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SpaceX F9 : EarthCARE : VSFB SLC-4E : 28 May 2024 (22:20 UTC) by bolun on 29 Oct, 2019 18:08
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Discussion thread for launch of ESA EarthCARE.
ESA/JAXA - EarthCARE program updates
Successful launch May 28 2024 at 6:20 PM EDT (22:20 UTC) on booster 1081-7 from SLC-4E. Booster landed back at the pad. Orbit 400km SSO. Mass ~2350kg.
October 28, 2019
Arianespace and ESA announce EarthCare launch contract
Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) today announced the signature of a launch services contract with a Soyuz launch vehicle for the EarthCARE satellite.
EarthCARE (Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) satellite – the sixth mission in ESA’s Earth Explorer program – will advance our understanding of the role clouds and aerosols play in reflecting incident solar radiation back into space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface.
EarthCARE is a joint collaborative satellite mission conducted between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that delivers the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) instrument. ESA is responsible for the entire system – including the Spacecraft, three instruments including ATmospheric LIDar (ATLID), a Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) and a Broad-Band Radiometer (BBR), plus the Launcher and Ground Segment (with exception of the CPR data segment).
The EarthCARE mission will utilize a Soyuz launch vehicle, with the launch period starting in June 2022 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (South America).
https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-and-esa-announce-earthcare-launch-contract/ -
#1 by GWR64 on 23 Sep, 2022 18:16
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Earthcare launch Q1/2024
Sounds relatively concrete, so maybe there is a new launch order?
Which launcher: Vega C, H3, Falcon 9 ?QuoteEsa @AschbacherJosef some key milestones from the agency. Juice and Euclid launches in 2023, first launch of Ariane-6 in 2023 (“working full steam to get it done”). Discuss the impact of the economical turndown in space and remind us that space is necessary. #iac2022
https://twitter.com/AllPlanets/status/1571473556805910529
Follow-up cross-post:https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-leading-candidate-to-launch-european-science-mission/
[Oct 18]QuoteEarthCARE, an Earth science mission also originally manifested on a Soyuz, will likely go on Vega C, Aschbacher said in August. Sentinel-1C, a radar mapping mission, will also launch on Vega C, while two pairs of Galileo satellites previously set to launch on Soyuz are expected to go on Ariane 6 instead.
He emphasized them any use of non-European launch options like SpaceX would be a temporary measure. “If we go to backup solutions that are not European, this is an interim solution, and Ariane 6 and Vega C will remain our baseline launchers,” he said.
ESA is scheduled to give an update Oct. 19 on the status of Ariane 6 testing that may include a new schedule for that vehicle’s first launch, which has slipped to some time in 2023.
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#2 by GewoonLukas_ on 29 Jun, 2023 12:28
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Cross-post:Quote
At press bfg right now, ESA DG Josef Aschbacher says they've decided to launch EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 instead of Vega-C both bc Vega-C return to flight will be delayed due to test failure and spacecraft requires cutouts to fairing and don't want to make changes at this point.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1674391123391926276 -
#3 by GWR64 on 29 Jun, 2023 17:14
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Cross-post:
QuoteAt press bfg right now, ESA DG Josef Aschbacher says they've decided to launch EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 instead of Vega-C both bc Vega-C return to flight will be delayed due to test failure and spacecraft requires cutouts to fairing and don't want to make changes at this point.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1674391123391926276
After countless delays, EarthCare is finally ready and ESA doesn't have a launch vehicle.
It was foreseeable that the Vega-C would come into question in terms of performance.
It was also foreseeable that the Soyuz ST would no longer be available at some point.
That was already on the brink before the Ukraine war.
Now you realize that the fairing must be changed. -
#4 by Robotbeat on 29 Jun, 2023 17:20
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There’s nothing bad about using the launch vehicle of a friend.
Vega is nice, but: Here’s hoping Europe quickly develops a launcher with Falcon 9’s capabilities and costs. In the meantime, transatlantic cooperation! -
#5 by Comga on 01 Jul, 2023 23:07
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Quote
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher says the relationship with SpaceX was "very professional." Launching EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 in the 2nd quarter of 2024; Hera in Oct. 2024.
My bolding:Q2 -
#6 by Ixokani on 02 Jul, 2023 21:55
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I'll be happy just to see it finally go up.
Back when I started at <current employer>, we were finishing up the delivery of our little corner of this spacecraft. That was over a decade ago... -
#7 by Nomadd on 02 Jul, 2023 22:38
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Do they put these things on tables and simulate the the new launch conditions when they switch rides?
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#8 by zubenelgenubi on 03 Jul, 2023 00:25
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Do they put these things on tables and simulate the the new launch conditions when they switch rides?
Mathematical modeling: yes.
Exposure to Falcon 9 launch audio: Maybe, IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
Shimmy-shake table tests: IDK. Good question for our forum experts. -
#9 by Zed_Noir on 03 Jul, 2023 00:43
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ESA probably have launch condition data of the Falcon 9 payload fairing interior from the studies for the Euclid mission. So additional shake table tests might not be needed.Do they put these things on tables and simulate the the new launch conditions when they switch rides?
