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.Droneship position looks like SSO: North 23 56 25 West 79 13 16
0310-EX-ST-2022 NET late March [NET March 23]QuoteThis application uses information from previous grant 1845-EX-ST-2021. There is a Stage 1/Stage 2 frequency swap to mitigate interference. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1690 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.Droneship position looks like SSO: North 23 56 25 West 79 13 16
This application uses information from previous grant 1845-EX-ST-2021. There is a Stage 1/Stage 2 frequency swap to mitigate interference. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1690 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.
Spaceflight has been advised by the customer for one of the spacecraft that appeared on its manifest (TROOP-4) that it does not anticipate having an FCC license in time for the Sherpa-FX5 mission. TROOP-4 was to have been a hosted payload on the Sherpa-FX5.To account for this development, Spaceflight will substitute a non-separating mass model for the TROOP-4 hosted payload. The mass model has a slightly lower mass and slightly smaller area than TROOP-4. Spaceflight has re-run its DAS calculations incorporating that mass model. The re-run DAS shows that the mass model to be substituted fully demises before entry. Accordingly, there will be no worse human casualty risk for the Sherpa-FX5 mission than previously presented in the Sherpa-FX5 application.
Quote from: scr00chy on 12/28/2021 12:41 pmOfficial website for BDSat is counting down to April 22, 2022...
Official website for BDSat is counting down to April 22, 2022...
I think it's just counting down to a placeholder of end of April, as I understand it the launch date for this mission is much much earlier than that.
A Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the Transporter-4 smallsat rideshare mission on early April TBD.
Re: Axiom-1 on www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html [March 16]:QuoteA Falcon 9 from pad 39A will launch four private astronauts on the Axiom-1 mission to the International Space Station on early April TBA in the early afternoon EDT.Assuming the Artemis I rollout to LC-39B and Wet Dress Rehearsal go according to plan, the WDR will be April 3, precluding Axiom-1 launch that day.
A Falcon 9 from pad 39A will launch four private astronauts on the Axiom-1 mission to the International Space Station on early April TBA in the early afternoon EDT.
Then, a Falcon 9 from pad 40 will launch the Transporter-4 smallsat rideshare mission on April 1 at 12:24pm EDT.
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) Awards a Launch Contract to Exolaunch for the ARCSAT SatelliteFFI's newest satellite for improving tactical communication in the Artic will be launched into orbit via Exolaunch aboard the SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter-4 mission NET April 2022 ...
“Sherpa itself was subjected to all expected launch environments with industry standard factors,” Sorensen said by email. “Spaceflight and SpaceX continued to discuss analysis and test products up until Spaceflight was informed that SpaceX would not fly the vehicle, which was the day of final integration to the SpaceX vehicle.”
It sounds like Spaceflight's Sherpa is not flying on this mission?https://spacenews.com/spacex-severs-ties-with-spaceflight/Quote“Sherpa itself was subjected to all expected launch environments with industry standard factors,” Sorensen said by email. “Spaceflight and SpaceX continued to discuss analysis and test products up until Spaceflight was informed that SpaceX would not fly the vehicle, which was the day of final integration to the SpaceX vehicle.”
Quote from: Gdbarrett on 03/21/2022 11:51 pmIt sounds like Spaceflight's Sherpa is not flying on this mission?https://spacenews.com/spacex-severs-ties-with-spaceflight/Quote“Sherpa itself was subjected to all expected launch environments with industry standard factors,” Sorensen said by email. “Spaceflight and SpaceX continued to discuss analysis and test products up until Spaceflight was informed that SpaceX would not fly the vehicle, which was the day of final integration to the SpaceX vehicle.” Spaceflight returned the FCC authorization for FX5 today. This is a strange situation.
Has it been confirmed whether this will be an RTLS or ASDS landing?
270615Z MAR 22NAVAREA IV 303/22(11,26,27).WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.STRAITS OF FLORIDA.OLD BAHAMA CHANNEL.FLORIDA.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING 011614Z TO 011721Z APR, ALTERNATE 1614Z TO 1721Z DAILY 02 THRU 08 APR IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 28-35-48N 080-35-01W, 28-37-00N 080-33-00W, 28-34-00N 080-24-00W, 28-13-00N 080-12-00W, 28-11-00N 080-17-00W, 28-27-04N 080-31-39W, 28-30-52N 080-33-13W. B. 23-18-00N 079-28-00W, 24-37-00N 079-26-00W, 24-38-00N 079-07-00W, 23-31-00N 078-36-00W, 23-07-00N 078-43-00W, 23-01-00N 079-08-00W.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 081821Z APR 22.270639Z MAR 22HYDROPAC 806/22(61).INDIAN OCEAN.ILES OF KERGUELEN.DNC 03.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 011828Z TO 011907Z APR, ALTERNATE 1828Z TO 1907Z DAILY 02 THRU 08 APR IN AREA BOUND BY 27-32S 065-06E, 27-31S 065-07E, 29-25S 065-58E, 33-25S 067-03E, 38-26S 068-26E, 43-22S 069-51E, 47-21S 070-56E, 47-22S 070-54E, 45-44S 069-45E, 41-31S 068-16E, 37-21S 067-04E, 31-55S 065-49E.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 082007Z APR 22.
