-
How difficult is it to switch launch providers?
by
Thanamira
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:06
-
How easy/hard is it to switch launch providers? If I have, say, a 6,000 kg satellite, is it straightforward but very expensive to get a rideshare on a F9? Or complicated (and thus costly)? Or something else?
-
#1
by
whitelancer64
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:22
-
A great deal depends on the specifics of the design of the payload, and that means not only its size and shape.
If it's got very narrow tolerances for acoustic, thermal, or other conditions in the launch environment within the fairing, or it was specifically designed for the launch environment of a specific rocket, then it might not be able to switch to another launch provider, at least, not one with a more severe in-fairing environment. If it's only designed to be handled in one orientation then it requires vertical integration and cannot be integrated horizontally. If it requires special processing or purging or fueling on site or on the pad, then another provider might not have that.
-
#2
by
jdon759
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:41
-
That's a good question, and as whitelancer said, depends a lot on the design of the satellite.
But I think this thread would be more at home in the Q&A subforum, not the SpaceX section.
-
#3
by
Thanamira
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:47
-
But I think this thread would be more at home in the Q&A subforum, not the SpaceX section.
Oh, I should've said: I'm a bit curious about specifically moving payloads to F9 (as opposed to Starship or other proposed designs) rather than in general. Thanks for the catch.
-
#4
by
Mark K
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:52
-
How easy/hard is it to switch launch providers? If I have, say, a 6,000 kg satellite, is it straightforward but very expensive to get a rideshare on a F9? Or complicated (and thus costly)? Or something else?
I doubt there would be any "rideshare" with a 6000kg payload. Depending on the orbit and conditions this would just be the normal purchase of launch services. Look at SpaceX's website for details. You might be able to have some other satellite
or set of small satellites launch with you.
-
#5
by
Jim
on 02 Mar, 2022 21:56
-
Easy if it is a generic bus like the BSS-702, A2100, Maxar 1300, etc
-
#6
by
zubenelgenubi
on 02 Mar, 2022 22:21
-
But I think this thread would be more at home in the Q&A subforum, not the SpaceX section.
Oh, I should've said: I'm a bit curious about specifically moving payloads to F9 (as opposed to Starship or other proposed designs) rather than in general. Thanks for the catch.
Moderator:
It's a good "general" question. I will move thread to Q&A.
-
#7
by
Thanamira
on 02 Mar, 2022 22:27
-
Moderator:
It's a good "general" question. I will move thread to Q&A.
Thanks!
-
#8
by
Asteroza
on 02 Mar, 2022 23:33
-
There's the dividing line between a sat (over)built for a solid rocket vehicle launch (with increased vibration), versus a sat built for a liquid fueled launched. If it was originally built for solid fueled launch, switching down is easy.
-
#9
by
sauerkraut
on 03 Mar, 2022 00:55
-
If this is in the Wrong place moderators please move !!
Todays news Oneweb sats. and russian demand for no military use by Great Britian !!
Satellites are stuck in russia .. If oneweb can build new replacements can Falcon 9
Launch them ?? I wonder if Oneweb wishes they would have tried to arrange a Falcon 9
ride in the first place !! I know they would be paying the competition .. But hind sight being
20/20 it would have been Less Expense and Less Misery in the long run !!
-
#10
by
Zed_Noir
on 03 Mar, 2022 02:30
-
If this is in the Wrong place moderators please move !!
Todays news Oneweb sats. and russian demand for no military use by Great Britian !!
Satellites are stuck in russia .. If oneweb can build new replacements can Falcon 9
Launch them ?? I wonder if Oneweb wishes they would have tried to arrange a Falcon 9
ride in the first place !! I know they would be paying the competition .. But hind sight being
20/20 it would have been Less Expense and Less Misery in the long run !!
The previous One Web ownership deliberately excluded SpaceX as a launch provider before the company gone bankrupted.
It shouldn't too hard to make a payload adapter to attached the One Web satellite dispenser to most launchers with a 4+ meter diameter payload fairing.
However AIUI the One Web comsats uses a Russian thruster for station keeping. Which means that new One Web satcoms might need propulsion system refit before becoming available for service.
-
#11
by
Jim
on 03 Mar, 2022 02:34
-
If this is in the Wrong place moderators please move !!
Todays news Oneweb sats. and russian demand for no military use by Great Britian !!
Satellites are stuck in russia .. If oneweb can build new replacements can Falcon 9
Launch them ?? I wonder if Oneweb wishes they would have tried to arrange a Falcon 9
ride in the first place !! I know they would be paying the competition .. But hind sight being
20/20 it would have been Less Expense and Less Misery in the long run !!
Antares could launch them
-
#12
by
edkyle99
on 03 Mar, 2022 02:44
-
If this is in the Wrong place moderators please move !!
Todays news Oneweb sats. and russian demand for no military use by Great Britian !!
Satellites are stuck in russia .. If oneweb can build new replacements can Falcon 9
Launch them ?? I wonder if Oneweb wishes they would have tried to arrange a Falcon 9
ride in the first place !! I know they would be paying the competition .. But hind sight being
20/20 it would have been Less Expense and Less Misery in the long run !!
Antares could launch them
There's only two Antares vehicles left, according to Northrop Grumman officials, both assigned to CRS-2 missions. If ISS didn't need the missions however ...
- Ed Kyle
-
#13
by
Jim
on 03 Mar, 2022 02:45
-
If this is in the Wrong place moderators please move !!
Todays news Oneweb sats. and russian demand for no military use by Great Britian !!
Satellites are stuck in russia .. If oneweb can build new replacements can Falcon 9
Launch them ?? I wonder if Oneweb wishes they would have tried to arrange a Falcon 9
ride in the first place !! I know they would be paying the competition .. But hind sight being
20/20 it would have been Less Expense and Less Misery in the long run !!
ULA
-
#14
by
gongora
on 03 Mar, 2022 02:46
-
Antares could launch them
to polar orbit?
-
#15
by
dondar
on 07 Mar, 2022 12:21
-
Antares could launch them
to polar orbit?
sure, why not? Antares is almost 2 more powerful than Soyuz. They can launch even from their pad in Florida if cleared, and I see that happening. There are no objective constrains.
-
#16
by
AmigaClone
on 07 Mar, 2022 12:44
-
Antares could launch them
to polar orbit?
sure, why not? Antares is almost 2 more powerful than Soyuz. They can launch even from their pad in Florida if cleared, and I see that happening. There are no objective constrains.
Just a couple of issues with your idea.
First, the Antares first stage is built in the Ukraine with Russian engines. As mentioned before, there are a couple of first stages already committed to ISS resupply missions. By the time it would be possible to either build a new first stage identical to current ones, or design and build a new first stage, it would be possible that Roscosmos would be willing to launch OneWeb satellites on Soyuz rockets.
Second, Antares doesn't have a Florida Launch Pad - All Antares launches have been from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0, on Wallops Island, Virginia.