Mathematical modeling: yes.
Exposure to Falcon 9 launch audio: Maybe, IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
Shimmy-shake table tests: IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
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#10 by Comga on 03 Jul, 2023 02:23
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Do they put these things on tables and simulate the the new launch conditions when they switch rides?
Mathematical modeling: yes.
Exposure to Falcon 9 launch audio: Maybe, IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
Shimmy-shake table tests: IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
IIANM EarthCare (and Euclid and the other ESA payloads) were planned to launch on Ariane 6, which will have solid rocket side boosters.
As an all liquid propellant rocket, Falcon 9’s environments must be well within the limits, much less vibration and much less noise, than the Ariane 6 environments to which they were designed and for which they were qualified.
So documentation checking: yes
Extra environmental testing: no
(Ballasting to limit max acceleration? maybe) -
#11 by Galactic Penguin SST on 03 Jul, 2023 02:44
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Do they put these things on tables and simulate the the new launch conditions when they switch rides?
Mathematical modeling: yes.
Exposure to Falcon 9 launch audio: Maybe, IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
Shimmy-shake table tests: IDK. Good question for our forum experts.
IIANM EarthCare (and Euclid and the other ESA payloads) were planned to launch on Ariane 6, which will have solid rocket side boosters.
As an all liquid propellant rocket, Falcon 9’s environments must be well within the limits, much less vibration and much less noise, than the Ariane 6 environments to which they were designed and for which they were qualified.
So documentation checking: yes
Extra environmental testing: no
(Ballasting to limit max acceleration? maybe)
Both of these were officially planned on Soyuz from CSG. Though I guess Ariane 6 must have been considered for both at some point so your comment still stands. -
#12 by Comga on 03 Jul, 2023 04:59
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Quote
Marcia Smith
Jun 29
@SpcPlcyOnline
At press bfg right now, ESA DG Josef Aschbacher says they've decided to launch EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 instead of Vega-C both bc Vega-C return to flight will be delayed due to test failure and spacecraft requires cutouts to fairing and don't want to make changes at this point.
Edit: It doesn’t matter which vehicle it started on or was on temporarily. Those are irrelevant facts.
My response to zuben’s question stands because AT SOME POINT EarthCare was qualified to launch on Vega C. Therefore it was qualified for environments in excess if those for Falcon 9, so no additional testing was required by the switch. -
#13 by Galactic Penguin SST on 03 Jul, 2023 05:34
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Quote
Marcia Smith
Jun 29
@SpcPlcyOnline
At press bfg right now, ESA DG Josef Aschbacher says they've decided to launch EarthCARE on a Falcon 9 instead of Vega-C both bc Vega-C return to flight will be delayed due to test failure and spacecraft requires cutouts to fairing and don't want to make changes at this point.
It initially moved from Soyuz (see first post in this thread) to Vega-C, then Vega-C ended up both being requiring fairing changes and delays due to last December's failure and delays to re-qualification of SRMs. -
#14 by bolun on 27 Oct, 2023 20:28
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Gearing up for EarthCARE [Oct 27]Quote
ESA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency are gearing up for a momentous milestone in Earth observation as launch of the EarthCARE satellite approaches.
Following years of rigorous development and extensive testing, the satellite is now undergoing its final round of tests in Europe before being shipped to the launch site early next year – bringing us one step closer to gaining unprecedented insights into the role that clouds and aerosols play in the climate system.QuoteThe satellite is scheduled to be packed up and shipped to the Vandenberg launch site in California in early March, where it will be prepared for liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May.
Image credit: ESA–SJM Photography
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#15 by bolun on 03 Nov, 2023 15:45
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#16 by zubenelgenubi on 05 Jan, 2024 22:52
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Confirmation cross-post:
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE
QuoteThe launch
Date: May 2024
Site: Vandenberg, California, US
Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 -
#17 by gongora on 13 Jan, 2024 21:08
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Quote
USN LEOP and TT&C Support for Earthcare from Alaska
Earthcare is an ESA mission which is set to launch on May 1st 2024.
Planned support from SSC is for a period of 180 days starting May 1st. -
#18 by bolun on 02 Feb, 2024 08:52
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Cleaning EarthCARE
One of the last jobs to do before ESA’s EarthCARE satellite is packed up for shipment to the US launch site is to make sure it is very clean. The photograph shows engineers carrying out this important task. The satellite has spent the last few months at Airbus’ facilities in Friedrichshafen, Germany, undergoing the last checks the satellite has in Europe.
- Related article: ESA’s cloud mission in the limelight
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/02/Cleaning_EarthCARE
Image credit: ESA
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#19 by bolun on 09 Mar, 2024 14:59
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https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2024/03/EarthCARE_bids_adieu_to_EuropeQuote
After years of development and a rigorous testing programme, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has left Munich, Germany, and is now on its away to SpaceX’s launch site in Vandenberg, California. Once it arrives, it will be put into storage for a few weeks until it is time to ready the satellite for liftoff – which is scheduled to launch in May on a Falcon 9 rocket.