Launch Hazard Areas for Transporter-4 SmallSat Rideshare mission based on issued NOTMARs and NOTAMs in updated map.https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&mid=1bGPw7bHxJOeYhDgOnDquoJKYF5tLH4Ix&ll=25.998976972090468%2C-79.62693256906677&z=7Typical groundtrack estimation based on LHAs with dogleg maneuver to sun-synchronous orbit azimuth.Planned ASDS booster 1061.7 landing 532km southwards. Fairing halves water recovery estimation approximately 604km southwards.Stage2 debris reentry during second orbit in Indian Ocean.
Payloads for our upcoming fourth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission – Transporter-4 – were encapsulated into Falcon 9’s fairing late last week. On this flight are 40 spacecraft, including cubesats, microsats, picosats, hosted payloads, and an orbital transfer vehicle
I think that’s EnMAP on the very top of the dispenser.
Cluster 4 satellites are being prepared for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral later this week. Pictured here are Ryan Fielder and Farid Juman integrating one of our Cluster 4 satellites to the adaptor ring.
Looks like BRO-6 or BRO-7 is on this launch:https://twitter.com/UnseenLabs/status/1509417249626595331
Quote from: scr00chy on 03/31/2022 10:36 amLooks like BRO-6 or BRO-7 is on this launch:https://twitter.com/UnseenLabs/status/1509417249626595331Only one out of two. The other will launch on Electron...
SpaceX is targeting Friday, April 1 for a Falcon 9 launch of Transporter-4 to a sun-synchronous orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens at 12:24 p.m. ET, or 16:24 UTC. Falcon 9 will fly on a southern trajectory along Florida’s eastern coast and may be visible from the ground.Falcon 9’s first stage booster previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, and one Starlink mission (B1061.7). Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.Transporter-4 is SpaceX’s fourth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission. On this flight are 40 spacecraft, including CubeSats, microsats, picosats, non-deploying hosted payloads, and an orbital transfer vehicle carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later time.https://www.spacex.com/launches/transporter-4/
One can already play with simulated EnMAP data using their @qgis pluginData: https://enmap.org/data_tools/testdata/Plugin: https://enmap-box.readthedocs.io/en/latest/There's also a whole course from @DLR_en on @eo_college about hyperspectral that also has more details about EnMAPhttps://eo-college.org/courses/beyond-the-visible/
The official mission timeline lists some previously unannounced payloads (some might just be different names for known satellites):LEO-1AlfaCruxShankuntala12 Swarm satsAlso, the Hawk sats are 4A, 4B, 4C.Based on this, I'm guessing Alba Cluster 5 slipped to Transporter-5?
LEO-1 is likely Omnispace 1Shankuntala is likely Pixxel 2
Nine countries
With a 30% probability of acceptable weather, and bad weather on the way in, it doesn't look promising for the launch of Transporter 2 tomorrow, but @SpaceX has launched with worse odds.
Just how many payloads are on this mission?
Quote from: gongora on 04/01/2022 03:12 amNine countriesUSA 🇺🇸 France 🇫🇷 Lithuania 🇱🇹 India 🇮🇳 Slovakia 🇸🇰 Brazil 🇧🇷 Norway 🇳🇴 Argentina 🇦🇷 Denmark 🇩🇰
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 04/01/2022 03:39 amQuote from: gongora on 04/01/2022 03:12 amNine countriesUSA 🇺🇸 France 🇫🇷 Lithuania 🇱🇹 India 🇮🇳 Slovakia 🇸🇰 Brazil 🇧🇷 Norway 🇳🇴 Argentina 🇦🇷 Denmark 🇩🇰Maybe Slovakia accounts for BD-Sat (even though the headquarters of the research institute that manifactured it are in Czech Republic), but what about Denmark and Lithuania? I don't recall any of the payloads having link with those two countries
Quote from: scr00chy on 03/31/2022 08:30 pmThe official mission timeline lists some previously unannounced payloads (some might just be different names for known satellites):LEO-1AlfaCruxShankuntala12 Swarm satsAlso, the Hawk sats are 4A, 4B, 4C.Based on this, I'm guessing Alba Cluster 5 slipped to Transporter-5?LEO-1 is likely Omnispace 1Shankuntala is likely Pixxel 2
We are live for the SpaceX #Transporter4 mission which will host three #satellites built by NanoAvionics for our customers
Can somebody explain the ghost trajectories?
Really interesting recap of the surprisingly weird/sad history of EnMAPhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/case-study-enmap-tom-segert/
Stage 1 has landed!Deploy sequence is about to start for the first few birds.
