SpaceX F9 : USA 328-331 / Globalstar FM15 : SLC-40 : 19 June 2022 (04:27 UTC)

[Ken the Bin]

Even the 45th Weather Squadron is acting mysteriously.  They still haven't released a forecast since Thursday's L-3 report (70% GO / Low-Moderate booster recovery weather risk), despite it saying the next forecast would be released on Friday.

Unfortunately that's not mysterious, it's just all too typical.

[kdhilliard]

Mission patch and timeline.
3 (?!?!?) second stage burns

...
00:09:58    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:10:00    1st stage landing
...

00:09:58    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:10:00    1st stage landing

Those are quite late -- even later than for crewed Dragon missions.
Does that imply a very lofted trajectory?
Are they records?

[soltasto]

"Press kit" capture with OCR

[LouScheffer]

Mission patch and timeline.
3 (?!?!?) second stage burn

00:09:58    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:10:00    1st stage landing

Those are quite late -- even later than for crewed Dragon missions.
Does that imply a very lofted trajectory?
Are they records?

The entry burn (always about 40 km altitude) is at 8:10.  One the recent NileSat, it was 6:28.   That's 102 more seconds of coast, 51 seconds up, and 51 down, so about 500 more vertical m/s  than normal. 

Landing is at 10:00; NileSat was at 8:42.  So if in each case,  it traveled 600 km downrange after cutoff at 2:40, the horizontal speed was less than by 600000/362 - 600000/440 = 293 m/s.

So definitely a very lofted trajectory.

Also, the two second stage burns (at 1:04:02 and 1:47:12) are much longer than the usual circularization burns.  Clearly *something* is being dropped off in-between, and in a significantly different orbit.

[jpo234]

Clearly *something* is being dropped off in-between, and in a significantly different orbit.

Will be interesting whether the stream will show the inside of the fairing...

[ZachS09]

With all these factors such as the first Globalstar satellite since 2013, three M-Vac burns, and a potential undisclosed customer; this is looking to be an interesting mission.

[Alexphysics]

Or even the fact that not even Globalstar has acknowledged this mission for some reason... 

[Comga]

Clearly *something* is being dropped off in-between, and in a significantly different orbit.

Will be interesting whether the stream will show the inside of the fairing...

That’s really a question with all this secrecy?

What will be truly interesting is whether or not they even show the first stage telemetry.
If they don’t it’s likely because they have noticed how much information OneSpeed is pulling out of it. 😁

[russianhalo117]

Or even the fact that not even Globalstar has acknowledged this mission for some reason... 

Well Globalstar originally baselined Russian built rockets to launch their entire second generation fleet including the now lone surviving spare and are likely in the lower slot if the other primary payload(s) are confirmed. The Globalstar FM15 (fleet number 87) could in one scenario be an Arianespace/Starsem transfer. Note that Globalstar cancelled its remaining Gen2 launch contracts for sats 87 and 98-120 (the latter Group of fleet numbers after manufacturing long being cancelled was reassigned to the 2022 Gen3 manufacturing contract) in the wake of the 2014 Crimea "special Russian military peacekeeping operation".

[Rondaz]

The third SpaceX launch of the weekend comes with a mystery. A drone ship recovery and three planned upper stage burns prompt questions about whether Globalstar-2 FM15 is the only satellite launching early Sunday morning.

https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1538269684105154561

[Rondaz]

Just Read the Instructions droneship is on-station approximately 659 km downrange in the Atlantic Ocean for the Globalstar-2 (+ others!) mission. NE trajectory.

https://twitter.com/SpaceOffshore/status/1538285196214210560

[Rondaz]

Orbital Launch no. 67 of 2022

Globalstar-2 | SpaceX | June 19 | 0027 ET

@SpaceX to launch telecommunication #Globalstar-2 M087 for @Globalstar – for Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) – atop a #Falcon9 FT with booster #B1061.9 from  @SLDelta45 SLC-40.

https://twitter.com/SpaceIntellige3/status/1538263443677057025

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[Jrcraft]

Mission patch and timeline.
3 (?!?!?) second stage burn

00:09:58    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:10:00    1st stage landing

Those are quite late -- even later than for crewed Dragon missions.
Does that imply a very lofted trajectory?
Are they records?