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#20 by GewoonLukas_ on 09 Mar, 2024 19:09
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Quote
Farewell EarthCARE! 👋
Designed and built by Airbus, the latest @esa “Earth Explorer” spacecraft 🛰️ is now ready and packed up 📦. The climate monitoring satellite is leaving Europe 🛫 to its launch site 🛬 in Vandenberg, California.
EarthCARE is planned to be launched in May 🚀
This new satellite mission will quantify and reduce the uncertainty about the role that clouds and aerosols (tiny atmospheric particles) play in heating and cooling Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to our better understanding of climate change.
https://twitter.com/AirbusSpace/status/1766424309159879142QuoteEarthCARE goes west for launch
09 March 2024
The Airbus-built EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) spacecraft has left Munich, Germany, and is now on its way aboard an aircraft to its launch site in Vandenberg, California. EarthCARE is planned to be launched in May on a Falcon 9 rocket.
[...]
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#21 by bolun on 12 Mar, 2024 19:00
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EarthCARE arrives at Vandenberg launch siteQuote
After a smooth journey from Germany, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has arrived at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Here, it is being stored over the next few weeks before it’s time get the satellite ready for liftoff in May.
Image credit: ESA
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#22 by bolun on 18 Apr, 2024 17:12
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And so it beginsQuote
The time to ready EarthCARE for liftoff has officially begun. After a few weeks in storage in the NASA building at the Vandenberg launch site in California, the satellite, still packed safely in its transport container, has been moved to the Astrotech building where it will be put though a round of final tests.
Credits: ESA
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#23 by bolun on 18 Apr, 2024 17:30
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EarthCARE out of container and chargedQuote
The launch campaign team has been reunited with EarthCARE after removing their precious satellite from its transport container.
A few days ago, the container was taken out of storage in the NASA building and moved by truck to the Astrotech where work to ready the EarthCARE satellite for liftoff has now begun.
Credits: ESA
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#24 by AndrewM on 22 Apr, 2024 14:42
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Targeting Late May.Quote
“The team has a lot of work to do, the satellite is not only big, but extremely complex so everything has to be carefully checked and prepared before it is encapsulated within its Falcon 9 rocket fairing prior to launch towards the end of May.
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE/EarthCARE_out_of_the_box
[Apr 16] -
#25 by jacqmans on 29 Apr, 2024 12:59
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#26 by bolun on 03 May, 2024 11:38
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Opening EarthCARE’s cloud profiling radar
A few weeks ago, a team of engineers carefully extracted ESA's EarthCARE satellite from its protective transport container, initiating a meticulous process of inspection, testing and preparation for its liftoff later this month from the Vandenberg launch site in California. One of the tasks involved opening the satellite’s cloud profiling radar antenna, which spans 2.5 m across. This instrument, provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is engineered to penetrate clouds to yield detailed insights into their vertical structure, velocity, particle size and distribution, and water content.
Related article: ESA’s cloud and aerosol satellite aerosol-free
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/05/Opening_EarthCARE_s_cloud_profiling_radar
Image credit: ESA
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#27 by StraumliBlight on 11 May, 2024 21:30
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#28 by Targeteer on 14 May, 2024 09:53
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https://twitter.com/ESA_EO/status/1790260409405984869Quote
With fuelling completed, the liftoff of @esa's #EarthCARE satellite is getting closer and closer!
Fuelling a satellite is slightly 😜 more complicated than fuelling your car: it involves special suits that only a designated team can wear, very hazardous hydrazine fuel and... a scale!
The scale is needed to carefully measure the fuel loaded: EarthCARE weighs 2200 kg (including a maximum of 310 kg fuel).
https://blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/2024/05/13/earthcare-satellite-loaded/ -
#29 by zubenelgenubi on 15 May, 2024 16:02
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In the absence of an announced NET launch date, NOTAMs, etc.; seeking insight...
Is it most probable EarthCARE will launch as soon as SLC-4E can turnaround after the NROL-146 launch?
Ditto re: LZ-4 landing? Therefore, not requiring OCISLY turnaround? -
#30 by ZachS09 on 15 May, 2024 16:11
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In the absence of an announced NET launch date, NOTAMs, etc.; seeking insight...
Is it most probable EarthCARE will launch as soon as SLC-4E can turnaround after the NROL-146 launch?
Ditto re: LZ-4 landing? Therefore, not requiring OCISLY turnaround?
EarthCARE is 2,350 kilograms; so Falcon 9 can directly insert it into the 393-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, using the stubby M-Vac nozzle, with the booster landing at LZ-4. I’m also predicting payload separation somewhere between 13 and 14 minutes MET.
Two M-Vac burns with the second one being the deorbit burn for Stage 2. -
#31 by StraumliBlight on 15 May, 2024 16:21
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https://twitter.com/ESA_EO/status/1790692097978474896Quote
#EarthCARE launch campaign proceeds at full speed: today the Combined Operations should start with the mating on the Launch Vehicle Adapter.
