https://twitter.com/alexphysics13/status/1806446455097643176QuoteLooks like another European satellite went from Ariane 6 to SpaceX's Falcon 9. In this case this one is the second satellite of Europe's latest generation of geostationary weather satellites.It’s the Eumetsat Meteosat MTG-S1 satellite:https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2024/06/27/severe-deconvenue-pour-ariane-6-une-agence-europeenne-annule-un-contrat_6244812_1650684.html (French)https://www-lemonde-fr.translate.goog/sciences/article/2024/06/27/severe-deconvenue-pour-ariane-6-une-agence-europeenne-annule-un-contrat_6244812_1650684.html?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp (English translation)
Looks like another European satellite went from Ariane 6 to SpaceX's Falcon 9. In this case this one is the second satellite of Europe's latest generation of geostationary weather satellites.
Published on28 June 2024During the Council meeting which took place on 26-27 June 2024 the EUMETSAT member states, in line with the organisation’s convention, reiterated their support to European industrial technologies and the objective to maintain an independent access to space for Europe.MTG-S1 is a unique masterpiece of European technology. This first European sounding satellite in a geostationary orbit will bring a revolution for weather forecasting and climate monitoring in Europe and Africa, and make it possible, for the first time, to observe the full lifecycle of a convective storm from space. Its launch will ensure that national weather services can benefit from new and more accurate data to protect lives, properties and infrastructures.As such, the EUMETSAT member states decided to award a launch service contract to SpaceX for the launch of the Meteosat Third Generation-Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket in 2025.“This decision was driven by exceptional circumstances” explains EUMETSAT Director-General Phil Evans. “It does not compromise our standard policy of supporting European partners, and we look forward to a successful SpaceX launch for this masterpiece of European technology.”
It looks like EUMETSAT has decided to launch Meteosat MTG-S1 on a spacex falcon 9 instead of Ariane 6. This is quite a brutal change as the flight was supposed to take place very soon. Clearly, today is a very disappointing day for European space efforts.The technical conditions were met for a launch on Ariane 6 and the launcher was indeed available. I am impatiently waiting to understand what reasons could have led Eumetsat to such a decision, at a time where all major European space countries as well as the European Commission are calling for launching european satellites on European launchers ! Not mentioning the fact that we are 10 days away from the maiden flight of Ariane 6.How far will we, Europeans, go in our naivety?This illustrates, once again, the ardent need for strong European coordination on space. It is time for the European Commission to take the necessary measures so that all European institutional satellites are launched on small and large European launchers.
Launch seems to be early next year."The satellite was not planned to board the first flight of Ariane-6, but in the third, which will take place at the beginning of 2025, that is to say in six months."
What was the satellite that was paired with this? It must have been a big one to require the A64 configuration.
In any event, this does make clear that a institutional requirement to launch on A6 may be more challenging than hoped.
Surprising decision by @eumetsat to launch with SpaceX Falcon 9 instead of Ariane 6, not waiting for the inaugural flight before making their launch service decision. It's difficult to understand, especially as Ariane 6 is well on track for its 9 July inaugural flight, with all proceeding nominally. Plans still target one more launch in 2024 and the ramp-up of Ariane 6 has not changed, except now for the loss of MTG-S1. The end of the launcher crisis is within reach. Now is the time for Europe to support autonomous access to space, which is on the horizon.
Quote from: RedLineTrain on 06/28/2024 08:46 pmWhat was the satellite that was paired with this? It must have been a big one to require the A64 configuration.This launch was to be the first A6 flight with 4 boosters. If someone was concerned about the risk of an unflown configuration and if it really had dual payloads manifested, they could have fallen back to a 2 booster option and just flown this payload. I suspect there's more to this story than that.Quote from: RedLineTrain on 06/28/2024 08:46 pmIn any event, this does make clear that a institutional requirement to launch on A6 may be more challenging than hoped.This may be the case, but only until A6 proves itself. When that happens, I fully expect all such future launches will go to A6 by default.Right now, from a risk/reliability standpoint, EUMETSAT's decision does make sense. The pushback from CNES is interesting, considering they didn't raise such a big stink when a Galileo launch switched to F9. Strikes me as more of a case of bruised pride than anything else.
What was the satellite that was paired with this? It must have been a big one to require the A64 configuration. I wonder if it will be a challenge to find a replacement for MTG-S1 on that launch
https://www.eumetsat.int/planned-launchesQuoteMTG-S1 - Jul 2025-Sep 2025Sentinel-6B - Nov 2025
MTG-S1 - Jul 2025-Sep 2025Sentinel-6B - Nov 2025
The photograph shows the first Meteosat Third Generation Sounder (MTG-S1) satellite in the acoustic chamber. Here it was placed on an enormous shaker to simulate the vibrations of launch, followed by an acoustic test where it was exposed to more than 140 dB, mimicking the noise during rocket ignition and engine burns.
With liftoff slated for next year, the satellite has endured more than seven months of rigorous testing at IABG’s facilities near Munich in Germany to ensure that it can withstand the launch and the harsh environment being 36,000 km above Earth’s equator, from where it will operate for at least 10 years.Unlike the classical ‘shake & bake’ approach, the MTG-S1 environmental test campaign followed a ‘bake & shake’ sequence.This means that the satellite was first subjected to a thermal vacuum test, which entails the whole satellite being placed in a huge vacuum chamber for three weeks and exposed to extreme temperatures, ranging from –180˚C to +250˚C.After emerging unscathed, the satellite faced the ‘shake’ part of the campaign. This included a vibration test on an enormous shaker to simulate the juddering of launch, followed by an acoustic test where it was exposed to more than 140 dB, mimicking the noise of rocket ignition and engine burns.The satellite was in ‘launch configuration’ for both of these tests, meaning that its deployable parts, like its solar arrays and antennas, were folded up. It was also loaded with harmless fluid, as opposed to real propellants, to match its launch weight.Naturally, engineers seized the opportunity to verify the satellite's actual mass properties, including its weight and centre of mass. The predictions proved accurate, with the weight coming in at just over 3.8 tonnes as anticipated.After the bake and shake tests, a comprehensive set of functional tests were carried out. These included verifying that the mechanisms work correctly for deployable units, as well as for the internal mechanisms essential for instrument operation.
SN Europe sees Ariane 6 launch as an end to its “launcher crisis” [Jul 23, Jeff Foust]Quote<snip>The next flight after CSO was to carry a geostationary weather satellite called MTG-S1 for Eumetsat, but that agency announced last month it would launch the satellite instead on a Falcon 9, a move that surprised and disappointed European space officials like [Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general]. He said he talked with Eumetsat officials at the Ariane 6 launch but got no indication that the agency would backtrack after the success of the inaugural flight. He noted Eumetsat’s decision, coming a couple weeks before the launch, was tied to the agency’s schedule of twice-yearly council meetings.“We’re looking at different options” for a replacement payload for the launch that was to fly MTG-S1. “We have one option in particular in mind,” he added, but did not disclose it.<snip>
<snip>The next flight after CSO was to carry a geostationary weather satellite called MTG-S1 for Eumetsat, but that agency announced last month it would launch the satellite instead on a Falcon 9, a move that surprised and disappointed European space officials like [Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general]. He said he talked with Eumetsat officials at the Ariane 6 launch but got no indication that the agency would backtrack after the success of the inaugural flight. He noted Eumetsat’s decision, coming a couple weeks before the launch, was tied to the agency’s schedule of twice-yearly council meetings.“We’re looking at different options” for a replacement payload for the launch that was to fly MTG-S1. “We have one option in particular in mind,” he added, but did not disclose it.<snip>