Exolaunch's manifest on the Transporter-4 mission includes the following payloads and companies:SPARK 1 from Omnispace (USA) - designed and built by Thales Alenia Space in conjunction with NanoAvionics, Syrlinks & ANYWAVES, this new-generation NGSO satellite will operate in the 2 GHz S-band. Omnispace Spark 1 will support the mobile industry 3GPP standard, making connectivity possible direct to compatible devices. This program will serve to advance the development and implementation of Omnispace's global hybrid non-terrestrial (NTN) network;MP42 from NanoAvionics (USA, UK & Lithuania) - the first ring-deployed microsat of NanoAvionics carrying payloads from 5 different companies. The hardware and software of MP42 satellite bus, as well as mission operations infrastructure, are established on baseline architecture and mission-specific “building blocks” for flexible, time- & cost-efficient integration, resulting in wide applicability, reliability, repeatability, and manufacturability.SHAKUNTALA from Pixxel (USA & India) - is a hyperspectral Earth imaging satellite. The constellation is designed to provide global coverage every 24 hours, with the aim of detecting, monitoring and predicting global phenomena;BDSAT from Spacemanic (Slovakia) - BDsat project aims to support the radio amateur community with several HAM services and activities. Secondary goal is a verification of a prototype of pressure measuring equipment and to verify the functionality of this technology in open space conditions.ALFACRUX from the University of Brasilia (Brazil) - developed by UnB and manufactured by Alen Space, the AlfaCrux satellite is designed for educational and technical investigations of narrowband communication and its applications carried out by researchers, students, and amateur radio operators interested in radio technique without pecuniary interest. Possible in-orbit technical demonstrations include digipeater solutions, scintillation impacts in the satellite communication link, and data collection systems;BRO-7 from UNSEENLABS (France) - the seventh satellite of UNSEENLABS' constellation dedicated to the geolocation of vessels at sea. UNSEENLABS processes and analyzes the RF data, and provides unique knowledge for national security operations, for environmental protection and for an increasing number of applications in the commercial sector. Their constellation is designed to provide data to clients to follow maritime traffic, regardless of the time of day and weather conditions.ARCSAT from the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) (Norway) - a GomSpace manufactured nanosatellite designed to demonstrate the use and relevance of a satellite relay for UHF communication at high latitudes. The satellite will be able to cover any point on the Earth's surface ranging from 4 up to 15 daily passes at higher latitudes from a polar orbit;5 x NEWSAT MICROSATS from Satellogic (USA & Argentina) - the mission will include the first deployment of Satellogic's new Mark V satellite model. This new generation of satellites enhances the company's constellation with improved cameras, radios, computers, and other subsystems compatible with all components from previous models, offering Satellogic's customers higher quality products. The remaining satellites are four updated NewSats Mark IV. These improved satellites contain increased onboard storage and upgrades to the propulsion and navigation systems. This launch will expand Satellogic's fleet to 22 satellites delivering high-resolution data from space.
CelesTrak now has post-deployment SupTLEs for 20 objects from the #Transporter-4 launch based on updated state vectors from @SpaceX:https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1509996047036129280
Here is a comparison between the webcast telemetry from the Transporter 1 and 4 missions.Some of the differences are:1. The T-4 throttle bucket occurred some 6 seconds earlier, with a flat bottom rather than a vee shape.2. Although from the plot it looks like the T-4 second stage took longer to ignite, this is just an artefact caused by the delay in S2 data appearing on screen.
So Transporter 4 direct injected into a nearly circular orbit of 492 by 510 km, then used two burns to raise the orbit by ~100 km and do a slight plane change.
Booster topped out about 100 km higher than on a typical Starlink launch.
The trajectory looks much more lofted than the previous mission. You can tell from the (negative) acceleration during staging. We know this is -1G from physics, but the amount of this we see ranges from -1G (if the rocket went straight up) to 0G, if it's on the horizon. So this rocket was at a higher angle from the launch pad at MECO. This more lofted trajectory also explains why the Max-Q throttle bucket is earlier.
Quote from: LouScheffer on 04/02/2022 12:45 amThe trajectory looks much more lofted than the previous mission. You can tell from the (negative) acceleration during staging. We know this is -1G from physics, but the amount of this we see ranges from -1G (if the rocket went straight up) to 0G, if it's on the horizon. So this rocket was at a higher angle from the launch pad at MECO. This more lofted trajectory also explains why the Max-Q throttle bucket is earlier.Yes, T-4 clearly has more loft, but the altitudes and velocities don't meaningfully diverge until around T+02:00, well after Max-Q.T-1 throttled back at 263m/s and 5.3km altitude, and reached full throttle again at 323m/s and 8.1km, just supersonic.T-4 throttled back at 220m/s and 4.0km altitude, and reached full throttle again at 288m/s and 7.2km, well below supersonic.I can't see how these variations are related to differences in loft, which is much the same up to this point. Perhaps the cloud layers were a factor?
Missing satellite, undisclosed, is Tiger 3