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#32 by jacqmans on 17 May, 2024 07:37
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EarthCARE mission kit
17/05/2024
Explore this mission kit to learn more about EarthCARE – ESA’s new mission that will shed new light on the role that clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth’s climate.
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE/EarthCARE_mission_kit
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE
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#33 by jacqmans on 17 May, 2024 09:13
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Media advisory: EarthCARE launch media opportunities
ESA’s EarthCARE mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, no earlier than Tuesday 28 May 2024.
EarthCARE is the most complex of all of ESA’s trailblazing Earth Explorer missions – missions that deliver critical information to understand how our world functions and the impact that human activity is having on natural processes.
Developed as a cooperation between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), this exciting mission will make a range of different measurements that together will shed new light on the role that clouds and aerosols play in regulating Earth’s delicate temperature balance.
With global climate change increasingly affecting our planet, EarthCARE is poised to provide data for climate research, improve the accuracy of climate models and support numerical weather prediction.
Media can attend a wide range of in-person and online pre-launch media briefings detailed below and are also invited to participate in the European launch event currently planned to take place on 28 May 2024 at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
Please note that journalists wishing to attend several of the events mentioned below should register for each activity separately to ensure that they receive the right link/information.
Pre-launch media event at ECSAT UK (Tuesday 21 May,13:00-15:00 BST)
Programme
12:00-13:00 welcome and light lunch
13:00-14:00 expert presentations followed by media Q&A:
Anthony Illingworth, Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Physics, University of Reading
Michael Eisinger, Performance & Science Products Coordinator, European Space Agency
Robin J. Hogan, Principal Scientist, Earth System Modelling Section, ECMWF
Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation and Climate at the UK Space Agency, UKSA
Ralph Cordey, Head of Earth Science, Airbus UK
Andrew Haslehurst, Chief Technology Officer, SSTL
Will Grainger, Head of Systems Engineering, RAL Space
Manuel Ángel Ruiz Saldańa, Ground Segment Business Manager UK, GMV-NSL
Helen Brindley, Divisional Director within the UK's National Centre for Earth Observation
14:00-15:00 individual interview opportunities
Online pre-launch press briefing in English (Tuesday 21 May, 16:00 – 17:00 CEST)
EarthCare pre-launch press briefing and Q&A with:
Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes, ESA
Dirk Bernaerts, EarthCARE project manager and Acting Head Earth Explorers Division, ESA
Futoshi Takiguchi, Vice President and Director General for the Space Technology Directorate I, JAXA
Eiichi Tomita, EarthCARE/CPR Project Manager, JAXA
Maximilian Sauer, EarthCARE Project Manager, Airbus
Please register here for the English pre-launch online briefing by Monday 20th May.
Online Q&A sessions in German and French will also be available to members of the press after the English briefing upon request.
Launch media event at ESOC
Programme – Tuesday, 28 May 2024 (all times in CEST)
18:30 Arrival media
19:00 Media Briefing in Press Centre H05
20:00 Interview opportunities
20:30 Doors open for VIP event guests
21:00 VIP Stage programme starts in conference centre HI-VI
23:34 Start of ESA TV webcast
00:05 SpaceX live broadcast
00:20 Lift-off SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, California, USA
00:30 Spacecraft deployment
01:12 Acquisition of signal
01:20 End of ESA TV webcast; end of stage programme in conference centre
01:30 Doors close
ESA spokespeople and experts, as well as spokespeople from Airbus and other partners, will be available on site for interviews including:
Dominique Gillieron, Head of Earth Observation Projects Department, ESA
Björn Frommknecht, EarthCARE Mission Manager, ESA
Thorsten Fehr, EarthCARE Mission Scientist, ESA
Kotska Wallace, EarthCARE Optical Payload Manager, ESA
Isabel Rojo, Head of EarthCARE Mission Operations, ESA
Mr. Futoshi Takiguchi, Vice President and Director General for the Space Technology Directorate, JAXA
Dr. Riko Oki, Director of the Earth Observation Research Center, JAXA
Albert Zaglauer, Head of Earth Observation programmes, Airbus
During the event, journalists will get live updates from the nearby ESA control rooms to which they will have limited temporary access too followed by interview opportunities with ESA operations and science experts for EarthCARE.
In the event of launch reschedule or delay, media will be informed of replanned activities via email in due course.
ESA Web TV
The launch event at ESOC will be streamed via ESA Web TV.
Please remember that journalists wishing to attend several of the opportunities mentioned above should register for each activity separately to ensure that they receive the right link/information for each event.
More Information on EarthCARE mission
Learn more about EarthCARE at https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE
Contact
ESA Newsroom and Media Relations
Email: [email protected] -
#34 by zubenelgenubi on 17 May, 2024 14:16
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In the absence of an announced NET launch date, NOTAMs, etc.; seeking insight...
https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/earthcare#launch
MLST (Mean Local Solar Time) on descending node = 14:00 ±5 minutes
Which first stage will be used for this launch? (semi-rhetorical question)
Falcon 9 first stages are apparently now cleared for use up to twenty times for non-human spaceflight missions, although that number is apparently more restricted for Cargo Dragon and Cygnus than these other payloads.