The entry burn (always about 40 km altitude) is at 8:10.  One the recent NileSat, it was 6:28.   That's 102 more seconds of coast, 51 seconds up, and 51 down, so about 500 more vertical m/s  than normal. 

Landing is at 10:00; NileSat was at 8:42.  So if in each case,  it traveled 600 km downrange after cutoff at 2:40, the horizontal speed was less than by 600000/362 - 600000/440 = 293 m/s.

So definitely a very lofted trajectory.

Also, the two second stage burns (at 1:04:02 and 1:47:12) are much longer than the usual circularization burns.  Clearly *something* is being dropped off in-between, and in a significantly different orbit.

Just thinking out loud, but would they need to reduce G loading on the satellite? It's an older satellite designed to fly with 5 others on a Soyuz. It's the only reason I can think of (besides a secondary payload) for the lofted flight and increased second stage burn time.

[pb2000]

Or even the fact that not even Globalstar has acknowledged this mission for some reason... 

It was alluded to in their Q1 '22 brief.

As previously announced, we entered into a satellite procurement agreement with Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation in February. These new satellites will ensure continuity of service to all of our existing and future subscribers as well as other users of the network. We also plan to launch our on-ground spare satellite in the coming months that will serve the same purpose.

Maybe SpaceX is trying to get the launch contract for the next gen sats locked down before any BE-4 powered vehicle makes it to the pad. Still doesn't explain the ASDS landing though...

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Mission patch and timeline.
3 (?!?!?) second stage burn

00:09:58    2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:10:00    1st stage landing

Those are quite late -- even later than for crewed Dragon missions.
Does that imply a very lofted trajectory?
Are they records?

The entry burn (always about 40 km altitude) is at 8:10.  One the recent NileSat, it was 6:28.   That's 102 more seconds of coast, 51 seconds up, and 51 down, so about 500 more vertical m/s  than normal. 

Landing is at 10:00; NileSat was at 8:42.  So if in each case,  it traveled 600 km downrange after cutoff at 2:40, the horizontal speed was less than by 600000/362 - 600000/440 = 293 m/s.

So definitely a very lofted trajectory.

Also, the two second stage burns (at 1:04:02 and 1:47:12) are much longer than the usual circularization burns.  Clearly *something* is being dropped off in-between, and in a significantly different orbit.

So I've checked some previous records, this timeline is actually pretty similar to Transporter-1, with Transporter-4 actually landing even later at around 10:30 and the record seems to went to FORMOSAT-5 at around T+10:45! Though I'm not sure the fact that the first two had a big dog-leg and the 3rd was an older generation v1.2 would change the conclusion that much.

I'm still trying to think of the thing on top as another X-37...

[su27k]

I wonder if the entire purpose of having Globalstar onboard is to give this mission a public payload and a name, so that people don't ask too many questions. Without it, this mission would be an unnamed mission with a mystery payload from a unknown customer, even main stream media is not dumb enough to overlook this. Now we have payload, a name, even a 2nd stage mission timeline including payload deployment (which we didn't have in case of SARah-1), all very normal looking, nothing to see here...

[JayWee]

all very normal looking, nothing to see here...

What were other missions with 3 upper stage firings?

[spacenuance]

all very normal looking, nothing to see here...

What were other missions with 3 upper stage firings?

Transporter-4 is one with 3 second stage firings.  An initial insertion, then deploy some sats, then raise the orbit with another burn, then circularize with a 3rd burn, followed by another deployment sequence.  Maybe this Globalstar mission will follow a similar deployment sequence with a mystery payload . . .

[ZachS09]

all very normal looking, nothing to see here...

What were other missions with 3 upper stage firings?

This may not count, but various missions with two M-Vac burns to place a payload into orbit (excluding GTO missions) are followed up by a deorbit burn, technically making it three altogether.