Available first stages, with UTC date of most recent recovery:
1075.11 Mar 191071.16 Apr 2NROL-146
1081.7 Apr 7
1061.21 May 2
1082.5 May 10 (maybe)
Edit May 27: It's B1081.7, skipping over B1075.11. -
#35 by GewoonLukas_ on 21 May, 2024 10:07
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Quote
#EarthCARE is not alone anymore at the launch site!
As these pics show, the satellite with the payload adaptor attached was moved and mated onto the launcher payload attach fitting.
@esa’s EarthCARE mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, no earlier than Tuesday 28 May 2024.
https://twitter.com/ESA_EO/status/1792814063744909791
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#36 by Ken the Bin on 23 May, 2024 15:43
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NGA Space Debris notice that is effectively a Rocket Launching notice.Quote from: NGA
230909Z MAY 24
NAVAREA XII 370/24(18).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
2215Z TO 2255Z DAILY 28 MAY THRU 03 JUN
IN AREA BOUND BY
30-48.00N 121-37.00W, 30-42.00N 121-27.00W,
30-42.00N 121-12.00W, 30-55.00N 120-56.00W,
31-10.00N 120-56.00W, 31-55.00N 121-05.00W,
31-55.00N 121-09.00W, 31-02.00N 121-38.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 032355Z JUN 24.//
NGA Space Debris notice.Quote from: NGA230858Z MAY 24
NAVAREA XII 369/24(17,19).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
2343Z TO 0016Z DAILY 28 MAY THRU 03 JUN
IN AREA BOUND BY
28-42.00N 145-12.00W, 28-16.00N 143-00.00W
45-31.00N 137-48.00W, 45-57.00N 140-34.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 040116Z JUN 24.// -
#37 by Galactic Penguin SST on 23 May, 2024 15:56
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NGA Space Debris notice that is effectively a Rocket Launching notice.
Quote from: NGA230909Z MAY 24
NAVAREA XII 370/24(18).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
2215Z TO 2255Z DAILY 28 MAY THRU 03 JUN
IN AREA BOUND BY
30-48.00N 121-37.00W, 30-42.00N 121-27.00W,
30-42.00N 121-12.00W, 30-55.00N 120-56.00W,
31-10.00N 120-56.00W, 31-55.00N 121-05.00W,
31-55.00N 121-09.00W, 31-02.00N 121-38.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 032355Z JUN 24.//
NGA Space Debris notice.Quote from: NGA230858Z MAY 24
NAVAREA XII 369/24(17,19).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
2343Z TO 0016Z DAILY 28 MAY THRU 03 JUN
IN AREA BOUND BY
28-42.00N 145-12.00W, 28-16.00N 143-00.00W
45-31.00N 137-48.00W, 45-57.00N 140-34.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 040116Z JUN 24.//
Area near the launch site seems to be closer to the coast than for Starlink launches, so...booster RTLS? -
#38 by OneSpeed on 24 May, 2024 00:23
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NGA Space Debris notice that is effectively a Rocket Launching notice.
Maps from the NGA notices. Fairing splashdown some 410km downrange, and second stage splashdown at one orbit.
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#39 by Galactic Penguin SST on 24 May, 2024 04:25
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#40 by Ken the Bin on 25 May, 2024 13:49
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Now on the FAA ATC SCC Current Operations Plan Advisory. The start time matches the start time of the NGA Space Debris notice that is effectively a Rocket Launching notice. The end time matches the end time of the NGA Space Debris notice for S2 reentry.
https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jspQuote from: FAASPACEX EARTHCARE, VANDENBURG SFB, CA
PRIMARY: 05/28/24 2215Z-0016Z
BACKUP: 05/29/24 2215Z-0016Z
05/30/24 2215Z-0016Z
05/31/24 2215Z-0016Z
06/01/24 2215Z-0016Z
06/02/24 2215Z-0016Z
06/03/24 2215Z-0016Z -
#41 by zubenelgenubi on 25 May, 2024 14:23
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NextSpaceflight; updated recently:
Maps from the NGA notices. Fairing splashdown some 410km downrange, and second stage splashdown at one orbit.NGA Space Debris notice that is effectively a Rocket Launching notice.
Area near the launch site seems to be closer to the coast than for Starlink launches, so...booster RTLS?
LZ-4 first stage landing.
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#42 by FutureSpaceTourist on 26 May, 2024 12:47
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https://twitter.com/masteractual/status/1794590385958006951Quote
ESA EarthCARE payload rolling to the pad (video from local Facebook group)
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#43 by FutureSpaceTourist on 27 May, 2024 18:08
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1795154916786176182Quote
Targeting Tuesday, May 28 for Falcon 9’s launch of the @ESA_EO EarthCARE mission to orbit from California → spacex.com/launches
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=earthcareQuoteSpaceX is targeting Tuesday, May 28 for Falcon 9’s launch of the ESA EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 3:20 p.m. PT. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Wednesday, May 29 at the same time.
A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.
This will be the seventh flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, and two Starlink missions. After stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
All Times Approximate
HR/MIN/SEC EVENT
00:01:07 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:19 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:23 1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:24 Stage 1 flip
00:02:24 2nd stage engine starts (SES-1)
00:02:36 1st stage boostback burn Starts
00:02:46 Fairing deployment
00:03:19 1st stage boostback burn ends
00:06:19 1st stage entry burn begins
00:06:38 1st stage entry burn completes
00:07:30 1st stage landing burn begins
00:07:46 1st stage landing
00:08:41 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:10:42 ESA’s EarthCARE satellite deploys
B1081-7
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#44 by StraumliBlight on 27 May, 2024 20:05
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#45 by zubenelgenubi on 27 May, 2024 20:09
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Scheduled launch time to the second?
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#46 by realnouns on 27 May, 2024 23:13
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Go Beyond departed PoLB on May 27 @ 7:16am PT / 10:16am ET
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#47 by Steven Pietrobon on 28 May, 2024 01:34
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PDF of online press kit. I assume that the event at T+10:42 is "EarthCARE deploys". I've amended the press kit with this text.
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#48 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 10:40
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https://twitter.com/esa_eo/status/1795397915868799462Quote
Here's a reminder tonight's launch coverage:
📽️the live coverage begins at 23:30 CEST where we'll hear from our mission scientists and spacecraft operators, then follow the launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, expected at 00:20 CEST.
In details:
23:34 Start of @esa WebTV Programme - Live from @esaoperations
00:05 @SpaceX live broadcast begins
00:20 Lift-off
00:30 Spacecraft deployment 01:12
Acquisition of signal
01:20 End of ESA TV webcast
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/EarthCARE/EarthCARE_ready_for_launch
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#49 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 16:13
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PDF of online press kit. I assume that the event at T+10:42 is "EarthCARE deploys".
Indeed. SpaceX have corrected their webpage and I’ve updated the earlier post. -
#50 by edkyle99 on 28 May, 2024 16:36
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B1081-7
Good news. B1081 in normal rotation. Last seen with fire after Starlink 8-1 landing, but this shows not an issue.
- Ed Kyle -
#51 by shiro on 28 May, 2024 18:18
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Quote
Liftoff time is closer and closer!
In the meantime let’s enjoy some pictures of our #EarthCARE satellite at the launch pad🚀🛰️
https://twitter.com/esa_eo/status/1795475077602980037
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#52 by StraumliBlight on 28 May, 2024 20:13
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https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1795534165074678222Quote
#EarthCARE has been switched to ‘pre-launch’ mode. All tests of the primary ground systems are complete!
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#53 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 20:28
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https://twitter.com/haygenwarren/status/1795551066353750482Quote
At 3:20 PM PDT (22:20 UTC), SpaceX will launch ESA and JAXA’s EarthCARE climate research satellite from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Following launch, booster B1081 will return to land at LZ-4.
By William Graham (@w_d_graham) ⬇️
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/05/earthcare-launch/ -
#54 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 20:40
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https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1795549363227275569Quote
Team A is now on console at ESA mission control.
Team B, who have supervised #EarthCARE launch preparations up to this point, have completed the important ‘handover’, briefing Team A on the status of the spacecraft.
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#55 by dgscuka on 28 May, 2024 21:17
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GO/NO-GO roll call from ESA Flight Director Jose Morales complete.
https://soundcloud.com/esa/earthcare-rollcall -
#56 by Alexphysics on 28 May, 2024 21:53
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T0 to the second seems to be 22:20:10 UTC
https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1795566767580082244 -
#57 by spacenuance on 28 May, 2024 21:53
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Prop load underway
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#58 by mn on 28 May, 2024 22:32
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Payload deploy confirmed
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#59 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:44
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#60 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:47
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https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1795581089458909539Quote
LAUNCH! Falcon 9 B1081-7 launches the EarthCARE mission for ESA.
Overview:
nasaspaceflight.com/2024/05/earthc… - by William Graham (@w_d_graham). -
#61 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:51
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Liftoff!
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#62 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:52
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T-1; MaxQ
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#63 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:55
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MECO, separation & SES-1
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#64 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:56
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Fairing separation
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#65 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:57
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https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1795581726800179481Quote
Staging 1-2.
Booster returning RTLS to LZ-4 -
#66 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:59
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T+5
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#67 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 22:59
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Entry burn
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#68 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:02
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Landed!
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#69 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:04
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#70 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:04
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SECO
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#71 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:06
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Payload separation
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#72 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:06
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#73 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:07
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Full webcast:
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#74 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:11
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https://twitter.com/spacecoastpix/status/1795587253986881663Quote
Seen above the edge of the advancing @Marine_layer from 19.4 miles NW of the pad, @SpaceX's Falcon 9 lofts the @esa @JAXA #earthcare satellite towards orbit before reentering for a landing at #Vandenberg. @NASASpaceflight
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#75 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:16
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https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1795594989701059026Quote
We hear you, #EarthCARE!
Hartebeesthoek station in South Africa has received the satellite’s first signals from space. Telemetry is arriving clearly at ESA mission control in Germany. -
#76 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:21
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https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1795595745057476777Quote
We have confirmation that #EarthCARE’s first deployment is complete: the satellite has spread its solar wing, and is generating power.
We have a mission! -
#77 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:25
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https://twitter.com/turkeybeaver/status/1795597111154913378Quote
Our first month with 13 Falcon launches. Congrats @SpaceX team!!!
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#78 by FutureSpaceTourist on 28 May, 2024 23:40
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https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/1795600350164210023Quote
Beautiful launch and landing of the @ESA_EO EarthCARE mission from Vandenberg SFB. This is a time lapse composite taken in one second intervals.
Me for @NASASpaceflight
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#79 by shiro on 29 May, 2024 04:08
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Some reusability stats for this launch (EarthCARE):
Booster B1081.7 turnaround time:
51 days 19 hours 55 minutes
(its previous mission was Starlink Group 8-1 on Apr 7, 2024 UTC).
FYI: median turnaround time for Falcon 9 / Heavy boosters is currently 35.01 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches, excluding new first stages.
Launchpad SLC-4E turnaround time:
6 days 14 hours 20 minutes
(the previous launch from this pad was NROL-146 on May 22, 2024 UTC).
FYI: median turnaround time for SLC-4E is currently 9.63 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches.
The same type of stats for previous SpaceX launches may be found on this spreadsheet online. -
#80 by FutureSpaceTourist on 29 May, 2024 05:30
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https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1795688604251115820Quote
Falcon 9 launches the @ESA_EO EarthCARE mission, first stage booster returns to Earth
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#81 by FutureSpaceTourist on 29 May, 2024 06:22
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https://twitter.com/tskelso/status/1795697515662278771Quote
CelesTrak has GP data for 1 object from the launch (2024-101) of ESA’s EarthCARE mission atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB on May 28 at 2220 UTC: spacenews.com/falcon-9-launc…. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-101
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#82 by jacqmans on 29 May, 2024 06:53
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EarthCARE launched to study role of clouds and aerosols in Earth's climate
ESA’s EarthCARE satellite lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, at 00:20 CEST (28 May, 15:20 local time) on 29 May.
ESA’s EarthCARE satellite, which is poised to revolutionise our understanding of how clouds and aerosols affect our climate with its four state-of-the-art instruments, has been launched. Just 10 minutes after it embarked on its journey, the satellite separated from the rocket and at 01:14 CEST, the Hartebeesthoek ground station in South Africa received the all-important signal indicating that EarthCARE is safely in orbit around Earth.
With the climate crisis increasingly tightening its grip, ESA’s Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, or EarthCARE for short, will provide crucial information to shed new light on the complex interactions between clouds, aerosols and radiation within Earth’s atmosphere.
This exciting new mission is a joint venture between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and was designed and built by a consortium of more than 75 companies under Airbus as the prime contractor.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “EarthCARE is the most complex of ESA’s research missions to date. Its development, and now launch, is thanks to close cooperation with our JAXA partners, who contributed the satellite’s cloud profiling radar instrument, and all of the space industry teams involved. The mission comes at a critical time when advancing our scientific knowledge is more important than ever to understand and act on climate change, and we very much look forward to receiving its first data.”
JAXA’s Project Manager for the cloud profiling radar, Eiichi Tomita, added, “Increasing the accuracy of global climate models by using EarthCARE data will allow us to better predict the future climate and therefore take necessary mitigation measures. JAXA provided the cloud profiling radar – the world’s first radar that can measure the velocity of upward and downward flow within clouds. We are expecting these EarthCARE data products to be remarkable.”
The EarthCARE satellite is now being controlled from ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. Controllers will spend the next few months carefully checking and calibrating the mission as part of the commissioning phase
More Information
Article with more information can be found here.
More information about ESA: www.esa.int -
#83 by GewoonLukas_ on 29 May, 2024 07:23
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SpaceX Mission Patch
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#84 by catdlr on 29 May, 2024 07:58
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ESA Summary
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#85 by jacqmans on 29 May, 2024 09:16
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Heaven-sent EarthCARE to study clouds and climate
Airbus-built ESA-JAXA climate satellite successfully launched EarthCARE
Friedrichshafen, 29 May 2024 – The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA). The satellite will examine the role clouds and aerosols (tiny atmospheric particles) play in reflecting solar radiation back into space (i.e. cooling down the atmosphere) as well as in trapping infrared radiation emitted from the Earth’s surface (i.e. heating up the atmosphere).
“EarthCARE is ESA’s largest and most complex Earth Explorer spacecraft – a flagship mission whose data will help improve the accuracy and reliability of climate and numerical weather prediction models,” said Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus. “International cooperation was key with more than 200 research institutes and 45 companies across Europe working hand in hand to deliver this spacecraft.”
EarthCARE will draw up vertical profiles of natural and human-made aerosols, register the distribution of water droplets and ice crystals and how they are transported in clouds, and provide essential input to improve the modelling of the warming climate and weather forecasting. Aerosols influence the life cycle of clouds, and so contribute indirectly to how they give off radiation – measuring them will give a better understanding of Earth’s energy budget.
Instrumental cooperation: one mission, two agencies, four instruments
The spacecraft was developed, built and tested with the involvement of experts from 15 European countries as well as Japan and Canada, under the leadership of Airbus, in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Four instruments EarthCare
The Airbus-built atmospheric lidar ATLID is one of the four instruments on the EarthCARE satellite, providing vertical profiles of aerosols and thin clouds. ATLID is the second spaceborne ultraviolet lidar from Europe following Aeolus’, making Airbus a worldwide specialist in spaceborne lidars.
The satellite also includes a Broad-Band Radiometer developed by ESA through European industry, a Multi-Spectral Imager developed by Airbus’ subsidiary Surrey Satellite Technology Limited and a Cloud Profiling Radar developed by JAXA.
This unique combination of instruments will allow scientists for the first time to directly assess the role of clouds and aerosols on Earth’s radiation budget with one integrated satellite system thereby reducing current uncertainties.
EarthCARE will circle Earth in a Sun-synchronous 400 km polar orbit crossing the equator in the early afternoon to optimise daylight conditions. Weighing 2.3 tonnes, and measuring 18 metres long, once its solar panel and CPR instrument are deployed EarthCARE will be on duty for at least 3 years.
https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-05-heaven-sent-earthcare-to-study-clouds-and-climate -
#86 by alugobi on 29 May, 2024 16:03
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Quote
Friedrichshafen, 29 May 2024 – The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA).
Dear ESA, it's OK to show some professional courtesy and to mention the name of your launch provider. -
#87 by eeergo on 29 May, 2024 16:14
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Quote
Friedrichshafen, 29 May 2024 – The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA).
Dear ESA, it's OK to show some professional courtesy and to mention the name of your launch provider.
It's an Airbus release.
This time ESA appears to have learned from the Galileo ridicule and has published the launcher where appropriate. -
#88 by catdlr on 29 May, 2024 16:26
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Quote
Friedrichshafen, 29 May 2024 – The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA).
Dear ESA, it's OK to show some professional courtesy and to mention the name of your launch provider.
It's an Airbus release.
This time ESA appears to have learned from the Galileo ridicule and has published the launcher where appropriate.
They didn't on the video release posted above.
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=59149.msg2595396#msg2595396 -
#89 by alugobi on 29 May, 2024 16:32
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Well pooh on Airbus then.QuoteFriedrichshafen, 29 May 2024 – The Airbus-built EarthCARE climate monitoring satellite has been successfully launched from Vandenberg military base, California. EarthCARE (Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) is a joint undertaking between the European and Japanese Space Agencies (ESA and JAXA).
Dear ESA, it's OK to show some professional courtesy and to mention the name of your launch provider.
It's an Airbus release.
This time ESA appears to have learned from the Galileo ridicule and has published the launcher where appropriate. -
#90 by GWR64 on 29 May, 2024 18:02
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It is a bit historic, Earthcare has been successfully launched. 16 years after the construction contract was awarded!
Congratulations. And thanks to SpaceX.
Hopefully the satellite will now meet expectations. -
#91 by starbase on 29 May, 2024 18:22
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The Falcon 9 second stage fuel dump was widely observed in Europe around 23:30 UTC.
Denmark: https://twitter.com/Frimand01/status/1795606306918916393
Germany: https://twitter.com/toExplosiv/status/1795630904611652008
Czechia: https://twitter.com/jurri_cz/status/1795610511272534347
Poland: https://twitter.com/Kacper20000000/status/1795605796971221458
Turkey: https://twitter.com/knowingstardust/status/1795609823033328090 -
#92 by FutureSpaceTourist on 30 May, 2024 06:27
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https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/1795932204343980409Quote
Composite image of Falcon 9 disappearing into the marine layer and emerging again during yesterday’s launch and landing of the EarthCARE mission. The fog at Vandenberg can be an impossible challenge when trying to frame and focus a camera where you think the rocket might be. Thankfully this remote camera perfectly captured my guess, and the fog cleared just enough during launch to document the scene.
For @NASASpaceflight
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#93 by realnouns on 30 May, 2024 11:47
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Go Beyond returned to PoLB on May 29 @ 9:31pm PT / May 30 @ 12:31am ET
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#94 by Targeteer on 12 Jun, 2024 00:36
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#95 by jacqmans on 13 Jun, 2024 12:38
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For EarthCare updates see:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=61058.msg2600576#msg2600576 -
#96 by Steven Pietrobon on 15 Jun, 2024 04:50
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Here is the final version of the SpaceX online press kit. The wording was a little different for EarthCARE separation.
